Women's Hairstyles from 1900

In 1900, the Victorian Age was drawing to a close, and a whole new age of hairstyles came onto the scene. Hairstyles in the late 1800s and 1900 tended to mimic the fashion at the time. With the introduction of the bustle came larger hairstyles and larger, poofed up hairdos, which added volume to outfits.

In 1900 and 1901, hairstyles changed as women adorned themselves with corsets, bustles, and high collars that extended even under the chin. Due to the high collars, hair was worn on top of the head and dressed over crepe pads in a style called the pompadour. All the hair was pulled together by brushing from the back to the front and then pulled together into a braid or large bun or coil at the top of the head, according to Fashion Era.

In 1900, some women used the pompadour style as a base to make their hairstyles even bigger. Women wore two types of head frames with wigs on top. One frame looked like a cap and the other a crown. Wigs of natural hair were weaved in and styled in waves over these bases. The volume allowed women to wear very large hats, according to Hairdressing World.

Another type of frame was the Marie Stuart or Mary Stuart frame. It had a heart-shaped Elizabethan look with hair on two sides of the head. The frame was covered with both natural and false hair to fill it out.

Wigs and hair extensions were commonly used during this timeframe. Often long lengths of extra braids, curls and rolls were used to make the hairstyle higher as well as to fill in gaps. Curls were commonly worn and women relied heavily on pins and irons to curl their hair.