Hey folks, quick heads-up: we’re on Australian tv THIS Sunday 25th October @ 2pm – Network 10, Documentary “City Fringe” – don’t miss it!

The blurb for the show is as follows:

2:00 pm CITY FRINGE

“City Fringe” Punk, Goth, Rock & Metal, decades old now reinvented & still popular. City Fringe discovers why people gravitate to certain music or styles, political views or social scenes & the unwritten codes determining how a person achieves and maintains acceptance.

Hey folks,

Fiend Magazine Issue #18 – The Steampunk Issue is now available instore @ Wildilocks & now online from our webstore too! Tons of awesome stuff and of course, featuring a variety of articles on various aspects of Steampunk, including an interview with Doctor Steel, our very own The Tenth Stage, the delectable Kate O’Brien’s lush and steamy photography, and simply lashings of Steampunk fashion!

What we’re really pleased and excited about though, is a collaboration for the first time between Wildilocks and Fiend, as we present the inaugural Fiend Exclusive Wildilocks Treats how-to article – the full text is solely available in Fiend while issue #18 is current. We’re posting all the videos inline below, but to read the full article, you’ll need to grab yourself a copy of Fiend pronto

Ta da! Hopefully your whistles have been thoroughly whet, and you’ll be tearing over to the webstore poste haste!

Cheers,

Cass

Who can resist the romance of a Jane Austin classic? So very timeless is the theme of love and desire, and so very alluring is the restrained passion of the Regency & early Victorian era, that Jane Austin’s novels have been made and re-made into TV and film classics, and even with the vast difference in society and culture from that by-gone era to now, we still find relevance and identify with the heroes and heroines … and who doesn’t want a Mr Darcy of their own?

The lovely Alice is our model for this look, and with her delightfully long hair the goal was to create a simple yet elegant silhouette based on the Jane Austin look. Ladies of this era, especially in the countryside a la Pride and Prejudice, often did each others hair or had a maid, so these are looks we can create without being a fully qualified hairdresser. Hopefully this look helps you create your own Regency or early Victorian fantasy.

This is a real vintage episode for our “Treats” blog, in fact it has the distinction of being one of the first ones we ever did! And as such, we didn’t film any of the progression, so this installment of “Treats” will have instructions, before and after shots and some extra info in between to assist you.

Here are the before shots of our lovely model:

      

The Regency / early Victorian is an excellent style to break down as it’s a wonderful basic preparation base for a multitude of styles. With a very simple set of steps, the finished look is only limited by your skill and creativity.

Step 1

We divide the hair into two distinct sections, separating the front/fringe area and sides from the rest leaving at least two to three finger widths around the hairline at the sides behind the ears and the back/nape. Taking an oval shape around the crown and top of the head, we create a slick tight ponytail right on the crown. You can adjust this forward for more height or back for more volume but ultimately your goal is to balance the profile. the most pleasing balance is created by drawing a diagonal line from the chin, to the centre of the ear to the head; where your line ends is about your ‘crown’. I like to place my ponytail there or a bit higher if the hair is longer. NB: Very long hair ladies, you may even decide to make two ponytails, one just under the other, for more comfort.

Step 2

Now set this pony tail into random curls. Hot rollers or a curling iron will do just as well, but I personally prefer rollers for ease and practicality. The curls don’t need to be the exact same size or direction, but it is important to not take huge chunky sections or the hair will not curl properly. Once you have this area set and pinned up or in rollers, set the remainder of the hair into bigger soft curls. Volume isn’t important here, so you don’t need to lift up at the roots; your focus instead will be on setting the mid-length to ends of the hair. Be sure to set smoothly with pretty ends that curl nicely, as that’s the part you will use the most in the finished look. In previous episodes of Treats, we have demonstrated setting with curling irons and straightening irons, and in an upcoming chapter we will demonstrate hot rollers for you.

Step 3

This step may seem counter-intuitive, but you will in fact dress out the top first, so lets go back to the pony tail(s) you have set. Check if the hair has completely cooled down. This typically takes about 20 minutes and that’s maybe the time you spent curling the rest of your hair or doing some make up. So first of all, you will back comb individual curls or parts of curls slightly, approximately the width of 2 fingers, with some variation. This will keep the curls together a bit more like a ribbon so you can style some curls. Tackle each curled piece of hair you will style into curls one at a time, separating the ponytail into about 6-8 curled ribbons of hair overall – the number will vary depending on the thickness of your own hair but I don’t like to do less than five or it looks too much like a flower – and not a nice one either!

With each curled ribbon of hair, gently apply a little very light wax or spray shine and use a comb to gently smooth the visible surface of the ribbon without removing all the back combing. We recommend CHI Shine Infusion. Use your fingers to create a loop with the ribbon, leaving the ends out, and pin to the base ie: the flat to the head area of the ponytail you created with a bobby pin, holding the bottom of the curl to the head. Repeat with the remaining ribbons of hair at varying distances from the pony tail base. Using your creative intuition and visual aids (mirrors/friends/etc) and placing them in places that fill out the interior section closer to the base of the ponytail rather than the outside edges of this section. Overall you can create a rather round or egg shape or even oval shape here, depending on what choice creates the most visually pleasing balance for your face and profile.

Step 4

The ends are now ready for you to finish. You can basically repeat this or drape the ends into waves or open curls in between the curls you have created to fill out your style. Instead of bobby pins here I would use Ripple Pins (sometimes called Spiral Pins or Fantasy Pins) as these will hold your curls and looks in place without holding then flat. Ripple Pins look like this:

and can be purchased through Wildilocks on our webstore here, you may have trouble finding these outside of hairdressing suppliers otherwise. The emphasis is on making sure your ends are smooth, and place them so that they balance your design as best your eye can discern. Feel free to leave one or two little curl ends out toward the back so they drape down if the look suits your overall style. Take your time and feel free to re-distribute these ends until you are happy with the overall result. See here for more help!)

Step 5

Almost there! Exciting! At this stage you should be able to start to recognise your look as Regency or early Victorian. Of course you have creative license to make this as authentic or punked up as you like. As a hairstyle, the foundation lends itself to re-creation as much as it does to Steampunk so have some fun with it.

Time to finish the look off. First of all, let us talk about why we left out the back, sides and front: for a degree of softness and to give us some more of those lovely curly ends to fill out your hairstyle and it also dresses the ponytail look into something more sophisticated.

So we start at the back, using again a very light wax or shine spray for smooth shiny curls. Clip the sides out of the way and lightly backcomb the roots here (from on top and not underneath) for a little volume. Keep it subtle, you just want a little more poof. Lightly comb from underneath to keep it smooth and pin it up and under the curls on top as close to the ponytail base as possible. You may either let the ends fall in between the curls you have left loose (if any). Once done now we repeat this on the areas behind the ears. Again keep the volume subtle. The advantage to doing the back first is when you dress the sides back and pin to the ponytail base, you are also folding the hair over the seam and hiding the back section with the side sections so it looks nice and neat. Watch that you dress the ends up and into the sides so you don’t create volume in the sides, this style is more vertical than horizontal from the front, so use those ends to create more height at the top or volume at the back of or just under the crown.

(You might notice I’m not recommending hairspray yet. When working this look I rarely use anything but the very lightest hairspray if at all until I am done. it makes it easier to move things and create balance without making a mess. If you freeze-spray it now, you may not be able to make the small adjustments as you go for balance and proportion without it being much harder than it needs to be)

Step 6

The last stage! Honest.

Now it’s just the front. You should only have loose hair at the front and sides in front of the ears. Its more than appropriate to pull these back as you just did for the back. I personally like leaving pieces out around the face for softness but if this does not suit you then by all means dress the hair back. What I will quite strenuously recommend is either a centre part or no part. A side part for this look is not all that period-appropriate, and can look just a little too “bridesmaid”-like. If you are determined to have a side part then please do so, but I never do one for this look.

To emulate the pictures provided the directions are:

Create a strong centre part. Keep it straight and clean. Pull these back nice and smooth and flat – no back-combing required here! Pin the hair as close to the base as you can, weaving the ends up to the centre of your ponytail. Dress the ends as appropriate your look. Leave the pieces out that suit you (although I never do just over the ear as that’s rather a religious look than anything else) and repeat the others back as you have just done so with the front. With the ends you are leaving out, again, dress them up and into the top or back of your head for proportion and balance both from the front and side profile.
Last thing to do is check from the front and sides for overall proportion and balance. I recommend getting up and away from the mirror and looking at a bit of a distance. Once you’ve worked so close on your hair for a bit its hard to see the forest for the trees, so even give your eyes a break and do something else for five minutes.

Done? Happy? Wonderful! Now it is time to spray. Hairspray is a wonderful gift form the hairgods but it can be a force for evil as well as good, so here are a few tips:

• Always hold the can about shoulder to elbow distance from your hair. Too close and it will spray wet and become sticky, leave “beads” and not dry well if it does get wet – it will be rather stringy and not very nice.
• Don’t hold the can in one place, move it around – for all the above reasons!
• Don’t overdo the hairspray. Its not a spider so you don’t need to kill it, just coat it so it stays put. One or two passes with the spray, let it set, and then re-apply if needed.
• Rely on fantastic CHI Helmet Head if possible for the strongest hold final spray: don’t use at all until you’re absolutely certain you are finished though!

And that should be it! Enjoy the finished images below of our beautiful Alice with our version of a Regency / early Victorian hairstyle a la Jane Austen – inspired by Elizabeth as depicted in the old BBC Pride and Prejudice series (sigh!)

 

Want to see more? Have pictures of your hair triumphs from our Treats series? Then email us at or cruise around and read our other Treats or check out our client gallery. And if course you are always welcome to drop into Wildilocks for your own vintage hair creation.

Meow,
Kat

Easily one of my favorite eras for long hair inspiration is the Edwardian era, spanning the late 1800’s to approximately 1914 where, like their Victorian counterparts, [for me at least] the original new romantics first appeared.

Following the Victorian era’s silhouette, there is a constant evolution in ladies fashion. We can see a gradually less puffy skirt, the bustle disappears by the end of the Edwardian period and those infamous “leg ‘o mutton” sleeves swelled to enormous proportions, to be replaced later by a more tailored “suit”, popular with traveling ladies. We also see many variations in corsetry, ladies footwear was concealed then revealed during this era and large extravagant hats played a part in a society ladies wardrobe.

Hairstyles were equally varied. There is a softening of the severe up-swept hair styles found in the Victorian era. The fashionable Edwardian lady often wore her hair sculpted and coiffured into decadent creations for special occasions and using hair pieces that were curled – and ornamental combs were essential.

To recreate an Edwardian inspired hairstyle I have chosen these images as inspiration:

  

I wanted to create a look that was elaborate, had the period-authentic shape at the sides and top and took full advantage of our model Sylvie’s glorious purple mane. This is quite an elaborate style, so I will break it down into several steps. This is a defiantly intermediate level style so practice makes perfect – or come into Wildilocks at the Lockworks and we can do it for you!

Before:

  

First, I divided the hair into five distinct sections.
1: Section one starts about a finger length back from the front/centre hairline, curves around into an oval shape and ends about 2” above the occipital bone (that little button like bone at the lower back of your head)
2: Sections two and three start from the “corner” of the oval, measured with the temple, and goes in a straight line down to the nape/hairline on either side.
3: Section four is the remaining hair under the oval section and in between the second and third sections
4: Section five is the remaining hair left out at the front, or fringe section.

Sections #1 and #3 are pony-tailed for control, the rest are left loose. Sections #1, #2, #3 and #4 are all curled with a curling iron and a soft hairspray, hot rollers will do well also. Be sure to make the curls various directions in sections #1 and #4, however sections #2 and #3 (on either side of the head) are curled back on a soft diagonal angle away from the face.
Please refer the the video and images for a clear view and description of part of this preparation [click on thumbnails for larger images]:

  

This make take a while, however good clean preparation means the hairstyle will be a lot easier to create and your end result will show any sloppy workmanship, so don’t skimp too much in these formative stages!

Once all this is done, I start back at Section #1. Using a back combing technique I create a cushioning on pieces taken from the pony tail. I then rolled the first 3-5” these into barrels or tubes leaving the ends out, and then placed each of these into a vertical line over the pony tail. This is done to create the height and shape for the interior of this period hairstyle. I then repeated this process in section #4. The ends that you have left out are for decoration and filling in space, wrap them into little curls and pin them to the bases you have created – you will use them later. Check out the video to see this clearly:

The next step is to address the sides, sections #2 and #3. We will back comb these and roll them into rolls, reminiscent of the 1940’s style victory rolls. Start by back combing the base at the roots only, and split the sections into two (top and bottom). Using hairspray and fingers, roll these into larger versions of the barrels you created in sections #1 and #4. These will angle back to follow the hairline and roll away from the face. Start with the bottom half and then to the top half, as this will be easier to blend and connect. Be sure to back comb well enough at the base for the bobby pins to be secure or they will just slide out. Try the hide your pins wherever possible too. Check out the video to see this clearly:

Now you should have a very good base shape for an Edwardian look hairstyle. Take a little happy dance-break, ’cause you’re almost there. Release the ends you left out from sections #1 and #4. You can now use these to decorate the space in between the sides (sections #2 and #3) and decorate the vertical rolls. I like to use a light wax to smooth and define these ends, it gives great shine and helps control fly-aways, however use wax sparingly as you can also make the ends look heavy and greasy by mistake. I also prefer using ripple pins in place of bobby pins for this stage as they are easier to hide and don’t squash the hair. I also chose to leave the ends loose at the nape to exaggerate the “V” shape that is distinctive for this era. You may not choose this, but I prefer it personally.

The final stage is to create a fringe design. This can be either left out for a modern version, or rolled back to blend into the side, either left or right, ala sections #2 or #3 or a bit of both. I would however avoid a dead-center part for this style. Here is a short video of our finished look so you can see it from all angles, as well as many more photos. Feel free to decorate your hair with pretty flowers, jewels, feathers or anything that takes your fancy, and enjoy!

Want more? Is there are decade or period look or star that you would like to see? Then drop me an email at kat@wildilocks.com!

Hairstyling in the 1930’s reflected a progression from the finger waves of the 1920’s to a soft, full version that was popular in this time. During the 20’s and 30’s, the Jazz age heralded the woman released from the bondage of compulsory corsetry and reborn into radically sleeker lines in her outfits and hair. In the 30’s as opposed to the 20’s, there was a return to setting and curling that took the severity of the 1920’s slicked finger waves into the coiffured waves that was favored by the glamour set as well as the much emulated movie starlets of the era.

My inspiration for this look was the 30’s screen icon Clara Bow. In this image we can see there is still a defined wave movement back and forth, with the soft voluminous silhouette that is the product of setting rather that wet-molded waves.

image from The Biography Channel

As we can see in our before shots, Candy has a layered version of the classic 1930’s shaped hair cut, with a graduated (angled) line at the back to create a diamond shaped style, and longer interior layers, fantastic for waves.

As we are re-creating a period hairstyle with modern tools, I’ve chosen a narrow straightening iron instead of setting rollers. You are more likely to have irons at home than rollers, and its faster to start and finish on dry hair as well. This look can also be created with hot rollers, and if you have the patience you can wet set with rollers and dry with a hooded dryer or hair dryer. Authentically it was done with a combination of rollers, waves and pin curls, I’ve chosen to demonstrate this way to make it easier for you to recreate at home.

I started with the nape (hairline at the base of the neck) and worked up, so as not to disturb the hair as I was setting. Each row was curled on a diagonal part so the resulting curl would sit to one side or direction. This image shows the alternation directions of the curls well. Do each row wrapped around the entire head, from hairline to hairline, like a typewriter!

For example: the first row , each part or individual curl was curled toward the right, the next row was done opposite, to each individual curl faced toward the left. Each row is done in alternating directions, much like finger waves would be.

Example:

__ __ _

/_//_//_/

\_\\_\\_\

Each row would be parted into individual slanted rectangles or oblongs, called rhomboids, so this setting pattern is sometimes called alternating oblongs or alternation rhomboids.

To help explain this better, refer to the video below for a more visual guide:

Its important to decide where your part will fall before you curl the top. To be period-specific, I recommend a straight part rather than an angle, to one side, approximately over the arch of the brow or center of the iris rather than too close to the center.

Once you have the curls completed, let them cool before proceeding. If you have heavy or slightly longer hair its advised to place them into pin curls by clipping the curl ends neatly tucked into the base. Ends only, as you don’t want to flatten or distort the curls.

As you can see above, I have a strong side part and have left out the fringe for an alternative and contemporary 1930’s wave, but as it was popular to have the face framed with smaller defined curls and waves you may choose to continue curling the entire head and not leave out a separate fringe, the choice should be based on your desire to have either an authentic look or a more modern version.

Once the curled hair has set, (hair is still setting while it is hot/warm, so for best results always let the hair cool completely, this is true with hot rollers as much as it is with irons) I have back combed the roots for volume and fullness while leaving the mid lengths and ends smooth and tangle free. This step will support our volume by holding the hair out from the scalp, and leaving the ends free will give us waves to mold into our finished shape. Don’t be alarmed, this will look very odd but it’s simply a means to an end!

When you have done this, use a light hairspray on the roots to help with the hold. Its very important to use a soft or light spray rather than a lacquer and to use it sparingly, as you still have some styling to do to complete this look. Be sure to spray at a distance of 20-30+ cm’s so as not to spray wet beads onto the hair, that will make it very sticky and create separations.

Now we are ready to complete our 1930’s waves. This time we will start at the top, creating our hairstyle, dressing or combing out away from the part and into waves.

I will aim to make these written instructions clear as possible, please also watch the video above for a visual reference and support guide to the above instructions as well as completing this look.

Start from the heavy side of the part (the side with more hair) and comb at a 45 degree angle into the wave.

Example:

If the C of the curl/s created are open on the right side (as our alphabet C is) the wave starts moving to the LEFT first and returns to the RIGHT to complete a C [or ¾ circle shape]. These two directions are called 1^st direction and 2^nd direction; 1^st direction is moving into the wave, 2^nd is moving out of the wave.

Comb into 1^st direction, into the wave, and then hold the hair just under where you have stopped to keep the hair steady and comb 2^nd Direction out of the wave.

As you complete the 2^nd direction, you have already created the 1^st direction for the next wave. As the waves move in alternating direction, the will continually connect and blend into each other, creating a series of connected S’s back and forth. Be sure reach row blends into the one underneath it and are not separated from each other.

As you also see in the video, I used a light hairspray for control and to smooth out fly away hairs. I also use clips to hold the waves in place, so I can continue to create the waves without distorting the waves already completed.

The ends can be left into full random-direction curls. Overall, once you have created your waves, check for balance, and for a diamond or triangular silhouette. Smooth frizz-free waves with defined back and forth direction as well as in and out volume will give you a wonderful full and soft 1930’s look.

The finished product!

from the side

Ready for a night on the town

This style is a bit intermediate-advanced if you are not practiced at styling hair, especially tricky to do on yourself, so its worth practicing or having a pamper-play night with some friends to try it out on each other. And of course you can always come into one of our salons and we can offer the talents of our staff to assist you in creating this and other fabulous vintage looks!

Have fun, and if you have any questions, or want to show us your own 1930’s creations, we’d love to see them! Drop me a line at kat@wildilocks.com.

It seems hair articles and images about vintage hairstyles cater almost exclusively to women. Indeed, for time periods before the 1950’s, there are scant resources out there, especially for the Victorian or “Steam era” styles, and there was not a lot of variety on the first half of the 1900’s when it comes to mens hairstyles.As frustrating as this may seem it does offer quite a simple solution, and that is simply to be more relaxed about creating period-specific hair styles and work with what you have to create a look you like. For example, dashing steampunk and Victorian gothic gents can easily wear long coiffured hairstyles or short sculpted waves, and with some styling advice, pictures and video, Wildilocks wants to help you create your own period mens hairstyle.

For our first subject we have the dashing Sir Frederick Chook, who modeled several styles for us, which we will feature in three separate articles: the decadent Byronesque coiffure, the distinguished hidden ponytail, and dashing finger waves for long hair. This article is number one of this series: the decadent Byronesque Coiffure.

For this look we started with long dry hair, and using a large barrel iron and a light coat of hairspray we curled each section from bottom to top as demonstrated below:

Be sure to decide on your part before you start. Each curl was secured with a pin curl to allow it to cool without dropping, our intention was to create a natural-looking curl that would stand up to styling and a photo-shoot (or indeed a night out).If your prefer a strong curl then by all means use a smaller iron; the smaller the iron, the tighter the curl and the further back in history you go, so be aware that long and very small curls on a men were more general to the 1700’s and 1800’s than the Victorian era.Once the hair has cooled (feel the pin curl clip; if it is cold then your hair has set), release carefully and loosen with your fingers.

Use a small amount of wax/pomade to define your locks, as Kat demonstrates very thoroughly below:

The finished result should be loose, flowing, natural, but a smattering of more defined curls, as Sir Frederick demonstrates, ready for a night on the town:

In closing, recreating vintage hair for men means working with the cut you have and the look you desire, the rest is practice, or visiting a salon like Wildilocks that can do it for you. If you have a particular styling period or question you’d like us to look at or feature in Wildilocks Treats, please email treats@wildilocks.com! If you have further questions or comments about the above article, please comment below.

Kat Martin

Coming next in this series: the distinguished hidden ponytail!