13 thoughts on “Poldark: What’s Up With the Hair? Part 2

  1. And why does Ross never seem to pay any attention to his hair? There seems to be a notion on the part of a great many hairdressers that that men before the mullet just let their hair run wild or they dunked it in a vat of oil, then tormented it with a rake. Especially true for older historical periods, at least as they are popularly depicted. Considering that a comb is one of the most commonly found artifacts in archaeological digs, I doubt it. By the age of short hair, oil had been rediscovered, leading to the rise of the antimacassar.

  2. I have to assume that the hair hanging down on lower class women is the theatrical way to show how poor and downtrodden,or whatever,they are. As someone who does historical stuff it kind of blows my mind that anyone doing anything like manual labor is shown with hair that would hang into their work. Not practical. Oh well. Suspending my disbelief. More than made up for by Aidan Turner. ;)
    Heidi L.

  3. No, I’ve never worked with costume/hair/makeup for the screen or stage, but it doesn’t make sense to me to NOT put women (esp. extras) in caps whenever you could get away with it. Wouldn’t it be much more practical and time-efficitent? Not to mention Historically Correct! :D

  4. Siigghh I’m so glad someone else is driven crazy by this hair-all-over-the-place. I’m really enjoying the series but it makes me feel a wee bit o’ rage when I see 18thc working women with hair down. I have waist-length hair and even in this day and age of lovely conditioners and detanglers it is a b**** to keep clean, tangle-free, and out of the way…I have it in a bun 90% of the time and I’m just a desk-sitting librarian. Manual labor with long hair down is beyond stupid. For one thing, the snakey strangly sweaty feeling around the neck? It’s the WORST. And then making sure it doesn’t get caught in whatever you’re working on…yeah any woman who actually has long hair would never dream of leaving it down for labor.

    1. So you’re the librarian with the hair up and the glasses on…but seriously, I love long hair on a woman as much as the next guy, but I know from my years in the 17th century that long hair has its problems, and historically women, especially working women, kept it up and out of the way, largely with caps.

  5. Thanyou for this post, I had the same feeling about the “free” hair…Ever my grandmother wasn’t allowed to go outside like this when she was young…

    1. I was born in 1977 and I wasn’t allowed to go to school or outside to play with my long hair all free. I remember feeling awfully rebellious and liberated on the very few occasions I undid my plaits while playing outside, to show off my beautiful hair to my friends! XD

  6. Biggest reason for being in love with this is I can show my husband who gives me a look like I am a crazy person when I rant about this (come on I listen to him rant about sports), that I am not the ONLY one. Second reason is why does this not bother more people. You are the BBC for heavens sake. You probably have original wigs to model this on found in someone’s attic. I realize their annual reproductions of Austin and Bronte novels make their center of expertise a little later but shouldn’t that just highlight the fact if you are using that hair style you are in the wrong CENTURY.

    Yes, Laura Ingles Wilder wrote her auto-biographical feelings about now I am an adult I get to put my hair up like EVERYONE does. Fictionally also yes in Rebecca and I will kick in Anne of Green Gables to boot. I even confirmed the complaint on I can’t wait to put my hair up because my braids catch in my boot buttons as an actual thing experienced by my great aunts and grandmother as a thing. I have two of their boot button hooks still in my life.

    Having had long hair most of the time as an adult, sane people who do real work wear it up. Sane people who don’t have hot running water (lived in areas where electricity was a luxury occasionally) where it up with a scarf or cap.Combing the tangles out with no conditioner and a wood comb is a pain in the a**

    Ok, my background for being in love with your 2 part rant, theater minor (technical theater frequently drafted into costuming),many of my friends are re-enactors, I read a ton of historical fiction and worst of had a childhood with a surprising number of women actually born in the 19th century (even though I am 50 and not 90 like I just made myself sound). I will enjoy Poldark immensely anyway

  7. It is not only the common women with the flyaway hair. Demelza and Elisabeth regularly trot around with their long hair down (usually flying madly in the wind) or at most with the top pulled back. I grant that hairstyles were becoming more relaxed in the 1780s, but women simply did not wear their hair down as a matter of course int he 18th century. It is very cinematic, and I am sure that is why it is done, but it is not correct for the period.

  8. The hair flowing everywhere drives me nuts! Women with long hair – especially when there’s wind – braid it or pile it on their head And where are their head coverings?

    Can’t fathom what the hairdressers on this show are doing. I understand wanting to make the actors/actresses look appealing, but some drive toward authenticity would be nice too.

  9. I’ve noticed that in the later seasons of Poldark, they’ve started to make more of an effort with Ross’s hair. Gone are the days of the untamed “man bob” as you put it (really made me laugh a lot). His hair in season 3 looked like a gross matted mess. But in seasons 2 is was much shorter and then again in season 4, it’s less curly – kind of looks like he had it blow dried. I’ve seen still from season 5 and his hair looks completely straight (sad because I love curly hair). I’d love to know your thoughts on the change of Ross’s barnet.

Comments are closed.