Experience the Life
: Trades
: Wigmaker
 
Wigmaker Regina Blizzard gives a gentleman
a shave in the King's Arms Barber Shop in Colonial Williamsburg. |
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The Fashionable Wig |
Hair important in 18th-century fashion
Dressing fashionably in the 18th century meant looking good from
the head down. The precise dress of the head was as important as
any other article of clothing.
Gentry and businessmen wore wigs
The colonial wigmaker provided wigs, or perukes, and dressed the
hair of the gentry and many successful businessmen of Williamsburg.
Wigs and hairpieces were available in horse, goat, yak, or human
hair. The wigmaker's skill allowed him to weave hair and fashion
it into the latest coiffures from London.
Formal events busy for barber and wigmaker
Formal events were a busy time for the barber and wigmaker, particularly
twice a year during "Public Times," when the courts were
in session and the population of Williamsburg increased greatly.
Wigs and hair were often powdered to give them a more formal air.
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Historic Triangle