Sunday, December 13, 2015

Cable and Rope Chignons

Two more short variations to mix things up: chignons with ropes and cables instead of three-strand braids.  The Englishwoman's Domestic Magazine (1856) recommended this two-plait method for making chignons with cable-plaited hair, and I decided to try it with ropes as well.

1. Part the hair, as usual, dividing the back into two sections.  (See basics post.)

2. Rope or plait each of the back sections. (Rope instructions. Cable plait instructions.)

Back hair twisted into two ropes.
Rope version.
3. Twist the two back ropes/plaits around each other, making one thick rope.

Hair "ropes" wrapped around each other.

Two hair ropes twisted together.


4. Coil the rope at the back of the head, tuck the ends under, and pin.
Rope chignon or coil (bun).

And here's the cable plait version, per the original instructions:

Cable plait chignon or bun.

They's both easy while looking complicated, but I think the uniformity of the roped version is more pleasing.  They also remind me of this 1863 coiffure from Godey's:
1863 "Coiffure for a Young Lady" from Godey's.
"Coiffure for a young lady", back view.
There's a ribbon run around the hair, but the
description only says that it's "tied very low on the neck" 

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