While during the Victorian era it was deemed greatly
inappropriate for women to wear hair loose (it was only appropriate in very
intimate settings such as in the bedroom or dressing room), it was one of the
few hairstyles reserved for children and young girls. Young girls almost
exclusively wore their hair down or in loose braids. It was a girl’s
responsibility to keep her hair proper and well kept, they often styled using
ribbons, bows, or cloths to create ringlets or loose braids. It was not until girls
were about 16 years old that they could wear hair in a more mature style of up-do.
This change in style would often be an indicator of adulthood as well as
marriageability.
Typically, a sunbonnet would
accompany a girl’s hairstyle when outside to avoid sunburns and a dust cap
inside to avoid dirt/dust getting into hair. Hair care and protection was
considered very important as they would often only wash once per month without
the use of shampoos (and would be last to use the water). The most important
hair care was the brushing of the hair, this was meant to keep hair clean and
untangled resulting in a strict regimen of 100 brushes every night for girls!
"About Her Hair
The extremely young girl oftenest has a fluffy bang, which
must not be frizzed, and her hair either brushed back from her forehead or
parted, and then braided and looped as she may fancy. Personally, I would
advise the parting of the hair, as that will tend to make it grow a little
lower on the face, and this is, of course, always to be desired. Hairpins of
all kinds should be avoided, and the hair should be given the same opportunity
to grow that the girl herself has. It should be kept perfectly clean, being
thoroughly washed about every two weeks and, and much brushing should be given it.
A comb that is soft and which is, at the same time, coarse, should be used upon
it in preference to a finer one. It is brushing and brushing and brushing that
the hair wants to make it beautiful and glossy and a veritable crown of glory. The
comb should only be used to divide the hair, or if it should get tangled to
straighten it out preparatory to a good brushing. Before retiring the hair
should be well brushed and loosely braided so that it may not become tangled."
