Curls and Ringlets: Popular Hairstyles For Victorian Women in the Mid-19th Century

Curls and ringlets were both common and incredibly popular among women during the Victorian Era. At first, these “sausage curls” were only meant for little girls. Eventually, Victorian women also adopted them into their elaborate hairstyles. Sometimes, a woman would curl the front part of her hair only, sweeping the rest back into a high bun. Other times, women would curl the entirety of their hair and pile the strands atop their head to create an incredibly detailed up-do.

Curling ones hair was certainly not as easy for Victorian women as it is today. Electricity and curling irons had not been invented yet, so ladies of the era wrapped their hair around strips of fabric to create a crown of cascading curls. These “rag curls” resulted in long ringlets, allowing respectable women to achieve a perfectly coifed hairstyle before they went out in public.

Here below is a set of amazing photos that shows portraits of Victorian women with curls and ringlets in the mid-19th century.