Roman hairstyles

[guy]

We already had some posts about wigs in Ancient Rome (see below). Here’s a good article about the sophisticated Roman hairstyles.
 

💇‍♀️ Roman Hairstyles: Status, Satire, and Sculpture

This article delves into the luxurious world of Roman women's hairstyles, especially during the Flavian dynasty (AD 69–96), when tall curls and intricate coiffures became symbols of high status.

✨ Highlights from the Article

Satirical Sources: Poets like Martial and Juvenal mocked the absurdity and cruelty of Roman beauty standards. One epigram describes a woman beating her hairdresser over a misplaced curl.

 

Fonseca Bust: A renowned sculpture from the Capitoline Museums (pictured above) depicts a woman with a dramatic “toupet” of curls, reflecting the actual fashion of the time.

Imperial Influence: Empresses like Julia Flavia (pictured below) and Domitia Longina wore elaborate styles, possibly influenced by Emperor Domitian (reign AD 81-96), who wrote about hair care and wore wigs himself.

 

Decline of the Marble Wig: During the 2nd century AD, hairstyles became simpler. Empress Plotina and Vibia Sabina (empress between AD 117-136 pictured below) preferred more modest looks, signaling a shift back to Augustan simplicity.

 

 

Artistic Commentary: The changes in hairstyles mirror broader cultural changes.

 

 

//antigonejournal.com/2025/07/roman-hairstyles/

 

Note: In the post below, hairdresser Janet Stephens argues that many of these elaborate hairstyles may have been natural hairstyles and not wigs.

 

 

Edited August 3, 2025 by guy

[caesar novus]

Even the men could be embellished up top. Mark Antony: