Hair Inspiration for the night of the Ball!

Dear Attendees and other interested readers,

I am the sister of whom has been giving you all the wonderful information on the proper etiquette and dress for attending a dance in time, the Bonnie Blue Ball. She has requested that I help her out by sharing tips, advice, and photos on the lady's 1860's accessories. So, here I go! (do let me know how I do)

First, I will begin with hair, something which I find very fascinating and easy to spend a lot of time dreaming about.

I would like to share with you a few photos which have inspired my imaginative mind immensely. If you know the basics of what is historical, you can browse for inspiration and be able to tell what will work and what won't.

I will not bore you with all the ins and outs of historic hair, instead, I want to inspire you! However, if you are interested in learning the details, as I am, click here for a wonderful description of historic hair. (I just did this myself and found the page most interesting!)

I hope you have enjoyed seeing the collection of images I put together, in hopes that they will inspire you as they have me! Don't tell me, you didn't sigh at least once! I have put these photos together with the object of getting your mind rolling with ideas for how you want to arrange your own locks. If you have a question about a hairstyle's authenticity, do leave me a comment and feel free to ask and share any of your own knowledge. I would love to discuss it with you.

Over the two Balls I've attended, I've improved my hair and hope to do even better this year. I will share with you a few photos from my hairstyles...

The Ball of 2006...

(as you can see, the front part was not the least bit authentic, but I did well with the large curls about my neck, the small curls I twisted up, and the pink flowers to touch it off perfectly!)

Bonnie Blue Ball ...2008

(This year I did much better after Emma suggested swooping my hair over my ears with curls at the bottom and a large bow in the back. Simply lovely!)

Stay tuned for more on accessories!

Johanna

Accessory particulars for the Ladies

Accessorizing for the Ball is one of the loveliest parts of the Ball preparation! Finding those little items that make for the perfect finishing touch is simply thrilling. There is no other way to describe. It is ever so enjoyable.

Shall we talk about it?...

Let us begin with our footwear... what on earth would be historically accurate but still comfortable for dancing???

To a dance or social, the ladies wore pointed or boxy-toed pumps that had sturdy little heels. They also wore dainty little ballet slippers. The pumps and ballet slippers usually had an embellishment of some kind that matched their ballgown. A bow, a flower, a ruffle, embroidery, etc.

Below you see the pointed toe and the boxy toe. Also notice feminine, curved heel.

(photo from fannyandvera's web page)

Aren't these so unique and delightful?!!! If you are wishing to know more about the different styles and types as I was when I learned a little about them, click here! Wonderful information awaits you. Assuming you have read it, I will now title you an expert on these matters!

Now, of course you are asking yourself, "Where shall I find a shoe like that without costing me a fortune?" "Excellent question, " I would say to you.

As you can probably guess, to find a basic pump with the perfect heel and toe can be quite expensive. The only way of finding the perfect historic pump would be through a reproduction company. Which... yes, can be quite pricey.

So, what are the options? I say, go for the ballet slipper! You can find a simple, comfortable ballet slipper from a shoe store near you. Make sure the shoe fits well and will be comfortable for dancing. If you are afraid it might come off, find one with an elastic strap (or one with ballerina ribbons like this one) or sew one on yourself. Then, you have the thrill of decorating the shoe! Little flowers, a bow, ribbon- oh! there's just so much you can do! I am very much looking forward to decorating my slippers for this ball.

A few 1860's shoe embellishments...

You may be wondering, what about the classic, 1860's boot? Of course! The 1860's boot is very historic and a thrill to wear!

(photo from fannyandvera's web page)

However, the boots worn on the streets were different from boots worn to a Ball. Evening boots were usually white or the same color as your dress. They were kid, satin, or silk. If you can find white or cream boots at a shoe store, wonderful! But if not, black or brown work well too and are just as fun to dance in!

One more thing, it's best if the heel on the boot is not very high. Due to the active dance steps you do all night long, a high heel can be very painful. But then again, if you are used to dancing in a high heel, go for it!

[ Let me share a little secret to encourage you... for our very first Ball, we made a trip to Goodwill to see what we could find for shoes. We found some old fashioned looking, brown, boots for two of my sisters! I ended up wearing some ballet flats I had, and Mom found some boots on sale at a shoe store. To this day, we still wear those shoes to the Ball. Hey! They work! Hopefully by next year, we will have decorated slippers for all the girls, and retire the brown boots for 1860's day-wear. But, they have served their purpose wonderfully! But I wanted to encourage you to feel free to start small and find something that will work, and then work up to being historic. ]

So, there you have my long-winded section on historic shoes. Wait... was I supposed to be brief Emma? Dear me. I hope you have enjoyed reading, I hope you have learned much, and are now hopping away to your closet, very inspired to excited to see what you may find!

I was hoping to give you information on all the details of a southern belle's accessories this year. But, due to our own preparation, my time is very limited. So, I hope to join you again next year and share more!

Looking forward to continuing our lovely conversation....

Johanna