Silver Tiara Updo

A single, perfectly chosen ornament can do more for a hairstyle than a dozen competing elements. The look captured in this portrait demonstrates that principle beautifully. This 1910s updo features composed, aristocratic elegance.

The hair is a dark, warm brown, and it has been styled into a high, smooth updo that emphasizes the natural shape of the head. The back of the hair is arranged in a series of softly interlocking coiled sections, each one nested against the next to create a rounded, dome-like silhouette at the back of the crown. This technique, which required considerable patience and skill to achieve, creates a look of great volume without appearing messy.

Resting against this updo is an intricate filigree headband in silver-toned metal, decorated with an interlocking pattern that runs across the front of the hair. Filigree work - the art of twisting fine wire into lacy patterns - was highly prized in jewelry of this era, and a filigree headband was considered one of the most elegant things a woman could wear in her hair.

1910s hairstyle with an aristocratic elegance

The gown is a richly textured dark velvet with lace trim at the neck, a choice that grounds the ornate hair accessories in a setting worthy of them.

This is a hairstyle for a woman who moves in elevated social circles, who attends dinners where the silverware matters and the conversation is measured. It is not showy in the way that a mass of curls and feathers might be showy. It is precise and the product of real artistry, worn by someone who appreciates that art.

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See also: Vintage Hair