Pompadour Updo

This hairstyle is a high-volume updo that was the height of fashion for women in the early 1900s. The most striking feature is the height and volume of the hair. This was achieved through a technique that involved building up the hair over padding: a small cushion of hair or other material tucked inside the style to give it impressive lift.

At the back, a tortoiseshell comb adorned with a row of pearls holds the style in place. Tortoiseshell hair accessories - usually made from the shell of the hawksbill turtle during this period, though today we would use synthetic materials - were extremely fashionable in the early 1900s. Their warm brown tones complemented golden and reddish-brown hair beautifully, and the addition of pearl details elevated a simple comb into a piece of jewelry for the hair.

The waves and curls are large, arranged in a way that looks both effortless and carefully considered. This was the mark of a truly skilled hairdresser: the ability to create something that appears natural while actually being the result of technical effort. Women who wore styles like this in the 1910s would have sat for a long time at their dressing table or in the chair of a professional hairdresser.

The golden-blonde color of the hair adds warmth to the entire look, and it works beautifully against the rich, gold-toned brocade dress and the dark fur at the shoulders. The overall effect is one of opulence: this is a woman who is at home in fine surroundings and who dresses accordingly.

At the front, the hair rises high above the forehead, framing the face in a way that was considered both flattering and fashionable. The golden chain necklace is simple by comparison, which is exactly right: when the hair is this spectacular, the jewelry should not compete with it.

This is a style for someone who is not afraid to stand out. It takes skill to create and confidence to wear, but the effect is impressive. For anyone wishing to recreate this look, the secret lies in the padding. Without that inner structure, the hair simply cannot achieve the height and shape that makes this hairstyle so striking.

It is also worth noting that styles like this one were beginning to fall out of fashion even as they were at their most popular. The years around 1914 were the last hurrah for truly grand hair architecture. World War I, which began in that same year, would change many things, including the way women thought about their hair.

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See also: Vintage Hair