Empire style hairstyles

Empire style is the style of the first half of the 19th century. Empire or imperial style originated in France together with the formation of the French Empire during the time of Napoleon Bonaparte. And together with the death of the Empire and the defeat of Napoleon, the Empire style disappears.

Imperial style - so it was named for a reason. The Empire style is imitation, reliance on the art of Ancient Rome during the Empire period. It was during the time of Napoleon in France, in Paris, that the Arc de Triomphe was built - in honor of the victories of his army. The same arches were built in ancient Rome - in honor of the victories of the emperors. But not only in architecture and painting, but also in costume and hairstyles, the period of Napoleon's reign was the time when the Empire style dominated.

Jacques Louis David. Emperor Napoleon in his study at the Tuileries. (1812)

Before the Empire was classicism... Classicism largely imitated and relied on the art of Ancient Greece. Classicism was very simple in comparison with rococo style. The style is calm, strict, without unnecessary embellishments. Classicism in France is replacing Rococo after the Great French Revolution. A revolution that buried not only royal power, but also the very luxury of the French court. Lush skirts and crinolines, high hairstyles and expensive wigs have sunk into the past. By the way, the word "wig" itself became a household name after the French Revolution - that is how the conservatives were called. After the revolution, fashion itself changed - for the first time fashion began to come from below, from the masses. So, in the post-revolutionary years, the "savage" hairstyle was in vogue - disheveled hair, without any adornments.

But when Napoleon Bonaparte comes to power and proclaims himself emperor, the fashion of the Empire can no longer be simple, it becomes more complicated and the Empire style begins to set the tone in fashion.

Dominique Ingres. Bonaparte is the first consul.
Men's hairstyle - short haircut.

Men's hairstyles from that period, the first quarter of the 19th century, were quite simple. These were short haircuts with curled hair. The fashion for such haircuts comes in the period of classicism. Men's hairstyles are similar to the hairstyles of Antiquity (Ancient greece, Ancient Rome), and accordingly bear names in honor of the Roman emperors - hairstyles "a la Caracalla", "a la Titus". In hairstyles, various partings are made - straight, side, through.

Men wear mustaches and sideburns. Beards are rarely worn, and if they are, then small beards, "goatee".

Jacques Louis David. Self-portrait (1794)
Men's hairstyle

Women's hairstyles are more complex and have a number of options. So, women also wear hairstyles similar to antique ones - hairstyles with a slight perm. And Egyptian hairstyles are also in vogue (after Napoleon's Egyptian campaign), for example, the "a la Cleopatra" hairstyle.

Firmin Massot. Empress Josephine. (about 1812)
Women's Empire style hairstyle

Fashion for hairstyles, and not only, among ladies is set by secular lionesses. Madame Teresa Talien, one of whose many husbands was Jean-Lambert Talien, a participant in the coup against Robespierre (leader of the French revolution). To participate in the coup, Talien was prompted by the famous letter from Teresa, which she wrote to him from prison - "I am dying because I belong to a coward."

Teresa Talien dressed according to the ancient style - she wore a dress, gathered in folds and buttoned at the shoulder with a cameo. The fabric for her dresses was Indian muslin. In her hairstyles, Teresa also imitated Antiquity - she cut her black velvet hair short and curled at the ends.

David. Portrait of Teresa Talien.

Madame Recamier (Julie Recamier), like Teresa Talien, was the mistress of the literary and political salon.The French intelligentsia of that time gathered in such salons. The salons served as a place for conversations about high and at the same time for a pleasant pastime. Unlike Madame Talien, a friend of Josephine Beauharnais, Napoleon's wife, Madame Recamier was opposed to the policies of Napoleon Bonaparte, which is why she was expelled from Paris and traveled a lot in Italy.

David. Portrait of Madame Recamier (1800)

Mademoiselle Lange is an actress who works as a model for many artists. And, of course, Josephine Beauharnais is Napoleon's first wife. By the way, Napoleon was six years younger than his wife. He was Josephine's second husband. Josephine was then introduced not to the emperor, but to the young general by her friend, Madame Talien.

Francois Gerard. Portrait of Madame Recamier. (1802)

If initially women's hairstyles at the beginning of the 19th century were short, then over time they begin to be done on longer hair. So, for example, a hairstyle "a la Ninon" appears. The hairstyle was copied from a portrait of the 18th century courtesan Ninon de Lanclos. The hairstyle consisted of hair on the forehead, curled in light bangs, a horizontal parting above the forehead, large curls at the temples to the shoulders, on the back of the head a tight and flat chignon decorated with an ostrich feather.

In the 1810s, pyramidal hairstyles came into vogue. Bundles or artificial hairpieces become obligatory elements of hairstyles.

Pierre-Paul Prudhon. Josephine.

In the 1820s, hairstyles without bangs became fashionable, with a high bun of braids at the top of the head, with buns of curls above the ears and with a straight or zigzag parting. Thus, the fashion for hairstyles in the spirit of Antiquity comes to naught, as does the Empire style itself.