Flavian-Trajanic Hairstyle: Orbis Comarum

[@Coolhandkelpy]

I remember seeing female roman busts and being amazed at the styles, by god how was that possible! Thank you for doing the work and showing us how!

[@jntvstp]

Rag curls are a suggestion of mine, they are not attested in ancient sources, but I believe them to be a viable alternative to heat or reliance on natural curl, only. For "provable" period accuracy (of particular interest to period reenactors), you would use a calamistrum curling iron heated over flame or in hot ashes. Benders and sponge rollers will do a nice job if you don't need period accuracy. Have fun!

[@christineholleman]

Is there a possibility that they used flaxseed gel for The Flavian hair styles That In combination with Rag curlers it Gives an enormous volume, and makes the hair very pliable. Love your channel.

[@DharaGrace]

It had never crossed my mind that sewing was involved in the ancient hairstyles, but it now makes so much sense. It actually, now, seems rather obvious. Lol. Thank you.

[@crazydougfam]

It looks so historically correct it's eerie how real it looks!!

[@KateandBree]

Ah, the days before hairspray....that must have sucked. Thank God for hairspray!!!!!! And mousse. And heat protectant! Heaven knows how fried those ladies hair were after the curling tongs! Beautiful and wonderful tutorial, as always. I love how you tell us when something may not be from that era. It makes me feel smart!

[@darkangelfinn9]

A professor in one of my college courses sent my class the link for the video. This completely blew my mind. This is so amazingly awesome!

[@jntvstp]

Woolen felt was a staple fabric in ancient Rome and my goal is to use period appropriate tools wherever possible. However, I do like felt because it is easy to work with, doesn't unravel (leaving strings behind in the hair), it grips well when tied and is bulkier than many woven fabrics (you use less and get cleaner curl on the tips of the hair). You may, of course, experiment with any fabric you choose: it's your hair! cheers, J

[@Delioncourt82]

You sound like Sigourney Weaver. Which is awesome. I love your channel and have been watching your videos for the past two hours. I love historical beauty techniques and styles.

[@jntvstp]

Sorry about the slow response! The model's hair was clean ( in the modern sense). Roman's bathed frequently, but we don't know for a fact what they used to wash their hair, or how often. They may have used egg yolks, struthium (soapwort root extract) and/or "ash water" or other unknown concoctions. To remove stitching, stretch the hairstyle to find threads, then clip and stretch again until all the fragments are removed. Be careful not to cut your natural hair in the process! cheers, J

[@kikiadiwilhelm3214]

Vinegar and veriuce are wonderfull hair washers, which only I use! And renders the hair exceßivelie soft and clean! I know it is very old. Vinegar is wonderfull for cleaning clothes, and skin That is dirty, Also causing it to feel and look wonderfull, so it is to be easilie figured to do!

[@jntvstp]

Wow, I'm so late in responding! Yes, that's MY KID! Isn't she fabulous! So smart, and such a good sport! cheers, J

[@jamiepollard7857]

The fact that this channel exists fills me with happiness again and again

[@twominutetips]

Beautifully detailed. Love ALL your videos and these ancient ways of hairstyling. Thank you.

[@Concetta20]

I love your model's sudden sassiness, it made me laugh. :) I love these series of videos! Thanks so much for your tireless research and work!

[@gleelee2008]

such a stunningly beautiful hairdo!! it was amazing to see ancient art brought to life. i'm recalling the average boring hairdos of today, how they pale in comparison to the wonders of the past.

[@Hakerh]

Wonderful resource. Thank you so much for making this! (Also, I loved the subtle livestock sound effects in the background of the soundtrack.) :)

[@monkey-trial...6578]

Your model is gorgeous, this hair suits

[@emperorofpluto]

Bravo! This is what springs to mind when I think of Imperial Roman hairdressing and have always wondered how on earth these ladies achieved such a dramatic look. Unfortunately - at least according to some contemporary poets - many of the most ravishing beauties of Imperial Rome had "black, rotting teeth" or (no teeth at all) and foul breath, as someone famously wrote about a certain Claudia, although apparently deliberately blackening one's teeth was even fashionable at one time. Anyhow even though I'm no hairdresser I find it fascinating to see how such a style might be replicated. Kudos.

[@llamamem]

Oh, I see. I was wondering because I use the rag curling technique very often in my own hair. Congratulations on your videos, by the way. The new ones with the models are amazing. I'm enjoying them very much.

[@eezepeeze]

Interesting, as always. I also would love to see how to do this on quite long hair. I always enjoy these videos.

[@jntvstp]

Thanks! In my videos I try to use only the tools and materials that the Romans themselves may have used,but if I can't be sure, like on the hair pieces, I will dispense "anachronism alerts" accordingly. If you don't care about strict "re-enactment", you should absolutely use whatever tools you feel most comfortable with to get the effects. cheers! J

[@pointegal96]

I love these videos, everything about them. But I just can’t get over the fact that the women maybe cut their hair into mullets for ~fashion~. History is wild and that’s why I love it

[@jntvstp]

The frame hypothesis has been floating around for decades, but, so far, it is not supported by the artifact record or by primary sources. While not impossible, I doubt that frames were used in the natural hair, but they may have been necessary in some hair pieces. The true difficulty is in distinguishing between real hair and artificial hair in sculptural contexts. cheers, J

[@bernardinelermite1133]

Awesome !!!... And beautiful model too ! :-) Thanks so much for sharing !

[@xxxJeahxxx]

I love this!!! I've always loved busts of women with those amazing Flavian hairstyles; now I know how they work!

[@SimderZ]

I always wonder how difficult it was to remove all that stitching. Im guessing its hellish. I have very long hair, i can imagine the tangley aftermath

[@vulgarshudder]

not really, you find some thread and snip it, you can pull the threads out. I stitch my hair up when I need need to keep my hair up for more than a day like when travelling, it's more secure and comfortable than pins.

[@ElizaDolittle]

I thought the same thing, but Janet Stephens posted another video of a woman with very, long, thick, curly hair and she used a lot of stitching to prepare that hairstyle. Then at the end of the video the woman showed how easy it was to take all the stitching out.

[@DottyGale8]

Eliza Dolittle Which video is that? I haven’t seen it, but I’d like to find it.

[@ElizaDolittle]

@@DottyGale8 here's one (there is another one somewhere, this isn't the one I remember) - you can watch the whole video but it starts at 10:30.

[@DottyGale8]

Eliza Dolittle Help! The link is missing.

[@j.wa.1061]

I'm really curious about how stitching compares to modern hair spray in terms of endurance and stability of hair style.

[@o.aldenproductions.9858]

I love this needle and thread technique

[@renejean8065]

So interesting! While at the Roman Baths in Bath, England a couple of years ago we were treated to several ladies strolling around in lovely period Roman garb. But the poorly done "period" wigs were very distracting and disappointing. I wish these ladies had heard of Janet Stephen! I am an American Civil War reenactor. To your knowledge is there evidence that ladies' hairstyles of that era used needle and thread to secure their coiffures? Hairpins don't always hold as well as I'd like.

[@sabrinatscha2554]

The music is wonderful! Put me in a good mood. Great video. I love your channel.

[@hsama]

LOVED IT! And for "hair spray" women could have used a bit of beer as well. ;)

[@recycledminis]

My mother and grandmother used rag curlers when they both were little.

[@recycledminis]

She also would sew my braids when I was little, since I was a very rough playing child.

[@jntvstp]

Yes, the front could be restyled, while the back was left in braids. Also, if the wearer slept on her back, the hair would be even less disturbed from day to day. Cheers, J

[@jntvstp]

They probably did, especially as the trend was just beginning (middle first Century). I'm sure many roman women were reluctant, at first, to cut off their front hair for what may, at the time have seemed a "fad". After the style was established, hair cutting would have made the style easy and inexpensive. Near the end of the fashion, many of the most elaborate and mannered examples (e.g., Marciana and Matidia) were probably hair pieces. cheers, J

[@DNAleguillou]

You must have lived during those times. Amazing job

[@kittima3218]

My goodness! What a lot of work! 🐈

[@Kate94317]

I love stuff like this. Thanks for uploading!

[@sanjayramcharan4126]

Really like your tutorials!! Really nice to see!

[@jntvstp]

I got it from a midwestern needlework catalog called "Nordic Needle". You can find them on-line. cheers, J

[@PercivalHoward]

Naturally curly hair would have been SUCH an advantage in 1AD

[@Hueltiuatzin]

Hi! love your channel! I was wondering: do you think they might have boiled flax seed and used the juice/gel to make tighter/more defined curls that also stayed? My mother used to use that to make my ringlets stay hight, tight and bouncy when I had very long hair as a child.

[@jntvstp]

Hi Maribel! that is a great suggestion, and highly possible, but we don't have any corroboration in ancient literary sources. The only one mentioned is acacia gum (in Petronius' Satyricon). I'll give flax seed a try! thanks! J

[@CroixdeLorraine]

Very, very interesting!! Never knew that women would stitch the hair!! I have also learned so much about the different methods of curling the hair, and the different types of hair gels ( really very cool, for lack of a better word!! ) I've previously known about rag curls because my Maman used to use them as a young girl. I'm growing out my hair, and have a great incentive to keep on growing it to quite long, though not as long as my bottom, however!! I'm definitely subscribing!!🤗✝️⚜️

[@Noblebird02]

I would love to see you do Elizabethan hair.

[@KateandBree]

Yes, I use this technique when I have time on my hands during the day and have a fancy place to be in the evening, but want nice, flowing curls. My hair is layered, but my longest layers are midlength (ending at the bottom of my bra) and the shortest end at my shoulder. This is the only way, aside from pin curling, that my hair holds curl. The difference between pin curls and these curls is that I find these curls are more flowing and "s-shaped." Pin curls look like Shirley Temple curls to me!

[@Kodanikage]

This style could totally work in today's society

[@ChrisSunHwa]

So neat! :D This style really suits your lovely model!

[@LoisLane11111]

Beautiful work, and impressively researched. You mention a lack of hairspray for holding curls in place - (understandably). However, have your come across any mention of hair gel? I know my mother said in the 1940's women used to boil barley and use the gel from that as setting gel. Also, I have a reproduction 1940's hair style booklet that says to make a setting gel from boiling bilberries. At least I think it said bilberries - I can't find the book at the moment! It seems likely Roman era women could have had something similar, but I haven't seen an mention of it in anything I've read.

[@disneyfemslash]

LoisLane11111 In her Empress Plotina video she mentions using acacia gum as a setting lotion which, if not brushed out, would keep the curls very firm.

[@Noblebird02]

LoisLane11111 Bog bodies from Britain have been found with hair gel.

[@atrinka1]

+LoisLane11111 I was thinking the same! In Venezuela my grandmother and even me used flaxseed boiled in water to make hair gel (very useful to get well defined curls) also the leaves of hibiscus flower gives you a gel when you break them apart in water. I think it is possible the ancient roman women used something similar

[@donquijotedegranada]

plauto refers the use of sugared water, sea water or even lemon juice to keep the hair in place

[@karinefonte516]

Let's not forget the many stiffening habilities of egg whites, quite easy to use and wash. And no, it doesn't smell!

[@1taffycat]

Was the hair clean when you started? I've found a lot of curling hairstyles or braided hairstyles hold better if the hair isn't freshly washed but you talked about how they bathed often - would they have washed their hair each time they bathed? Also, how was it taking this style out? How was it getting the reinforcement stitching out? Thank you so much for your videos, I have learned so much, I try and recreate historical hair too and I am amazed at your innovations and insights.

[@LelaMi79]

It's beautiful

[@nancydavies9901]

Where's my ornatrix when I need her?!

[@jntvstp]

I don't know if they sewed the hair during the civil war, not impossible though. There should be 19th century fashion periodicals (check out the Library of congress website perhaps?) which might be of help. Cheers, J

[@KoriEmerson]

By the victorian period sewing ones hair was out of fashion. Women were able to reuse hair from their brushes into make shift hair elastics . ( it takes practice and LOTS of patience) .

[@krlyq9158]

Lovely.

[@diekje8728]

Poppaea Sabina (or so is her name written in Flemish) was considered one of the most beautiful women of ancient Rome. but did she have special hairstyles you can show to us? second question: it seems that all your models have wavy or curly hair. weren't their any hairstyles for strait hair? thanks for sharing these amazing videos.

[@Noblebird02]

+Diekje I think most Roman women had curly hair (like many Greek or Middle Eastern women)

[@raddest.radish]

Haha maybe I’ll show this video to my Latin classes! One of the characters in our textbooks has this hairstyle

[@lizzielaaa2083]

Genius to sew the curls at the front in place - no hairspray or else back then, natural sources like flax seed gel or whatever cannot be used with this kind of fluffy hair... I would have never thought about sewing it together :D

[@marmite400]

Very good;

[@loosilu]

Fantastic demonstration. Do you have any indication of how long the hairstyle would last? It looks like so much effort, but maybe that is because of my modern eyes. It looks as if the braided bun would last quite a long time, maybe even a few weeks. Could the front have been recurled while the back was left in place?

[@marywest2896]

am a new fan. love your work!!! do you have a video about the long hair styles of the 1920's? like those on Dowton Abbey? some of those appear to be loose curling oval shaped buns at the base of the skull. Just wondering how they are done. I feel that the hair styles then and probably with any era where hats were in fashion, were, flat at the back of the head so the hat would fit. even the short hair bobs seem to be flat at the back so they could wear those skull caps. From watching the regency and victorian era shows they seem to be styled so a bonnet could be worn. Do you have an opinion? Thanks.

[@honeygolden9015]

This is fascinating. Thank you! Subbed.

[@rachelnstephens]

I randomly had a pack of unused synthetic braiding hair lying around. I made the hair piece you show here. It was fairly easy and took me about 90 minutes. I did use a small rubber band to secure all of the loose ends, because I was having a hard time keeping the cut ends together with thread alone, while trying to stitch the two ends together to make the circle. Here's my picture of my finished work: instagram.com/p/BYecs2XBYJh/ Thanks for the tutorial!

[@andreafernandez2415]

Amazed by your research and work! But I do need answers: how often could they style their hairs this ways and how long did it last on them? It seems too much to do it too often.

[@ArrowOdenn]

Another interesting and entertaining video, Janet! I'm guessing that with all that thread, this is not a hairstyle that would be worn on a day-to-day basis. Could it be worn for several consecutive days? Apparently Geishas redid their hair once a week. Would love to see it done on someone with naturally long hair, to see how the back wreath could be created.

[@PilgrimofMatter]

Around 11:20 in the video, I heard cattle lowing in the background! Great video. :)

[@doaaali220]

kolobite Me too!! and it continues appearing many various times 😂 I loved the music, but I laughed hysterically when I heard it the first time 😂😂😂

[@samanthalarocco8421]

I love this! Also am I hearing sheep in the background?!

[@indiabutts7742]

I wish you did more tutorials!!!

[@bubblemum]

I have very long straight hair- I can create the back with all the braids easily I think, but would they create a false curled front piece, do you think?

[@andreatrucco]

Nice job! Probably they had a piece to increase the hair in the front and something to shape the volume (like a metal cage).

[@GLGC688]

Did they have to redo their hair every day or did they leave it like this for a while? It seems like a lot of work to do each day.

[@gangurobitch]

This kinds of hairstyles were worn mostly by rich women who had handmaidens to do their hair for them. Less wealthy women probably wore less complicated hairstyles.

[@Corbeaux08]

In principle this could be done every day, and since proper appearance would have been very important to the status-conscious Romans, I imagine even poor women, if freeborn and not slaves, would have made sure their hair was properly stitched up (even if the styles themselves would not have been as elaborate as those of rich ladies with dedicated ornatrices at their disposal).

[@Corbeaux08]

That said, I imagine a hairstyle that was secured in this manner with braids and thread would also have been very secure, and could definitely have been slept in while being comfortable enough not to disturb sleep, and still looking presentable the next day. So it seems very plausible that for Roman ladies, hairdressing wasn’t necessarily a daily affair.

[@Corbeaux08]

It seems more plausible to me because of my personal experience, perhaps. I used to go on long mountain treks where I wouldn’t be able to wash my hair for days and would be sweating a lot during the day besides, and just having it in a French braid did wonders for its appearance and cleanliness. It was also fairly comfortable to sleep on... my hair is on the thick side, so the added bulk from the plaiting actually gave me a pillow to rest my head on as I slept!

[@emilygilbeyful]

I suspect this would not be a daily do but more of an occasion style much like how we wear an updo or heat styled hair for weekends and occasions. I imagine a scaled down version for everyday probably. Don't forget busts and paintings would be a special thing and if you were posing then you would look your best!

[@pedinurse1]

love it

[@SiggySid79]

When I got married 10 years ago I took a picture of this style to the hair dresser and said that is what i wanted... She then unfortunately said she had no idea how to do it and we went with a simple bun.

[@shellmatheis5258]

Amazing. But was This an everyday hairstyle?

[@magnoliacrow4025]

Would this loose stitching technique for curls last for more than a day, or would it need to be taken out before sleeping?

[@beckmannm]

Could you do a video of the orbis comarum with long hair, not using a hair piece?

[@aadams1006]

Your daughter's name is Cat Stephens. I love that.

[@oritouwu9069]

I REALLY LOVE YOY

[@gemmagrundy8120]

I love this music I wish I could have the soundtrack to listen to

[@klasina55]

I wonder if they didn't use also something like sugarwater or honey water to stiffen the hair, so it would keep it shape

[@S.J.Howland]

Would that type of rag curling work on long straight fine hair?

[@02sweden]

Wow, that is pretty. A bride of today, would really stand out from the rest, wearing this hairstyle.

[@verdancyhime]

So can she get the thread out without damaging the hair?

[@Corbeaux08]

Eva Rinaldi Yup! She even has a video on this very channel where she includes the taking down of the hair in the whole process, and it’s quite easy!

[@abitconfuzzled]

Some the the busts show what appear to be very structured front sections (is that the Orbis Comarum part?). Was it possible they combed the hair over a frame?

[@MsAngelique]

Question ... how were the threads removed ... ?

[@charachoppel3116]

Are you sure that sculpted hair above the forehead is made by teasing? To me it looks like lots and lots of tight and hard little curls built up to a gigantic mount.

[@jntvstp]

Dear Chara, thanks for the input--this is why experimental archaeology is so much FUN! I agree with you! but when I tried it without teasing, the pile of curls collapsed whenever the head moved. The romans didn't have hairspray, and stitching the un-teased curls didn't get me the height and stability I thought necessary for a woman to be able to actually wear the style. Keep up the critical thinking! cheers, J

[@Bonzulac]

Can there be an option for turning off the music?

[@Venrajade]

Where do you get that kind of needle?

[@jervilopez1844]

It looks like renaissance hair from the front!

[@ladykaren1813]

wow that's a loot of work

[@kooolkidninjamaster]

Did anyone do the circle hair by their own hair or did they always use fake hair wreaths?

[@llamamem]

Why felt? Does it makes a difference compared to using other kinds of fabric?

[@annedavis3340]

eme foulquie holds better cause it is grabby :)

[@allim.5941]

God bless hair spray

[@Lwoods1717]

Who's here from AS/IS

[@pstcali7152]

I wake up with the top of my hair this curly and messy, now, I just need someone to do my back . Done. Soooo interesting 🤔

[@thekingsgordon]

Who's here from quora?

[@preciselyonetomato4488]

very 80s not 1980s, just 80s

[@maisondusuave]

It must have been a nightmare to take it down with all the stitching all over.

[@NC-ij9rb]

Roman mullet

[@abdullah.a.nahyan]

Like 1980s🤔

[@ineffablemars]

should have used someone with real curls

[@AlexYorim]

Ancient Rome's version of a poodle hairstyle.

[@EmilyJones-no8gj]

8They had hair like that of women, and teeth like those of lions. 9They also had thoraxes like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the roar of many horses and chariots rushing into battle. Rev. 9:8-9.

[@susanjaeger5645]

Yeah ok rag rolls, we did it as kids. But these women are doing the same thing we women today AND my mom's days are doing. They're using illusion pieces of hair, clip in hair, wigs, etc. STOP trying to make us believe that these people were so back woods. You insult us. These cultures had ties, bands, pins and clips for their hair...JUST LIKE US!

[@jntvstp]

Dear Susan, thank you for reaching out, but I respectfully disagree with your comment. I have the highest regard for my viewers and for ancient Roman hairdressers. I believe they were geniuses. Roman ornatrices were able to create subtle and complex hairstyles on natural hair with extremely simple tools. You are correct that wigs and hairpieces existed in antiquity, but I believe they were not always required nor preferred. If you wish to challenge my research on its scholarly merits I encourage you to read the works listed in the bibliographies following my videos. Cheers and be well, J