A bigwig is a “very important person.” The term actually comes from the days when very important people wore really big wigs.
BAD HAIR DAYS
It’s an age-old question: What do I do with my hair? Ancient Egyptians had an easy solution—they just shaved their heads and wore wigs. In ancient Rome women wore wigs, colored hairpieces, and braided additions to imitate the style of Greek statues.
Much later, in 1624, King Louis XIII of France went prematurely bald at 23 and hid it by wearing a wig. Thus began the “big hair” fashion for men. His son, Louis XIV, was also hair-challenged and continued the fashion. During his reign, 48 wigmakers worked night and day whipping up elaborate hairstyles for the king.
HIGH-PRICED HAIR
Wigs made hairdressing easy. Men and women didn’t have to sit for hours having their hair styled—they just sent it out to a wigmaker. But wigs were expensive. One human-hair man’s wig cost more than a coat, breeches (pants), shirt, stockings, shoes, and hat put together. So instead, people used alternative material, such as horse and goat hair.
By 1775 wig-wearing had reached its peak: the bigger the hair the better. Women wore wigs that were three feet tall. They even had birdcages, with live birds, built right into their hair. The fantastic hairdos had names like The Butterfly and Sportsman in the Bush. The hairdo à la Belle Poulé was a ship model in full sail resting on curls simulating the sea. To make room for these giant headdresses, carriages—especially in France—were built with openings in the roof just so women could fit inside them! And women whose carriages didn’t have a hole in the roof had to ride with their heads sticking out of the window.
World traveler: The Danube River flows through eight European countries and four capitals.
GRAND THEFT WIG
In London, wigs worn by barristers (lawyers) were so expensive that they were often stolen. Wig thieves wandered the streets carrying baskets on their backs. Hidden inside the baskets were small boys. At the right moment, the boy would pop out of the basket, grab the wig, and then disappear back into the basket. The thieves counted on the fact that the barristers would be embarrassed to be caught bareheaded and wouldn’t want to call attention to themselves—or the robbery. Today, barristers and judges in England are the two remaining professionals who still wear wigs. The wigs are all made by hand from 100% horse hair… which may give those judges some horse
National treasure: Today more than 700,000 Americans are over 100 years old.