Good question! British colonial governors more than likely wore wigs, and many portraits of early American political discussions feature rooms of men, many with white hair, commonly assumed to be wigs. That’s a lot of dough! So, who wore wigs? More importantly, who didn’t wear them? In 1700, 800 shillings was approximately £40 (about $50 today) which when calculated for inflation, comes out to around £8,297 or $10,193 in today’s currency. The term ‘ bigwig’ stems from this era, when British nobility would spend upwards of 800 shillings on wigs. An everyday wig cost 25 shillings, a week’s worth of wages for a common Londoner. As wigs became more popular, they became a status symbol for people to flaunt their wealth. The wigs, or perukes as they were called, were convenient because they were relatively easy to maintain, only needing to be sent to a wigmaker for a delousing. A fashion was born, as courtiers started wearing wigs, and the trend trickled down to the merchant class. His English cousin, King Charles II, began wearing wigs a few years later, when his hair began to prematurely grey – both conditions being syphilitic signals. King Louis XIV of France experienced hair loss at the early age of 17, and he hired 48 wigmakers to help combat his thinning locks. Wigs were commonly used to cover up hair loss, but their use did not become widespread until two Kings started to lose their hair. As good hair was associated with status and style, baldness and hair loss compounded the shame of having syphilis. This happened well before the discovery of antibiotics, so people afflicted with syphilis suffered all the effects, including sores and patchy hair loss. Unfortunately, syphilis was also on the rise in Europe, ultimately affecting more Europeans than the Black Plague. In the 17th century, hairlines were an important aspect of fashion – a good hairline was the mark of a well-bred man. Politics, cleanliness, ailments, and cost were all factors in the rise and fall of wigs. While it’s true that wigs were a major status symbol early in the second half of the 18th century, by 1800 short, natural hair was all the rage. However, by the time of the American Revolution, wigs were out, replaced by a trend for powdering one’s natural hair. Modern viewers often assume that these are wigs, mostly due to the proliferation of wig-wearing in movies and television. Gilbert Stuart, the famous portraitist who painted the Founding Fathers, depicted five of the first six Presidents with pure white hair. In popular culture, many gentlemen of the 18th century are shown wearing curly white wigs as a part of their everyday look.
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