Bouffant
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A bouffant (
/buːˈfɑːnt/) is a type of hairstyle characterized by hair piled high on the head and hanging down on the sides.
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[edit] History
The bouffant was a mainstream hairstyle in the mid-to-late 18th century in western Europe. It was thought to be created for Marie Antoinette, as she had relatively thin hair and wanted to create the illusion of having very full hair. In modern times, the bouffant was popular in Western culture in the 1960s, when it was created with the help of back-combing and large amounts of hair spray. The modern bouffant is considered to have been invented by Raymond Bessone.[1]
[edit] Bouffant cap
A 'bouffant cap' (from its resemblance to the hairstyle) is a type of cap that completely covers the hair for use in cleanrooms and other situations where it is important to avoid loose hairs. They are usually made of polypropylene or some other non-woven material, with an elastic band around the rim to keep it tight around the forehead and the back of the head below the hairline. As they can be worn by any sex and over any hairstyle, bouffant caps are a popular and economical choice of workplace head covering. Cafeteria workers' hairnets and hospital scrub hats are two common examples of bouffant-style caps.
[edit] Etymology
bouffante from present participle of bouffer: "to puff, puff out."
[edit] Examples of the bouffant hairstyle
- Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, style icon and former First Lady of the United States
- Lady Bird Johnson, former First Lady of the United States
- Pat Nixon, former First Lady of the United States
- Imelda Marcos, former First Lady of the Philippines
- Kate Pierson and Cindy Wilson of the B-52's are known for wearing their iconic bouffant and beehive wigs. The latter type of hairstyle is where the band gets its name from.
- Beyonce Knowles wore a pulled back bouffant for her "Single Ladies" music video.
- The Ronettes wore their hair in bouffants, as did many girl groups of the 1950s and 1960s.
- Amy Winehouse, British singer song-writer often wore her hair in a bouffant like style
- Russell Brand British comedian known for his somewhat eccentric back-combed bouffant
- Sarah Palin, former governor of Alaska and 2008 Republican nominee for Vice President of the United States
- Miss Yvonne from Pee-wee's Playhouse always has her hair in this style.
- Katey Sagal intentionally parodies the 1960s look for her character Peggy Bundy in Married... With Children by wearing a red bouffant wig.
- Joan Sutherland, Australian operatic soprano famous for her bouffant hairstyle.
- The character Fran Fine of The Nanny has large bouffant hairstyle.
- Kerry Fraser, a referee in the NHL is well known for his bouffant hairstyle.
- Prince, had a bouffant mass of curls in the mid-80's
- Patsy Stone from Absolutely Fabulous is rarely seen without the Bouffant in this BBC series
- Margaret Thatcher, First and only female British prime minister.
- Tracy Turnblad in Hairspray (1988, Ricki Lake and in 2007, Nikki Blonsky)
- Matt Groening, of The Simpsons fame, refers to Marge Simpson's hairstyle as being a bouffant. This can also be seen in other members of the Bouvier Family (Selma, Patty, Jacqueline, etc.). A character once referred to Marge as "bouffant Betty."
- Pinky Pinkerton of the Disney Channel series Bunnytown has a huge blond bouffant hairdo (which is actually a wig as her hair is brown).
- Kim Jong-il was well known and often parodied for his bouffant hairstyle.
- Rosmah Mansor, the First Lady of Malaysia
- Cosmo Kramer from the Seinfeld television series.
- Clint Eastwood in the 1970s
- Mary Tyler Moore as Laura Petrie on The Dick Van Dyke Show wore a bouffant hairstyle when that series ran on CBS.
- Nicole Polizzi, reality television star frequently wears her hair in this style
- Dr. Girlfriend of The Venture Bros has had this hairstyle for most of her life as a super-villain.
- Polly Holliday, who played "Flo" on the tv show Alice
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Christopher Ross (12 April 2011). "The 15 Greatest Male Hairdressers in History". Details. http://www.details.com/style-advice/grooming-and-health/201104/greatest-male-hairdressers-in-history. Retrieved 01 September 2011.
