The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1881-12-24


Americans have made great improve
ments in wigs, as well as in many other
things" said wig maker to q New
York Sun reporter. "Few people will
wear the old-fashioned heavy English
wigs nowadays. Instead of the thick,
hot and uncomfortable head coverings
OF former days we have now light,
graceful and convenient wigs that are a
very close imitation of the natural hair.
Formerly the fact that q man wore q
wig was known at q glance. Now the
imitation is 80 close that have known
It to battle examination. The other day
q young man who wears q blonde wig
came to have it repaired. I found that
large lock had been cut out of it.
asked him how it happened, and he told
me that lady had asked him for lock
of his hair, and that he had allowed her
to make her own selection. He confessed
to q little trepidation when she took
hold of the lock to cut it of, but she was
gentle with him and cut of the lock close
to the head without discovering that he
wore wig. The work of restoration
was artistic. 1t would not do to replace
lock of full length at once. We began
with short pieces, initiating the natural
growth of the hair. The lady never
found out the deception until after they
were married, when she happened to
handle his hair less tenderly.
There is an old gentleman with q
gray beard for whom have made wigs
since his hair was black. As his beard
began to grow gray the contrast between
that and the hair of his head was too
marked. We began by making him a
wig with few gray hairs sprinkled in.
Gradually the number of gray hairs was
increased until now he buys three white
wigs . year. Black wigs last longer
than white. The latter turn yellow with
wear, and we have found no way of
cleaning the white hair without destroy
ing the workmanship of the wig. Where
q wig covers the entire head Il is easy
to make it fit tight with most heads
without the use Of any adhesive sub
stance. But, where the wig covers only
o part of the head, or where toupees or
patches are used it is necessary to stick
on the false hair with mucilage or adhe-
sive wax. 81
wigs cost all the way up from $40
to 800, according to the fineness of the
hair and theexcelience of the workman
ship. The most costly wigs are made
on foundation of hair lace. Each hair
is carefully selected and knotted to a
mesh of the lace. This kind is called
the ventilated wig. You can part it
anywhere, like natural hair, and the
appearance of the parting will be like
that of the natural scalp. The flesh
shows through the meshes of the lace
with great naturalness. That is the
kind OF wig the blonde young man wore.
Cheaper wigs are made by fastening
hair to long threads and sewing strips
of it on q foundation less costly than
hair lace. Even these cannot be de-
tected by the ordinary observer, al
though when you know that a man
wears such wig you will be sure to
notice it Very often, however, toupees
are put on with SO much skill, by.mix-
ing the ends with the natural hair, that
the art is not perceptible. I think the
tendency now is to conceal badness
rather than to let it be seen. True, in
the summer, some of our young men do
get their heads clipped like State prison
convicts or the boys in a poor house,
but l think the fashion is less favored
than formerly"