The shape of this coif or "cuffia" is made to fit over a wrapped braidItalian
Renaissance Hairdressing
Hair lacing: Hair lacing was a technique used for dressing the hair in Renaissance Italy until the very end of the 15th century. Middle and lower class women wore it until well into the next century. It can be done with ribbon or cord, although ribbon was the most common. It was done by women of all classes. It can be done to bind twisted strands, plain strands, or a variety of braids. It can be used in conjunction with a variety of hairstyles, headdresses, ornaments, and veils.
You will need: 2-3 yards of ribbon, a plastic bodkin for ribbon threading (at your local fabric store), a couple of small rubber or elastic hair bands (the really thin ones that don’t show much), some bobby pins (to hold your hair until the lacing is in place), and a comb.
Part your hair in the middle all the way from the front down the back. Starting on one side, do the double strand French braid demonstrated in class. When you run out of new hair on that side, divide the two strands into three, and continue with a standard braid until you run out of hair. Secure it with a rubber band. Repeat for the other side. Coil the braids around your head in the desired position and secure with bobby pins. Thread the ribbon on the eye of the bodkin. Starting from the back, bring the bodkin up under the braids and the hair close to the scalp. Pull all the ribbon through, leaving about six inches hanging. Bring the bodkin around the braids, top to bottom, like you are doing a whip stitch. Bring the needle back up under the braids and scalp hair about one inch from where you started. Repeat this whip stitching all the way around the head, keeping the ribbon flat and untwisted, and pulling it snug with each stitch. When you get all the way around to the back where you started, tie the ends of the ribbon in a square knot. Remove the bobby pins.
If desired, take the long end and wrap it around the base of the wrapped hair. Tie at the back with another square knot. Cut off the ends of the ribbon to about 2 inches and tuck the ends up under the braids. If you don’t want the extra band, just clip off the ribbon ends and tuck.
This will remain secure for an amazingly long time—you can even sleep it.
All pictures were taken from: Renaissance Dress in Italy 1400-1500 by Jacqueline Herald
The shape of this coif or "cuffia" is made to fit over a wrapped braid
Ornately
wrapped coiffure c. 1465. It uses wrapped strands, veiling, ribbon, and
an ornament.
Another
ornate style using decorative cord, a pearled band, or "frenello," and
an ornament.
Wrapped hair topknots, one with braids, one without, and both with curled bangs and side fringe, c. 1495-1500.
Two ladies with laced hair. Check out the horned headdress as well.
Wrapped two strand braids which join into one at the back.
Hair
wrapped with ribbon and a sheer veil.
1.
Double braids, probably false, wrapped around the head. 2. A cloth
headwrap.
Wrapped false hair worn over hair than is down and long.
Many interesting laced hair styles. 1. Laced roll with beads. 2. Braids wrapped around head. 3. Horns with laced two-strand braids.
Many hair styles. 1. Braids wrapped with cord or thin ribbon. 2. Loose hair wrapped and laced. 3. Turban with fringe. 4. Laced hair under coif. 5. Horned hair wrapped and laced with forehead loop.
Loose hair wrapped with cord and beads over small veil c. 1470.
"Balzo"
hairstyle: layers of false hair over a frame and wrapped with braids or hair or
fabric. This one c. 1438. Ribbon and cord were also used.
The
understructure of a "balzo," probably of wicker, c. 1430.
Hair pulled back with net and chaplet, c. 1495.
Hair
pulled back with false hair added for length, with caul and chaplet, c.
1495.