Why do the Wilis in Giselle cover their ears with their hair?

No Criticism

I've always seen the wilis in the ballet Giselle having their hair covering their ears, I'm wondering if there is an exact reason?

in BALLETby Superb-Ad-7139

97%

Any_Astronomer_4872

100

It’s just a thing from the time period, that’s now set in stone as a hallmark of the style.

JohnlockedDancer

I couldn’t have said it better myself!

Any_Astronomer_4872

It’s also a huge pain to style! Pro tip- clip in extensions for the ear parts. Line the tracks along your center part and nobody can tell

Superb-Ad-7139

Great idea actually, this could help a lot.

JohnlockedDancer

Thanks, I can imagine!

happykindofeeyore

1841 was the year it was created. Take a look at Queen Victoria or any early Victorian portraits of women and you’ll see if. I absolutely adore this hairstyle. The wings range from more poofy as below or sleeker and simpler to the ear (often going into a braid that loops up to the bun on each side.) Depends on the year and the occasion.

[Image]

Superb-Ad-7139

-4

I see now. Obviously the real reason is lost to history, but I can see that it was a very popular hairstyle for women at the time.

happykindofeeyore

The reason isn’t really lost to history. It was virtually the only hairstyle at the time in Europe/colonies, in terms of the hair covering the ears and being styled downwards towards the lower face rather than upwards. It was an understandable reaction to the elaborate poodle hair of the 1820s/30s with crazy high buns and ringlets framing the face (to varying degrees of ridiculous). The change, as all fashion does, reflects a movement in economics, morals, art, politics upheaval… it would be the Gothic Romantic period taking code from the neoclassical period of the previous era.

[Image]

EmmieMaggie

What a wonderfully informative & helpful response!

happykindofeeyore

Thanks! I love fashion history! I’m by no means an expert but I adore these time periods . What I do think is interesting about the Willies and how this ballet became so popular at the time is that there was this kind of obsession with women appearing kind of somber and innocent and ghostly. Oval faces were seen as ideal. The long single drop ringlets on each side of the face were also popular for younger women, otherwise, these low smooth wings of hair that brought the eye downward, with variations of how the hair was arranged in the back (braided bun, curls, high or low) were pretty much the norm.

Whereas the styles of the 1820s and early 30s brought the eye up and were more cheerful and lively, suddenly now we are meek and somber.

The hair reflects an interesting progression into Gothic sentiments, as does the ballet! Giselle is such a product of its time, as is Les Syphides a few years before. ballets prior to this were usually about Greek gods and goddesses. Post French Revolution, now we have ballets about the supernatural, and peasant girls…

Art, fashion, politics — all connected.

EmmieMaggie

Miss_Mary_Ann_Lee_LCCN2003690851.jpg (4008×4736) (wikimedia.org)

Thanks! This is great. Your response reminded me of Mary Ann Lee, one of the first American ballerinas. Evidently she was the first to perform Giselle in the U.S. in 1846. I can't recall now how I first learned about her, but she's always been a favorite of mine. I love that period in fashion.

[Image]

Bekah414404

I think I read somewhere that the ghostly, pale aspect was a reflection of the rampant tuberculosis of the time.

Ambitious-Morning795

That IS the real reason. It's what the style was at the time.

la_ct

Victorian hairstyle. Same as poofy curled bangs in the 1980s or side part of the 1990s. A hair trend that took over.

Pitiful-Ad-5777

They don't want to hear the men's excuses hahaha

Space-Jelly-1379

this is so good lmaoo

Superb-Ad-7139

LOL SO TRUE