Fontange
17th century hairstyles took a “more is more” approach. The bigger, the taller, the better. To add height to the hair or wigs already piled on their heads, women wore fontange. These stylish caps perched on the back of the head and sported a wire-stiffened brim covered with luxurious fabrics, feathers, lace, ribbons, and other finery that stuck straight up into the air.
King Louis XIV’ mistress, Angelique Scorailles, Duchess de Fontanges, inspired fontange when she lost a headdress during a horse ride, and tied a ribbon around it to keep her hair in place. The king liked the look. When he made her a duchess, the trend of beribboned headwear was born. As the fontange rippled through the fashion world, the hair-binding ribbon that captured stray curls evolved into the delicate, high indoor cap. A high fontange was difficult to balance, but this didn’t hinder its popularity.
