Women's Hairstyles

Although evolving slightly over the course of the decade, the 1850s hair fashions for women remained parted in the center and pinned up in the back. The treatment of the hair on the sides of the head underwent noticeable changes.

This 1850 photograph exhibits the remains of the late 1840s hairstyle. The strict part in the middle and hair flattened over the ears characterizes the turn-of-the-decade.

Turn-of-the-decade Hairstyle: Image courtesy of Joan L. Severa, Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans and Fashion, 1840-1900, 1995

During the early 1850s, extreme rolls extended out above the ears.

1850s Hair Rolls: Image courtesy of Joan L. Severa

Around the mid-1850s, the rolls in the hair begin to soften and transition into padded wings over the ears.

1850s Padded Wings: Image courtesy of Joan L. Severa

In 1857, the padded wing hairstyle was the height of fashion. The hair, still parted over the middle and pinned up in the back, extended over the ears in thick pads or rolls.

1850s Padded Wings: Image courtesy of Joan L. Severa