WA wig is a head or hair accessory made from human hair, animal hair, or synthetic fiber. The word wig is short for periwig, which makes its earliest known appearance in the English language in William Shakespeare's The Two Gentlemen of Verona. Some people wear wigs to disguise baldness; a wig may be used as a less intrusive and less expensive alternative to medical therapies for restoring hair or for a religious reason.
WA bald cap is a wig-like cap simulating the appearance of a bald or partially bald head. As part of an actor's make-up, it is often used to make a person appear older. Bald caps are a versatile medium. They form the basis of many creative fantasy make-ups.
WDynel is a trade name for a type of synthetic fiber used in fibre reinforced plastic composite materials, especially for marine applications. As it is easily dyed, it was also used to fabricate wigs. The fashion designer Pierre Cardin used Dynel fabric to make a collection of heat-moulded dresses in 1968. A copolymer of acrylonitrile and vinyl chloride, Dynel shares many properties with both polyacrylonitrile and PVC. It is an acrylic resin.
WThe Five Orders of Periwigs is a 1761 engraving by William Hogarth. It contains several levels of satire. First, and most clearly, it lampoons the fashion for outlandish wigs in the mid to late 18th century. Second, in classifying the wigs into "orders", it satirises the formulation of canons of beauty from the analysis of surviving pieces of classical architecture and sculpture from ancient Greece and ancient Rome, particularly the classical remains at Athens, Rome, Baalbek, and Palmyra, and the precise architectural drawings of James "Athenian" Stuart. To the lower right, the engraving gives its publication date as 15 October 1761.
WThe gache is a traditional Korean wig worn by women. Historically, gache were expensive accessories worn only by women of high social standing, alongside kisaeng. They were decorated with silk objects, gold, jewels, silver, coral, jade, and other expensive materials. Certain decorations were reserved for royalty.
WA merkin is a pubic wig. Merkins were originally worn by sex workers after shaving their mons pubis, and are now used as decorative items, erotic devices, or in films, by both men and women.
WIn Ancient Egyptian society, hair was an embodiment of identity. It could carry religious and erotic significance and portray information about gender, age, and social status. During the New Kingdom, more elaborate hairstyles for men and women, incorporating curls and plaits, began to be favored over the traditional, simple hairstyles of the Old and Middle Kingdoms.
WSheitel is a wig or half-wig worn by some married Orthodox Jewish women in order to obey the requirement of Jewish law to cover their hair. Some Hasidic groups encourage sheitels, while others avoid them.
WA toupée is a hairpiece or partial wig of natural or synthetic hair worn to cover partial baldness or for theatrical purposes. While toupées and hairpieces are typically associated with male wearers, some women also use hairpieces to lengthen existing hair, or cover a partially exposed scalp.