Hey, longhair!

[colorsgt26nc]

For those few of you who have long hair, if you tie your hair back, how do you tie it back in a period appropriate fashion?

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

While a complex and involved historical issue.. IMHO...

"For those few of you who have long hair, if you tie your hair back, how do you tie it back in a period appropriate fashion?'

There isn't a "period appropriate fashion" unless the question is for women's fashions or other nationalities such as the Chinese or Japanese..



Others' mileage will vary...

CHS

[Rob]

I am going to assume, for the moment, that you are referring to the male of the species.

In all the period photographs which I have seen, I do not recall a single one showing a soldier with hair long enough to have to worry about it.

Long hair was pretty much out of fashion by the 1860s. Some of the older folks may have had it. It also made a good home for lice.

[Ross L. Lamoreaux]

Besides a fashion issue, most regulations forbade longer hair, particularly the federal side as hair was to be kept closely cropped, in part for sanitary reasons (lice, etc.). Like above, after viewing hundreds of images from the war, I too have yet to see anyone with hair long enough to tie back, with two confederate exceptions, and their hair was worn loosely and not tied (not counting the images of Edmund Ruffin who was pretty eccentric anyway). Since this doesn't exactly answer the immediate question, those who I know with longer hair who reenact either wear it loose or in a couple of progressive cases pull it up into their caps or hats to avoid the scorn of their compatriots.

[bob 125th nysvi]

really boils down to long hair was NOT PEC and is way over represented in reenactor ranks.

That being said before we can give an opinion we'd need to know how long are we talking.

If your hair is shoulder length I suspect any real CW soldiers who had that length hair (and there had to be a couple) would have probably done nothing to it other than put on a hat.

If it had been long enough for a ponytail (say to shoulder blades) what was the style for handling that length hair in the decades before the CW? Anybody wearing that length was a throw back who probably wore that style because an older male relative did. Therefore it is likely he would have emulated that gentleman in everything.

But long hair was probably tied back (using something simple) for the simple reason that free flowing long hair could get stuck in your accoutriments or knapsack. Having it pulled by your gear for a day's march would teach you to tie it back out of the way.

And they would have kept it simple since hair maintenance in the field would have been a pain (to say nothing of dirty).

SO if you want to keep you period inapproriate hair (because you like it in your real life which is fine) then just tie it back using a piece of cloth. But not a bandana or anything like that. Let's keep farby to a minimum.

One other option though. Are you from a unit where something other than a forage cap is appropriate. Maybe you could just stuff it up in the hat and be done with it.

[jgr1974]

Don't mean to hijack this thread but what of the complete oposite? I keep my head shaved, not completely but close, since I work in law enforcement. Long hair can be used as a handle when subdueing an uncooperative subject. It works great too!!! On the AC forum there was some talk of head shaving. I beluieve in refference to the poor whites who worked in the sugar cane fields. If I remember they were called sap heads. Hot work and sticky cane would want one to keep his hair short!

The Mad MIck!!!

[jerryeberg]

Be like Edmund Ruffin...
http://www.krigsspil.dk/images/acw/edmund_ruffin.jpg

I also remember a previous thread about bald soldiers. If I remember right, it claimed that they did exist, but as a way to control lice and was not common. It was not a fashion.

[Poor Private]

Then I guess about 1/2 the reenactors I know bettter get out and try to get some donations for the hair club for men. Since I am naturally bald, I keep the fringe trimmed and sometime in the hot summer just get a complete shave job. It's one of those reenactorisms. We can do what we can do.

[bob 125th nysvi]

is easier to get away with as long as you are wearing a hat.

Besides you can always use the excuse if asked that you had lice and had to shave your head to get rid of the infestation. That even would cover a short buss cut too. It's just starting to grow back.

A completely appropriate period cover for the situation.

Besides if we are going to get that picky a lot of use are going to need to get younger, fitter, some hair coloring and wrinkle remover.

Hair length or style is an easy (an inexpensive) thing to be accurate with and actually just simply not combing your hair can move the inappropriate 'part on the side' hair cut to a more acceptable look.

[Poor Private]

Now Bob don't get me started on coloring hair.....Don't forget it's just not head hair but ya got to do the facial also..... Nothing like a regiment of Santa Clauses in an event. Round bellies, white hair, white facial hair, glasses and just a touch past middle age. Wait I resemble that remark.