Padding / Rats application

 Padding / Rats application 

Elizabethan hairstyles included a lot of padding to achieve the large shaped. The  technique that we were taught included plaiting and a lot of pins. 

Step 1 - section of a piece of hair, thickness depending on how large the padding is. Start french plaiting it close to the head and finish off with a normal plait until all of the hair is plaited. 

Step 2 - if the hair is too long go back on itself until it is all laid flat against the head and pin it tightly. 

Step 3 -  pin the padding onto the plait until it is tight and does not move. 

Step 4 -  Bring the hair OVER the padding and pin it down tightly. 

The complicated part about applying the padding is knowing how big the plait has to be because if its too small then the padding is going to be lose on the sides showing through the sides of the hair. To make this easier always measure the size of the padding with the plait to make sure they match! 

Even though most of the time Queen Elizabeth worse wigs, this is what the padded wig or hair looked like.

http://media.hamptonroads.com/cache/files/images/77621.jpg