About this site

This is an independent, inclusive cultural history of women’s and girls’ hair. It connects changing styles to age, class, race, religion, work, technology, health, media, migration, protest, family and identity.

Who runs this site

This site is made by Claire McDonald, an independent web developer from Scotland. Claire has an interest in all aspects of fashion, and in history too — and this site ties those two interests together. Hair is where fashion meets everyday life, so its history is a way of looking at both at once.

Everything here is written in good faith and to the best of Claire’s knowledge at the time of writing. Suggestions and corrections are always welcome: email [email protected].

Who it is for

• General readers interested in fashion, women’s history and everyday life.
• People researching family photographs or recreating historically grounded styles.
• Students and teachers studying gender, race, youth culture, media or material history.
• Hairdressers, barbers, wig makers, costume workers and beauty students.
• Museum and archive users identifying tools, products, advertisements and portraits.
• Readers looking for a more inclusive history of textured hair, head covering, hair loss and ageing.

Our approach

We treat personal grooming as skilled labour. We avoid ridicule (“crazy old hair”), deterministic claims (“women cut their hair because they were liberated”) and language that ranks beauty. We explain offensive period terms only where necessary, and never use them as an unmarked way of classifying people.

We focus on social and material history, not on personal medical or chemical advice. We include head coverings where they interact with hair practice, and wigs, extensions and hairpieces as part of hair culture — never as “fake hair”. We include trans women and gender-nonconforming people where the evidence allows, without applying labels that the sources do not support. We use men’s styles only where the comparison genuinely helps explain women’s or girls’ hair.

Independence

This site is not sponsored by, endorsed by or affiliated with any hair-care brand, salon group, product manufacturer, museum or professional body. Brand and product names appear only as historical evidence. Where we use company archives, we will say so.

More about how we work

• Editorial policy — evidence labels, terminology and our definition of done.
• Corrections — how to tell us about a mistake.
• Safety and health — why this site is not advice, and where to find it.
• Accessibility, rights and takedown and privacy.

Last updated 12 November 2026.