Item Description:
The display includes two wigs styled in classic 1950s hairstyles.
The first wig is an acrylic wig styled in a typical look for a 1950s female teen: a classic ponytail with bangs. Ponytails were a quintessential look in 50s hair styles of the American teen girl; in fact, the original Barbie doll in 1959 sported a pony tail. These ponytails were generally situated on the high back of the head and styled with a bit of a flip to the tail part. This wig is styled with a narrow blue and green patterned scarf to add a jaunty flair.
The other wig is an acrylic wig styled into a very common style of an adult female in the late 1950s. The front of this hair style is called an “Italian Top” which came into fashion in the 50s and was popularized by Elizabeth Taylor and Sophia Loren. This style was often chin-length with face-framing layers and a natural, slightly textured style. This hairstyle is topped with what we often refer to as a “clamper” type of hat, meaning that the hat cups or clamps around the hair style and sides of the head. This particular hat is made from cotton velvet in an amazing yellow-y green and styled with a brown velvet bow.
About the Item:
Did you know that most of the actors in our productions wear wigs? A wig is a head or hair accessory, often made from human hair or synthetic fiber. Both human and synthetic wigs can come in a rainbow of colors, different styles, and textures! Wigs help support consistency of the look of the characters throughout the run of a show and can also protect the actors’ own hair from any heating or styling that would be required for every performance. A lot goes into wig design, and what is seen on stage comes from hours and hours of hard work and research from many people – from the initial design work all the way to the first preview.
At The 5th, we often make the wigs ourselves in house for specific actors. If we aren’t making a new wig for someone, we have a stock of over 600 wigs (of mostly human hair) of varying colors, lengths, and textures to work from. We mostly use human hair for wigs because it is much easier to work with and can be styled and cared for just as we would with our own hair including washing, conditioning, setting it on rollers, using curling irons, coloring it, or even perming it.
We work closely with costume designers to create the specific look for each actor. We have meetings with each individual actor (called “fittings') where we choose the size, texture, and color of the wig that best suits both the actor AND their character. We then style the wigs while keeping important factors in mind such as the time period of the production, the actor’s ethnicity, the character’s societal class, the scene situation, whether the show is realistic vs. fantastic, and whether or not additional items need to be worn in or on the wig, such as a hat or accessory piece. Both human and synthetic hair can also be used to make facial hair including mustaches, eyebrows, sideburns, beards, soul patches, goatees, and more!
When selecting a wig for an actor, it’s a priority to show respect and care for the actor’s identity and ensure that their particular hair texture is shown through the use of wigs whenever possible. We want all people to be accurately depicted on our stage and for audience members to see their identities represented too. You can access the names of The 5th’s hair and wig team members in your show program.
