Milesent's Persian Resarch Page

Bringing all the layers together

Here are the steps I take when building my recreation of a 16th century Persian noblewoman's headdress. This is just one recreation, the steps will be different for different looks. All of the veils I am using in the photos are silk, and the headband is linen. I've found that these fabrics really do make a difference in the final look, comfort and stability of a headdress. Fortunately, it doesn't take a lot of fabric!

Braid into the braidcase First I braid my hair. I've found that sometimes it helps to have a smaller braid formed from the forelocks of hair and then woven into the main braid, this gives you a small thing on top of your head to pin veils to.

Then I pull on the braid case, I found it works best if you have a very small ammount of 'tail' on your braid. I just insert the end of the braid into the case and allow the weight of hair to fall down inside the tube. Gently tugging on the case will help the hair fall down the tube. I've found it does not work well at all with loose hair.

Braid case on Here you can see the top of the braid case being pulled up the last little bit. I think my braid case top could actually be a few inches longer, so that it would come farther forward to my forehead.

For extra stability, you can pin the braid case to the hair on the top of your head, this is not absolutely neccessary, but can help if you are going to be very active. This is where that small braid I mentioned earlier can come in handy!

tie on pearls Next I tie my string of pearls on top of my head (this will actually help keep the braid case firmly in place while I perform the next step) The string of pearls may also be a solid loop necklace which is simply pinned in place or attached to a headband. I found this method, tying the pearls on, works well for me, but it is not necessarily more accurate than other methods.

headband time Time to tie on a headband. Now I can relax, the headband will keep the pearls and braidcase from falling off well enough to complete the headdress. My headband is a simple rectangle of linen. A stiffer linen or thicker headband will keep the veils layered on top farther away from your head and therefore keep you cooler on a hot day. See below for some headband options.

base complete With the pearls, headband and braid case in place I now have a stable foundation for any combination of veils I wish to add.

babushka tied One of my favorite things to do next is to fold a square veil into a triangle and tie it on like a babushka.

I set one or two more veils on top of my head and secure them to the headband or braid case with a single pin. A second pin at the nape of my neck will keep the loose top veils back and out of my way. pin at the back

Style Options

The string of pearls can be omitted entirely.

One optional version of the headband is to roll up a square veil with the corners left pointing up in the center front. The headband can be put on over the entire headdress rather than under it for a different look.

Instead of a string of pearls, you can save a lock of hair on either side of your head when making your braid and tie that under your chin. Unfortunately I find that my hair tends to un-tie itself rather quickly. A bit of hair gel may help.

(See the headdress page for more style options.)

Photos by Marie Vibbert

	First I braid my hair. I've found that sometimes it helps to have a smaller braid formed from the forelocks of hair and then woven into the main braid, this gives you a small thing on top of your head to pin veils to. Then I pull on the braid case, I found it works best if you have a very small ammount of 'tail' on your braid. I just insert the end of the braid into the case and allow the weight of hair to fall down inside the tube. Gently tugging on the case will help the hair fall down the tube. I've found it does not work well at all with loose hair.
	Here you can see the top of the braid case being pulled up the last little bit. I think my braid case top could actually be a few inches longer, so that it would come farther forward to my forehead. For extra stability, you can pin the braid case to the hair on the top of your head, this is not absolutely neccessary, but can help if you are going to be very active. This is where that small braid I mentioned earlier can come in handy!
	Next I tie my string of pearls on top of my head (this will actually help keep the braid case firmly in place while I perform the next step) The string of pearls may also be a solid loop necklace which is simply pinned in place or attached to a headband. I found this method, tying the pearls on, works well for me, but it is not necessarily more accurate than other methods.