The defining hairstyle for Edwardian women was the pompadour. Named after the Marquise de Pompadour (Louis XV’s chief mistress in the mid-1700s), the Edwardian version is fuller than the Madame’s.

The pompadour shape is high, rounded and curved away from the head. A woman’s long hair would be backcombed and rolled to create the desired shape. Backcombing was also used to form a matted foundation over which the outer layer of hair was brushed.

To further shape and support the hair, it was drawn over a “rat” (a matted pad or roll of hair) or a pompadour wire frame.

A pompadour could be dressed in all manner of styles, therefore the hair could be straight or have a wave or curl to it. Hair could be simply swept up with a bun, or feature decorative elements like soft coils, chignons and fuzzy curled fringes.