The Wackiest Historical Hairdo Nobody Ever Makes!

Learn how to make a fontange, the obscure 17th-century headdress that took Versailles by storm! This wacky historical topper has never been explained on YouTube before—in fact, it’s barely been explained anywhere. I was only able to find two existing sources on making a fontange, and only one of them was free and accessible. This video explores the history behind this obscure hairdo and its hilarious invention by one of the mistresses of Louis XIV, the Duchesse de Fontanges. What started as just a tower (or “tour”) of curls and ribbon atop the head grew vertically as time (and fashion) passed, into a monstrously tall confection of starched linen, lace, and ribbons supported by a wire structure known as a “commode” (and no, it doesn’t mean what you think it does). In this video, we learn how to make this wacky thing together, from figuring out how to draft it, to guestimating the pleating, to trying all sorts of weird fixes to keep the thing from flopping over in my face. With a lot of silly antics along the way. Support this channel by buying me a coffee ☕🧡 : https://ko-fi.com/fantasticalfollies Resources: White linen voile: https://burnleyandtrowbridge.com/ Cotton lace: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P1KMHCN?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details Millinery wire: https://www.richardthethread.com/shop/corset-supplies/ (NOTE: I bought the "heavy" wire, which they said is 18-gauge. I suggest the medium, which is 20-gauge, for this particular project.) Heavy spray starch: Lo