Why Does French Men Share Deep Love With Toupees?

Toupees has been popular since the age of Egypt, but it was the imperial power that really brought it to the stage of history.

In ancient Grace and Rome, hair is the symbol of status, people in positions of power usually wear a whole bunch of braids. The Romans even plan to forbid bald-headed men to run for member of the parliament, and bald-headed slaves could only be sold at half price as well.

When it comes to the medieval times, the king wears a long hair while shaving the whole head became the punishment for criminals or enemies. It’s obvious that the French didn’t leave the tradition behind. Denis Diderot, the thinker in the age of enlightenment wrote these words in his book Encyclopedia,” Long hair is the symbol of status and freedom, and it’s also the dynastic symbol of royal blood, the others have to cut their hair short.“

Louis thirteen, the French King, having heard of that, saved his hair since he was very young. However, he became balded head when he got old, and he had to cover his head with toupees. It is said that thick hair is a symbol of masculine at that time in France. As the king of Bourbon Dynasty, he didn’t want to be amused for sure. So he wore a toupee, and the length of the hair even reached his waist. As if he was showing his masculine by the length of his hair. After that, lots of secretaries imitate the king’s hair style and toupees became so popular for quite a long time.

If the toupee thing for the king is a kind of vanity, the secretaries are definitely following him. The judges who represent for life and death has passed the smell of solemn and power to toupee. So in 17, 18 century Europe, toupee becomes a symbol of noble and the privileged stratum.

In the year of 1655, when the king of the sun, Louis sixteen, he once hire 48 toupee maker to make toupee for him. The king who loved dance with his whole heart and soul has given him more artistic temperament. In the second year, toupee becomes a national fashion, and judges all around Europe began wearing toupees as well.