Historical Wigs

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Custom made historical wigs 

No matter the era or the style, we can bring your historical wig to life.

The right historical wig for your favorite era (or eras!)

Because the term ‘historical wigs’ encompasses a vast expanse of era, styles, and personalities, it’s impossible to categorize them all here. Suffice to say that we haven’t yet met the historic hair style that we aren’t excited to recreate.

This includes eras when no well-dressed gentleman or lady presented themselves without an elaborate – and often frankly fake – coiffure, as well as discreet wigs or facial hair used to help a modern citizen present a realistic and believable hairstyle from the past.

We also create wigs that are historically inspired but not necessarily period-correct – think styles for fancy dress balls and parties.

Your historical costume is a labor of love and one of our wigs will give you the perfect hair to finish out the portrayal. Plus, no more struggling trying to create a historic hairstyle with a modern haircut, nor trying to pile your hair into a complicated updo in your tent or hotel room – your wig will always be ready to go.

Our historical wig projects run the gamut from ‘meticulously accurate’ to ‘loosely inspired’. To get yours started

Request a Wig Quote

The right historical wig for your favorite era (or eras!)

Because the term ‘historical wigs’ encompasses a vast expanse of era, styles, and personalities, it’s impossible to categorize them all. Suffice to say that we haven’t yet met the historic hair style that we aren’t excited to recreate.

This includes eras when no well-dressed gentleman or lady presented themselves without an elaborate – and often frankly fake – coiffure, as well as discreet wigs or facial hair used to help a modern citizen present a realistic and believable hairstyle from the past.

We also create wigs that are historically inspired but not necessarily period-correct – think styles for fancy dress balls and parties.

Your historical costume is a labor of love and one of our wigs will give you the perfect hair to finish out the portrayal. Plus, no more struggling trying to create a historic hairstyle with a modern haircut, nor trying to pile your hair into a complicated updo in your tent or hotel room – your wig will always be ready to go.

Our historical wig projects run the gamut from ‘meticulously accurate’ to ‘loosely inspired’. To get yours started, just request a quote.

Request a Wig Quote

I LOVE the wig! It’s very comfortable, and matches my hairline exactly. I’ve gotten multiple compliments on my hair while wearing it, and people are always shocked when I tell them it’s a wig! auburn custom wig dressed in an edwardian style updo, topped with a large hat with flowers adorning it.

Chelsea , @Fashionable.Lately

I LOVE the wig! It’s very comfortable, and matches my hairline exactly. I’ve gotten multiple compliments on my hair while wearing it, and people are always shocked when I tell them it’s a wig!

CWC Client Chelsea (@Fashionable.Lately)

The Multi-Era Historical Wig

This custom wig is perfect for anyone who wants a wig they can use for multiple eras or styles. The wig is created in the hair color and texture of your choice. Generally, the wig is made with long hair (18-22″ on average) in order to ensure flexibility. If the chosen hairstyle requires shorter hair – like face-framing ringlets – we typically construct hairpieces that match the wig. The pieces integrate with the wig to achieve the desired hairstyle.

The goal of the multi-era wig is to create a flexible wig that can be worn in a range of hairstyles. For future styles, we can create additional hairpieces. We offer restyling service for clients who wish to send their wig to us for a styling change. 

Finally, while we call these ‘mult-era historical wigs’, the restyling options aren’t limited to just historical use. We have clients who use their wig for various historical eras as well as contemporary movie or tv character costumes and much more. 

A Multi-Era Wig in Action

Hannah, Custom Wig Company’s Build Manager, uses one of our discreet historical wigs in her work as a first-person interpreter. The wig was first styled in an elaborate 1822 style for the reenactment of a historical wedding but Hannah often styles it for other eras, including the Regency, the later 18th century and the Bustle era. 

custom 18th century styled wigs

18th Century Queue Wig

Many of the custom historical wigs we create are 18th century queue wigs. In the 18th century, men typically either wore their own hair long or wore an obvious wig dressed in a queue (a low ponytail). In the modern era, many historical interpreters and reenactors don’t wish to grow their hair long or they want to wear the type of historical wig that was common to the era. Or they may simply want the fun (and convenience!) of having a historial wig ready to wear at a moments notice.

As a result, we often build queue wigs dressed in a range of styles and with either a lace front hairline or a historically correct hard front. 

Visit 18th Century Queue wigs to learn more about the options we offer or place your order.

Historical or Historically Inspired Wigs for Fancy Dress

Heading to Carnival, Fetes Galantes or another fabulous party? Let us bring your party hair to life. Whether you want a wig that’s party-ready but still historically correct or something a little more fantastical, we’re here for you. 

Wigs for Fetes Galantes
I need a Carnival wig!

Here are some of the historical and historically styled wigs we’ve created:

a red curly elizabethan style wig worn by a woman in a blue gown with a gold whisk
an actor dressed as Empress Josephine, wearing a white dress with a red drape and a dark brown custom wig, set in a regency era style
a man wearing a custom 18th century queue wig standing in an 18th century tent, wearing a white period coat with blue waistcoat, he's holding a glass of red wine
photo from Carnivale showing a man and woman in historical costume
Custom made queue wig, worn by a gentleman in 18th century attire. he's standing next to a woman in an 18th century gown
Custom made Regency wig, brown hair with a balding top, worn by actor John Decker in The Veil. he's wearing a black Regency era coat and standing next to a woman wearing a long white glove and regency gown, they are on the stage.
hard front historical queue wig
a man wearing a custom 18th century queue wig with sidecurls
a man wearing a silver 18th century queue wig with fluffy curls on the top and front, he has a blue 18th century coat
Two actors are wearing 18th century gowns, they're behind a large writing desk. One has a purple custom made wig on and the other is wearing a white custom wig, both 18th century styles
a woman wearing a tall brown 18th century styled wig, she's in a black and white striped 18th century gown, standing in a tan room
a woman is wearing a pink 18th century gowl, standing in front of a drape. She's wearing a brown 18th century styled wig
a woman standing a field of giant sunflowers, wearing a late 19th century gown and matching hat. She's wearing a brown custom wig styled for the 1880s.
a woman is standing in a Regency era ballroom wearing a white and gold ballgown, she has a red custom wig on, styled in a Regency hairstyle
a woman is standing in a Regency era ballroom wearing a white and gold ballgown, she has a red custom wig on, styled in a Regency hairstyle, back view showing the updo
a woman is standing in a Regency era ballroom wearing a white and gold ballgown, she has a red custom wig on, styled in a Regency hairstyle
woman wearing a historically inspired pirate costume and custom long brown wig stands on the deck of a historical ship
a woman holding a large muff and wearing a 19th century cloak stands outside by a Christmas tree. She's wearing a bonnet over a custom Victorian wig
Custom red Edwardian styled wig, worn by a woman who is wearing a white edwardian blouse and long maroon skirt. she's standing in front of a blooming tree
18th century yak wig made using historical methods, curls descending from a center part, worn by a man in 18th century clerical attire with white geneva bands
A woman, wearing a white regency era gown, has a custom Regency wig and is standing next to a man in a regency tail coat and breeches. He is also wearing a custom regency styled wig
Custom Regency wig on a woman who is in a historical tent at a festival. She is wearing a light yellow regency style spencer jacket

Whether you need a wig or facial hair for living history, reenactment, stage, or hobby, we’ll create a piece that meets all of your needs.

 

Custom Historical Wigs – Construction

Our wigs are carefully tailored to fit you, including accommodating your own hair. You can have your wig created in the same color and texture as your hair, or you can choose something else. Our historical wigs (with the exception of some 18th-century hard-front styles) have a discreet lace front that matches your hairline and skin tone. They’re lightweight, durable, and natural-looking, even up close.

our custom historical wigs
an actor dressed as Empress Josephine, wearing a white dress with a red drape and a dark brown custom wig, set in a regency era style

Custom Historical Wigs – Style

The sky is (almost literally, in some cases) the limit when it comes to your wig style. You can browse some of the styles we’ve created for other clients to see if something suits your fancy. If you’ve got a vision, a design, or research, we’ll use that to bring your wig style to life.

If you have questions, use this button to email us.

Email us

Ready to order your very own custom historical wig or facial hair? Click the red button to get started. 

Order your Custom Wig

We’ve compiled the most common questions about our wigs into this great FAQ

Got Questions?

The first step to having a custom historical wig made is requesting a quote!

To get started, just fill out the form below. You can expect to hear from us within two business days. 

Cleaning & Maintenance Service  

Does your Custom Wig Co wig need some love? Check out our maintenance service.

Cleaning & Maintenance
a man wearing a custom regency wig, dark hair in a short style with a regency era military uniform.

In addition to our client support services, we’re proud to offer professional wig and beard styling tools, care and maintenance supplies and a selection of wig and beard tapes.

Wig Styling with Rollers
Purchase Wig Styling Roller Kit

If you plan to style your wig with rollers, this kit is a great addition. It is designed to be used with our Basic kit, so you won’t end up with duplicate tools! Like our other kits, these are the same tools and items we use ourselves.

Strips of wig tape
Purchase Wig Tape Sampler

‘Hold it Together’ includes 24 tape strips, four straight strips from six brands. Our wig tape sampler will help you keep your wig all day long.

When you’ve found the perfect tape, you can order it in rolls or bulk packs.

Wig care kit
Purchase Basic Wig Care Kit

We’ve put together a simple kit with the essential tools you’ll need to do basic upkeep on your custom wig or beard. These are all the same supplies we use in our studio. If you have longer hair, you might want to consider adding our Hair Prep Kit!