The role of fancy dress silk top lace wigs has not changed dramatically through the ages. They are used mainly for adornment and to hide hair loss. One of the most significant differences between the historical use of wigs and modern day is that fancy dress wigs were also used to denote your social standing in days gone by.

Fancy dress wigs can be traced back as far as the Ancient Egyptians and Romans. The Egyptians especially were fastidious about cleanliness and in their incredibly hot climate lice and fleas were a common problem. It was the order of the day for men, woman and even children to shave their heads although it was not considered appropriate for you to be seen in public with a shaved head unless you were a priest.

Only queens and noble ladies were allowed to wear best glueless full lace wigs of any length, the rest of the population relegated to shorter versions of the popular styles. Obviously the most sought after wig was made from human hair but only the most wealthy of society could afford these so popular alternatives were horse hair or even vegetable fibres. Of course the wealthier you were the more you could afford to adorn your fancy dress wig and it was not uncommon for Egyptians to have gold, silver and even gems in their wigs.

The Romans took the division of class by wig a step further requiring all prostitutes to wear a wig coloured bright yellow to denote their profession.

After the fall of the Roman Empire the use of fancy dress wigs declined rapidly until they enjoyed a resurgence in the 16th century. Again they were used mainly to compensate for hair loss and to improve your appearance. The very popular Queen Elizabeth I of England was reported to have over eighty wigs. A strong follower of fashion she began wearing best full lace wigs as an adornment but it is believed that after a severe bout of smallpox caused most of her hair to fall out she used them to hide her balding head, thereby maintaining her status.