Pouf
The pouf, also spelled pouffe and deriving from the French term for a thick cushion, is a voluminous hairstyle that originated in mid-18th-century France, characterized by a towering structure of powdered hair built upon wire frames, pads of wool or horsehair, and false curls, often reaching heights of over a foot.[1][2] This elaborate coiffure, which combined the wearer's natural hair with artificial extensions stiffened by pomade and flour-based powder, became a hallmark of aristocratic fashion during the 1770s and 1780s, particularly at the court of Versailles under Queen Marie Antoinette.[3][4] Popularized by hairdresser Léonard Autié, who served Marie Antoinette and innovated techniques to elevate hair into beehive-like forms, the pouf allowed for thematic decorations symbolizing current events, such as naval victories represented by miniature ships or agricultural motifs with produce, reflecting both personal expression and political commentary among the elite.[5][6] Its construction demanded daily maintenance due to the perishable elements like fresh flowers or fruits, contributing to perceptions of decadence and impracticality that fueled social satire and criticism in pamphlets depicting the style's excesses.[4][7] The pouf's decline coincided with the French Revolution's onset in 1789, as simpler neoclassical styles emphasizing natural hair supplanted the ornate Baroque influences, marking a shift from opulent display to republican austerity.[8][9]History
Origins in 18th-Century France
The pouf hairstyle emerged in mid-18th-century France as an extension of escalating hair volumes that began in the 1760s, characterized by teased and powdered arrangements elevated on wire scaffolds, pads of wool or horsehair, and liberal applications of pomade for stiffness.[10][11] These early structures transitioned from simpler curls and twists, such as the tête de mouton popular in the 1750s–1760s, toward more architectural forms that could reach 3 feet (91 cm) in height by the 1770s.[10] The term "pouf" derived from the French verb pouffer, meaning to swell or puff up, reflecting the style's inflated appearance akin to a cushioned bolster.[1] The first recorded pouf appeared in April 1774, commissioned by Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon, Duchess of Chartres, as the Pouf Sentimental to commemorate the birth of her son at the Paris Opera.[8] This inaugural style incorporated personal motifs, such as symbols of sentimentality, atop a base of the wearer's real hair blended with false pieces and gauze for volume.[4] Its debut marked the pouf's entry into aristocratic fashion circles, driven by Versailles court influences where elaborate coiffures signaled status and innovation.[1] Léonard Autié, appointed Marie Antoinette's premier hairdresser in 1777 after her initial encounter with him in 1774, played a pivotal role in standardizing and elevating the pouf through inventive techniques, including the use of 14 yards (12.8 meters) of gauze in some constructions.[12][13] Autié's contributions, detailed in historical accounts of his career from provincial barber to royal innovator, included variations like the hérisson (hedgehog) pouf with spiked elements.[14] Queen Marie Antoinette accelerated its adoption by debuting a pouf at Louis XVI's coronation on June 11, 1775, featuring pearls, feathers, and other ornaments that set precedents for decorative excess.[12] This royal endorsement, amid the opulent pre-Revolutionary era, propelled the pouf from novelty to emblem of haute coiffure among the French nobility.[4]