Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Wig Review: Paris Hilton Bandit Fall

Posted by Unknown at 8:22 AM 0 comments
When I was at Sally's Beauty a few weeks ago picking up wig clips I saw that they had synthetic Paris Hilton wigs on sale for $15.  I decided to buy one.  It came with three patterned headbands and one plain black headband.  The wigs came in eight colors and in three lengths.  The fiber is supposedly heat safe to around 200 fahrenheit, but I have not tested styling with heat yet.  I would say that the wig is somewhere between a 3/4 and 1/2 cap in terms of size.  I like that the front has a large comb, which helps to keep it securely in place.  As for the bands, they have velcro on them which allows them to attach to the front of the Paris Hilton Bandit.  If I decide to not use them with the Bandit, I will probably remove the velcro from them and then they will be like normal headbands.  As I state in the video, $15 is not a terrible price for four headbands, so since it was on sale I decided it was a worthwhile purchase.  The retail price seemed to be $40, and I would not spend that much on this product, but perhaps a normal synthetic wearer would like it.


Sunday, December 19, 2010

Cute Video about buying Custom Wigs

Posted by Unknown at 12:12 PM 4 comments




The point of the video is to distinguish between the two types of "custom wigs" that exist in today's industry. One is the true custom, which is made to order with a custom made cap created to fit the customer's head exactly and made to specification including hair color, texture and thickness.

The out of box custom, or "semi-custom" is used to describe pre-made wigs which mimic the high end features of a true custom wig, but are not actually made to order. Often wig salons will add highlights or low-lights, adjust the cap size either through sewing or stretching and make other modifications. Unfortunately many of these pre-made wigs cost $2000-$4000.  I suspect that throwing in the word "custom" justifies wig shops and sheitel machers to sell these wigs at such a high price tag. 

Friday, December 10, 2010

The Band Fall Bump Phenomenom

Posted by Unknown at 11:31 AM 8 comments
Lately there has been a lot of buzz in the Orthodox Jewish world over the band fall bump phenomenon.  You may ask, what is this phenomenon she speaks of?  Well to be more clear, integrating ones bangs (or fringe) with a band fall to create a more natural look.  The reason that clipping bangs over a wig is so risque is because in the "mainstream" orthodox world (think typical Brooklyn yeshivish) it is seen as unacceptable to show any hair.  Therefore, full sheitels have become the preferred hair covering because they cover ALL of the hair, they are more secure than a hat or scarf and less likely to blow off, and the women will feel more comfortable covering their hair in a society where most women go bareheaded. Wigs are often associated with only being worn by hasidic or ultra orthodox Jews, however this concept has certainly changed in America in the past 20 years.  However, in Israel, wigs are almost exclusively associated with haredim (ultra-orthodox Jews).


Back to the point...  Now we have a group of married Jewish women, covering their hair with wigs but purposely leaving out a few inches in the front.   A generation ago very few Modern Orthodox women covered their hair at all.  If they did, they most likely covered partially with either a hat or a half scarf.  But the new generation of modern Orthodox women is rediscovering the laws of hair covering AND working in professional careers that require a polished look.  Showing the bangs, or the front two inches of the hairline is justified under the idea that a woman is allowed to show a square tefach (hand breadth) of hair. (some rabbis allow, ask your LOR)  Thus we get the bump fall look! or the styled forward bangs with headband look.

The second interesting trend is the appearance of toppers or kippah falls in the Jewish world.  Since toppers are worn over ones hair when down, they certainly reveal more than a tefach of hair.  BUT, there are a whole group of religious women who cover their head in such a fashion. They always have a hat or scarf on but the rest of their hair will be showing.  (some rabbis allow, ask your LOR).  Thus, the topper allows them to have a head covering on, but look "normal" if needing to attend a wedding or go to work without being stared at. 

Alright, so lets see some pictures!!!  The blond in this picture is doing the bump.  A bunch of the wigs in this picture are actually placed a few millimeters behind the hairline for a more natural look....  And here is my lovely "perfect match" bump. 

My Lovely Bump

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Raffaele Mollica Wig Video

Posted by Unknown at 10:33 PM 3 comments
Raffaele Mollica, aka owner of Ralph Wigs has a very interesting video posted on his site about his custom wigs. To watch it go to http://raffaelemollica.com and then click on the video link which is the bottom link on the bottom left of his site.

He talks about blending colors to create a natural look, creating a realistic skin top, and why the finer European hair is so desirable and hard to get. After watching the video I realized how much time and detail it must take to individually knot each hair onto the caps. Wow its impressive. His wigs are known for being in the extremely high end and expensive.

He was mentioned in a 1997 NY Times Article which can be read here.

I have never actually known anyone who actually owns a Ralph and would be interested to hear if any of my readers own or have ever owned one and whether it was worth all that money.  I was definitely impressed by his artistic approach to wig making shown in the video.  Seeing his custom work gives me a warm fuzzy feeling inside that a machine sewn wefted wig just doesn't provide...
 

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