The bun was a representation of the dividing line between the
unoccupied child and the busy woman. As a child, there was a lot
of time to grow and tend a mane of long healthy hair, imperative
to maintain as the child grew into womanhood. But as the child
became occupied, the hair got in the way, and there were two simple
options, to cut short or tie down. The former was drastic and
permanent, so the latter was adopted as a temporary condition.
You could have the best of both worlds, long flowing feminine tresses in
the evening and recreational hours, and short and out of the way in the
daytime hours. The bun was the quickest solution. That did not mean it
could not be styled. Early Chinese ladies sometimes had their buns rise
a foot above their heads. The bun could be half, full or multiple,
depending on how much time and concern for attractiveness was involved.
The bun of Queen Victoria was usually draped and served as a base for a
tiny crown. There are formal buns, informal buns, high buns and low
buns, some given twists, other twirls, an infinite variety of shapes and
conditions able to be accomplished. They did not have to be relegated
to the stern, no-nonsense school teacher variety. They could even be
elegantly styled and enhanced for formal occasions.
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