Why did people don powdered wigs? - Stephanie Honchell Smith episode artwork

EPISODE · Jun 3, 2026 · 7 MIN

Why did people don powdered wigs? - Stephanie Honchell Smith

from TED-Ed · host TED-Ed

Trace the rise and fall of the powdered wig fashion craze, from King Louis XIII to the French Revolution in the 18th century.--Wigs date at least as far back as ancient Egypt, where well-regarded hairdressers crafted them into intricate styles. And under certain ancient Roman dynasties, women’s wigs became particularly ornate. Yet it wasn’t until Louis XIII unveiled a magnificent mane in the 17th century that big wigs truly began booming. Stephanie Honchell Smith details the rise and fall of the bewigged fashion craze.Lesson by Stephanie Honchell Smith, directed by Patrick Smith.Support Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-did-people-wear-powdered-wigs-stephanie-honchell-smithDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-did-people-wear-powdered-wigs-stephanie-honchell-smith/digdeeperAnimator's website: http://www.blendfilms.com----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Ovidiu Mrd, paul g mohney, Steven Razey, Nathan Giusti, Helen Lee, Anthony Benedict, Karthik Balsubramanian, Annastasshia Ames, Amy Lopez, Vinh-Thuy Nguyen, Liz Candee, Ugur Doga Sezgin, Karmi Nguyen, John C. Vesey, Yelena Baykova, Nick Johnson, Carlos H. Costa, Jennifer Kurkoski, Ryan B Harvey, Akinola Emmanuel, Jose Arcadio Valdes Franco, Sebastiaan Vleugels, Karl Laius, JY Kang, Abhishek Goel, Heidi Stolt, Nicole Sund, Karlee Finch, Mario Mejia, Denise A Pitts, Doug Henry, Keven Webb, Mihai Sandu, Deepak Iyer, Javid Gozalov, Kyanta Yap, Rebecca Reineke, William Biersdorf, Patricia Alves Panagides, Yvette Mocete, Cyrus Garay, Samuel Barbas, LadyGeek, Marin Kovachev, Penelope Misquitta, Hans Peng, Gaurav Mathur, Erik Biemans, Tony, Michelle, Katie and Josh Pedretti and Hoai Nam Tran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Trace the rise and fall of the powdered wig fashion craze, from King Louis XIII to the French Revolution in the 18th century.--Wigs date at least as far back as ancient Egypt, where well-regarded hairdressers crafted them into intricate styles. And under certain ancient Roman dynasties, women’s wigs became particularly ornate. Yet it wasn’t until Louis XIII unveiled a magnificent mane in the 17th century that big wigs truly began booming. Stephanie Honchell Smith details the rise and fall of the bewigged fashion craze.Lesson by Stephanie Honchell Smith, directed by Patrick Smith.Support Our Non-Profit Mission----------------------------------------------Support us on Patreon: http://bit.ly/TEDEdPatreonCheck out our merch: http://bit.ly/TEDEDShop----------------------------------------------Connect With Us----------------------------------------------Sign up for our newsletter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdNewsletterFollow us on Facebook: http://bit.ly/TEDEdFacebookFind us on Twitter: http://bit.ly/TEDEdTwitterPeep us on Instagram: http://bit.ly/TEDEdInstagram----------------------------------------------Keep Learning----------------------------------------------View full lesson: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-did-people-wear-powdered-wigs-stephanie-honchell-smithDig deeper with additional resources: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/why-did-people-wear-powdered-wigs-stephanie-honchell-smith/digdeeperAnimator's website: http://www.blendfilms.com----------------------------------------------Thank you so much to our patrons for your support! Without you this video would not be possible! Ovidiu Mrd, paul g mohney, Steven Razey, Nathan Giusti, Helen Lee, Anthony Benedict, Karthik Balsubramanian, Annastasshia Ames, Amy Lopez, Vinh-Thuy Nguyen, Liz Candee, Ugur Doga Sezgin, Karmi Nguyen, John C. Vesey, Yelena Baykova, Nick Johnson, Carlos H. Costa, Jennifer Kurkoski, Ryan B Harvey, Akinola Emmanuel, Jose Arcadio Valdes Franco, Sebastiaan Vleugels, Karl Laius, JY Kang, Abhishek Goel, Heidi Stolt, Nicole Sund, Karlee Finch, Mario Mejia, Denise A Pitts, Doug Henry, Keven Webb, Mihai Sandu, Deepak Iyer, Javid Gozalov, Kyanta Yap, Rebecca Reineke, William Biersdorf, Patricia Alves Panagides, Yvette Mocete, Cyrus Garay, Samuel Barbas, LadyGeek, Marin Kovachev, Penelope Misquitta, Hans Peng, Gaurav Mathur, Erik Biemans, Tony, Michelle, Katie and Josh Pedretti and Hoai Nam Tran. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Why did people don powdered wigs? - Stephanie Honchell Smith

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This episode was published on June 3, 2026.

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Trace the rise and fall of the powdered wig fashion craze, from King Louis XIII to the French Revolution in the 18th century.--Wigs date at least as far back as ancient Egypt, where well-regarded hairdressers crafted them into intricate styles. And...

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