A
chignon, pronounced "sheen-yon,” is a popular type of
bunA bun is a type of hairstyle, typically worn by women, where the hair is pulled back from the face, twisted or plaited, and wrapped in a circular coil around itself, typically on the back of the head or neck. They can either be secured with a hairpiece, a hairnet and bobby pins. They may be...
style. The word “chignon” comes from the French phrase “chignon du cou,” which means nape of the neck. Chignons are generally achieved by pinning the hair into a knot at the nape of the neck, but there are many different variations of the style. They are frequently worn for special occasions, like weddings and formal dances, but the basic chignon is also worn for everyday casual wear.
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A
chignon, pronounced "sheen-yon,” is a popular type of
bunA bun is a type of hairstyle, typically worn by women, where the hair is pulled back from the face, twisted or plaited, and wrapped in a circular coil around itself, typically on the back of the head or neck. They can either be secured with a hairpiece, a hairnet and bobby pins. They may be...
style. The word “chignon” comes from the French phrase “chignon du cou,” which means nape of the neck. Chignons are generally achieved by pinning the hair into a knot at the nape of the neck, but there are many different variations of the style. They are frequently worn for special occasions, like weddings and formal dances, but the basic chignon is also worn for everyday casual wear.
History of the chignon
The chignon can be traced back to Ancient Greece, where Athenian women commonly wore the style with gold or ivory handcrafted hairpins. Athenian men wore the style as well, but they fastened their chignons with a clasp of "golden grasshoppers," according to "The History of the Peloponnesian War," by
ThucydidesThucydides was a Greek historian and author of the History of the Peloponnesian War, which recounts the 5th century B.C. war between Sparta and Athens to the year 411 B.C...
. The chignon was specific to
AthensAthens , the capital and largest city of Greece, dominates the Attica periphery; as one of the world's oldest cities, its recorded history spans around 3,400 years....
, as other city states, such as
SpartaSparta was a city-state in ancient Greece, situated on the River Eurotas in the southern part of the Peloponnese. From c. 650 BC it rose to become the dominant military power in the region and as such was recognized as the overall leader of the combined Greek forces during the Greco-Persian Wars...
and
CyprusCyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country situated in the eastern Mediterranean, south of Turkey and west of Syria and Lebanon....
, had their own style of hairdressing. The chignon was also popular in Ancient China, where married women wore the low, knotted hairstyle. The chignon achieved popularity during the Victorian era; during that time, chignons were often enormous constructions including false hair or pads. The chignon’s popularity peaked again in the 1940’s when many women wore the chignon with a headscarf while working in factories to support the war effort during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Presently, the chignon is still popular because of its association with French elegance, and the ease with which a chignon can be achieved.
Appearance in popular music
The term 'chignon' appears in the song 'The Garden Where The Praties Grow' by
Johnny PattersonJohn Francis Patterson was an Irish singer, song writer and circus entertainer.He was born in Kilbarron, Feakle, County Clare. Both his parents had died by the time he was three years old and so he was raised by an uncle in Ennis. At the age of 14 he enlisted in the 63rd Regiment of Foot which...
(1840 - 1889):
Have you ever been in love my boys
Or have you felt the pain?
I'd sooner be in jail myself
Than be in love again
For the girl I loved was beautiful
I'd have you all to know
And I met her in the garden
Where the praties grow
She was just the sort of creature boys
That Nature did intend
To walk right through the world my boys
Without the Grecian bendThe Grecian Bend was a dance move introduced to polite society in America just before the American Civil War. The "Bend" was considered very daring at the time. It was definitely not a way of walking....
Nor did she wear a chignon
I'd have you all to know
And I met her in the garden
Where the praties grow