How do ballet headpieces stay on?
Horsehair
Horsehair, also known as crinoline, can be purchased in 1″ width from your local fabric store usually in white. You may use a silk flower spray paint, like Design Master, to color the white crinoline to the dancer’s hair color. The colored horsehair is then whipstitched to the base of the tiara with a sturdy thread such as silamide or a strong nylon beading thread. Personally I prefer to use clear nylon beading thread because it leaves the tiara base free of visible stitch marks. It should be noted, if you do use a silamide thread colored to the dancer’s hair color, the stitching around the base will not be visible from stage. All ballet headpieces I ship will be finished with horsehair colored to blend with the dancer’s hair color. Pictured right is an example of a ballet headpiece with horsehair sewn to the tiara for a dancer with blonde hair.
Hair Attachments
The majority of ballet headpieces that come out of my workshop are used for dance. Dancers require their headpieces stay put while they jump, turn, and bend. My tiaras use pinning wires, horsehair, hair combs, or a combination to secure headpieces to the hair.
Pinning Wires
Pinning wires are often incorporated into the ballet tiara frame’s design. Wires can also be attached after a tiara is made. I will post more about this in a later blog.
Combs
I rarely put combs in my dance headpieces as this can limit how the headpiece can be worn on the head. If I do add a comb, it will be a center comb. You can add combs to your headpiece after a headpiece is made for additional security and stability. I do not recommend, however, solely relying on the comb itself to anchor the headpiece to the head. I generally use combs when finishing headpieces that will be worn as a fashion accessory.
