During the colonial period, the powdered wig became a symbol. It was a symbol of wealth, status, authority, even occupation. Just from glancing at the style, color, or texture of a person's wig, it could be identified the field of work they were in and their level of wealth. Hair used in the wigs was an immediate giveaway - goat and yak were the lowest price, then horse, and finally human hair was the most expensive wig you could buy. Another way for people to assert their status was not only to wear wigs themselves, but to buy wigs for their slaves - showing that they had wealth to spend on themselves and then some.

The first two videos I included give a brief history on wigs, mostly powdered wigs, and its tie to colonial society and status. Following that, there are a few examples of wig styles and how one of higher wealth would have displayed their wig(s) so that they would remain pristine. Many wealthy people would have multiple wigs, some for formal attire, and daytime attire, and other such events. Then, I showed a few different political cartoon-esque drawings, exaggerating how wigs stood for loyalty to England in some cases (royalty in England were also known to wear wigs) or how next-level some would take the powder, and finally, how those with similar style wigs are often within the same class or occupation.

The concluding three pictures are portraits of well-known leaders - such as James Oglethorpe, George Whitefield, and George Washington. I wanted to conclude this collection with the portrait of George Washington because of the interesting fact that he actually didn't wear a wig. Now, while that may seem reason enough to not include him in this collection, I beg to differ because his hair is still styled like a powdered wig. Those who did not have the money to wear a wig simply powdered down their own hair and added pomade to make it appear as if they were wearing a stylized, expensive wig. George Washington is a perfect example because he is a well-known leader who still follows the styles of the upper-class colonists without completely giving into the trend by buying one.