16th Century Hairstyles and Headdresses

European Women’s Hairstyles and Headdresses of the 16th Century.
1500–1599. Year by Year

Note on Regional Styles

Although the portraits in this collection are arranged in chronological order, fashion and hairstyles varied greatly across countries and regions. The same decade could look entirely different in England, France, Spain, or Italy.

To highlight this diversity, we have also prepared a brief overview of 16th-century women’s hairstyles by country (within modern borders):

• England –> here

• France –> here

• Portugal and Spain –> here

• Italy –> here

• The Holy Roman Empire –> here

This way, you can explore not only the timeline of the century but also the rich variety of regional styles that shaped it.