Named after Francois Marcel, a French hairdresser of the nineteenth century, the Marcel wave has become a popular choice for brides looking for an elegant yet romantic hairstyle for their special day. Many brides will visit a Hairdresser Gloucester way and ask for this styling ready for their big day or it may be a choice for the bridesmaids hair instead.
Francois Marcel invented the process for creating this style in 1872, and it revolutionised the art of hairdressing across the globe. Originally named the Undulation Wave, the name Marcel Wave evolved over time.
A hugely popular hair style in the 1920s and during the war, the Marcel Wave is not hard to replicate, especially as these days we have flat irons, curling tongs and electric curlers, all of which make it easier to create wedding hair styles in just a few minutes.
Versatile Wedding Hair
One of the Marcel Wave’s biggest advantages is that it is incredibly versatile. Once the waves have been created, they can be brushed out to hang loosely, or they can be kept tightly curled. Hair can be also be tied up loosely in an elegant updo or can be left long and flowing.
Creating the Marcel Wave
To create the Marcel Wave, you’ll need hair tongs or a wand, sectioning clips, a soft bristle brush, hair spray and heat protector spray.
To begin, you’ll spray blow-dried hair with heat protector and create a deep side parting. Then, beginning at the nape of the neck, work in a horseshoe shape around the head, taking large sections of hair and wrapping them round the curling iron. You’ll need to work vertically and curl hair first one way and then another, changing with each section. It’s this method that creates the quintessential S-shaped wave.
Once all your hair is curled, you can remove the pins and brush it out gently, creating a softer wave. When the desired wave has been achieved, you’ll position the clips at the deepest part, close to your scalp. Once you are satisfied with the positioning, leave the clips in for as long as possible to set the look and spray liberally with hairspray. When you remove the clips, you should have a Marcel Wave.
