18th Century Fashion Research Paper

The 18th centuries were a time of elegance and knowledge, but the most striking of all were the over-the-top fashion and beauty statements. All people in this time were poised, graceful, and their makeup and fashion always looked intriguing. Some things that played a role in the fashion and beauty world were shoes, makeup, teeth, hair, and even wigs! Shoes had many purposes in fashion and everyday life. Makeup was what made men and women look “perfect”. Having white teeth was wanted by everyone. The hair was crazy and could make you look elegant and tall. Lastly, Wigs were very popular and added a popularity sense to any outfit. 18th century fashion included everything from fashion to shoes to cosmetics to hairstyles, even false teeth became a …show more content…
There were many common ways that they kept their teeth pearly white. One way they did this was by using different mixtures to rinse their mouths with. Usually, it would be mixtures of acid, gunpowder, sticks made from sea coral, vinegar, salt, etc. These mixtures would cause the teeth to decay and fall out (Kalman, 26-27). Another way to whiten teeth was to file down the teeth with a metal device and apply nitric acid which also lead to decaying teeth (http://newportpagnelldental.co.uk/the-history-of-tooth-whitening/). Once the teeth were decaying, since it was the only treatment, the local barber would remove the teeth (http://acceledent.com/blog/in-the-past-how-did-people-care-for-their-teeth/). Once the teeth were removed the choice was to either get fake teeth made of porcelain/ivory, or wear plumpers. Plumpers were cork ball like, and they were worn to plump up the hollowness in cheeks caused by teeth removal. This quickly became fashionable because of the lisp it gave to all who wore it (Kalman, 26-27). Teeth whitening, although the fact your teeth would decay, was very popular. Something that also had its cons was