Unconstrained Coiffures

Taking their cues from the fearless Decorator Crab, ladies of all stripes have been beautifying their tresses with vegetation and objects for centuries. From the feathers, shells and beetle wings favored by some, to the flowers and ribbons woven through the locks of others, most women see little reason to exercise restraint. I've even heard rumors that Marie Antoinette kept birds' nests in her hair, complete with living songbirds. Unhinged? Maybe. But it was probably kind of charming, too.

Here is a particularly striking arrangement from the very beginning of the 20th century.

Marie Doro, 1903