After moving on to my next job in 2019, I remained active in the New England living history community, participating in and occasionally writing programs on life in colonial and revolutionary America. I frequently had friends ask if I might make 18th-century clothing or accessories for them, but one request I got more than any other was for accurately styled men’s wigs. Not only were quality wigs a common accessory for men in the 1700s which are hard to come by today, but even if one wants to grow out and style their own hair for reenactments, a period-correct look requires maintaining a seldom-flattering type of mullet in everyday life.

So in the summer of 2020, scissors in hand and canvas head clamped to my dining room table, I experimented with this peculiar side-hustle, and then in the spring of 2024 I launched Cuffed & Coiffed as a registered business. I’ve set out to top the heads of progressive reenactors with hairstyles worthy of the impeccably researched clothing they had assembled. From upper-class gentlemen’s hairpieces to wigs representing the natural hair of yeoman farmers or British soldiers, I base my designs on in-depth analysis of contemporary prints and portraits. The tools and products I use are drawn from both modern and historical techniques to create a bespoke hairpiece for the customer’s needs.

Of course, my skills aren’t limited to serving this one niche vein of the wig-wearing market! Living history interpreters portraying other time periods and genders, historically inspired cosplayers, and even drag performers have been among my customers. I love it when someone approaches me with a specific image and asks me to reconstruct whatever-the-heck is going on up there, so please, bring me a challenge!

Audrey