Women hairstyles and headdress in 16th and 17th century Hungarian Kingdom Author: Mgr. Lenka Pajer, PhD. Email: lenduror@gmail.com Abstract: Women hairstyles and headdress in 16th and 17th century Hungarian Kingdom The article deals with the adjustment of women´s heads in Hungarian Kingdom in 16 th and 17 th centuries and traces the changes in the hairstyles and headdresses from birth to death. For the study main three types of sources, namely archeological material finds, period written sources and artistic – historical monuments were used. The article describes various fashion influences that took place side by side in Hungarian Kingdom in 16 th and 17 th centuries. It also mentions foreign influences in the hairstyles of women in high Hungarian aristocracy. INTRODUCTION Clothing has accompanied man in everyday life since the beginning of time. It defines his life and existence, and expresses what nudity cannot express. Early modern man acquired several social statuses during his lifetime, which were closely linked to his bodily development. The biosocial cycle went through four basic changes: birth, sexual maturity, the beginning of sexual life and death. The changes in a person's life were reflected not only in his duties and behavior, but also in his clothing [1, p. 2], which gave the rest of society information about what kind of person he was. Changes in clothing and headdress mostly affected women, who derived their social status from their relationship to men: first they were daughters, then wives, mothers, and finally widows [2, p. 225] They communicated their status through their clothing, with the most dramatic clothing changes happening to the headdress. Rites of passage to another social status were very important to the people and were treated with due seriousness. For example, the folding of the garland and the subsequent put on the bonnet on bride´s head are preserved in wedding customs to this days. This custom is called čepčenie, what we can translate like „bonneting“. However, women expressed both their social status and their religion by their clothing and headdress. Women from Protestant backgrounds were more inclined towards German fashion and simpler clothing, which differed significantly from the Hungarian fashion favoured by the Catholic part of the population. BIRTH AND CHILDHOOD The first head covering in a woman's life was a diaper, in which the baby's head was wrapped after birth and was supposed to protect it from the cold. These head coverings were the same for both girls and boys. Later, mothers used a bonnet or cap, which could be decorated with delicate bobbin lace or embroidery. The favourite colour for embroidery was red, which had a protective function (protection against evil) and appeared on many garments and accessories designed for children. Babies were wrapped in swaddling clothes until they were five months old and their hair was not allowed to be cut until they were one year old. This custom was based