No bees in this bonnet

 When the temperature drops I instinctively gravitate towards household appliances that create warmth, like my oven, slow cooker, and—of course—hair dryer.

I do my hair regularly with wet sets to get a nice head of curls in the early evening. My hair is dry by the morning, but a few minutes of blow drying using a soft bonnet dryer makes the curls last even longer.


Except for us retro gals, most women are shying away from hairstyles requiring curlers, so I frequently see bonnet dryers in thrift stores. In Germany I bought two with the aim of comparing an older model from Krups and a newer model from Braun. Both have long cords and portable drying units so you can walk around while drying your 'do.

Krups Solitair 466

Pros: Looks. Detachable drying unit.

Cons: Loud and stinky.

Even I, the vintage fanatic, could not bear to use this Krups Solitair more than a couple times. The dryer's motor almost made me go deaf, and the plastic hood emitted smelly fumes when heated. Too bad, but this handsome unit is going back to the donation pile.

Still, here are some pictures to enjoy, since its packaging is lovely:

The Germans have a lovely name for soft bonnet dryers: "Schwebehaube," which means "floating hood."

Purchased March 2, 1981 at 3:14 pm!

Instruction Booklet (1)

Instruction Booklet (2)

Braun HLH 18 Classic

Pros: Small, silent, and effective. Lighter than the Krups. Relatively odorless.

Cons: Boring look

If you want something reliable to get the job done, this is the dryer for you.

My favorite travel bonnet dryer

This simple and inexpensive black nylon bonnet dryer hood attaches to your handheld hair dryer. The results I've gotten with it have been consistently good. The nylon fabric won't tear as easily as plastic, and it takes up little space, so it's a great travel accessory. You can buy one here for around $9.

Bonus! Krups Appliance Catalog

This appliance catalog came with my Krups hair dryer. Take a look at the "newest" offerings from the early 80s...

The hair receiver: a rat's companion

Source: The Victorian Trading Company

Several of you lovely readers expressed interest in my technique for making an all-natural hair rats, so I thought I would write a follow-up post on the issue of where to store the hair you are collecting.

Hair Receiver from 1902; Source: replacements.com

During the Victorian era, a common fixture in a women's toilette or vanity was the hair receiver, a round container with a hole in the top that could be made of porcelain, glass, metal, crystal, or some combination of these. The hair left on a brush or comb would be collected and pushed into the finger-sized opening.

How to make a hair rat for free

The Common Hair Rat (Rattus pilosus)

Habitat:

Nests near the heads of fashionable women during the day; nighttime burrow is located in bathroom cabinets.

Diet:

Feeds solely on stray hairs gathered from hairbrushes and combs.

Description:

Varies greatly in size, color, and texture.

Classy clips and chic chignons

A weekend treat for my dear readers: a glimpse of my two most recent acquisitions. The first item is a Lotos brand hair clip which I like to imagine gives its wearer the magical power to emulate a "come hither" look even more alluring than the one on the package. A girl can dream...

Fashion brochures at the Görlitzer Warenhaus

Over the summer I had the pleasure of traveling to Görlitz, a city in far eastern Germany whose small size is disproportionate to its magnificence. Among the city's many architectural treasures is a department store building (Kaufhaus or Warenhaus) built in the German equivalent of the Art Nouveau style, known as Jugendstil.

The Görlitzer Warenhaus in the early 1950s
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