AIBU to think less of period dramas that use French braids/plaits?

[mommybunny]

I’m really keen to see Little Women but on the trailer I saw a girl with French plaits and that’s kind of ruined it for me. I remember French plaits becoming a craze in the 80s (1980s!) but as far as I recall they were a new hairstyle then. To me, French plaits in a drama set during the American Civil War belongs in the same anachronistic dump as Mrs Maisel telling her audience that Dr Spock’s message was “you got this”, or the numerous examples of men keeping their hats on indoors.

I’m happy to be proved wrong, and to be shown that French plaits existed before the 1980s, but Wikipedia is no help.

This is fantastic. 3% think OP is now not BU - WHY!?

They probably had a fashionable revival in the eighties, but they’ve been around for centuries. Plaits across the crown of the head feature in fine art from hundreds of years back.

Wow

Safe to say OP won’t be crowned Brain of Britain any time soon.

Probably thinks the Pyramids were inspired by Toblerone.

I feel really sorry for the OP now.

It wasn't that unreasonable, because to modern eyes, plaits of any kind do look far more complex to work out than they are.

Interesting point there though, JamieVardysHavingAParty - I'm not having a go at all, but why is it we presume that people 150, 200, 300 years ago didn't have the mental capacity to do stuff like plaits, which are just a basic strong way to braid something? Don't get me wrong, I think lots of people are guilty of confusing our better technology and advances in science now with people in the present day being innately more intelligent than those in the past and yet... I couldn't build a pyramid if you paid me hahaha.

This is fantastic. 3% think OP is now not BU - WHY!?

Slip of the thumb, mistake, boredom, statistical noise, contrariness, kindness. It's fairly unlikely to be belief in the amazing powers of 1980s teenagers to invent hairstyles.

I bet this is the same OP who thought Gingle Bells on a Christmas jumper was a typo and who was kicking herself for not pointing it out to the wearer!

I bet this is the same OP who thought Gingle Bells

No, that was me.

I jest, it wasn’t, but only because I never saw that on a Christmas jumper. One of those, there but for the grace of God go I moments...

Mormon women all wore them in the 1800s and LDS aren't exactly known for their inventive hair styles so I'm thinking they borrowed if off, well, any ;

European culture they came from
Native Americans

What the actual fuck are you on about, OP?! Bloody hell.

Less that we think people back then were stupid and more that people in the modern era don't braid things as much as they did, or know how things work, so we can't gauge the complexity of the skill. There are genuinely adult women today who don't know how to start with a plait, and seem to put plaiting on par with a circuit board.

I can knit, crochet and all that, and I know how to plait something. As I am aware that men and women in earlier time periods didn't knit as a hobby, and knitted out of need, and were much better at it than I am as an occasional hobbyist, I can see how simple plaiting is.

I just got annoyed watching the TV series about Christine Keeler ,when Christine and Mandy were having dinner in a restaurant and they had their ELBOWS ON THE TABLE! Anyone brought up in the 1960's would know that was absolutely frowned upon, elbows had to be off the table and you had to sit up straight.
So yes, historical inaccuracies can get in the way of enjoying a film (although you might also enjoy feeling superior).

Apparently in Meet Me in St Louis, set in early 1900s, maybe 1903, Judy Garland’s hairstyle is up-to-the-minute 1940s fashion (film released 1944), particularly the large round fringe, because she wanted to look fashionable (or maybe studio wanted her to look fashionable).

Agree with everyone else about the longevity of plaits/braids though.

I jest, it wasn’t, but only because I never saw that on a Christmas jumper. One of those, there but for the grace of God go I moments.

Do you also have a first in English, @Butchyrestingface?

And OP, do you at least have a first in 19th century American women's literature?

I hate inaccuracy in period dramas, like when in Downton Abbey the family acknowledge the servants when in reality they would have treated them like shit

But that’s the whole storyline of Downton Abbey, becoming modern and moving with the times. Aristocracy becoming less important within society and servants climbing up the ranks into jobs that were previously considered above their class- attitudes changed massively after the war. It’s not completely out of the realms of possibly at all.

I did laugh out loud at braids being invented in the 1980’s though.

Braiding is something that will develop in any ancient tribe of people the day someone needs some kind of cord to pull something along, and they find one length of vine breaks because it is too weak.

@Summerandsparkle i think the Lord's daughter marrying her driver was very rare indeed!

Oh where is the OP?
Please come back with a reply

Have you watched the wizard of oz??????

True @paranoidmum2 especially as that was early on and before the 1920’s! Lady Sybil would probably have been disowned in a family like that.

Oh this has really tickled me 😂

Plaits (French or otherwise) pale into insignificance when you notice all the modern saddlery on the horses in period dramas

@darndifino Yes! I was watching something recently, it might have been Daniel D’Ronda, where the protagonist was supposed to be riding side saddle and you could clearly see she was riding astride and her foot was visible at the wrong side with a flowing dress draped over the top of it. Really distracting!