THEREBY HANGS A TALE

Taupo Times, Volume VI, Issue 287, 8 August 1957, Page 10

THEREBY HANGS A TALE

The Yul Brynner cult of girlishness baldness is being challenged by the pony-tail wig. Girls whose hair stood on end at the sight of their friends' shaven Brynneresque skulls, are now letting their hair down — at the back. One New York wig maker has turned out 100 pony-tail wigs for girls at a New Jersey High School. The pony-tail appendage is perhaps less extreme than the glittering bald head in the classroom but it costs a great deal more. It costs a minimum of 35 dollars (£15 10s) against the price of razor blades for the Yul Brynner cut. Wigmakers say 35 dollars is the lowest price at which pony-tails from 14 to 16 inches long can be sold. The hairs have to be attached, in the manner of crocheting, to a piece of silk — one at a time. It usually takes a week to produce a man's wig, which sets the poor fellow back 350 dollars. Women's wigs cost from 150 to 1000 dollars, according to style. But there's an obvious advantage to the detachable pony-tail, or convertible top. It bleaches easier than skin.