Photo: Courtesy of Hair2Wear
In the words of our beloved club scene fixture Bianca Del Rio, "Anything is possible with a wig and a dream." For Christie Brinkley, it seems that no other phrase has ever rung more true—at least if her fresh line of hairpieces is any indication. Her new Hair2Wear collection not only features a mélange of wigs ($129-$249), it also offers hair extensions ($39-$49), clip-in bangs ($24), and braided headbands ($10), all of which can be heat-styled if desired for supermodel style sans effort and time. We recently chatted with Brinkley over breakfast to get her tips on sporting, securing, and caring for those aspiration-inducing coiffures.
Why did you decide to get involved with a line of wigs and extensions now?
I've been using extensions in the business for a long time, but these products were really superior in terms of the craftsmanship and all the thought, energy, and effort that were put into them. It's also at a price point that's affordable, because a real hair extension would be like $1,000. I've never seen synthetic hair in this kind of quality before. Still, I think the main thing that excites me about the line is the idea that for me, I get a sense of security knowing that I can open my drawer, pull this thing out, and clip it on. If all else fails, I've got a safety net when it comes to my hair. Wigs and hair extensions are like the microwavable dinner equivalent of hair.
These wigs are said to hold their shape even in rain, but you can also change the style using hot tools if you want. Is that the main benefit of synthetic hair as opposed to natural wigs?
It's an easy-care product. If you splurged and bought the $1,000 hair extensions and wigs, you would end up doing the hair. They wouldn't give you that time-saving convenience, so you'd still end up using the rollers, curling the hair, and having to treat it the way you treat your own strands. So what are you gaining with that? You're gaining thickness but you're not gaining time.
So how do you wear a wig exactly? How do you tuck away your own hair before putting a wig on?
You form pin curls all the way around your head. And you don't crisscross the bobby pins when you secure the pin curls, you pin them using two parallel pins, because when you crisscross it, it's bulky there. That's what I learned on Broadway when I was playing Roxie in Chicago. I would usually insert the pins from the front of the curl, and pin them so they were facing the back of my head, so when I pulled the wig on, it only tightened the pins and secured the curls more instead of loosening them. Otherwise, some people will simply use a hair net. You wrap your hair all around the perimeter of your head and then you put a skull cap on.
Christie Brinkley's "Uptown" wig. Photo: Courtesy of Hair2Wear
How do you keep a wig secure?
The edging on our wigs fits like a skull cap. There are velvet ear tabs on the side that help to grip to the head. There are also adjustable elastic straps on the bottom so you can pull it tighter. Now if you do the trick with the pin curls, and you really want it to stay on, you can also loop additional hairpins through the wig and into the pin curls so you can anchor it down onto your head. There are open wefts on our wigs which allow you to pin through them, and that design also keeps you from getting hot or keeps them from feeling heavy as well.
How do you maintain and care for your wigs?
I suggest keeping the original boxes so you can stack them and see which one is which easily. The box also keeps the wigs from being crushed. But I've thrown mine into suitcases before when I just didn't have room or time, and I've pulled them out from being squished in the suitcase and they re-find their shape really well. You're also able to wash them. If you wash them in a mild baby shampoo, just lie it on a towel and let it air dry and it'll re-find its shape. At first when it's dry it'll look a little bit stringy, but you just run a brush through it and it's back to normal.
At what event do you think wearing a wig would be most appropriate? When do you like to wear yours?
Fashion-wise, I think if you have long hair and say you have an outfit with a lot going on around the neck, you might have fun trying a really short wig. And people will really tell you, "Oh my gosh! You cut your hair! You changed it!" So I'd wear them for that a lot too because it's so fun to get that reaction. With a wig, it's always about changing the length or style or color of your hair without any of the commitment.
In the past, there seems to have been some stigma against wearing wigs. Do you think that still exists today?
I think a little bit. I think some people are still like, "Oh, a wig is fake." But I'm really happy that we're able to help women who are undergoing any kind of cancer treatment and losing their hair. Being able to have a wig that's affordable and that looks natural is really something special. And I do think that when it comes to extensions, women are at the phase of saying, "Who cares?!" There are no issues there whatsoever. But I think that the more fun you have with wigs, the more acceptable it is in a way. If you own it and be dramatic with it, then it's cool. You shouldn't try to hide it. If you're wearing a wig and someone says they like your hair, just say, "Oh thank you! It's a wig! I'm just having fun for the day!" It's just another fashion statement.
