Welcome!

Welcome to Toupee Tundra: Home of All Things Toupee!This page was created in order to celebrate the fascinating experience that is "wearing hair." We'll look at Toupee's Through the Ages, Men's Toupee's, Women's Toupee, Toupee or Not Toupee? The History of the Toupee, and much much more!Enjoy!

What Exactly is a Toupee?

The above mentioned question has puzzled generations of non-toupee wearers. A toupee is, by general definition, a hairpiece or partial wig to help cover baldness. A toupee can be made from natural or synthetic hair and comes in many different colors, lengths, and styles. To toupee wearers a toupee is a life saver. It is protection from the sea of shame that bald men, and women, drown in. It warms the head, prevents sunburn, and adds a degree of sophistication to the wearer. A toupee is jaunty, stylish, dashing and above all, sexy.A toupee is a way of life. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to wear such a thing. Not everyone can bear up under the hundreds of eyes that follow you. Not everyone can wear the hair pelt with pride.

Toupee Questions Answered!

We here at Toupee Tundra have received a reader's question concerning toupees. We have decided that each week we will compile and answer these questions.Our first question comes from Megan who wants to know the difference between a toupee and a wig.Dear Megan,That is an excellent question. Truthfully, there really is not a lot differences between a toupee and a wig! According to Hair-B-Back "a hairpiece is basically hair on a base, which is stuck to your head so that it looks like your own hair." Now explanation is pretty general and because of this a wide variety of hair accessories fall under this, including toupees and wigs.However there are a couple of differences between wigs and toupees:1) Typically a toupee is made to cover a much smaller area.2) A wig is usually made from finer material and is more expensive and time consuming to continue upkeep on.3) Wigs are also historical pieces. Historians now know that wigs have been worn since at least the early Egyptians! Uusally these wigs were used to augment the hair a person already had and wearing one allowed for more elaborate hair styles.4) Toupees are also made to be more rugged and to withstand much more strenous activities. One can even shower with a toupee on (!) although this will cause damage to the toupee if done extensively.Thanks for showing an interest in toupees Megan, and we hope that we have successfully answered your question.The Managment Team at Toupee Tundra!

Toupee Musings

Rumor has it chia toupees are the next big thing. We here at Toupee Tundra don’t want to speculate, so instead we’re just going to explore the idea. At first look the idea has some merits. To be able to essentially grow whatever style and color hair you desire certain does have some appeal. One could trim the chia hair and use food coloring to change the colors. It would be environmentally friendly and most likely help cut down on the use of hair dyes and all the products that go along with those. Of course new products would have to be developed in order to keep your new foliage ‘leafy and green.’ One does have to wonder if the chia toupees would have the same growth rate as the more mainstream chia pets (chia pets take about an average of one week to fully sprout). Another question raised; would you have to regularly water your chia hair? Of course if chia toupees work out, the chia company could expand into a whole new line involving facial hair.
Interesting….
Please feel free to offer your ideas and/or opinions on the subject of ‘chia hair’?
Thanks to Julie for suggesting this topic!

Toupées in the 21st century

Toupée and wig manufacture is no longer centered in the U.S., but in Asia.Aderans, a firm owned by Steel Partners (a fund run by Warren Lichtenstein) based in Japan, is one of the world’s largest wigmakers, with 35% share of the Japanese domestic market.
From 2002-2004, new orders from Aderans’s male customers (both domestic and international) slipped by 30%. Researchers at both the Daiwa Institute and Nomura Research - two key Japanese economic research institutes - conclude that there is “no sign of a recovery” for the toupée industry. Sales for male wearers have continued to fall at Aderans in every year since .

These numbers confirm the media consensus .hypothesis that toupée use is an overall decline. No reliable sources have stated numbers for the estimated population of toupée users in the U.S. or internationally, so comparisons to past eras are difficult to make with any accuracy. Regardless, hairpiece manufacturers and retailers continue to market their goods in print, on television, and on the internet.

Toupées in the 20th century

By the 1950s, it was estimated that over 350,000 U.S. men wore hair pieces, out of a potential 15 million wearers. Toupée manufacturers helped to build credibility for their product starting in 1954, when several makers advertised hair pieces in major magazines and newspapers, with successful results. Key to the promotion and acceptance of Toupées was improved toupée craftsmanship, pioneered by Max Factor. Factor's toupées were carefully made and almost invisible, with each strand of hair sewed to a piece of fine flesh-colored lace, and in a variety of long and short hairstyles. Factor, also a Hollywood Makeup innovator, was the supplier of choice for most Hollywood actors.
By 1959, total U.S. sales were estimated by Time Magazine to be $15 million a year. Sears-Roebuck, which had sold Toupées as early as 1900 via its mail order catalog, tried to tap into the market by sending out 30,000 special catalogs by direct mailto a targeted list, advertising "career winning" hair products manufactured by Joseph Fleischer & Co., a respected wig manufacturer. Toupées continued to be advertised in print, likely with heavier media buys(Advertising media selection) taking place in magazines with the appropriate male demographic. A typical "advertorial" can be found in Modern Mechanix.
By 1970, Time Magazine estimated that in the U.S., toupées were worn by more than 2.5 million men out of 17 - 20 million balding men. The increase was chalked up once again to further improvements in hairpiece technology, a desire to seem more youthful, and the long hairstyles that were increasingly in fashion.