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Achignon (UK:/ˈʃiːnjɒ̃/,US:/ˈʃiːnjɒn/,French:[ʃiɲɔ̃]), from the Frenchchignon meaning abun, is ahairstyle characterized by wrapped hair on the back of the head. In the United States and the United Kingdom, it is often used as an abbreviation of the French phrasechignon du cou, signifying a low bun worn at thenape of the neck.[1][2][3]
Chignons are generally achieved by pinning the hair into a knot at the nape of the neck or at the back of the head, but there are many variations of the style.[4] They are usually secured with accessories such asbarrettes orhairpins.[5] Chignons are frequently worn for special occasions, like weddings and formal dances, but the basic chignon is also worn for everyday casual wear.
The chignon can be traced back toancient Greece, whereAthenian women commonly wore the style with gold or ivory handcrafted hairpins. Athenian men wore the same style, but they fastened their chignons with a clasp of "golden grasshoppers", according toThe History of the Peloponnesian War, byThucydides.[1] The chignon was specific toAthens, as other city states, such asCyprus andSparta, had their own styles of hairdressing.[citation needed] The chignon was also popular inancient China, where married women wore the low, knotted hairstyle.[citation needed]
Male writers of theVictorian era, likeAnthony Trollope, were fond of poking fun[6] at the perceived absurdity of the fashion, which was much in vogue inEngland in the 1860s. In the 1890s, the dancerCléo de Mérode popularized the hairstyle inFrance.[7][8][9]
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The dictionary definition ofchignon (hairstyle) at Wiktionary