There are many Elizabethan symbols that hold different meanings that are all visual elements that I could incorporate into my designs. An example of one of these symbols is the Tudor rose; this was used in almost all of Elizabeth's portraits to refer to the Tudor dynasty and the unity it brought to the realm. The rose also held religious meaning, as a symbol of the Virgin Mary, therefore Queen Elizabeth wore the rose in order to reinstate her purity as a virgin. Roses are often worn in hair styles today, however this is probably not for the same reason as Elizabeth wore them as symbolism isn't as prominent in 21st century imagery.
In the 21st century we do still have symbols that are important and traditional to us that we often use in imagery to create a story or a theme. I never really considered these symbols to be just that, as before now I hadn't really thought about the notion behind traditions themselves as we are just brought up with these things being the norm. For example, wearing a white dress on your wedding day. White is the colour of purity and virginity, this is a symbol used back in Elizabethan times as well as now. Although it's very unlikely that a lot of brides are still virgins on their day of wed, it is still a tradition that the majority of us uphold.
There are various other symbols in the 21st century that I had over looked as well, such as an army uniform, a policeman uniform, the queen guards uniforms etc. I thought that I should look further into Elizabethan symbolism, past the obvious. If I am able to overlook all of the above symbols I am surrounded by and exposed to on a regular basis then I can't possibly have noticed all of the symbols in Elizabethan portraiture.
The Pelican was thought to be one of Elizabeth's most favoured symbols as it represented her motherly love toward her people. It was believed that in times of food shortages, mother pelicans would pluck their own breasts in order to feed their dying young with their blood, saving their lives but killing themselves in the process. During Elizabeth's rein the pelican went on to represent Jesus sacrificing himself on the cross for the good of mankind as well as the sacrament of communion, feeding the faithful with his body and blood. The pelican can be seen in Elizabeth's pelican portrait, where she is adorned with a pelican broach on her breast. I found having Googled some ridiculous things such as 'modern pelican hair styles' that the cross is the modern equivalent of the pelican symbol. About two years ago if you left the house you wouldn't be able to walk down the street without seeing someone in leggings or a shirt covered in the Christian cross.
I wasn't able to find any hair styles that incorporated crosses, however there were various hair pieces adorned with this specific symbol. Despite how hard I looked I couldn't find any including a pelican though, which just shows how symbols will grow and change over time while still being representative of the same thing. People are probably unaware of the meaning behind the cross despite it being on every item of clothing in their wardrobe, however these symbols are still prominent in our society today.
The Tudor Rose is another symbol that I brought up briefly before which is still used today. Rather than representing the Virgin Mary it instead is a symbols of romance, passion and love. I found numerous contemporary hair styles that incorporated roses, most of them being bridal which was to be expected due to the shift in meaning behind this specific symbol. This symbol is one of the most aesthetically pleasing to me. Roses can look both powerful and harsh but also delicate and soft just like the different techniques we have learnt in order to create and I would like to see if I could work them into one of my designs.
Ermine fur was featured in many portraits of Queen Elizabeth I. It was a symbol of purity due to the legend that the ermine would rather die than soil its pure white coat. Not only was it a symbol for purity and loyalty it was also a status symbol, as wearing ermine was restricted to royalty and high nobility. This is similar to what fur represents in the 21st century, as only those of wealth can afford to wear real fur.
It would be nice to included some fur into my design as even if the individual doesn't understand the meaning behind the ermine then they will recognise the style being for the upper class through the use of fur. Not only that but I think fur is beautiful and can contrast both a lot or only a little with the hair dependant on the texture and colour used and the effect desired.
Pearls were a very commonly used symbol in almost every single one of Elizabeth's portraits. Pearls as well as moons were used to present Elizabeth as Cynthia, the goddess of the Moon, who was a virgin, making her pure. Sir Walter Ralegh helped to promote Elizabeth being a moon goddess with a the poem written in the 1580s; The Ocean's Love to Cynthia. Pearls are often used today on elements of clothing, hair and other accessories. They are seen to be another symbol of class and status. They are most commonly worn in bridal hair styles and upon a wedding dress as they represent the purity of the bride, similar to the reason that Elizabeth wore them. 
Heart shapes are often associated with the Tudors. I have looked into the symbolism behind this and have come to the conclusion that the Elizabethans didn't actual see this shape as 'heart shaped'. This style of heart was introduced a long while after the Tudors period, therefore it is very unlikely that they saw it as anything other than two crescent moons. This would make sense due to the fact that Elizabeth was trying to portray herself as a moon goddess. This double crescent/heart shape is something that we still use today, however it now obviously symbolises love rather than Elizabeth being a moon goddess. I would like to try and incorporate this shape into my designs as I think it is a very obvious Elizabethan style but allows a lot of scope as to how they could be used within the design. The heart shape is often created at the front of the head using bouffants that have a lot of height and texture to them, however I found a lot of variation when looking into other heart shaped hair styles that inspired me to create my own designs based around this shape. 
I found three heart shaped hair designs using each one of the techniques that we have been taught in practical lessons to give me an idea of what I could achieve myself. I realised having looked at numerous styles that I could use quite large hair props within my designs without it being the full focus of the style.
Overall this research has inspired me and made me excited to begin designing for myself. I will most likely practice small techniques on Mimi and then use actual models with longer hair to attempt a full design.
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