London

How to get a head: Sandra Bartlett's been wigging out for 30 years

The wigmaker
Sandra Bartlett, 47, has been making wigsfor Ede and Ravenscroft – which supplies Britain’s top judges – for 30 years, using techniques that haven’t changed since 1822. Prices range from £495 for a barrister’s wig to £1,640 for a judge’s bench wig.

‘I started wigmaking when I left school in 1975. I liked making things and had done dress-making before. My first day was quite scary, and at 16 this place looked a bit daunting. There were about 15 of us then. There are only four now but I’ve got my daughter Sarah working here too; she grew up with me doing it and decided she wanted to give it a try. It takes about a year to train and get the knack, but it takes a lifetime to perfect it.

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‘First we measure the head and choose a wooden block to model the wig. There are about four different sizes of blocks. To make a barrister’s wig, I put netting over the block then sew the hair on, three rows at a time. I get sore fingers from the weaving, and punctured thumbs. We use horsehair imported from the Far East, and when I’m clipping a wig I sometimes get tiny bits of hair stuck in my clothes. I can never find the bits, but I can feel them digging in.

‘The wigs can last for 40 years, but sometimes need to be cleaned. Some people never send them in to get cleaned and then when they do they’re falling apart – eaten away at the neck.

‘We use tools from more than 100 years ago – such as a straightening iron that’s heated on a naked flame. The only trend in wigs is that new barristers request darker wigs, as they don’t like to stand out with a bright white wig! We did have one judge who was very tall and wanted a wig with thin hair because he didn’t want to look so tall. I enjoy my work and like seeing the finished product, and the feeling that it’s part of history. When I see judges or barristers on the TV, I can immediately tell whether the wig is one of ours.’

Ede and Ravenscroft, 93 Chancery Lane, WC2 (020 7405 3906/www.edeandravenscroft.co.uk).