Few hairstyles have demonstrated such staying power as the bouffant, that gravity-defying construction of teased, backcombed, and meticulously sculpted hair. From the powdered towers of eighteenth-century French aristocracy to the lacquered domes of 1960s suburban America, this style has repeatedly emerged as the choice for those seeking to make statements both literal and figurative. The bouffant's history reflects changing ideals of femininity, technological innovations in hair products, and the eternal human desire to reach just a little bit higher...