Create hairstyles for Romeo based first upon the vision created for the setting of the story. "Romeo and Juliet" was written in the late 1500s in England but is set in Verona, Italy. Some designers choose to re-create late Italian Renaissance styles, others prefer to use designs from Elizabethan England, and still others choose to create an entirely new setting and time period for staging the play. Romeo hairstyle decisions should support this overall vision of the setting.
Read the text for character description and inferences. Romeo is the young son of one of the wealthiest families in Verona, and he would therefore be expected to pay attention to his physical appearance. His hair will therefore have more style than, say, the Friar. Romeo is also portrayed as a lovesick and bold individual; it would make sense for his hairstyle to mimic this wildness in character.
Use the references below, websites like The Costumer's Manifesto or literature such as the "Encyclopedia of Hair" by Victoria Sherrow to see drawings and photographs of young men's hairstyles throughout the ages. Photographs from previous productions may also inspire you, as may online searches of other designers' Romeo hairstyles or young men you come across in your everyday life.
Young men's hairstyles that were popular in 16th- and 17th-century Europe were as varied as they are today. Men's hair could be short or long, and it was generally curled with irons if it was not sheared close to the head. Hair was considered long on men if it covered the ears. It could be approximately chin-length but would rarely go past the shoulders. Longer hair would have layers and sometimes bangs. Men used items such as wax, gum or oil to give their coifs more volume and luster. It was also common for men to wear fancy hats in Shakespearean times.