19th century german clothing - issue with translation :o

[Kyriakos]

Not that ironically, my new translation is also on a german text, namely ETA Hoffmann's "Der Sandmann".

I still have to rely on the english translation, but my first problem is about a rather hairy issue of 19th century german gentleman's hair and clothing style, and the following rather hard to decipher passage:

"His little wig scarcely extended beyond the crown of his head, his hair was curled round high up above his big red ears, and plastered to his temples with cosmetic, and a broad closed hair-bag stood out prominently from his neck, so that you could see the silver buckle that fastened his folded neckcloth."

Now i suppose the "hair bag" is something like this one? :

Ie a ribbon holding the (i think natural in the case of this passage?) hair in the lower edge of the head?

And the "folded neckcloth" is likely something like this?

But what i cannot decipher is how the "hair bag"'s position on the neck had to be very protruding so as to allow for the silver buckle to show clearly? Isn't the buckle on the front part of the neck and the hair bag on the back bit?
Any helpers?

 

[Valka D'Ur]

The large high parted wig of the 1690s remained popular from 1700 until around 1720. During this time various colors were worn, but white was becoming more popular and the curls were getting tighter. Later, wigs or the natural hair were worn long, brushed back from the forehead and clubbed or tied back at the nape of the neck with a black ribbon. From about 1720, a bag wig gathered the back hair in a black silk bag. Black ribbons attached to the bag were brought to the front and tied in a bow in a style called a "solitaire".

Source.

What I make of this is that the excess hair was gathered into a black pouch or bag at the back. I honestly don't understand what the back has to do with being able to see the buckle, unless it means that the ribbon was fastened in a way so it couldn't possibly interfere with anyone being able to admire the buckle in front.

Anyway, my recommendation is to google German men's fashion of the 18th century. There are lots of pictures and maybe some of them will show you what that passage could mean.

 

[Kyriakos]

I got help by a native german speaker at another forum, and:

(original text)

Die kleine Perücke reichte kaum bis über den Kopfwirbel heraus, die Kleblocken standen hoch über den großen roten Ohren und ein breiter verschlossener Haarbeutel starrte von dem Nacken weg, so daß man die silberne Schnalle sah, die die gefältelte Halsbinde schloß.

And his notes:

A Hairbag is an actual bag holding the lower part of the wig or longer actual hair in an orderly fashion. The clasp is the one holding the neckcloth (the thing around their neck in the pictures you posted, not the plastron thingy) together and is in fact worn at the back of the neck. The point here is that the wig is so small compared to the head that the hairbag does not cover the back of the neck, so one can see the clasp.

 

[Valka D'Ur]

Well, it's good that question is resolved. Now I think you might see why I get a bit impatient with people who mock the fashions of the 1970s. They're not anywhere near as weird as the fashions of the Renaissance/Enlightenment eras.