Transgender

Forum











Wig Evaluation

By Diane Kaye
TGForum Consumer Products Editor

As part of this column, I am always interested in hearing from the readers on products they would like to see evaluated by Diane Kaye’s testing laboratory. If you have comments, questions, or requests, please drop me a line at: diane923@tgforum.com

Like most girls, this girl never has enough coiffeurs. I'm always interested in a new look. Some are great, and others are yard sale material. Over the years, I've bought probably something near a dozen wigs or more. Now, ladies, I know some of you out there are wig-a-holics, but I hold my own. My colors are medium brown, for flair, and gray for day trips and assorted outings into the real world. My lengths vary, from short, to 11 inches at the back. Drag hair is not me, nor is hair to the butt. I'm constantly looking for a hair piece that is a bargain, but from a quality house. Most good wig mail order stores offer low prices on end of stock wigs and incentive styles. This is where I do most of my shopping. Paula Young has been my mainstay, as her styles and quality are good for the price. Recently I ran across a mail order store called Franklin Fashions. I believe they are an old firm with good quality merchandise, so I decided to order one on sale. Their mailing address is:

Franklin Fashions Corp.
75 Holly Hill Lane
Greenwich, CT 06830-6098


Their latest catalog had a long style called Jenna #329 on sale for only $26.95. At that price, I decided to order it. Heck, for 26 bucks a girl can't go that wrong. I ordered it in a medium brown, of course. Now this is a full wig, so it's more suited for winter and fall wear. It's way too hot for summer. The lady asked if it was for me or my wife. I said it was for Diane, the name on the catalog. No lie there. My impression was that I was dealing with a mom and pop company. I was not asked if I wanted to pay extra for fast shipping, either.

Well within a week a package arrived. When I opened it I saw a wig in a box with lots of curls... lots of curls. Well, I tried it on and, yes lots of curls. With some light brushing, they were tamed. After about 15 minutes of styling, I got a very natural look. A few bobby pins and I was ready to go. I have to admit the finish and texture looked very natural, with none of that shiny look.

Recommendations

Overall I would recommend their products based on a sample of one. Their styles and models look very similar to those of Paula Young. I suspect there is a common source these dealers buy from. Anyway, Diane gives Franklin Fashions a 3 star rating — out of 5. A definite "should try" rating. I hope this information is of use to you wig-a-holics and stylish ladies.

TGF's Home Page