sam lambert and the new way store a book for clothiers and their clerks published by grand rapids show case co. grand rapids: michigan copyright, 1912, grand rapids show case co. grand rapids, mich. chapter i. sam lambert had the best clothing store in medeena county--a corner store on the main street of medeena opposite the court house square. medeena had four clothing stores, not counting the blue front, down by the depot, with its collection of cheap watches in the window, a yellow guitar, two large accordions and a fiddle with a broken e string. everybody in the county knew sam lambert. as a merchant and a citizen he was a whole bunch of live wires. a big-boned, free-hearted fellow--lucky enough to just escape being run for sheriff, as some thought he was too good natured, the "gang" was afraid he was not pliant enough, and sam didn't want to be away from the store. sam took great pride in his clothing business and kept pace with the most advanced ideas in the trade. he was awake to the marvelous development of the ready-to-wear business. he carried the best and took a positive delight in each season's new models. he recalled the old days of "hand-me-downs," and he had lived to see the two best tailors in medeena take to bushelling "ready" garments, with less and less of that to be done--principally changing a button or shortening a trouser's length. sam was broad-gauge in everything he did. he sold his goods at the marked price, for cash only--got a decent profit and told you so. why shouldn't he? he had a sense of style. he was keenly alive to the artistry of clothes and his enthusiasm was contagious. sam was firmly convinced that a man has to spend money to make money in the clothing business. he said that a part of the value you deliver to a customer consists in giving him a better opinion of himself: making him feel like a king for a day and that the best is none too good for him. "a store," he would tell the boys, "cannot be run on the low gear. you must keep her keyed up. relax when the store is empty, but when you go to meet a customer put on the tension--take a brace--get spring into your step--learn to bunch your vitality and get it across. but keep your energy inside. "don't bounce and don't talk too much. keep yourself in hand. be quiet but alert. "concentrate! for the time being there is but one person in the world and that is the customer, and the most interesting thing in life is the thing he came in to see. "you can size up your man while you are going forward to meet him. but by all means take him easy. undue interest might embarrass him. suppose he only wants a pair of 15c. socks; if he does, there is a test of your ability that you may not realize. "many a clerk who can close a twenty dollar transaction with tact and dispatch never seems able to handle a ten cent sale so that the customer goes out feeling pleased with himself. "nine men out of ten who come into the store are self-conscious. the thing to do is to make your man feel that his requirement is important simply because it is his requirement. "a good salesman keeps his own personality in the background: he keeps the store and the sale in the background. he puts all the emphasis on service to the customer, and to do this he must mentally put himself in the customer's place. "try to be as interested in the customer's finding what he wants as if the article was for yourself; but don't insist on his taking only the thing that appeals to you. "quietly dominate the sale, but leave him plenty of room for the exercise of his own taste and ideas. "most men, though they may not show it, are slightly on the defensive when they come into a clothing store. that is why it is so very important that there be no talking or laughing among the clerks. "you may find it hard to realize the effect of a whisper or a titter on the part of the store's help when a customer is present. in nearly every case the man becomes sensitive or resentful and thinks he is being ridiculed. "try it yourself sometime by going into a strange store in another line of business in a distant city: when you hear a laugh or a remark passed among the clerks, see if you don't wonder if there isn't something wrong with your clothes or feel sure that comment is being made on your appearance or behavior. "there is another form of impatience or self-consciousness on the part of a customer who is more or less acquainted with the store. he hurries past everyone in front, headed for the part of the store where he thinks the goods he wants are kept. "it is bad policy to step in front of him or otherwise impede his progress. if there is no one to wait on him follow quietly and be on hand when he lands at his destination. "a clerk often wonders why customers persist in doing this. "it is because they have an idea of the location of what they want and blindly strike out for it with a certain nervous desire to cover the intermediate ground as quickly as possible. "remember that while you feel perfectly at home in the store, few customers do. it is your business to put them at ease and certainly to do nothing to make them uncomfortable. "when a man comes in for a suit of clothes he usually has some sort of a mental picture of the thing he desires. an idea, clearly defined or hazy, is in his mind as to the general color and effect of the suit he wants. "it is something he has noticed worn by someone else--looked at in a show window, or seen in an illustration. "in most cases it will not be the thing he finally buys. it may be a chalk-line stripe or a shepherd's plaid worn by a drummer who boarded the 6.30 lightning express. in the glow of the lamps and the bustle and excitement of the station platform the thing looked possible: but confronted in the store with the very style and pattern he backs away from it, though 'it looked good on the other man.' "find out what he has in mind; meet it as nearly as you can and get it out of the way. otherwise he will not concentrate on other goods. he will hold to this mental picture and measure everything you show him by it--much to your disadvantage. "one of the worst possible things is to ask a man about what price suit he wants. "keep price in the background. time enough to feel him out on that subject. no man likes to have you take the measure of his pocket-book. "you must use your judgment in gauging him as to what to show him. "the important thing is to get at the picture he has in mind, and the price too, if you can do so without asking him to name the figure. "never ask a customer how he liked the last suit you sold him. let by-gones be by-gones. this is a new deal. whether he was entirely satisfied is not the point now. don't raise dangerous questions. "there are a dozen reasons why his last purchase may not be remembered with pleasure--reasons that have nothing to do with the value he received or the actual merit of the clothes. "if he voluntarily mentions the last suit with praise take it as a natural occurrence and pass it over; you will try to do even better by him this time. "if he complains of his last purchase don't argue. leave the subject as soon as possible and get down to the question in hand. "have confidence in your goods, in your prices and in yourself as a salesman. "there are more sales lost for lack of firmness and decision at the right time than for any other cause. "among the clerks in the best and biggest of stores there are ten good openers of a sale to one good closer. "be a closer. "it requires judgment and decision of character, but you can learn to do it. "when a woman goes into a cloak and suit department, she is not satisfied to buy until she has been made to feel that she has pretty well canvassed the assortment, seen practically everything in the stock at the range and along the line she is seeking. "she has merchandise imagination and thinks of the possible garments back there in the stock that she might have liked better. "in this regard a man is somewhat easier to handle. "it is a fact often demonstrated that clerks can close a sale more quickly where the stock is kept on hangers instead of piled on tables. "the preliminaries are more quickly covered. having walked down the line the customer is better satisfied that the whole selection is placed at his disposal. "there is no secret about it. nothing held back. no mysterious pile of garments on a table that he cannot see. "note the tendency of the customer to investigate a pile of coats--lifting up the corners and looking at the patterns. "a coat in plain view, taken off the hanger, is more obviously a thoughtful selection of a garment definitely suited for him and he is the more ready to make it his own. "the important thing in closing a sale is to narrow down the choice as soon as you can to one or two strong possibilities, flanked by a bad one--that is, a style or a pattern that you know the customer doesn't want. "when this point is reached it is well to move the customer away from the rest of the stock, say to some distant corner where he can stand on a rug and look in the mirror-"where his whole attention can be given to one suit, or at most a choice between two. "a sale must be opened easily. the customer should never be made to feel that he is being restricted in his selection. but the moment you can form an idea of what he wants you can probably think of just the thing for him. "if you handle him right he accepts your knowledge of the assortment, instead of demanding a complete canvass of the stock. "it is then you may know that you have established his confidence. "in a comparatively short time you can narrow him down to a choice where by a tactful show of firmness you can help him decide. "in the handling of almost every sale there is a point beyond which the customer begins to flounder and show indecision. "the weak salesman leads him on and on with no stopping point--no place to close--and the prospective sale fades to a 'just looking today' excuse. "this is a universal fault among retail clerks. "the test of salesmanship is in closing a sale. "be a closer! "never guy a customer or 'kid him along' for the amusement of a by-stander or a fellow clerk. this is a common practice in some clothing stores. the offender is usually a self-satisfied clerk who has had just enough success as a salesman to make him egotistical. "he thinks he is a regular dare-devil and that by making sport of his customer he may win a reputation as the village cut-up. his favorite victim is some half-witted fellow--tho' a customer who is partly deaf may do and he is always ready for a yokel or a foreigner. "there is no doubt," said sam lambert, "that the medal for the longest ears and the loudest bray in the clothing business belongs to this smart aleck type of clerk known as a 'kidder'. "to say nothing of the respect he owes the customer, it is astonishing how he can presume to work his cheap little side-play on any human being, when even a dog is sensitive to ridicule and knows when he is being laughed at." chapter ii. no one questioned sam lambert's power as a business getter, nor the alertness of his store-keeping methods. he was prodigal of his own energy--never spared himself. he looked after the important things and left details to others. as with every man who is a constructive force in the world of affairs, sam's friends and relatives shook their heads--said that he needed a balance-wheel. this was dinned into his ears so often that he finally came to believe it. so after many sunday afternoon business discussions, it was arranged that he was to take into the business his wife's cousin, one lemuel stucker, who had spent twenty years saving $9000 as general manager for a flour and feed concern. stucker had worked out elaborate sets of figures to prove the needed economies of management. he was so tireless and sincere, so careful and exact, that it was with a great sense of relief that sam turned the store over to him. here, at last, was a man who could lift from his shoulders the daily burden of management. sam's real interest in the change, as those who knew him might have guessed, was a desire for new enterprise. he had long had an eye on a fine opening for a clothing store in the neighboring town of bridgeville, twenty miles away, and he lost no time in carrying out this project. during the ensuing year he was so engrossed with the bridgeville branch that medeena rarely saw him, and lemuel stucker's rather discouraging reports on the state of business were attributed to lem's conservatism and natural depression of mind. lem was sam's opposite in almost every particular. a small, sallow man with a black shoe-string necktie and a look of general regret. he spent most of his time untying knots in pieces of string, picking up bits of wrapping paper and sharpening short lead-pencils, and he was great on buying brooms. his effect on the store was one of immediate and prevalent blight. you may wonder why the boys did not complain of conditions to sam, but lem was manager--and there is something so virtuous and convincing about a first-class retrencher. his wise saws and thrifty sayings are infectious and he makes everybody so low-spirited that they are ready to catch anything. no more good window displays--tacks, colored cheesecloth and other accessories cost money, and the sun was bad for the goods. no more trim on the counters and shelves. stop the high-power electric light in front of the store and reduce the lamps inside. these things did not all occur at once, but so gradually that it was hard to realize just what had happened to the store. the windows got streaky and the inside of the store looked dingy and cold. then the conservative spirit got into the buying. nothing but black cheviots with a few drab and gray worsteds. perhaps it was just as well, for when a customer came into the store and saw stucker he thought it was raining outside. sam lambert had always prided himself on keeping alive what he called the "buying spirit" in the store. nowadays a customer got a sense of caution. the feeling was one of disapproval of all extravagance. instead of purchasing a suit, the man wondered where his next month's rent was coming from, bought a pair of cottonade pants and hurried home. trade fell off steadily. affairs went on this way for a twelvemonth and then something happened. two of sam's principal competitors were reported to be remodeling their stores--and what was more, they were going to put in wardrobe systems and carry all their garments on hangers. this aroused sam and he made an immediate investigation. he found that one of the stores had contracted for the old type of wooden wall cabinets where the clothes hung behind panelled doors. but the other was installing glass wardrobes, where the stock would be on view. this discovery cut sam like a knife. he investigated further, and was delighted to find that his wardrobe competitor, with the temptation to save a few dollars, had ordered a second-rate type of glass wardrobe, with pull-out rods that swing inside the case, without a locking device to prevent them from breaking the glass. without saying anything to stucker he telegraphed the best wardrobe concern in the country to send their representative at once. chapter iii. at eleven o'clock the following day a quiet man wearing double-lens spectacles and a pre-occupied air came into the store, asked for mr. lambert and was directed to the rear where stucker was showing sam the wisdom of leaving the night covers over the black goods during the day to protect the stock from dust. sam was so keyed up on the wardrobe question that he heard only about half that stucker was saying. when the man with the spectacles arrived sam guessed his mission without waiting for a word of greeting. "you," said sam, "are here to talk wardrobes; let's see what you've got." "before i talk wardrobes, or, if you please, the new way system," began the salesman, "i would prefer to get a fair idea of the amount and kind of stock you carry and how you care for it now." "just as i thought," interrupted stucker. "you're afraid our stock is too big for your wardrobe capacity. "well, i don't want to discourage you, but when you count the suits on the table, don't forget to add about 50 dozen pair of knee pants and odd trousers stored in case-goods boxes under the tables. "remember too, that when you take the tables out, you must find another place for our last years sweaters, mufflers, caps, gloves and underwear, as well as all our advance stock of shirts, hosiery and ties which we keep under the tables because we have no room for them on our side shelving. you can see it is piled to the ceiling now; and all that on top is active stock." "that reminds me, mr. stucker, of a joke your friend jones, over at dennisville, played on sakes, his partner. "before we remodelled their store, they had a lot of money tied up in stock piled under the tables like you have. most of it was odds and ends--left overs of many seasons that jones knew even a clearance sale would not clean up. "he inventoried the lot and shipped 72 dozen pair of knee pants to new york, and wrote the auctioneer to send a check for whatever amount they brought. "the funny part of it, sakes never discovered that the stock was gone until about three weeks later, when he noticed a check in the mail and asked jones what it was for. "you can do the same thing, mr. stucker, with your stock under the tables, and the check you will get will help buy new way sectional shelving that will give you about three times the capacity your furnishing department has now; so it will not be necessary to climb to the ceiling for your active stock or dig under the tables for your out of season goods. "before we discuss detail, mr. lambert," continued the salesman, "i have something to say about the practical arrangement of the inside of the store. "the business of a store is to sell goods. a customer may come in for one item. you want him to buy two or three or a half a dozen. the easier you make it for him, the less he has to cross and recross the store to complete his purchases--the more goods you will sell him. "what you want--what every merchant wants--and what few have--is a practical, natural selling arrangement of the goods. "the invention of a practical wardrobe merely made the right plan possible. "our business is to suggest the plan and fit the wardrobe arrangement to the needs of a store. "every clothing store has its own individuality. each problem must be worked out on the ground with a full knowledge of the stock and the business, the history of the store, the nature of its trade and the personality of its proprietor." sam's interest was excited. this point of view was new to him, but he could see the truth of it and he was impatient to get at the heart of the matter as far as his own store was concerned. "you're right," he said, "about the personality and individuality of a store; and for that reason don't tell me to put the furnishing goods shelving down the middle of the store. this is a clothing store and not a haberdashery." "mr. lambert," said the salesman, "you have hit the nail squarely on the head. this is a double room, a very different problem from that of a single store. i looked over the place of one of your competitors this morning. he also has a double store with much the same arrangement as yours and i find that he is making a mistake--adopting a plan that is about five years behind the times. "you see, in the earlier days of the wardrobe, there was no such thing as a center wardrobe. therefore the clothing had to be hung against the wall in pull-out cabinets. when the clothing went to the side walls the furnishings had to move to the center floor space. "such an arrangement is not practical for a double store and the effect is bad. it kills the first impression of a big store. the shelving will look bare if it is not trimmed, and if it is trimmed your big double room looks like two small stores divided by a wall. "the center shelving will always have stock boxes piled on top and that will throw one side of the store always in shadow. besides, this arrangement divides the trade and screens half of it from view. "the stock is cut in two and looks small. "one salesman can not wait on the furnishing goods trade without neglecting half of it all the time. if you have two clerks, a customer must be taken from one side to the other for his ties or underwear, and there you are again, both on one side at the same time. "if another customer came along they'd have to stop in the middle of a sale and refer him to a clerk around in the other aisle. "a furnishing goods department should be continuous. the sale of a shirt will lead to the purchase of a tie or a collar or hosiery. the goods should be in sight so that they automatically suggest themselves. "you enter this store and the first impression you get is a big clothing store. that is what you want. clothing dominates the store. furnishing goods and hats are important and necessary side lines. no one would mistake it for a haberdasher's. you have been known from the beginning as the leading clothier. that's the reputation you want to keep. "mr. lambert, one of the important problems of this store is to house your stock in new fixtures and at the same time widen your aisles. "you can not see how that is possible. it is really the only problem i have to solve for you, and it is easy." the little man with the big spectacles had things moving. he was not much of a salesman but he knew all about merchandising in a retail store. and he certainly was familiar with every store fixture and selling device that had ever been invented, its good and bad points, where it was practical and where it was not. "before a merchant puts money into store equipment," said the wardrobe man, "he ought to be sure that he is getting the very latest and most improved models. he owes this to himself as a protection for his investment. "there is always a temptation to save a few dollars by adopting a poor imitation or some out-of-date device. "the latest and best is the cheapest in the end, especially when you consider convenience and durability. "a pretty safe guide is to see what the biggest and best stores everywhere are installing today. "you will find such merchants as john wanamaker in his philadelphia and new york stores equipping his clothing departments solely with new way crystal wardrobes; "browning, king & company in seventeen cities; "schuman, kennedy, posner, talbot company, jordan-marsh & company, leopold morse company, mccullough & parker in boston; "george muse company in atlanta; "mullen & bluett of los angeles; "becker of san francisco; "burkhardt of cincinnati; "lazarus, and meyer israel of new orleans; "and more than a thousand others--all the representative stores of their localities. "these men have selected the new way crystal wardrobes after careful comparison with every other device on the market. "they have found the new way crystal wardrobe the most sightly and compact--having the largest capacity with the greatest ease of operation. "they find that they show the goods better; that the clerks can work faster from them; that half a dozen clerks can sell from one wardrobe at the same time; that one boy can keep the stock in good shape where four were inadequate under any other plan. "they find that the new way people have basic patents on special features, such as the new way disappearing doors that divide in the center, and slide into the ends of the wardrobe and do not project into the aisle. "the new way revolving rack with the patent locking device, which works loaded or unloaded with equal ease--no friction, no leverage, no noise. "they find the new way low center wardrobes give an unobstructed view all over the store and are the only wardrobes made that are entirely practical for grouping in front of a furnishing or hat department. "likewise the high double deck wall wardrobes have more than double the capacity of tables." the wardrobe man illustrated his talk with photographs and backed his arguments with figures. the upshot of it was that he made a complete ground plan of the lambert store with a modern selling arrangement and new way fixtures in their proper places. but before stucker would admit the wisdom of the improvement, he argued it from every point of view. "the farmer trade," he said, "would imagine that they would have to pay higher prices for clothing to make up the cost of new fixtures." this, mind you, today when the farmer is the most enlightened member of the community--when he is using progressive methods in marketing his own product, to reduce his costs and increase his profits! lem acknowledged that the clothiers who are handling the finest merchandise are fitting up their stores with new way crystal wardrobes, and he didn't like to admit that the lambert store didn't sell high grade merchandise. he conceded that fine goods in every other line of trade are treated with the care and respect they deserve, otherwise they would suffer in the handling and cease to be fine merchandise. finally, lem admitted that the discerning public does judge a merchant's stock by the way he treats it, so that the store with new way wardrobes as a feature is not only the most progressive store, but in practically every instance the most prosperous in the clothing trade of its locality. after sam had given the order his one thought was impatience for the completion of the job. "i must have that stuff all installed so that i can have my opening a week ahead of the other people. "here, stucker," called sam to that gloomy soul, who had gone behind a stock of work-shirts, while the order was being signed, "we'll let you dispose of the old fixtures. that's a job that's just about your size. "i tell you, stucker, a natural-born retrencher has his virtues. but if you give him rope enough he will retrench you out of business. he never builds anything. if it wasn't for the creative man there would be nothing to retrench. "the retrencher is all right if you don't pay him too much. he is worth about $10 a month, because you can find fifty of them in any old man's home that you can hire for less money than that. "no, lem, i won't be unfair. you're not as bad as all that. it takes all kinds of people to make a world and there is plenty of room for both of us in this business--there always will be leaks to stop and work to do for an earnest man who has the interest of the store at heart. "the fault has been in the division of our labor. i'll show you the way we can get the best out of ourselves." "sam," said lem, "i reckon i've been looking at the world through a crack in the fence and i'll have to widen out my view a little. you give me the books and the sales slips to look after. in the meantime i'm going to make the most exact inventory this store ever had and be ready to check in the fresh stock that is to go in these new way wardrobes. "my talents are all right if i don't try to cover too much territory." the two men shook hands. all was in readiness on the day set. everybody in medeena county came to the grand opening, and sam lambert's new way store is doing the business of the town. note: project gutenberg also has an html version of this file which includes the original illustrations. see 21914-h.htm or 21914-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/2/1/9/1/21914/21914-h/21914-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/2/1/9/1/21914/21914-h.zip) the woggle-bug book by l. frank baum pictures by ike morgan chicago the reilly & britton co. 1905 copyright 1905 by l. frank baum every right reserved the unique adventures of the woggle-bug one day mr. h. m. woggle-bug, t. e., becoming separated from his comrades who had accompanied him from the land of oz, and finding that time hung heavy on his hands (he had four of them), decided to walk down the main street of the city and try to discover something or other of interest. the initials "h. m." before his name meant "highly magnified," for this woggle-bug was several thousand times bigger than any other woggle-bug you ever saw. and the initials "t. e." after his named meant "thoroughly educated"--and so he was, in the land of oz. but his education, being applied to a woggle-bug intellect, was not at all remarkable in this country, where everything is quite different than oz. yet the woggle-bug did not suspect this, and being, like so many other thoroughly educated persons, proud of his mental attainments, he marched along the street with an air of importance that made one wonder what great thoughts were occupying his massive brain. being about as big, in his magnified state, as a man, the woggle-bug took care to clothe himself like a man; only, instead of choosing sober colors for his garments, he delighted in the most gorgeous reds and yellows and blues and greens; so that if you looked at him long the brilliance of his clothing was liable to dazzle your eyes. i suppose the waggle-bug did not realize at all what a queer appearance he made. being rather nervous, he seldom looked into a mirror; and as the people he met avoided telling him he was unusual, he had fallen into the habit of considering himself merely an ordinary citizen of the big city wherein he resided. so the woggle-bug strutted proudly along the street, swinging a cane in one hand, flourishing a pink handkerchief in the other, fumbling his watch-fob with another, and feeling his necktie was straight with another. having four hands to use would prove rather puzzling to you or me, i imagine; but the woggie-bug was thoroughly accustomed to them. presently he came to a very fine store with big plate-glass windows, and standing in the center of the biggest window was a creature so beautiful and radiant and altogether charming that the first glance at her nearly took his breath away. her complexion was lovely, for it was wax; but the thing which really caught the woggle-bug's fancy was the marvelous dress she wore. indeed, it was the latest (last year's) paris model, although the woggle-bug did not know that; and the designer must have had a real woggly love for bright colors, for the gown was made of red cloth covered with big checks which were so loud the fashion books called them "wagnerian plaids." never had our friend the woggle-bug seen such a beautiful gown before, and it afflicted him so strongly that he straightaway fell in love with the entire outfit--even to the wax-complexioned lady herself! very politely he tipped his to her; but she stared coldly back without in any way acknowledging the courtesy. "never mind," he thought; "'faint heart never won fair lady.' and i'm determined to win this kaliedoscope of beauty or perish in the attempt!" you will notice that our insect had a way of using big words to express himself, which leads us to suspect that the school system in oz is the same they employ in boston. as, with swelling heart, the woggle-bug feasted his eyes upon the enchanting vision, a small green tag that was attached to a button of the waist suddenly attracted his attention. upon the tag was marked: "price $7.93--greatly reduced." "ah!" murmured the woggle-bug; "my darling is in greatly reduced circumstances, and $7.93 will make her mine! where, oh where, shall i find the seven ninety-three wherewith to liberate this divinity and make her mrs. woggle-bug?" "move on!" said a gruff policeman, who came along swinging his club. and the woggle-bug obediently moved on, his brain working fast and furious in the endeavor to think of a way to procure seven dollars and ninety-three cents. you see, in the land of oz they use no money at all, so that when the woggle-bug arrived in america he did not possess a single penny. and no one had presented him with any money since. "yet there must be several ways to procure money in this country," he reflected; "for otherwise everybody would be as penniless as i am. but how, i wonder, do they manage to get it?" just then he came along a side street where a number of men were at work digging a long and deep ditch in which to lay a new sewer. "now these men," thought the woggle-bug, "must get money for shoveling all that earth, else they wouldn't do it. here is my chance to win the charming vision of beauty in the shop window!" seeking out the foreman, he asked for work, and the foreman agreed to hire him. "how much do you pay these workmen?" asked the highly magnified one. "two dollars a day," answered the foreman. "then," said the woggle-bug, "you must pay me four dollars a day; for i have four arms to their two, and can do double their work." "if that is so, i'll pay you four dollars," agreed the man. the woggle-bug was delighted. "in two days," he told himself, as he threw off his brilliant coat and placed his hat upon it, and rolled up his sleeves; "in two days i can earn eight dollars--enough to purchase my greatly reduced darling and buy her seven cents worth of caramels besides." he seized two spades and began working so rapidly with his four arms that the foreman said: "you must have been forewarned." "why?" asked the insect. "because there's a saying that to be forewarned is to be four-armed," replied the other. "that is nonsense," said the woggle-bug, digging with all his might; "for they call you the foreman, and yet i only see one of you." "ha, ha!" laughed the man, and he was so proud of his new worker that he went into the corner saloon to tell his friend the barkeeper what a treasure he had found. it was just after noon that the woggle-bug hired as a ditch-digger in order to win his heart's desire; so at noon on the second day he quit work, and having received eight silver dollars he put on his coat and rushed away to the store that he might purchase his intended bride. but, alas for the uncertainty of all our hopes! just as the woggle-bug reached the door he saw a lady coming out of the store dressed in identical checks with which he had fallen in love! at first he did not know what to do or say, for the young lady's complexion was not wax--far from it. but a glance into the window showed him the wax lady now dressed in a plain black tailor-made suit, and at once he knew the wearer of the wagnerian plaids was his real love, and not the stiff creature behind the glass. "beg pardon!" he exclaimed, stopping the young lady; "but you're mine. here's the seven ninety-three, and seven cents for candy." but she glanced at him in a haughty manner, and walked away with her nose slightly elevated. he followed. he could not do otherwise with those delightful checks shining before him like beacon-lights to urge him on. the young lady stepped into a car, which whirled away rapidly. for a moment he was nearly paralyzed at his loss; then he started after the car as fast as he could go, and this was very fast indeed--he being a woggle-bug. somebody cried: "stop, thief!" and a policeman ran out to arrest him. but the woggle-bug used his four hands to push the officer aside, and the astonished man went rolling into the gutter so recklessly that his uniform bore marks of the encounter for many days. still keeping an eye on the car, the woggle-bug rushed on. he frightened two dogs, upset a fat gentleman who was crossing the street, leaped over an automobile that shot in front of him, and finally ran plump into the car, which had abruptly stopped to let off a passenger. breathing hard from his exertions, he jumped upon the rear platform of the car, only to see his charmer step off at the front and walk mincingly up the steps of a house. despite his fatigue, he flew after her at once, crying out: "stop, my variegated dear--stop! don't you know you're mine?" but she slammed the door in his face, and he sat down upon the steps and wiped his forehead with his pink handkerchief and fanned himself with his hat and tried to think what he should do next. presently a very angry man came out of the house. he had a revolver in one hand and a carving-knife in the other. "what do you mean by insulting my wife?" he demanded. "was that your wife?" asked the woggle-bug, in meek astonishment. "of course it is my wife," answered the man. "oh, i didn't know," said the insect, rather humbled. "but i'll give you seven ninety-three for her. that's all she's worth, you know; for i saw it marked on the tag." the man gave a roar of rage and jumped into the air with the intention of falling on the woggle-bug and hurting him with the knife and pistol. but the woggle-bug was suddenly in a hurry, and didn't wait to be jumped on. indeed, he ran so very fast that the man was content to let him go, especially as the pistol wasn't loaded and the carving-knife was as dull as such knives usually are. but his wife had conceived a great dislike for the wagnerian check costume that had won for her the woggle-bug's admiration. "i'll never wear it again!" she said to her husband, when he came in and told her that the woggle-bug was gone. "then," he replied, "you'd better give it to bridget; for she's been bothering me about her wages lately, and the present will keep her quite for a month longer." so she called bridget and presented her with the dress, and the delighted servant decided to wear it that night to mickey schwartz's ball. now the poor woggle-bug, finding his affection scorned, was feeling very blue and unhappy that evening, when he walked out, dressed (among other things) in a purple-striped shirt, with a yellow necktie and pea-green gloves, he looked a great deal more cheerful than he really was. he had put on another hat, for the woggle-bug had a superstition that to change his hat was to change his luck, and luck seemed to have overlooked the fact that he was in existence. the hat may really have altered his fortunes, as the insect shortly met ikey swanson, who gave him a ticket to mickey schwartz's ball; for ikey's clean dickey had not come home from the laundry, and so he could not go himself. the woggle-bug, thinking to distract his mind from his dreams of love, attended the hall, and the first thing he saw as he entered the room was bridget clothed in that same gorgeous gown of wagnerian plaid that had so fascinated his bugly heart. the dear bridget had added to her charms by putting seven full-blown imitation roses and three second-hand ostrich-plumes in her red hair; so that her entire person glowed like a sunset in june. the woggle-bug was enraptured; and, although the divine bridget was waltzing with fritzie casey, the insect rushed to her side and, seizing her with all his four arms at once, cried out in his truly educated bostonian way: "oh, my superlative conglomeration of beauty! i have found you at last!" bridget uttered a shriek, and fritzie casey doubled two fists that looked like tombstones, and advanced upon the intruder. still embracing the plaid costume with two arms, the woggle-bug tipped mr. casey over with the other two. but bridget made a bound and landed with her broad heel, which supported 180 pounds, firmly upon the insect's toes. he gave a yelp of pain and promptly released the lady, and a moment later he found himself flat upon the floor with a dozen of the dancers piled upon him--all of whom were pummeling each other with much pleasure and a firm conviction that the diversion had been planned for their special amusement. but the woggle-bug had the strength of many men, and when he flopped the big wings that were concealed by the tails of his coat, the gentlemen resting upon him were scattered like autumn leaves in a gust of wind. the insect stood up, rearranged his dress, and looked about him. bridget had run away and gone home, and the others were still fighting amongst themselves with exceeding cheerfulness. so the woggle-bug selected a hat which fit him (his own having been crushed out of shape) and walked sorrowfully back to his lodgings. "evidently that was not a lucky hat i wore to the ball," he reflected; "but perhaps this one i now have will bring about a change in my fortunes." bridget needed money; and as she had worn her brilliant costume once and allowed her friends to see how becoming it was, she carried it the next morning to a second-hand dealer and sold it for three dollars in cash. scarcely had she left the shop when a lady of swedish extraction--a widow with four small children in her train--entered and asked to look at a gown. the dealer showed her the one he had just bought from bridget, and its gay coloring so pleased the widow that she immediately purchased it for $3.65. "ay tank ets a good deal money, by sure," she said to herself; "but das leedle children mus' have new fadder to mak mind un tak care dere mudder like, by yimminy! an' ay tank no man look may way in das ole dress i been wearing." she took the gown and the four children to her home, where she lost no time in trying on the costume, which fitted her as perfectly as a flour-sack does a peck of potatoes. "das _beau_--tiful!" she exclaimed, in rapture, as she tried to see herself in a cracked mirror. "ay go das very afternoon to valk in da park, for das man-folks go crazy-like ven he sees may fine frocks!" then she took her green parasol and a hand-bag stuffed with papers (to make it look prosperous and aristocratic) and sallied forth to the park, followed by all her interesting flock. the men didn't fail to look at her, as you may guess; but none looked with yearning until the woggle-bug, sauntering gloomily along a path, happened to raise his eyes and see before him his heart's delight the very identical wagnerian plaids which had filled him with such unbounded affection. "aha, my excruciatingly lovely creation!" he cried, running up and kneeling before the widow; "i have found you once again. do not, i beg of you, treat me with coldness!" for he had learned from experience not to unduly startle his charmer at their first moment of meeting; so he made a firm attempt to control himself, that the wearer of the checked gown might not scorn him. the widow had no great affection for bugs, having wrestled with the species for many years; but this one was such a big-bug and so handsomely dressed that she saw no harm in encouraging him--especially as the men she had sought to captivate were proving exceedingly shy. "so you tank ay i ban loavely?" she asked, with a coy glance at the insect. "i do! with all my heart i do!" protested the woggle-bug, placing all four hands, one after another, over that beating organ. "das mak plenty trouble by you. i don'd could be yours!" sighed the widow, indeed regretting her admirer was not an ordinary man. "why not?" asked the woggle-bug. "i have still the seven ninety-three; and as that was the original price, and you are now slightly worn and second-handed, i do not see why i need despair of calling you my own." it is very queer, when we think of it, that the woggle-bug could not separate the wearer of his lovely gown from the gown itself. indeed, he always made love directly to the costume that had so enchanted him, without any regard whatsoever to the person inside it; and the only way we can explain this remarkable fact is to recollect that the woggle-bug was only a woggle-bug, and nothing more could be expected of him. the widow did not, of course, understand his speech in the least; but she gathered the fact that the woggle-bug had id money, so she sighed and hinted that she was very hungry, and that there was a good short-order restaurant just outside the park. the woggle-bug became thoughtful at this. he hated to squander his money, which he had come to regard a sort of purchase price with which to secure his divinity. but neither could he allow those darling checks to go hungry; so he said: "if you will come with me to the restaurant, i will gladly supply you with food." the widow accepted the invitation at once, and the woggle-bug walked proudly beside her, leading all of the four children at once with his four hands. two such gay costumes as those worn by the widow and the woggle-bug are seldom found together, and the restaurant man was so impressed by the sight that he demanded his money in advance. the four children, jabbering delightedly in their broken english, clambered upon four stools, and the widow sat upon another. and the woggle-bug, who was not hungry (being engaged in feasting his eyes upon the checks), laid down a silver dollar as a guarantee of good faith. it was wonderful to see so much pie and cake and bread-and-butter and pickles and dough-nuts and sandwiches disappear into the mouths of the four innocents and their comparatively innocent mother. the woggle-bug had to add another quarter to the vanished dollar before the score was finally settled; and no sooner had the tribe trooped out restaurant than they turned into the open portals of an ice-cream parlor, where they all attacked huge stacks of pale ice-cream and consumed several plates of lady-fingers and cream-puffs. again the woggle-bug reluctantly abandoned a dollar; but the end was not yet. the dear children wanted candy and nuts; and then they warned pink lemonade; and then pop-corn and chewing-gum; and always the woggle-bug, after a glance at the entrancing costume, found himself unable to resist paying for the treat. it was nearly evening when the widow pleaded fatigue and asked to be taken home. for none of them was able to eat another morsel, and the woggle-bug wearied her with his protestations of boundless admiration. "will you permit me to call upon you this evening?" asked the insect, pleadingly, as he bade the wearer of the gown good-bye on her door-step. "sure like!" she replied, not caring to dismiss him harshly; and the happy woggle-bug went home with a light heart, murmuring to himself: "at last the lovely plaids are to be my own! the new hat i found at the ball has certainly brought me luck." i am glad our friend the woggle-bug had those few happy moments, for he was destined to endure severe disappointments in the near future. that evening he carefully brushed his coat, put on a green satin necktie and a purple embroidered waist-coat, and walked briskly towards the house of the widow. but, alas! as he drew near to the dwelling a most horrible stench greeted his nostrils, a sense of great depression came over him, and upon pausing before the house his body began to tremble and his eyes rolled wildly in their sockets. for the wily widow, wishing to escape her admirer, had sprinkled the door-step and the front walk with insect exterminator, and not even the woggle-bug's love for the enchanting checked gown could induce him to linger longer in that vicinity. sick and discouraged, he returned home, where his first act was to smash the luckless hat and replace it with another. but it was some time before he recovered from the horrors of that near approach to extermination, and he passed a very wakeful and unhappy night, indeed. meantime the widow had traded with a friend of hers (who had once been a wash-lady for general funston) the wagnerian costume for a crazy quilt and a corset that was nearly as good as new and a pair of silk stockings that were not mates. it was a good bargain for both of them, and the wash-lady being colored--that is, she had a deep mahogany complexion--was delighted with her gorgeous gown and put it on the very next morning when she went to deliver the wash to the brick-layer's wife. surely it must have been fate that directed the woggle-bug's steps; for, as he walked disconsolately along, an intuition caused him to raise his eyes, and he saw just ahead of him his affinity--carrying a large clothes-basket. "stop!" he called our, anxiously; "stop, my fair grenadine, i implore you!" the colored lady cast one glance behind her and imagined that satan had at last arrived to claim her. for she had never before seen the woggle-bug, and was horrified by his sudden and unusual appearance. "go 'way, mars' debbil! go 'way an' lemme 'lone!" she screeched, and the next minute she dropped her empty basket and sped up the street with a swiftness that only fear could have lent her flat-bottomed feet. nevertheless, the woggle-bug might have overtaken her had he not stepped into the clothes-basket and fallen headlong, becoming so tangled up in the thing that he rolled over and over several times before he could free himself. then, when he had picked up his hat, which was utterly ruined, and found his cane, which had flown across the street, his mahogany charmer in the wagnerian plaids had disappeared from view. with a sigh at his latest misfortune he returned home for another hat, and the agitated wash-lady, imagining that the devil had doubtless been lured by her beautiful gown, made haste to sell it to a chinaman who lived next door. its bright colors pleased the chink, who ripped it up and made it over into a chinese robe, with flowing draperies falling to his heels. he dressed himself in his new costume and, being proud of possessing such finery, sat down on a bench outside his door so that everyone passing by could see how magnificent he looked. it was here the wandering woggle-bug espied him; and, recognizing at once the pattern and colors of his infatuating idol, he ran up and sat beside the chinaman, saying in agitated but educated tones: "oh my prismatic personification of gigantic gorgeousness!--again i have found you!" "sure tling," said the chink with composure. "be mine! only be mine!" continued the enraptured woggle-bug. the chinaman did not quite understand. "two dlolla a day," he answered, cautiously. "oh, joy," exclaimed the insect in delight; "i can then own you for a day and a half--for i have three dollars left. may i feel your exquisite texture, my dearest fabric?" "no flabic. no feelee. you too flesh. i _man_ chinaman!" returned the oriental calmly. "never mind that! 'tis your beautiful garment i love. every check in that entrancing dress is a joy and a delight to my heart!" while the woggle-bug thus raved, the chinaman's wife (who was mattie de forest before she married him) heard the conversation, and decided this love affair had gone far enough. so she suddenly appeared with a broomstick, and with it began pounding the woggle-bug as fiercely as possible--and mattie was no weakling, i assure you. the first blow knocked the insect's hat so far over his eyes that he was blinded; but, resolving not to be again cheated out of his darling, he grasped firmly hold of the wagnerian plaids with all four hands, and tore a goodly portion of it from the frightened celestial's body. next moment he was dashing down the street, with the precious cloth tucked securely underneath an arm, and mattie, being in slight dishabile, did not think best to follow him. the triumphant joy of the woggle-bug can well be imagined. no more need he chase the fleeting vision of his love--no more submit to countless disappointments in his efforts to approach the object of his affection. the gorgeous plaids were now his own (or a large part of them, anyway), and upon reaching the quiet room wherein he lodged he gloated long and happily over its vivid coloring and violent contrasts of its glowing hues. to the eyes of the woggle-bug nothing could be more beautiful, and he positively regretted the necessity of ever turning his gaze from this bewitching treasure. that he might never in the future be separated from the checks, he folded them, with many loving caresses, into compact form, and wrapped them in a sheet of stout paper tied with cotton cord that had a love-knot at the end. wherever he went, thereafter, he carried the parcel underneath his left upper arm, pressed as closely to his heart as possible. and this sense of possession was so delightful that our woggle-bug was happy as the day is long. in the evening his fortunes changed with cruel abruptness. he walked out to take the air, and noticing a crowd people standing in an open space and surrounding a huge brown object, our woggle-bug stopped to learn what the excitement was about. pushing his way through the crowd, and hugging his precious parcel, he soon reached the inner circle of spectators and found they had assembled to watch a balloon ascension. the professor who was to go up with the balloon had not yet arrived; but the balloon itself was fully inflated and tugging hard at the rope that held it, as if anxious to escape the blended breaths of the people that crowded around. just below the balloon was a small basket, attached to the netting of the gas-bag, and the woggle-bug was bending over the edge of this, to see what it contained, when a warning cry from the crowd caused him to pause and glance over his shoulder. great horrors and crumpled creeps! springing toward him, with a scowl on his face and a long knife with a zig-zag blade in his uplifted hand, was that very chinaman from whose body he had torn the wagnerian plaids! the plundered celestial was evidently vindictive, and intended to push the wicked knife into the woggle-bug's body. our hero was a brave bug, as can easily be proved; but he did not wait for the knife to arrive at the broad of his back. instead, he gave a yell (to show he was not afraid) and leaped nimbly into the basket of the balloon. the descending knife, missing its intended victim, fell upon the rope and severed it, and instantly the great balloon from the crowd and soared majestically toward the heavens. the woggle-bug had escaped the chinaman, but he didn't know whether to be glad or not. for the balloon was earning him into the clouds, and he had no idea how to manage it, or to make it descend to earth again. when he peered over the edge of the basket he could hear the faint murmur of the crowd, and dimly see the enraged professor (who had come too late) pounding the chinaman, while the chinaman tried to dissect the professor with his knife. then all was blotted out; clouds rolled about him; night fell. the man in the moon laughed at him; the stars winked at each other as if delighted at the woggle-bug's plight, and a witch riding by on her broomstick yelled at him to keep on the right side of the road, and not run her down. but the woggle-bug, squatted in the bottom of the basket and hugging his precious parcel to his bosom, paid no attention to anything but his own thoughts. he had often ridden in the gump; but never had he been so high as this, and the distance to the ground made him nervous. when morning came he saw a strange country far beneath him, and longed to tread the earth again. now all woggle-bugs are born with wings, and our highly-magnified one had a beautiful, broad pair of floppers concealed beneath ample coat-tails. but long ago he had learned that his wings were not strong enough to lift his big body from the ground, so he had never tried to fly with them. here, however, was an occasion when he might put these wings to good use, for if he spread them in the air and then leaped over the side of the basket they would act in the same way a parachute does, and bear him gently to the ground. no sooner did this thought occur to him than he put it into practice. disentangling his wings from his coat-tails, he spread them as wide as possible and then jumped from the car of the balloon. down, down the woggle-bug sank; but so slowly that there was no danger in the flight. he began to see the earth again, lying beneath him like a sun-kissed panorama of mud and frog-ponds and rocks and brushwood. there were few trees, yet it was our insect's fate to drop directly above what trees there were, so that presently he came ker-plunk into a mass of tangled branches--and stuck there, with his legs dangling helplessly between two limbs and his wings caught in the foliage at either side. below was a group of arab children, who at first started to run away. but, seeing that the queer creature which had dropped from the skies was caught fast in the tree, they stopped and began to throw stones and clubs at it. one of the missiles struck the tree-limb at the right of the woggle-bug and jarred him loose. the next instant he fluttered to the ground, where his first act was to fold up his wings and tuck them underneath his coat-tails again, and his next action was to assure himself that the beloved plaids were still safe. then he looked for the arab children; but they had scuttled away towards a group of tents, and now several men with dark skins and gay clothing came from the tents and ran towards the woggle-bug. "good morning," said our hero, removing his hat with a flourish and bowing politely. "meb-la-che-bah!" shouted the biggest arab, and at once two others wound coils of rope around the woggle-bug and tied the ends in hard knots. his hat was knocked off and trampled into the mud by the shiek (who was the big arab), and the precious parcel was seized and ruthlessly opened. "very good!" said the shiek, eyeing the plaids with pleasure. "my slaves shall make me a new waistcoat of this cloth." "no! oh, no!" cried the agonized insect; "it is taken from a person who has had small-pox and yellow-fever and toothache and mumps--all at the same time. do not, i bet you, risk your valuable life by wearing that cloth!" "bah!" said the shiek, scornfully; "i have had all those diseases and many more. i am immune. but now," he continued, "allow me to bid you good-bye. i am sorry to be obliged to kill you, but such is our custom." this was bad news for the woggle-bug; but he did not despair. "are you not afraid to kill me?" he asked, as if surprised. "why should i be afraid?" demanded the shiek. "because it is well-known that to kill a woggle-bug brings bad luck to one." the shiek hesitated, for he was very superstitious. "are you a woggle-bug?" he asked. "i am," replied the insect, proudly. "and i may as well tell you that the last person who killed one of my race had three unlucky days. the first his suspenders broke (the arab shuddered), the second day he smashed a looking-glass (the arab moaned), and the third day he was chewed up by a crocodile." now the greatest aversion arabs have is to be chewed by a crocodile, because these people usually roam over the sands of the desert, where to meet an amphibian is simply horrible; so at the woggle-bug's speech they set up a howl of fear, and the shiek shouted: "unbind him! let not a hair of his head be injured!" at once the knots in the ropes were untied, and the woggle-bug was free. all the arabs united to show him deference and every respectful attention, and since his own hat had been destroyed they wound about his head a picturesque turban of an exquisite soiled white color, having stripes of red and yellow in it. then the woggle-bug was escorted to the tents, where he suddenly remembered his precious plaids, and asked that the cloth he restored to him. thereupon the shiek got up and made a long speech, in which he described his grief at being obliged to refuse the request. at the end of that time one of the women came op to them with a lovely waistcoat which she had manufactured out of the wagnerian plaids; and when the shiek saw it he immediately ordered all the tom-toms and kettle-drums in the camp destroyed, as they were no longer necessary. then he put on the gorgeous vestment, and turned a deaf ear to the woggle-bug's agonized wails. but there were some scraps of cloth left, and to show that he was liberal and good-natured, the shiek ordered these manufactured into a handsome necktie, which he presented woggle-bug in another long speech. our hero, realizing a larger part of his darling was lost to him, decided to be content with the smaller share; so he put on the necktie, and felt really proud of its brilliance and aggressive elegance. then, bidding the arabs farewell, he strode across the desert until he reached the borders of a more fertile and favored country. indeed, he found before him a cool and enticing jungle, which at first seemed deserted. but while he stared about him a sound fell upon his ear, and he saw approaching a young lady chimpanzee. she was evidently a personage of some importance, for her hair was neatly banged just over her eyes, and she wore a clean white pinafore with bows of pink ribbon at the shoulders. "good morning, mr. beetle," said she, with merry laughter. "do not, i beg of you, call me a beetle," exclaimed our hero, rather peevishly; "for i am actually a woggle-bug, and highly-magnified at that!" "what's in a name?" laughed the gay damsel. "come, let me introduce you to our jungle, where strangers of good breeding are always welcome." "as for breeding," said the woggle-bug, "my father, although of ordinary size, was a famous bug-wizard in his day, and claimed descent from the original protoplasm which constituted the nucleus of the present planetary satellite upon which we exist." "that's all right," returned miss chim. "tell that to our king, and he'll decorate you with the medal of the omnipotent order of onerous orthographers, are you ready to meander?" the woggle-bug did not like the flippant tone in which maiden spoke; but he at once followed her. presently they came to a tall hedge surrounding the inner jungle, and without this hedge stood a patrol of brown bears who wore red soldier-caps and carried gold-plated muskets in their hands. "we call this the bearier," said miss chim, pointing to the soldiers, "because they oblige all strangers to paws." "i should think it was a bearicade," remarked the woggle-bug. but when they approached the gateway the officer in charge saluted respectfully to miss chim, and permitted her to escort the woggle-bug into the sacred precincts of the inner jungle. here his eyes were soon opened to their widest capacity in genuine astonishment. the jungle was as clean and as well-regulated as any city of men the insect had ever visited. just within the gate a sleek antelope was running a pop-corn stand, and a little further on a screech-owl stood upon a stump playing a violin, while across her breast was a sign reading: "i am blind--at present." as they walked up the street they came to a big grey monkey turning a hand-organ, and attached to a cord was a little nigger-boy whom the monkey sent into the crowd of animals, standing by to gather up the pennies, pulling him back every now and then by means of the cord. "there's a curious animal for you," said miss chim, pointing to the boy. "those horrid things they call men, whether black or white, seem to me the lowest of all created beasts." "i have seen them in a highly civilized state," replied the woggle-bug, "and they're really further advanced than you might suppose." but miss chim gave a scornful laugh, and pulled him away to where a hippopotamus sat under the shade of a big tree, mopping his brow with a red handkerchief--for the weather was somewhat sultry. before the hip was a table covered with a blue cloth, and upon the cloth was embroidered the words: "professor hipmus, fortune teller." "want your fortune told?" asked miss chim. "i don't mind," replied the woggle-bug. "i'll read your hand," said the professor, with a yawn that startled the insect. "to my notion palmistry is the best means of finding out what nobody knows or cares to know." he took the upper-right hand of the woggle-bug, and after adjusting his spectacles bent over it with an air of great wisdom. "you have been in love," announced the professor; "but you got it in the neck." "true!" murmured the astonished insect, putting up his left lower hand to feel of the beloved necktie. "you think you have won," continued the hip; "but there are others who have 1, 2. you have many heart throbs before you, during your future life. afterward i see no heart throbs whatever. forty cents, please." "isn't he just wonderful?" asked miss chim, with enthusiasm. "he's the greatest fortune teller in the jungle." "on account of his size, i suppose," returned the woggle-bug, as they walked on. soon they came to the royal palace, which was a beautiful bower formed of vines upon which grew many brilliant-hued forest flowers. the entrance was guarded by a zebra, who barred admission until miss chim whispered the password in his ear. then he permitted them to enter, and the chimpanzee immediately ushered the woggle-bug into the presence of king weasel. this monarch lay coiled upon a purple silk cushion, half asleep and yet wakeful enough to be smoking a big cigar. beside him crouched two prairie-dogs who were combing his hair very carefully, while a red squirrel perched near his head and fanned him with her bushy tail. "dear me, what have we here?" exclaimed the king of the jungle, in a querulous tone, "is it an over-grown pinch-bug, or is it a kissing-bug?" "i have the honor to be a woggle-bug, your majesty!" replied our hero, proudly. "sav, cut out that majesty," snapped the king, with a scowl. "if you can find anything majestic about me, i'd like to know what it is." "don't treat him with any respect," whispered miss chim to the insect, "or you'll get him riled. sneer at him, and slap his face if you get a chance." the woggle-bug took the hint. "really," he told the king. "i have never seen a more despicable creature than you. the admirable perspicacity inherent in your tribe seems to have deteriorated in you to a hyperbolated insousancy." then he reached out his arms and slapped the king four times, twice on one side of his face and twice on the other. "thanks, my dear june-bug," said the monarch; "i now recognize you to be a person of some importance." "sire, i am a woggle-bug, highly magnified and thoroughly educated. it is no exaggeration to say i am the greatest woggle-bug on earth." "i fully believe it, so pray do not play any more foursomes on my jaw. i am sufficiently humiliated at this moment to recognize you as a sullivanthauros, should you claim to be a member of that extinct race." then two little weasels--a boy weasel and a girl weasel--came into the bower and threw their school-books at the squirrel so cleverly that one hit the king upon the nose and smashed his cigar and the other caught him fairly in the pit of his stomach. at first the monarch howled a bit; then he wiped the tears from his face and said: "ah, what delightful children i have! what do you wish, my darlings?" "i want a cent for chewing gum," said the girl weasel. "get it from the guinea-pig; you have my assent. and what does my dear boy want?" "pop," went the weasel, "our billy-goat has swallowed the hare you gave me to play with." "dear me," sighed the king, "how often i find a hair in the butter! whenever i reign people carry umbrellas; and my son, although quite polished, indulges only in monkey-shines! uneasy lies the head that wears a crown! but if one is scalped, the loss of the crown renders the head still more uneasy." "couldn't they find a better king than you?" enquired the woggle-bug, curiously, as the children left the bower. "yes; but no worse," answered the weasel; "and here in the jungle honors are conferred only upon the unworthy. for if a truly great animal is honored he gets a swelled head, and that renders him unbearable. they now regard the king of the jungle with contempt, and that makes all my subjects self-respecting." "there is wisdom in that," declared the woggle-bug, approvingly; "a single glance at you makes me content with being so excellent a bug." "true," murmured the king, yawning. "but you tire me, good stranger. miss chim, will you kindly get the gasoline can? it's high time to eradicate this insect." "with pleasure," said miss chim, moving away with a smile. but the woggle-bug did not linger to be eradicated. with one wild bound he cleared the door of the palace and sprinted up the entrance of the jungle. the bear soldiers saw him running away, and took careful aim and fired. but the gold-plated muskets would not shoot straight, and now the woggle-bug was far distant, and still running with all his might. nor did he pause until he had emerged from the forest and crossed the plains, and reached at last the city from whence he had escaped in the balloon. and, once again in his old lodgings, he looked at himself in the mirror and said: "after all, this necktie is my love--and my love is now mine forevermore! why should i not be happy and content?" the end. _a full account of the woggle-bug is given in mr. baum's delightful counter story, _the marvelous land of oz,_ in which is also narrated the amazing adventures of the scarecrow, the tin woodman, jack pumpkinhead and the animated saw horse. proofreading team. what dress makes of us by dorothy quigley illustrations by annie blakeslee 1897 i am indebted to the editors of the new york _sun_ and new york _journal_ for kindly allowing me to include in this book articles which i contributed to their respective papers. preface. did you ever observe, dear comrade, what an element of caricature lurks in clothes? a short, round coat on a stout man seems to exaggerate his proportions to such a ridiculous degree that the profile of his manly form suggests "the robust bulge of an old jug." a bonnet decorated with loops of ribbon and sprays of grass, or flowers that fall aslant, may give a laughably tipsy air to the long face of a saintly matron of pious and conservative habits. a peaked hat and tight-fitting, long-skirted coat may so magnify the meagre physical endowments of a tall, slender girl that she attains the lank and longish look of a bottle of hock. oh! the mocking diablery in strings, wisps of untidy hair, queer trimmings, and limp hats. alas! that they should have such impish power to detract from the dignity of woman and render man absurd. because of his comical attire, an eminent oxford divine, whose life and works commanded reverence, was once mistaken for an ancient new england spinster in emancipated garments. his smoothly shaven face, framed in crinkly, gray locks, was surmounted by a soft, little, round hat, from the up-turned brim of which dangled a broken string. his long frock-coat reached to just above his loosely fitting gaiters. the fluttering string, whose only reason for being at all was to keep the queer head-gear from sailing away on the wind, gave a touch of the ludicrous to the boyish hat which, in its turn, lent more drollery than dignity to the sanctified face of the old theologian. who has not seen just such, or a similar sight, and laughed? who has not, with the generosity common to us all, concluded these were the mistakes and self-delusions of neighbors, relatives, and friends, in which we had no share? i understand how it is with you. i am one of you. before i studied our common errors i smiled at my neighbor's lack of taste, reconstructed my friends, and cast contemptuous criticism upon my enemies. one day i took a look at myself, and realized that "i, too, am laughable on unsuspected occasions." the humbling knowledge of seeing myself objectively, gave me courage to speak to the heart of you certain home truths which concern us all, in homely language which we can all understand. that you may discern the comicality and waggery in ill-chosen clothes, i have endeavored to hint to you in these talks some of the ways gew-gaws and garments make game of us. may you discover that your dress is not making you a laughable object; but if, by any chance, you should note that your clothes are caricaturing you, take heart. enjoy the joke with the mirth that heals and heartens, and speedily correct your mistakes. the lines of your form, the modelling of your face, are they not worthy of your discerning thought? truly! whatever detracts from them detracts from sculpture, painting, and poetry, and the world is the loser. a word to the thinking is sufficient. d.q. contents. preface chapter i. how women of certain types should dress their hair style for wedge-shaped faces style for heavy jaws style for eyes set too high style for eyes set too low style for long faces with long noses for faces with protruding noses chapter ii. hints for the selection of becoming and appropriate styles in head-gear the magic of the bonnet style for women with broad face and heavy chin style for women with tapering chin hat for the chubby woman for women who have sharp and prominent profiles for the woman with an angular face women who should not wear horns chapter iii. lines that should be recognized and considered in making costumes style for tall slender women the coat the short stout women should wear the cloak or cape for a tall women chapter iv. how plump and thin backs should be clothed chapter v. corsages appropriate for women with unbeautifully modelled throats and shoulders chapter vi. hints on dress for elderly women chapter vii. how men caricature themselves with their clothes what dress makes of us. * * * * * chapter i. how women of certain types should dress their hair. the pleasing, but somewhat audacious statement of the clever writer who asserted, "in the merciful scheme of nature, there are no plain women," is not as disputable as it may seem. honest husbands, to be sure, greet the information with dissenting guffaws; gay deceivers reflect upon its truth by gallantly assenting to it, with a mocking little twinkle in their eyes; and pretty women, upon hearing it, remark sententiously "blind men and fools may think so." discerning students of womankind, however, know that if every woman would make the best of her possibilities, physically, mentally, and spiritually, it would be delightfully probable that "in the merciful scheme of nature" there need be no plain women. have we not lord chesterfield's word for it, that "no woman is ugly when she is dressed"? it is no unworthy study to learn to make the best of, and to do justice to, one's self. apropos of this, to begin--where all fascinating subjects should begin--at the head, it behooves every woman who wishes to appear at her best, to study the modelling of her face that she may understand both its defective and perfect lines. by a proper arrangement of her hair a woman can do much to obscure or soften her bad features, and heighten the charm of her good ones. romancers have written, and poets have sung, of the bewitchment in nut-brown locks, golden tresses, and jetty curls. every woman, if so inclined, may prove for herself the transfiguring effect in a becoming coiffure. in fact, the beauty of a woman's face and her apparent age are greatly affected by the way she wears her hair. a most important detail that too few consider, is, the proper direction in which to comb the hair. women literally toss their tresses together without any attention to the natural inclination of the individual strands or fibres. they comb their hair "against the grain." those who do so never have beautifully and smoothly arranged coiffures. each little hirsute filament has a rebellious tendency to go in the direction nature intended it should, and refuses to "stay where it is put," giving the head in consequence, an unkempt and what is termed an "unladylike" appearance. the criss-cross effect resulting from combing and arranging the hair contrary to "the grain" is conspicuously apparent in the coiffure of no less a personage than eleanora duse, who, as may be seen from the picture, pays little attention to the natural tendency of the dark tresses that cover her shapely head. the bang has the dishevelled appearance of a pile of jack-straws. the side-locks instead of being combed or brushed to follow the contour of the head, fall loosely and fly in opposite directions. [illustration: no. 2] the difference in appearance between the women of the smart sets in america and those of less fashionable circles is due, in a great measure, to the beautifully dressed coiffures of the former. a hair-dresser arranges, at least once a week, the hair of the modish woman if her maid does not understand the art of hair-dressing. many women of the wealthy world have their maids taught by a french coiffeur. a wise woman will adopt a prevailing mode with discretion, for, what may be essentially appropriate for one, may be fatally inappropriate for another. in adjusting her "crown of glory" a woman must consider the proportions of her face. she should be able to discern whether her eyes are too near the top of her head or, too far below; whether she has a square or wedge-shaped chin; a lean, long face, or a round and bountifully curved one. she should be alert to her defects and study never to emphasize nor exaggerate them. why, through stupidity or carelessness, make a cartoon of yourself, when with a proper appreciation of your possibilities you can be a pleasing picture? it is just as glorious to be a fine picture or a poem as it is to paint the one, or write the other. indeed, a woman who harmoniously develops the best within her has the charm of an exquisite poem and inspires poets to sing; and if by the grace and beauty of her dress she enhances her natural endowments and makes herself a pleasing picture, the world becomes her debtor. in the important matter of becomingly arranging the hair, the following sketches and suggestions may hint to bright, thinking, women what styles to choose or avoid. for wedge-shaped faces. [illustration: no. 3] [illustration: no. 4] the least-discerning eye can see that the wedge-shaped face no. 3 is caricatured, and its triangular proportions made more evident, by allowing the hair to extend in curls or a fluffy bang on either side of the head. women with delicately modelled faces with peaked chins should avoid these broad effects above their brows. it is obvious in the sketch no. 4, that the wedge-shaped face is perceptibly improved by wearing the hair in soft waves, or curls closely confined to the head and by arranging a coil or high puff just above and in front of the crown. this arrangement gives a desirable oval effect to the face, the sharp prominence of the chin being counteracted by the surmounting puffs. for heavy jaws. it may readily be seen that a woman with the square, heavy-jawed face pictured by no. 5, should not adopt a straight, or nearly straight, bang, nor wear her hair low on her forehead, nor adjust the greater portion of her hair so that the coil cannot be seen above the crown of her head. the low bang brings into striking relief all the hard lines of her face and gives the impression that she has pugilistic tendencies. [illustration: no. 5] to insure artistic balance to her countenance, and bring out the womanly strength and vital power of her face, her hair should be arranged in coils, puffs, or braids that will give breadth to the top of her head as shown by no. 6. a fluffy, softly curled bang adds grace to the forehead and gives it the necessary broadness it needs to lessen and lighten the heaviness of the lower part of the face. a bow of ribbon, or an aigrette of feathers, will add effectively the crown of braids or puffs which a wise woman with a square jaw will surmount her brow if she wishes to subdue the too aggressive, fighting qualities of her strong chin. [illustration: no. 6] for short faces. the sisterhood who have short, chubby faces should, in a measure, observe certain rules that apply in a small degree to those who have heavy chins. as may be observed even with a casual glance, the little short-faced woman depicted by no. 7, causes her round facial disk to appear much shorter than it really is by allowing her hair to come so far down on her forehead. she further detracts from her facial charms by wearing "water-waves." water-waves are scarcely to be commended for any type of face, and they are especially unbecoming to the woman who is conspicuously "roly-poly." the round eyes, knobby nose, and round mouth are brought into unattractive distinctness by being re-duplicated in the circular effects of the hair. this mode of dressing the hair makes a short face look common and insignificant. [illustration: no. 7] do you not see that this type is immensely improved by the arrangement of the coiffure in no. 8? by combing her hair off her forehead her face acquires a look of alertness and intelligence, besides being apparently lengthened. she can wear her bang in soft crimps brushed back from her brow, if this plain arrangement is too severe. [illustration: no. 8] for eyes set too high. a low forehead is supposed to be a sign of beauty in woman. the brows of the famous venuses are low and broad. perhaps for this reason many women wear their hair arranged low upon their foreheads. whether the hair should be worn low on the brow depends chiefly on two things,--"the setting of the eyes, and the quality of the face." [illustration: no. 8-1/2] a good rule to observe is the artistic one, to the effect that "the eyes of a woman should be in the middle of her head." that is, if an imaginary line were drawn across the top of the head and another below the chin, exactly midway between the two the eyes should be set. the japanese type of woman should carefully observe the foregoing hint. observe no. 8-1/2. nature has not been artistic. the eyes are too near the top of the head. the defect is exaggerated and emphasized by the wearing of the hair low on the forehead. in some faces of this type the face is brutalized in appearance by this arrangement. the expression and whole quality of the countenance can be greatly improved by arranging the hair as shown by no. 9, which is the soft pompadour style. the duchess of marlborough, formerly consuelo vanderbilt, frames her naïve, winsome face, which is of the japanese type, in a style somewhat like this. her dark hair forms an aureole above her brow, and brings into relief the dainty, oval form of her face. even simply brushing the hair off the forehead without crimp or roll will improve the appearance of this type of face and give it a better artistic balance. [illustration: no. 9] [illustration: no. 10] for eyes set too low. women whose eyes are set too far down in their faces should adopt a mode of arranging their hair exactly the opposite of those whose eyes are set too near the top of their heads. it is apparent that no. 10 exaggerates the distance of her eyes from the crown of her head, and makes them appear to be set lower than they really are by building her hair high, and by brushing her bang back so severely from her brow. a bald forehead is rarely becoming to any woman. a few stray curls or soft waves lend grace to even the most perfect of brows. [illustration: no. 11] by bringing the hair down over the forehead, as suggested in no. 11, a woman with this type of face can easily improve her appearance. by this graceful arrangement her face loses the childish and sometimes stupid expression that is peculiar to the type, as may be discerned in no. 10. when the hair is properly arranged this element of childlikeness lends a certain appealing sweetness not unattractive even in the faces of matured matrons. by dressing the hair low so the coil does not appear above the crown, as in no. 11, the eyes are apparently properly placed. for long faces with long noses. the woman who wears her silken tresses arranged on either side of her head, draped like curtains from a central parting, is to be envied if she can do it and yet look young and pretty. she is the madonna type and seems to possess all the attributes of gentleness, modesty, and meekness, and angelic sweetness that are supposed to characterize the distinctively feminine woman. this is the ideal style of coiffure much bepraised by man, because, according to a bright modern amazon, "it makes a woman look so meek." [illustration: no. 12] the only type to which it is really becoming is the italian. the type with _matte_ complexion, soft eyes, finely chiselled nose, and delicately oval chin, look ideally sweet and feminine with the hair arranged _à la_ madonna. [illustration: no. 13] long faces of the form pictured by no. 12 exaggerate the longness and leanness of their faces by wearing their locks like looped curtains. a long nose with two long lines on either side of the cheek seems longer than it is, as the observer may discern three lines instead of only the nasal one, and the impression of longness is emphasized. not only is the length of the countenance made more noticeable, but years and years are apparently added to the actual age. that no. 13, which shows a parting and soft waves that do not come below the ears, is to be preferred by a woman whose features are of this character need hardly be explained. the improvement in looks is quite obvious. [illustration: nos. 14 and 15] no. 14 is an example of a misguided woman of the pudgy type who, for some inexplicable reason, arranges her hair in the madonna style. it is utterly unsuited to her face. unless her ears are deformed this style of hirsute lambrequins should not be worn by a full, round-faced woman. the arrangement sketched in no 15 adds effectively to her appearance, not only making her look younger, but less inane. [illustration: no. 16] for faces with protruding noses. women with decidedly protruding, or irregular, tip-tilted noses should be especially careful in arranging their coiffures. any woman who arranges her hair as in sketch no. 16 caricatures her facial defects by increasing the too protuberant lines of her nose. the distance from the end of her nose and the tip of the topmost knot of hair is too long for either beauty or intelligence. the shape of her head acquires idiotic proportions, and her nose is placed entirely "out of drawing" and is obtrusively conspicuous when seen in profile. this type of woman is generally classified among the inquisitive, bright, and energetic. she should aim to modify the unhappy angularity of her profile as well as to repress her gossipy tendencies. the graduated coil of hair and waved coiffure, shown by no. 17, are most felicitous in their effect on this type of face. [illustration: no. 17] [illustration: no. 18] no. 18 reveals an error in an opposite direction. the snubbed-nose girl, by fixing her hair in a bun-like coil, gives the impression that her coiffure is held by invisible strings by her nose, which gets a more elevated look than it otherwise would have, because of the bad angle at which the coil is placed. [illustration: no. 19] no. 19, which is a picturesque variation of the popular coif, manifestly improves this type of face, and makes the nose appear less obtrusive. a woman should carefully study the contour of her head from every side; the modelling of her face; the length and inclination of her nose; the setting of her eyes; and the breadth and form of her brow, and adopt a becoming coiffure that will give artistic balance to her face, and never absolutely change the style whatever the mode in hair-dressing may be. in england, the court hair-dresser years ago studied the character of the head and face of the princess of wales, and designed a coiffure for her which she has never varied until recently; then she merely arranged her fringe lower down on her forehead than she has ever worn it before. the general style, however, she preserves intact, and wears her hair, and has for many years, as is shown in the picture--no. 20. her daughters, who have faces the same shape as hers, dress their coiffures similarly. in never changing the style of arranging her hair, the princess of wales owes in no small degree her apparent air of youthfulness. [illustration: no. 20] no matter what the prevailing style these rules may be practically applied. chapter ii. hints for the selection of becoming and appropriate styles in head-gear. closely allied to the subject of hair-dressing is that of head-gear. indeed many of the hints regarding appropriate coiffures for certain styles of faces are equally applicable to the selection of suitable hats and bonnets. the choosing of millinery is the more momentous of the two, of course, for i need scarcely remind you that nature left us no choice in hair. no matter what its color or texture we desire to keep it and if we are wise we will make the best of it. in regard to hats we are personally responsible and our follies are upon our own heads. the power of caricature being greater in hats than in hair-dressing, is it not fit that we should give careful and intelligent consideration to the selection of our millinery that the ugly lines in our otherwise beautiful faces may not be at the mercy of mocking bunches of ribbons, comically tilted straws, or floppy bits of lace? the magic of the bonnet. once upon a time, i think that was the exact date, there was a man distinguished in a certain kingdom as the ugliest person in the realm. according to a blithe romancer, he was so distinctively unpleasing in form and feature that he challenged the attention of the king who, in whimsical mood, made him a royal retainer. the man so conspicuously lacking in beauty enjoyed his eminent position and privileges for some time. but even ugliness, if it attain distinction, will excite envy in the low-minded. a former associate of the unbeautiful man in invidious temper brought the news one day to the king, that there was an old woman in his domain that was uglier than the lowly-born man who by kingly favor held so high a place. "bring her to the court. judges shall be called to decide. if she is uglier she shall stay and he shall go," was the royal mandate. when the old woman appeared she was easily decided to be by far the uglier of the two. at the critical moment when the king was upon the eve of dismissing the man from his retinue, a friend of the unfortunate shouted, "put her bonnet on him!" this was done, and lo! a fearful change was wrought. by unanimous acclamation he was declared to be "the ugliest creature on earth." the old woman, true to the instincts of her sex, refused to wear her bonnet again. like many of her sisters of modern times, she had not before discovered the possibilities in a bonnet to enhance the beauty of the face or decrease its charms. if woman could see themselves objectively, as did the old woman, they would keenly realize the necessity of considering the lines of hat or bonnet in relation to those of their faces, and would learn to obscure defects and bring into prominence their prettiest features. as there are a few rules to govern what each type should select, every one of the fair sisterhood has an equal opportunity to improve her appearance by selecting in the millinery line the distinctive adornment suited to her individual style. [illustration: no. 22] for women with broad face and heavy chin. by a curious law of contrariety the woman with a broad, heavy chin seems to have an ungovernable penchant for trig little round bonnets, or trim turbans with perky aigrettes, like that in sketch no. 22. by obeying this wilful preference she obscures whatever delicacy may be in the modelling of her features and brings into conspicuous relief the ugliest lines of her face. her chin is apparently increased in heaviness and the broadness of her face is made prominent. she could easily have restored the artistic balance to her facial lines by wearing a large hat, rather heavily trimmed, as in no. 23, thus effectively modifying the strong curves of the chin and signally improving her appearance. if a woman's face is fairly proportioned, not too short for its breadth, and she can not afford plumes, this type of woman can still give a becoming balance to her face by adopting hats that are trimmed with flamboyant bows that flare horizontally across the hat, diverging from a central knot in the from. [illustration: no. 23] for the woman with tapering chin. [illustration: no. 24] the woman who is the exact opposite of the type with the ample lower jaw, but whose chief disadvantage lies in her broad, manly brow and tiny tapering chin, should avoid all horizontal trimmings, bows or broad hat-brims. it is clear, in no. 24, that such trimmings increase the wedge-like appearance of the face and give it the grotesque suggestion of an ordinary flower-pot in which grows a sickly plant. this type can perceptibly improve upon nature by choosing the style of hat and neck-gear shown by no. 25. [illustration: no. 25] the crinkly ovals that form the brim of the hat, and the soft, graceful arrangement of the hair in front that decreases the too broad effect of the brow, and the full fluffy ruff snuggled up closely to the chin, produce a pleasing transformation of the meagre-looking original that to the uninitiated seems little short of magical. the broad, cravat-like bows, and the flaring ones known as "incroyables," were beneficently wedge-like faces and throats that have lost the seductive curves of youth. hat for the chubby woman. [illustration: no. 26] that amiable type of woman formed conspicuously upon the circular plan often unconsciously impresses the fact of her fatal tendency to rotundity by repeating the roundness of her globular eyes, the disk-like appearance of her snub nose and the circle of her round mouth, and the fulness of her face by wearing a little, round hat in the style portrayed by no. 26. [illustration: no. 27] the curls of her bang, the feathers in her hat, the high collar of her jacket make more significant the fact that her lines are not artistic and that her face is unbeautifully round. she can enhance her charms and apparently decrease the too spherical cut of her countenance by adopting the mode illustrated in no. 27. the angular bows on the hat, the geometric lines of the broad hat-brim, the precise cut of the lapels on the corsage, the neat throat-band and v-shaped vesture--all insinuate in a most engaging way a dignity and fine, high-bred poise totally obliterated by the circular style of dress erroneously adopted by the misguided woman in no. 26. [illustration: no. 28] for women who have sharp and prominent profiles. in buying a hat many of the "unfair sex"--as the modern wag dubs the progressive sisters who wish to have all man's rights and privileges and keep their own besides--never seem to consider their heads but from a front point of view. in consequence, as sketch no 28 hints, a head seen from the side frequently appears, if not idiotically, very inartistically, proportioned. [illustration: no. 29] occasionally a hat presents as comical an effect in a from as in a side view, as may be seen in no. 29. the wearer was an elderly woman with gray hair which hung down in a half-curled bang on either side of her thin face. her hat which was simply "dripping" with feathers suggested a fanciful letter "t" and exaggerated the thinness of her face in a remarkably funny way. the feathers overhanging the brim increased the broadness of the hat, and looked singularly waggish fluttering against the spriggy-looking projections of gray hair. the rules for the wedge-shaped face, as may readily be discerned, apply here. [illustration: nos. 30 and 31] women who have sharp and prominently outlined profiles have a curious tendency to choose hats, the brims of which project too far forward in front, and turn up too abruptly and ungracefully in the back. as shown in no. 30 the protruding brim gives the head and face the unattractive proportions of the capital letter "f." the length of the nose is emphasized by the line of the hat-rim above it and it appears unduly obtrusive. the flat arrangement of the hair and the curve of the hat-brim in the back also exaggerate the obtrusive qualities of the features. by choosing a hat somewhat similar to the one sketched in no. 31, the unattractive sharpness of the profile is modified, and the alert, agreeable quality of the face, that was obscured by the shelf-like brim, becomes apparent. the observer feels, if he does not voice it, that it is a progressive spirit advancing forward instead of an ungainly head-piece that looks like a curious trowel. for the woman with an angular face. [illustration: nos. 32 and 33] the woman with the angular features presented in no. 32 should not wear a sailor-hat or any hat with a perfectly straight rim. the sailor-hat or any style bordering on it should be selected with utmost discrimination. this mode is unbecoming to a woman more than forty; or, to one who through grief or worry prematurely attains a look of age, or to one whose features are irregular. the straight brim across the face is very trying. it casts a shadow deepening the "old marks" and instead of being a frame to set off, it seems to cut off, the face at an inartistic angle. the woman with angular features, as may be seen by no. 33, can wear with impunity, and always should wear, a hat the brim of which is waved, turned, twisted, or curved in graceful lines. the uneven brim of her hat makes an effective complement to the angularity of her chin, which is further softened by the feathery ruff that encircles her throat. the curves of the ostrich plumes, and the studied carelessness of the arrangement of her coiffure, subdue the angles of her face which are brought out in unbecoming prominence by the sailor-hat. women who should not wear horns. the velvet horns on either side of a hat, the steeple-like central adornments that were once much in favor, and the mercury wings that ornament the coiffure for evening dress, produce some startling, disagreeable, and amusing effects not altogether uninteresting to consider. faces in which the eyes are set too near the forehead acquire a scared look by being surmounted by a bonnet upon which the trimming gravitates to a point in an arrangement not unsuggestive of a reversed fan, horns, or a steeple. the most unpleasing developments result from the wearing of the horn-like trimmings either in velvet or jet. if the face above which they flare has less of the spiritual than the coarse propensities in it, the grotesque turns and twists in the head-gear emphasize the animality in the lines characteristic of low-bred tendencies, and the whole countenance is vulgarized. one face acquires the look of a fox, another of a certain type of dog, and so on. the most amusing exaggerations of distinctive facial lines are produced by mercury wings. the good-natured woman of the familiar type depicted in no. 34 brings every bovine attribute of her placid countenance into conspicuous relief by surmounting her face with the wings of the fleet-footed god. the cow-like form and serenity of her features are made laughably obvious. [illustration: no. 34] short, delicately-faced women can adorn their coiffures with mercury wings with most charming results. wings, or perpendicular bows, add length to the lines of the short face, giving it a certain suggestion of refinement and distinction that is wholly destroyed by the wearing of any trimmings that show at the sides. no matter what the prevailing style these rules may be practically applied. chapter iii. lines that should be recognized and considered in making costumes. mme. la mode, much misrepresented as are all who are embarrassed with world-wide popularity always considers when designing fashions that women vary in form, as in mood. she suits all needs, although this fact has never been cast to her credit. with a beautiful sense of adjustment--as obvious as that in nature, that projects the huge watermelon to ripen on a slender vine on the ground and swings a greengage plum on the stout stem of a tree to mature in storm or shine--mme. la mode, arbiter of styles, balances her fashions. never came the big hat without the small bonnet. accompanying the long cloak is the never-failing short cape. side by side may be found the long coat and the short, natty jacket. this equilibrium in wearing apparel may be traced through all the vagaries of fashion. everybody's need has been considered, but everybody has not considered her need. the short, stout woman passes by the long coat better adapted to her and seizes a short jacket--a homeopathic tendency of like suiting like, sometimes efficacious in medicine, but fatal in style. style for tall slender woman. the very tall, slender woman frequently ignores a jaunty jacket and takes a long coat like that shown in no. 36. to even the sluggish fancy of an unimaginative observer she suggests a champagne bottle, and to the ready wit she hints of no end of amusing possibilities for caricature. the very tall woman should know that long lines from shoulder to foot give height, and she must discerningly strive to avoid length of line in her garments until she dons the raiment of the angels. [illustration: nos. 36 and 37] horizontal lines crossing the figure seem to decrease height, and should be used as much as possible in the arranging and trimming of the tall woman's garments. by selecting a shorter coat equally modish, as shown by no. 37, the too tall woman shortens her figure perceptibly. the belt cuts off from her height in a felicitous way, and the collar, also horizontal, materially improves the size of her throat. the high collar, such as finishes the coat, in no. 36, adds to the length. those who have too long arms can use horizontal bands on sleeves most advantageously. the coat the short stout woman should wear. the short jacket that so graciously improved the appearance of the slender specimen of femininity is sinister in its effect on the short, stout woman, in sketch no. 38. it should be the study of her life to avoid horizontal lines. length of limb is to be desired because it adds distinction. her belt, the horizontal effect of the skirt of the jacket, the horizontal trimming of the bottom of the skirt, all apparently shortening her height, tend to make her ordinary and commonplace in appearance. [illustration: nos. 38 and 39] if her hips are not too pronounced she can wear the long coat, shown in picture no. 39. the v-shaped vesture gives her a longer waist, and the long lines of the revers add to the length of her skirt. if her hips are too prominent, she should avoid having any tight-fitting garments that bring the fact into relief. she should not wear the long coat, but she can effectively modify it to suit her needs, by only having a skirt, or tabs, or finishing straps in the back. if her jacket or basque is finished off with a skirt effect, it is best to have the little skirt swerve away just at the hip-line, half revealing and half concealing it. the front should be made in a jacket effect, finishing just at the waist-line and opening over a blouse front that will conceal the waist-line. it is best for the too short, stout woman to obscure her waist-line as much as possible, to apparently give her increase of height. to put the waist-line high up adds to length of limb, and, of course, is to be desired, but the fact that what is added below is taken from above the waist, should impel careful discrimination in the arrangement of this equatorial band. the cloak or cape for a tall woman. the long circular cloak is another graceful garment that can be worn with charming effect by the woman of classic height, but should never be in the wardrobe of a very tall woman except for use at the opera, when its service is chiefly required in the carriage, or when its wearer is sitting. it is so obvious, in sketch no. 40, that the vertical lines the folds of the cloak naturally fall into give a steeple-like appearance to the tall woman it enfolds, that it is scarcely necessary to comment upon it. [illustration: no. 40] that her judicious selection should have been the short cape, which comes, as all capes should, to be artistic, well below the elbows, is clearly illustrated in picture no. 41. the horizontal trimming very becomingly plays its part in the generally improving effect. [illustration: no. 41] the one who can wear the long cloak in an unchallengeable manner is the short, stout woman, shown in sketch no. 42. by wearing the short cape with circular, fluffy collarette, sketched in no. 43, she gives herself the look of a smothered, affrighted cochin china chicken; or, as an imaginative school-girl remarked of her mother who wore a cape of similar style, "she looks as if her neck were encircled by bunches of asparagus." [illustration: nos. 42 and 43] the military dignity she acquires by wearing the long cape is becoming to a degree, and gives her distinction in form. by remembering that horizontal trimmings apparently decrease the height, and that vertical lines add to it, those who desire to appear at their best will use discernment in dividing their basques with yokes, or corsage mountings at the bust-line or frills at the hip-line. a flounce on the corsage at the bust-line, another at the hip-line, and yet another at the bottom of the shirt, increases the impression of bulkiness most aggressively and gives a barrel-like appearance to the form of a stout woman that is decidedly funny, as may be seen in sketch no. 44. a study of the lines of the form will not only aid one in adopting a more becoming style of dress, but will sharpen the artistic perceptions, thus adding to the joy of life. [illustration: no. 44] "a beautiful form is better than a beautiful face" and should be clothed so that its lines may appear at their best, and not be exaggerated and caricatured. the figure is seen many more times than the face, and the defects of the former are more conspicuous than those of the latter. do not be unjust to your beautiful body, the temple of your soul; above all, do not caricature it by selecting your clothes with indiscriminating taste. no matter what the prevailing mode these rules may be practically applied. chapter iv. how plump and thin backs should be clothed. she was from the middle-west, and despite the fact that she was married, and that twenty-one half-blown blush roses had enwreathed her last birthday cake, she had the alert, quizzical brightness of a child who challenges everybody and everything that passes with the countersign--"why?" she investigated new york with unabashed interest, and, like many another superior provincial, she freely expressed her likes and dislikes for its traditions, show-places, and people with a commanding and amusing audacity. her objections were numerous. the chief one that made a deep impression upon her metropolitan friends was her disapproval of sarah bernhardt's acting. the middle-westerner, instead of becoming ecstatic in her admiration, and at a loss for adjectives at the appearance of the divine sarah, merely perked at the great french artist for some time and then demanded, querulously: "what's the matter with her? why does she play so much with her back to the audience? i don't like it." it was a shock to the adorers of sarah bernhardt to hear her so irreverently criticised. they loyally united in her defence, and sought to squelch the revolter by loftily explaining that the actress turned her back so often to the audience because she had such a noble, generous nature and desired to give the other actors a chance. "she lets them take the centre of the stage, as they say in the profession," remarked one of the party, who prided herself upon being versed in the _argot_ of the theatre. "but she plays with her back to the audience when she is speaking and acting, and everybody else on the stage is still but herself," petulantly insisted the western philistine, showing no signs of defeat. the situation was not wholly agreeable. the worshippers of sarah could say nothing more in justification of her turning her back on them, but, with true feminine logic, concluded, "if sarah bernhardt turns her back on the audience it is right, and that is all there is to say." just at this dramatic moment a voice from the adjoining row providentially interposed. the voice belonged to a well-known exponent of physical culture, who was never so happy as when instructing the intellectually needy. she said: "i will tell you why she plays with her back towards the audience more than any other actress upon the stage to-day." the middle-westerner, no less impressed than her metropolitan friends, listened eagerly. the exponent of straight backs and high chests explained didactically: "the back is wonderfully expressive; indeed it is full of vital expression. bernhardt knows this better than any other actress because she has studied statuary with the passion of a sculptor, and because she understands that, not only the face, but the entire physical structure, is capable of expressing dramatic emotions. strong feeling and action may be strikingly revealed by the back. imprecations, denunciations, even prayers, seem to be charged with more force when an actress delivers them with her back turned, or half-turned to the audience. "bernhardt's back expresses a storm of fury when she imprecates vengeance," said the voice of authority. "not only on the stage is the expression of the back discernible, and a knowledge of its character valuable, but in every-day life in drawing-room and street. how many women consider their backs when they dress? look at the backs here deformed by laces and fallals," she went on contemptuously. "the majority of women never look below their chins and i believe not one in ten ever looks thoughtfully at her back," she said emphatically. the dramatic value of a well-poised, expressive back may only concern the thousands of young women who are aspiring to be a sarah bernhardt or a rachel; but a knowledge of what constitutes a properly and artistically clothed back should be of interest to all women in civilized countries. that there is much truth in the assertion that "the majority of women never look below their chins, and not one in ten ever looks thoughtfully at her back," every observer of womankind might testify. [illustration: no. 45] the open placket-hole and sagging waist-band, sketched in no. 45, is an all too familiar sight that advertises the fact that too few women take even a cursory look at their backs. fathers and brothers who wish to protect their womankind from adverse criticism frequently give impromptu lectures upon this very subject, as this slovenly arrangement of skirt and basque is not only seen in grand street, second avenue, and equally unfashionable quarters, but in fifth avenue where the modish set are _en évidence_. if the dainty safety-pin displayed in no. 46, goes out of vogue, the time-honored custom of sewing hooks to the waist-band of the dress, is always in fashion. indeed, many women prefer this way of connecting separate skirt and waist to using a conspicuous pin. this is almost too trivial a detail to discourse upon, but it is as true that details make dress as it is that "trifles make life"--and neither life nor dress is a trifle. [illustration: no. 46] the offence in no. 45 is more the result of untidiness than of a lack of artistic discrimination. nos. 46-1/2 and 47, on the contrary, outrage the laws of art, and display ignorance of the value and beauty of lines. no. 46-1/2 might serve to conceal a deformity of the shoulders. that really seems its only excuse for being. the full, ugly, straight pleat that falls to just below the waist-line lends neither grace nor style to the figure. it is too short to give the distinction and dignity that handsome wraps with long lines almost invariably do, although they seem to add age to the form. there is a hint of youth in this ungraceful jacket to be sure, but it is not especially attractive in its suggestion of youthfulness. [illustration: no. 46-1/2] [illustration: no. 47] no. 47, with a line at the neck-band, crossed bands in the centre of the shoulders, and lines across the back, is obviously inartistic. the back of a venus, even, would be detracted from by such criss-crossed effects. happy the woman who has so shapely a back she can afford to allow her waist to fit smoothly and plainly, unbroken by any conspicuous lines. if bands must be used to remedy the deficiencies of ungenerous nature, let them be at the neck and waist; and if the back is unconscionably long, a band, or fold, or ruffle across the shoulders is to be commended. [illustration: no. 48] no. 48 reveals a glaring error frequently made by the thin sisterhood. a tall, slender woman with a long waist, should not emphasize her length of lines by wearing pointed or v-shaped effects. the v-shaped arrangement, either in cut or trimmings, apparently increases her "longness and leanness." she should aim to shorten her waist instead of lengthening it as the basque finished with a point obviously does. the drooping sleeves elongate her shoulder-lines, and bring into clearer relief her meagre proportions. she can easily improve her appearance by adopting either style of gown portrayed by nos. 49, or 50. the broad belt at the waist-line in no. 49, and the flamboyant lace or braided piece that adorns the shoulders, perceptibly adds to her breadth and decreases her length. [illustration: no. 49] [illustration: no. 50] no. 50 is a felicitous cut for a street dress for a slim sister. the jaunty bloused waist smartly conceals deficiencies in fine points. the tall, thin sisterhood should eschew pointed effects and study to attain apparent breadth by using trimmings arranged horizontally. bands of velvet, braid in waved lines, ruffles, and not too deeply cut scallops, may be used effectively by the very slender, who sometimes appear as if they are "without form and void," as the earth was "in the beginning." [illustration: no. 51] no. 51 is an exposition of the mistake made by the sturdy sisterhood of stout and pendulous proportions. it is plain to be seen that the fluffy ruche at the throat-band, and the ruffle at the shoulder, and the spreading bow at the waist, and the trimmed sleeves, add bulkiness to a form already too generously endowed with flabby rotundity. corpulent women must forego the swagger little basques or any sort of short, flounced effects below the waist-line. [illustration: no. 52] [illustration: no. 53] nos. 52 and 53 are eminently adapted to the matron of ample dimensions. one observer of beauty-giving effects has not unadvisedly called the waist-line "the danger-line." a stout sister, above all others, should not accentuate the waist-line. she should conceal it as much as possible. the coat back of no. 52 apparently lengthens the waist. the same effect is produced by the arrangement of ribbons in no. 53, and by the long-pointed basque. v-shaped effects and long-pointed basques are as becoming to those burdened with flesh as they are unbecoming to tall, thin women. long, graceful folds and draperies are admirable for the stout sisterhood, who should avoid short sacques and tight-fitting garments that give the on-looker an uncomfortable impression; there is too much in a small space. very light colors and thin textures that billow and float should be eschewed by the large, fleshy woman who wishes to give the impression that she possesses the lines of a finely modelled statue. she should avoid puffs and any suggestion of the pulpy and clumsy, and be careful not to sub-divide the body of her dress by plaits or braids laid on horizontally across or above the bust, or below the hips. horizontal lines invariably decrease the height; for that reason stout women should not wear dresses cut square in the neck, but should adhere to the graceful v-or heart-shaped cut which has a tendency to give length. the rotund woman with a short waist, sketched in no. 54, may improve her figure, as shown in no. 55, by choosing belts and collars the exact shade of her shirt-waists in summer, and by not cutting off her height by any sort of outside belt on winter gowns. [illustration: no. 54] [illustration: no. 55] tall, stout women should forego high heels on their shoes, high hats, and striped dresses. although stripes increase the effect of height, they also add to that of breadth. a plain cloth basque and skirt of striped material make a happy compromise and can be worn with becoming effect by a stout woman. [illustration: no. 56] a basque cut high behind and on the shoulders apparently gives height. a very stout woman should never wear double skirts or tunics or dresses with large sprawling patterns, such as depicted by cut no. 56, which suggests furniture stuffs. a large woman who had a fancy for wearing rich brocades figured with immense floral designs was familiarly called by her kind friends "the escaped sofa." white, or very light colors, should never be worn by the stout; they greatly increase the apparent size. large plaids should also be eschewed. small checks and plaids may sometimes be becoming. neither the too thin nor the too stout should adopt a style of gown that caricatures the form as does the voluminous wrapper, finished with a box-pleat, as shown in no. 57. there is no grace in straight lines. [illustration: nos. 57 and 58] no. 58, which accentuates the height of the over-tall, thin woman, is better adapted to enhance the charms of a woman of finer proportions. the bony and scrawny, of the type of no. 58, seem to have a perverse desire to wear what makes their poverty in physical charms only more conspicuous. a woman of distinction in boston, who is exceedingly thin and tall, wore watteau pleats so frequently, even on reception and evening gowns that she was dubbed by a wag "the fire-escape," a title which so strikingly characterized her style, that the term was adopted by all her friends when they exchanged confidences concerning her. the garment with the watteau pleat is not unlike the princesse gown which is a very trying style except to handsomely proportioned women. a tall, well-developed woman, such as shown in sketch no. 59, adorns the princesse gown and attains in it a statuesque beauty. in suggesting statuary it fulfils the true ideal of dress, which should hint of poetry, art, sculpture, painting. the massing of colors; the arrangement of lines, the quality of textures, the grace and poise of the wearer--do not these hint of picture, statue, music? chapter v. corsages appropriate for women with unbeautifully modelled throats and shoulders. despite the traditional belief that a décolleté corsage is a tyrannous necessity of evening dress, a woman not graciously endowed with a beautifully modelled throat and shoulders may, with perfect propriety, conceal her infelicitous lines from the derisive gaze of a critical public. women are indebted to that gentle genius, la duse, for the suggestion that a veiled throat and bust may charmingly fulfil the requirements of evening dress, and also satisfy that sense of delicacy peculiar to some women who have not inherited from their great-great-grandmothers the certain knowledge that a low-necked gown is absolutely decorous. the women who does not possess delicate personal charms commends herself to the beauty-loving by forbearing to expose her physical deficiencies. unless it is because they are enslaved by custom, it is quite incomprehensible why some women will glaringly display gaunt proportions that signally lack the exquisite lines of firm and solid flesh. a throat like a ten-stringed instrument, surmounting square shoulders that end in knobs that obtrude above unfilled hollows, is an unpleasing vision that looms up conspicuously too often in opera-box and drawing-room. [illustration: no. 61] the unattractive exhibition 61, is a familiar sight in the social world. how insufferably ugly such uncovered anatomy appears in the scenery of a rich and dainty music-room may be readily imagined by those who have been spared the unpleasing display. it is so obvious that shoulders like these should always be covered that it seems superfluous to remark that this type should never wear any sleeve that falls below the shoulder-line. [illustration: no. 62] the sleeve falling off the shoulder was invented for the classic contour, set forth in no. 62. nor ribbons, nor lace, nor jewel are needed to enhance the perfect beauty of a fine, slender, white throat, and the felicitous curves of sloping shoulders. one whose individual endowments are as meagre as are those presented in no. 61 may improve her defects by adopting either style of corsage, shown in sketches nos. 63 and 64. a woman's throat may lack a certain desirable roundness, and her shoulders may recede in awkward lines, and yet between these defective features the curves may have a not unpleasing daintiness and delicacy in modelling that can be advantageously revealed. a modish velvet throat-band, such as is shown by no. 63, is one of the most graceful conceits of fashion. the too slim throat encircled by velvet or ornamented with a jewelled buckle or brooch is effectively framed. the unsightly lines of the shoulders are covered, and just enough individual robustness is disclosed to suggest with becoming propriety the conventional décolleté corsage. the princess of wales is as constant to her velvet or pearl neck-band, as to her especial style of coiffure. her throat, in evening dress, never appears unadorned by one or the other of these beautiful bands that so cleverly conceal defects and seem to bring out more richly the texture and coloring of handsome bare shoulders. [illustration: no. 63] [illustration: no. 64] those who do not approve of the décolleté style of dress, or whose ungraceful proportions might well be entirely concealed, can wear with appropriateness and benefit the corsage shown in no. 64. this has much in its favor for a slender body. the upper part of the waist may be made of chiffon or crêpe, which is beautifully--one might say benignly--translucent. it has an insinuating transparency that neither reveals nor conceals too much. the neck-band of velvet or satin, full and soft, apparently enlarges the throat. the sleeves may be in whatever style in cut prevails. this costume carries perfectly into effect the requirements of evening dress, and may be worn with equal fitness to formal functions or to informal affairs. a coat-sleeve of lace, crêpe, or chiffon, beflounced at the wrist, may be inserted under the short satin sleeves when the occasion does not require gloves. the soft, white setting of thin textures around the throat and shoulders clears the complexion and brings into relief the pretty, delicate lines of a refined face. [illustration: nos. 65 and 66] it is plain to be seen that the unattractive specimen of femininity, no. 65., with the long, wrinkled neck and sharply lined face is unbecomingly costumed in the v-shaped basque and corsage which apparently elongate her natural lankness. a charming and always fashionable yoke-effect that she can wear to advantage is shown by no. 66. this style of corsage is equally effective for a too thin or a too muscular neck. the filling is of tulle. a square-cut corsage is most becoming to the woman whose narrow shoulders have a consumptive droop. the angular cut apparently heightens the shoulders and decreases their too steeple-like inclination. the round cut, if it frames a full throat, is also an effective style for sloping shoulders. the v-shaped cut is most becoming to the short-necked woman, whose aim should be to increase the length of her throat. it is not only the too thin neck that needs to be clothed with discrimination. throats and shoulders that are too robust are improved by being covered. the arms and shoulders, however, are often the chief beauty of a fleshy woman, and it is to her advantage to give them as effective a setting as possible. [illustration: no. 68] [illustration: no. 67] as is obvious in no. 67, the stout woman apparently increases her breadth by wearing a flamboyant corsage, and she hides the most exquisite lines of her arm with her sleeves. the princesse style of gown, in no. 68, gives her apparent length of waist. the modest lace flounce that falls in vertical folds decreases her formidable corsage. the knotted twist of silk reveals the full beauty of her arm. [illustration: no. 69] in dressing the throat there are a few rules to be remembered. a too long, stem-like neck may be apparently shortened by a standing ruff or a full, soft band of velvet. the tight, plain band of velvet should never be worn by a woman with a very slim neck, as is plainly discernible in sketch no. 69. [illustration: no. 70] the plain, military collar emphasizes the thinness of the slender woman's throat; but the soft crushed fold of velvet apparently enlarges the pipe-like proportions of the thin woman's neck, as may be seen in sketch no. 70. the tight-fitting collar should not be worn by the corpulent woman with a thick neck, as is shown by sketch no. 71. [illustration: no. 71] the thickness of the throat of the woman pictured in no. 72 may seem due to the folds of the velvet, which give a pleasing hint of a slender throat, a delusion not to be despised by the woman burdened with flesh. [illustration: no. 72] all the sisterhood,--stout, thin, long-throated, or short,--should know the hour when the withering touch of age begins to shrink the soft, round curves distinctive of the full, sweet throat of healthful youth. no regretful vanity should be allowed to glamour their eyes to the fact that time has them by the throat, to put it melodramatically. the wise woman will not please herself with a fatal delusion. she will realize it is illusion she needs-yards of it--lace or velvet, or any beautifying texture that will conceal the deadly lines of age. chapter vi. hints on dress for elderly women. dress has much to do with a youthful or aged appearance. shawls and long mantles that fall from the shoulders give even youthful figures a look of age, because the lines are long and dignified and without especial grace. beautiful wraps, or coats that do not come very far below the hip-line, can be worn becomingly by elderly ladies, neither emphasizing their years nor making them appear too frivolously attired. there is a smack of truth in the maxim, _as a woman grows old the dress material should increase in richness and decrease in brightness_. handsome brocades, soft, elegant silks, woollen textures, and velvets are eminently suitable and becoming to women who are growing old. black, and black-and-white, soft white chiffon veiled in lace, cashmeres, and such refined tissues should be selected by those in "the first wrinkles of youth." grays combined with filmy white material, dull bronzes lightened with cream-tinted lace, are also charmingly appropriate. pale blue veiled in chiffon is another grateful combination. white should be worn more than it is by old ladies. it is so suggestive of all that is clean, bright, and dainty; and if there is anything an old lady should strive to be in her personal appearance it is dainty. exquisite cleanliness is one of the most necessary attributes of attractive old age, and any texture that in its quality and color emphasizes the idea of cleanliness should commend itself to those in their "advanced youth." little old thin women, large ones too, for that matter, who are wrinkled and colorless, should not wear diamonds. the dazzling white gems with pitiless brilliancy bring out the pasty look of the skin. the soft glow of pearls, the cloudlike effects of the opal, the unobtrusive lights of the moonstone harmonize with the tints of hair and skin of the aged. elderly women should not wear bright flowers on their bonnets or hats. fresh-looking roses above a face that has lost its first youthfulness only make that fact more obvious. forget-me-nots, mignonettes, certain pretty white flowers, the palest of pink roses, or the most delicate tint of yellow veiled with lace are not inappropriate for those who do not enjoy wearing sombre bonnets and hats which are composed only of rich, black textures. lace cleverly intermingled with velvet and jewelled ornaments of dull, rich shades are exceedingly effective on the head-gear of the old. those who are gray-haired--and indeed all women as they grow old--should wear red above their brows instead of under their chins. a glint of rich cardinal velvet, or a rosette of the same against gray hair is beautiful. lace! lace! lace! and still more lace for the old. _lace is an essential to the dress of a woman more than forty years of age_. jabots, ruches, yokes, cascades, vests, and gowns of lace, black or white, are all for the old. rich lace has an exquisitely softening effect on the complexion. thin women with necks that look like the strings of a violin should swathe, smother, decorate, and adorn their throats with lace or gossamer fabrics that have the same quality as lace. these airy textures, in which light and shadow can so beautifully shift, subdue roughnesses of the skin and harshness in lines. old dame nature is the prime teacher of these bewitching artifices. note her fine effects with mists and cobwebs, with lace-like moss on sturdy old oaks, the bloom on the peach and the grape. nature produces her most enchanting colorings with dust and age. laces, gauzes, mulls, chiffons, net, and gossamer throw the same beautiful glamour over the face and they are fit and charming accompaniments of gray hair, which is a wonderful softener of defective complexions and hard facial lines. too much cannot be written upon the proper arrangement in the neck-gear of the aged. the disfiguring wrinkles that make many necks unsightly may be kept in obeyance by massaging. no matter what the fashion in neck-gear, the aged must modify it to suit their needs. an old lady with a thin, pipe-stem neck should adopt a full ruche and fluffy, soft collar-bands. i cannot forbear repeating that tulle as light as thistle bubbles, either white or gray or black, is exquisitely effective for thin, scrawny necks. the fleshy, red neck should be softened with powder and discreetly veiled in chemisettes of chiffon and delicate net. old ladies may keep in the style, thus being in the picture of the hour; but it is one of the divine privileges of age that it can make its own modes. absolute cleanliness, cleanliness as exacting as that proper nurses prescribe for babies, is the first and most important factor in making old age attractive. rich dress, in artistic colors, soft, misty, esthetic, comes next; then the idealizing scarfs, collars, jabots, and fichus of lace and tulles. old people becomingly and artistically attired have the charm of rare old pictures. if they have soul-illumined faces they are precious masterpieces. chapter vii. how men caricature themselves with their clothes. although in the dress of man there are fewer possibilities of caricature than in that of woman, yet, "the masterpieces of creation" frequently exaggerate in a laughable--and sometimes a pitiable--way, certain physical characteristics by an injudicious choice of clothes. as the fashion in hair-dressing does not grant man the privilege of enhancing his facial attractions; nor of obscuring his defects by a becomingly arranged coiffure; and, as the modes in neck-gear are such that he cannot modify the blemishes of a defective complexion by encircling his athletic or scrawny throat with airy tulle, or dainty lace, that arch-idealizer of pasty-looking faces; and as he has forsworn soft, trailing garments that conceal unclassic curves and uninspiring lines of nether limbs, it behooves him to be more exactingly particular even than woman in the selection of his wearing apparel. far be it from me, however, to remind man of his many limitations--in dress. that he can never know the rapture of donning a becoming spring bonnet, nor the pleasure of possessing "real lace" things, nor the sensuous charm of being enwrapped in caressing furs, or sleazy, silken garments as exquisite in color and texture as beautiful, fresh flowers, only delicate consideration for his feelings constrains me from expatiating upon at length. i would rather be able to remind him that he can make his limitations his advantages, than reveal to him what he misses in not being a woman. to treat of this important subject adequately and convincingly, one would require the masterly discernment of a skillful and accomplished tailor, the experienced knowledge of a well-dressed man, and the alertly critical perception of a loving woman who, even in the matter of clothes, wishes the dearest of men to her, to do full justice to himself and her ideal of him on all occasions. although certain of the foregoing qualifications must needs be lacking, nevertheless this timorous pen, with more trepidation than courage it must be confessed, begs to call attention to a few obvious details in masculine attire that caricature, more or less, peculiarities in the forms and features of men. to be sure, in the matter of head-gear man is not conspicuously at the mercy of burlesquing ribbons, flowers, and feathers, and he has fewer opportunities than women to make himself ridiculous, yet a few suggestions regarding certain shapes of head-gear for certain types of faces, applicable to women are equally applicable to him. the same rule that applies to the women of the wedge-shaped type of face applies to the man of the wedge-shaped type, as may be seen in sketches nos. 75 and 76. it is obvious that the youth depicted in no. 75 detracts from the manliness of his face and emphasizes the pointed appearance of his countenance by wearing a hat with a broad brim projecting over his ears. this style of hat appears more frequently in straw than in any other texture, but the effect of a wide, projecting rim is the same in any material. no. 76, it is plain, improves the appearance of the long, slim-faced man. an alpine hat would not be unbecoming to him, the high oval of the crown forming a balance for the lower part of the face. [illustration: no. 75] [illustration: no. 76] the man with a pugilistic chin should endeavor to select a hat that will not make his heavy jaw as prominent as does the stiff derby, in no. 77. [illustration: no. 77] a soft alpine hat, or one somewhat of the style of no. 78, improves his appearance. the high crown and wide, gracefully rolling brim counter-balance the weight and prominence of the jaw. [illustration: no. 78] apropos of the minor details of man's garments, the button as a feature of clothes has never been fully done justice to. it is a sustaining thing we know, something we can hang to, fasten to, and even tie to. that properly placed buttons contribute to our mental poise and therefore to our physical repose, is hinted in that absurdly engaging story, anent the smart boy who was the envy of his spelling-class, because he always stood first. you remember, no doubt, that an envious but keen-eyed classmate observed that the smart speller worked off his nervous apprehensiveness by twirling the top button of his coat as he correctly spelled word after word, day in and day out; and how the keen-eyed one played the part of a stealthy villain and surreptitiously cut the button off the coat. and do you remember the dramatic ending? how the smart one on the fatal day sought to "press the button" and finding it gone, lost his wits completely and failed ignominiously? many of us when we have lost a sustaining button, have we not felt as ridiculously helpless and wit-benumbed as the smart speller? [illustration: no. 79] we all sub-consciously acknowledge our dependence upon buttons, but not many of us, evidently, have observed that even buttons have a certain possibility of caricature in them; and that they may add to, or detract from, the appearance of manly forms. the consideration of properly placed buttons may seem trivial to you, but if you will observe sketches nos. 79 and 80, you may discern that a thin man may apparently increase his breadth and add a certain manly touch to his figure, by changing the buttons at the waist-line of his coat. the buttons placed so near together, in no. 79, really make his toothpick proportions too obvious. his back is made to look broader by placing the buttons wider apart, as shown in no. 80, and changing the cut of his coat-tail. [illustration: no. 80] that the fat man may also present a more attractive back to his enemies by considering the placing of his buttons, may be seen in drawings nos. 81 and 82. the buttons decorating no. 81 are placed so far apart that they increase in an ungainly way the breadth of the back at the waist-line. if they are placed nearer together, and the seams graduated to meet them, they give the illusion of better and more desirable proportions, as may be seen in no. 82. [illustration: no. 81] [illustration: no. 82] that the thin man may also present a more imposing and broader front to the world, is suggested in sketches nos. 83 and 84. the contracted look of the coat in no. 83 is somewhat due to the buttons of his double-breasted coat being placed too closely together. the slender man who wishes to give the impression of being broad-chested may have the buttons on his coat placed a little farther apart than fashion may allow, as shown in sketch 84. the proportions may be easily preserved by a careful adjustment of the shoulder-seams and the seams under the arms. [illustration: no. 83] [illustration: no. 84] [illustration: no. 85] the waist-line is not so much "a danger line" to man as to woman, yet man should not wholly ignore his equator. if he is long-waisted he can apparently balance his proportions by having his skirt shortened, as in no. 85, and his waist-line raised the merest bit. if he is too short-waisted he can lengthen his skirt and lower his waist-line, as shown in no. 86. in the one he escapes appearing too long and lanky in body, and in the other he obscures a lack of becoming inches that tends to give him a dumpy appearance. [illustration: no. 86] if you study your fellow-men you will observe that few are really perfectly proportioned. one man will have the body of a viking on the legs of a dwarf, or one will have the legs of an apollo supporting the short body of a pigmy. the man who has a kingly body, too broad in proportion to his legs, as shown in sketch no. 87, should endeavor to modify his physical defect by the careful selection of his coats. he should have his coats cut to give him as much length of leg as possible. a skilful tailor will know just what subtle changes and adjustments to make. the improvement in appearance and gain in height is pictured in sketch 88. the coat being shorter and the waist of the trousers being raised a trifle, the man's limbs seem longer, which is an improvement. long lines tend to give elegance and grace in bearing. another thing for the too robust type of man to consider is the style of his trousers. no. 87 hints what he must not choose. such brazen plaids only make him appear offensively aggressive in size. long, fine lines, such as shown in no. 88, give an impression of length and apparently lessen the width. [illustration: no. 87] too long lines, however, are almost as undesirable as too short ones. over-tall, thin men sometimes make themselves look like telegraph poles or flagstaffs by wearing short coats that expose in a graceless way the whole length of their limbs. they suggest cranes and other fowl that give the impression of being "all legs." [illustration: no. 88] when the legs are proportioned more like a stick of macaroni or a lead pencil than the shapely limbs of an adonis, they appear exceedingly funny when surmounted by a short coat, such as pictured in no. 89. a famous general in the civil war did not despise cotton as a fortification to protect him from the onslaught of the enemy. the over-tall, thin man, who is not unsuggestive of a picket, should not be ashamed to fortify himself with cotton or any other sort of padding that intelligent tailors keep in stock. he should build his shoulders up a bit and be generally, but most carefully and artistically, enlarged. his coat should be lengthened, as in sketch go, to cut off just as much of the longness of limb as can possibly be allowed without destroying artistic proportions. the very tall, thin man who unthinkingly wears a very short coat should be brave and never turn his back to his enemy. [illustration: no. 89] if he wears black and white check trousers and a short blue coat, he should travel with a screen. a man in just such a rig attracted no end of comment in a fashionable hotel. the caricaturing effect of his trousers and coat were unspeakably comical. the wearer had a face as grave as an undertaker's and the air of a serious-minded college professor; but he had the nondescript look of a scarecrow composed of whatever available garments could be obtained from the cast-off wardrobe of summer boarders in a farmhouse. [illustration: no. 90] coats assuredly have the power of making cartoons--living, jocular cartoons--of their wearers. it would hardly seem necessary to call attention to the fact that a man of huge dimensions should not wear a short coat, such as shown in sketch no. 91, yet his type is too frequently seen attired in this style. a man so dressed certainly seems the living exemplification of the definition of a jug, namely, "a vessel usually with a swelling belly, narrow mouth, and a handle, for holding liquors." it cannot be reiterated too often that a large, stout man should aim to acquire the distinction and dignity given by long lines. if his body is proportioned so he really has neither length of torso nor of limb he must pay more attention to the cut of his clothes and attain length in whatever artistic way he can. the long coat, as may be seen in sketch no. 92, not only apparently adds length but it conceals too protuberant curves. [illustration: nos. 91 and 92] of course, character counts far more than clothes, we will all agree to that, but at first glance it is a man's clothes that impress people. clothes affect our behavior somewhat. for instance, "when the young european emigrant, after a summer's labor puts on for the first time a new coat, he puts on much more. his good and becoming clothes put him on thinking that he must behave like people who are so dressed; and silently and steadily his behavior mends." of course, there is an uplifting truth in george herbert's maxim, "this coat with my discretion will be brave," yet, i am inclined to think that the majority of men who will stop to consider will agree with emerson, who says, "if a man has not firm nerves and has keen sensibility, it is perhaps a wise economy to go to a good shop and dress himself irreproachably. he can then dismiss all care from his mind, and may easily find that performance an addition of confidence, a fortification that turns the scale in social encounters, and allows him to go gayly into conversations where else he had been dry and embarrassed. i am not ignorant,--i have heard with admiring submission the experience of the lady who declared 'that the sense of being perfectly well dressed gives a feeling of inward tranquillity which religion is powerless to bestow.'" a popular clothier in new york, understanding this trait of his fellow-men, voices this same sentiment in his advertisement in this succinct way: "seriously now. have you ever stopped to think that if you wear good clothing it adds much to that independent, easy feeling you should have when you come in contact with other men?" i think it was lord chesterfield who said: "a man is received according to his appearance, and dismissed according to his merits." there is a bit of truth in this we would all admit, i have no doubt, if we studied the question. clothes affect our own poise, ease, and attitude toward others and the expression of others toward us, but, after all, we rely upon the man or woman instead of upon the impression we receive from the clothes. the garments, after we have noticed them in a superficial way, are chiefly interesting to us, because they are arch-betrayers of the physical and mental poise of the man. no matter what the cut of the cloth, no matter what _cachet_ of a fashionable tailor a suit may have, or what its richness of material, the attitude "à la decadence" of no. 93 would make the best clothes in christendom look shabby and unattractive. [illustration: no. 93] this too familiar carriage of the american man makes one wish to have the power to reverse the faces--as dante did those of the false prophets, so those who stand "à la decadence" might see what ridiculous figures they cut in drawing-room and street. the curved backs and rounded-out shoulders would make fair-looking chests, and the flat chests would represent respectable-looking backs. a man owes it to the spirit within him not to stand or walk in such an attitude. he should brace up and keep bracing up persistently, unremittently, until he attains a more manly bearing. [illustration: no. 94] the wholly alive fellow pictured in sketch no. 94 would make homespun look elegant. his chest is forward. he does not sag in front at the waist, protruding his abdomen in not only an inartistic, but an unhealthy manner; but he strides masterfully forward with an air of inspiriting "aliveness." the perfect poise of his attitude is not unsuggestive of the apollo belvedere--the model for all men--a picture of which every college boy should have to place beside the prettiest girl in his collection of pretty girls, to constantly remind him to carry himself like a young god. transcriber's notes: for the text version, the capitalization on the title page was adjusted to attempt to preserve relative importance of the text on the page. chapter descriptions in the table of contents were changed from all caps to title case. small caps elsewhere were converted to all caps. gesperrt (spaced out lettering), used in various places in the front matter, and for chapter numbers, was not retained. words in italics are surrounded by _underscores_. punctuation varies widely and was kept as printed; most other inconsistencies were kept as printed. inconsistencies in spelling retained, along with the few corrections made, are listed at the end of this text. the original plates do not have captions. to make it easier for the reader to check the text against the description of the figures, the contents of each "list of illustrations" entry has been copied into the illustration tag for the corresponding plate. except for the frontispiece (pl. 1), the captions for the plates have been moved from the original mid-paragraph placement to between paragraphs. [illustration: pl. 1. figure 1. head-dress of lady ardene. 2. a kind of hat. 3. steeple head-dress. 4, 6. head-dresses of lady rolestone. 5. heart-shaped head-dresses. 7, 8. head-dresses of the time of henry viii. 9, 11. hats of the time of george ii. 10. nithsdale hood. 12. hat of the time of william iii. 13, 14. hats of the time of charles i. 15, 16, 17. head-dresses of 1798. 18. head-dress of 1700. 19. head-dress of the time of henry vi. 20. combination of figs. 7, 8. 21, 22. hats for ladies in 1786. 23. style of 1785. 24, 25, 26. style of 1782. ] dress as a fine art. with suggestions on children's dress. by mrs. merrifield. with an introduction on head dress. by prof. fairholt. boston: john p. jewett and company. cleveland, ohio: jewett, proctor, and worthington. 1854. entered, according to act of congress, in the year 1853, by john p. jewett & co., in the clerk's office of the district court of the district of massachusetts press of geo. c. rand, wood cut and book printer, cornhill, boston. stereotyped at the boston stereotype foundry. preface. the fact that we derive our styles of dress from the same source as the english, and that the work of mrs. merrifield has been circulated among the forty thousand subscribers of the "london art journal," might perhaps be deemed sufficient apology for offering it in its present form to the american public. it has received the unqualified approbation of the best publications in this country;--entire chapters having been copied into the periodicals of the day; this added to the above, and also to the high standing of the author, has induced the publishers to offer it to the great reading public of this country. the chapter on head-dresses, which commences the book, is of much interest in itself, and affords an explanation of many of the descriptions in the body of the work. the closing chapter, on children's dress, by mrs. merrifield, will be deemed of more value by most persons than the cost of the entire work. a few verbal alterations only have been made in the original;--the good sense of every reader will enable him to understand the local allusions, and where they belong to england alone, to make the application. contents. page chapter i. description of head-dresses, 1 chapter ii. dress, as a fine art, 10 chapter iii. the head, 53 chapter iv. the dress, 61 chapter v. the feet, 73 chapter vi. remarks on particular costumes, 84 chapter vii. ornament--economy, 95 chapter viii. some thoughts on children's dress.--by mrs. merrifield, 121 illustrations. plate i. figure 1. head-dress of lady ardene. 2. a kind of hat. 3. steeple head-dress. 4, 6. head-dresses of lady rolestone. 5. heart-shaped head-dresses. 7, 8. head-dresses of the time of henry viii. 9, 11. hats of the time of george ii. 10. nithsdale hood. 12. hat of the time of william iii. 13, 14. hats of the time of charles i. 15, 16, 17. head-dresses of 1798. 18. head-dress of 1700. 19. head-dress of the time of henry vi. 20. combination of figs. 7, 8. 21, 22. hats for ladies in 1786. 23. style of 1785. 24, 25, 26. style of 1782. plate ii. figure 27. style of 1782. 28, 30. head-dress of 1790. 29. head-dress of the french peasantry. 31. fashion of 1791. 32, 33. fashion of 1789. 36. head-dress of the commencement of the present century. 35. english housemaid. 37. gigot sleeves, with cloak worn over. 38. from a picture in the louvre. plate iii. figure 39. dress, with short waist and sleeves. 41. dress of the mother of henry iv. 40. dress of henrietta maria. 42. from the "illustrated london news." plate iv. figures 43, 44. from the plates of sommaering, shows the waist of the venus of antiquity. 45, 46. the waist of a modern lady, from the above. 49. from the "london news." 50. woman of mitylene. 53. algerine woman. 54. the archon's wife. plate v. figure 47. athenian peasant. 48. shepherdess of arcadia. 51. athenian woman. 52. french costume of the tenth century. 62. lady of the time of henry v. plate vi. figure 55. after parmegiano. 56. titian's daughter. 57. lady harrington. 59. roman peasant. 61. gigot sleeves. plate vii. figure 63. from bonnard's costumes. 64. sancta victoria. 65. anne, countess of chesterfield, from vandyck. 67. woman of markinitza. plate viii. figure 60. lady lucy percy, from vandyck. 69, 70. by jules david, in "le moniteur de la mode." 68. the hoop, after hogarth. plate ix. figure 66. from rubens's "descent from the cross." 71. from a drawing by gainsborough. 72. woman of myconia. 74. queen anne. plate x. figure 73. charlotte de la tremouille. 75. after gainsborough. 76. after gainsborough. 77. costume of mrs. bloomer. plate xi. figure 78. from the embroidery on fig. 47, pl. 5. 79. from the sleeve of the same dress, above. 80. from the sleeve of the pelisse. 81. the pattern embroidered from the waist to the skirt of the dress, fig. 51, pl. 5. 82. the border of the shawl, fig. 51. 83. sleeve of the same, figure 51. 84. design on the apron, fig. 48, pl. 5. 85. from the border of the same dress, fig. 48. plate xii. figure 86. pattern round the hem of the long under dress, fig. 51, pl. 5. 87, 88. borders of shawls. 89. infant's dress, exhibited at the world's fair in london. 90, 91. from "le moniteur de la mode," by jules david and réville, published at paris, london, new york, and st. petersburg. chapter i. description of head-dresses. fig. 1 is a front view of a head-dress of lady arderne, (who died about the middle of the fifteenth century.) the caul of the head-dress is richly embroidered, the veil above being supported by wires, in the shape of a heart, with double lappets behind the head, which are sometimes transparent, as if made of gauze. such gauze veils, or rather coverings for the head-dress, are frequently seen in the miniatures of mss. figs. 2, 3, are here selected from the royal ms. in fig. 3, the steeple head-dress of the lady is entirely covered by a thin veil of gauze, which hangs from its summit, and projects over her face. fig. 2 has a sort of hat, widening from its base, and made of cloth of gold, richly set with stones. such jewelled head-dresses are represented on the heads of noble ladies, and are frequently ornamented in the most beautiful manner, with stones of various tints. the slab to the memory of john rolestone, esq., sometime lord of swarston, and sicili, his wife, in swarkstone church, derbyshire, who died in 1482, gives the head-dress of the said sicili as represented in fig. 6. it is a simple cap, radiating in gores over the head, having a knob in its centre and a close falling veil of cloth affixed round the back. it seems to have been constructed as much for comfort as for show: the same remark may be applied to fig. 4, which certainly cannot be recommended for its beauty, being a stunted cone, with a back veil closely fitting about the neck, and very sparingly ornamented; it was worn by mary, wife of john rolestone, who died in 1485. these may both have been plain country ladies, far removed from london, and little troubled with its fashionable freaks. fig. 5 represents the fashionable head-dress of the last days of the house of york. it has been termed the heart-shaped head-dress, from the appearance it presents when viewed in front, which resembles that of a heart, and sometimes a crescent. it is made of black silk or velvet, ornamented with gold studs, and having a jewel over the forehead. it has a long band or lappet, such as the gentlemen then wore affixed to their hats. figs. 7 and 8 represent head-dresses worn in the time of henry viii. these are a sort of cap, which seem to combine coverchief and hood. fig. 7 was at this time the extreme of fashion. it is edged with lace, and ornamented with jewelry, and has altogether a look of utter unmeaningness and confusion of form. fig. 8 has a hood easier of comprehension, but no whit better in point of elegance than her predecessors; it fits the head closely, having pendent jewels round the bottom and crossing the brow. figs. 9 and 11 are hats of a very simple style, such as were worn during the reign of george ii., when an affected simplicity, or milk-maiden look, was coveted by the ladies, both high and low. the hood worn by fig. 10 was a complete envelope for the head, and was used in riding, or travelling, as well as in walking in the parks. these were called nithsdales, because lady nithsdale covered her husband's face with one of them, after dressing him in her clothes, and thus disguised he escaped from the tower. fig. 12 represents a hat worn during the reign of william iii. by a damsel who was crying, "fair cherries, at sixpence a pound!" it is of straw, with a ribbon tied around it in a simple and tasteful manner; the hat is altogether a light and graceful affair, and its want of obtrusiveness is perhaps its chief recommendation. figs. 13 and 14 are hats such as were worn by citizens and their wives during the reigns of james and charles i. figs. 15, 16, 17, were such head-dresses as were in vogue in 1798. fig. 15 was of a deep orange color, with bands of dark chocolate brown; a bunch of scarlet tufts came over the forehead, and it was held on the head by a kerchief of white muslin tied beneath the chin. fig. 16 is a straw bonnet, the crown decorated with red perpendicular stripes, the front over the face plain, and a row of laurel leaves surrounds the head; a lavender-colored tie secures it under the chin. bonnets somewhat similar to those now worn were fashionable two years previous to this; yet a small, low-crowned hat, like the one in fig. 17, was as much patronized as any head-dress had ever been. cocked hats, such as is represented in fig. 18, were worn by the gentlemen in the last part of the year 1700. fig. 19 represents one of the head-dresses worn during the reign of henry vi. it is a combination of coverchief and turban. fig. 20 is a combination of the head-dress of fig. 7 with the lappeted hood of fig. 8. in 1786, a very large-brimmed hat became fashionable with the ladies, and continued in vogue for the next two years; an idea of the back view of it is given in fig. 21, and a front view in fig. 22. it was decorated with triple feathers, and a broad band of ribbon was tied in a bow behind, and allowed to stream down the back. the elegance of turn which the brim of such a hat afforded was completely overdone by the enormity of its proportion; and the shelter it gave the face can now be considered as the only recommendation of this fashion. the hat worn by fig. 23 was the style of 1785. feathers were then much in favor, and a poet of the time writes of the ladies,- "no longer they hunt after ribbons and lace; _undertakers_ have got in the milliner's place; with hands sacrilegious they've plundered the dead, and transferred the gay plumes from the hearse to the head." [illustration: pl. 2. figure 27. style of 1782. 28, 30. head-dress of 1790. 29. head-dress of the french peasantry. 31. fashion of 1791. 32, 33. fashion of 1789. 36. head-dress of the commencement of the present century. 35. english housemaid. 37. gigot sleeves, with cloak worn over. 38. from a picture in the louvre. ] fig. 24 represents the head-dress worn in 1782. at no period in the history of the world was any thing more absurd in head-dress than the one here depicted. the body of this erection was formed of tow, over which the hair was turned, and false hair added in great curls; bobs and ties, powdered to profusion, then hung all over with vulgarly large rows of pearls, or glass beads, fit only to decorate a chandelier; flowers as obtrusive were stuck about this heap of finery, which was surmounted by broad silken bands and great ostrich feathers, until the head-dress of a lady added three feet to her stature, and "the male sex," to use the words of the "spectator," "became suddenly dwarfed beside her." to effect this, much time and trouble were wasted, and great personal annoyance was suffered. heads, when properly dressed, "kept for three weeks," as the barbers quaintly phrased it; that they would not really "keep" longer, may be seen by the many receipts they gave for the destruction of insects, which bred in the flour and pomatum so liberally bestowed upon them. fig. 25 is another fashionable outdoor head-dress. fig. 26 represents one of the hats invented to cover the head when full dressed. it is as extravagant as the head-dresses. it is a large but light compound of gauze, wire, ribbons, and flowers, sloping over the forehead, and sheltering the head entirely by its immensity. fig. 27 shows how immensely globular the head of a lady had become; it swells all around like a huge pumpkin, and curls of a corresponding size aid in the caricature which now passed as fashionable taste. as if this were not load enough for the fair shoulders of the softer sex, it is swathed with a huge veil or scarf, giving the wearer an exceedingly top-heavy look. in 1790, the ladies appeared in hats similar to those worn by the gentlemen in 1792; these are represented in figs. 28 and 30. they were gayly decorated with gold strings, and tassels, crossed and recrossed over the crown. the brims were broad, raised at the sides, and pointed over the face in a manner not inelegant. fig. 29 has the tall, ugly bonnet, copied from the french peasantry; a long gauze border is attached to the edges, which hangs like a veil around the face, and partially conceals it. a hat of a very piquant character was adopted by the ladies in 1791, of which a specimen is given in fig. 31. it is decorated with bows, and a large feather nods not ungracefully over the crown from behind. a person with good face and figure must have looked becomingly beneath it. fig. 32 is an example of the bad taste which still peeped forth. it is one of the most fashionable head-dresses worn in 1789, and is the back view of a lady's head, surmounted by a very small cap or hat, puffed round with ribbon; the hair is arranged in a long, straight bunch down the neck, where it is tied by a ribbon, and flows in curls beneath; long curls repose one on each shoulder, while the hair at the sides of the head is frizzed out on each side in a most fantastic form. the hat of fig. 33, shaped like a chimney pot, and decorated with small tufts of ribbon, and larger bows, which fitted on a lady's head like the cover on a canister, was viewed with "marvellous favor" by many a fair eye, in the year 1789. it was sometimes bordered with lace, as in fig. 29, thus hiding the entire head, and considerably enhancing its ugliness. chapter ii. dress, as a fine art. in a state so highly civilized as that in which we live, the art of dress has become extremely complicated. that it is an art to set off our persons to the greatest advantage must be generally admitted, and we think it is one which, under certain conditions, may be studied by the most scrupulous. an art implies skill and dexterity in setting off or employing the gifts of nature to the greatest advantage, and we are surely not wrong in laying it down as a general principle, that every one may endeavor to set off or improve his or her personal appearance, provided that, in doing so, the party is guilty of no deception. as this proposition may be liable to some misconstruction, we will endeavor to explain our meaning. in the first place, the principle is acted upon by all who study cleanliness and neatness, which are universally considered as positive duties, that are not only conducive to our own comfort, but that society has a right to expect from us. again: the rules of society require that to a certain extent we should adopt those forms of dress which are in common use, but our own judgment should be exercised in adapting these forms to our individual proportions, complexions, ages, and stations in society. in accomplishing this object, the most perfect honesty and sincerity of purpose may be observed. no deception is to be practised, no artifice employed, beyond that which is exercised by the painter, who arranges his subjects in the most pleasing forms, and who selects colors which harmonize with each other; and by the manufacturer, who studies pleasing combinations of lines and colors. we exercise taste in the decoration and arrangement of our apartments and in our furniture, and we are equally at liberty to do so with regard to our dress; but we know that taste is not an instinctive perception of the beautiful and agreeable, but is founded upon the observance of certain laws of nature. when we conform to these laws, the result is pleasing and satisfactory; when we offend against them, the contrary effect takes place. our persons change with our years; the child passes into youth, the youth into maturity, maturity changes into old age. every period of life has its peculiar external characteristics, its pleasures, its pains, and its pursuits. the art of dress consists in properly adapting our clothing to these changes. we violate the laws of nature when we seek to repair the ravages of time on our complexions by paint, when we substitute false hair for that which age has thinned or blanched, or conceal the change by dyeing our own gray hair; when we pad our dress to conceal that one shoulder is larger than the other. to do either is not only bad taste, but it is a positive breach of sincerity. it is bad taste, because the means we have resorted to are contrary to the laws of nature. the application of paint to the skin produces an effect so different from the bloom of youth, that it can only deceive an unpractised eye. it is the same with the hair: there is such a want of harmony between false hair and the face which it surrounds, especially when that face bears the marks of age, and the color of the hair denotes youth, that the effect is unpleasing in the extreme. deception of this kind, therefore, does not answer the end which it had in view; it deceives nobody but the unfortunate perpetrator of the would-be deceit. it is about as senseless a proceeding as that of the goose in the story, who, when pursued by the fox, thrust her head into a hedge, and thought that, because she could no longer see the fox, the fox could not see her. but in a moral point of view it is worse than silly; it is adopted with a view to deceive; it is _acting a lie_ to all intents and purposes, and it ought to be held in the same kind of detestation as falsehood with the tongue. zimmerman has an aphorism which is applicable to this case--"those who conceal their age do not conceal their folly." the weak and vain, who hope to conceal their age by paint and false hair, are, however, morally less culpable than another class of dissemblers, inasmuch as the deception practised by the first is so palpable that it really deceives no one. with regard to the other class of dissemblers, we feel some difficulty in approaching a subject of so much delicacy. yet, as we have stated that we are at liberty to improve our natural appearance by well-adapted dress, we think it our duty to speak out, lest we should be considered as in any way countenancing deception. we allude to those physical defects induced by disease, which are frequently united to great beauty of countenance, and which are sometimes so carefully concealed by the dress, that they are only discovered after marriage. having thus, we hope, established the innocence of our motives, we shall proceed to mention the legitimate means by which the personal appearance may be improved by the study of the art of dress. fashion in dress is usually dictated by caprice or accident, or by the desire of novelty. it is never, we believe, based upon the study of the figure. it is somewhat singular that while every lady thinks herself at liberty to wear any textile fabric or any color she pleases, she considers herself bound to adopt the form and style of dress which the fashion of the day has rendered popular. the despotism of fashion is limited to _form_, but _color_ is free. we have shown, in another essay, (see closing chapter,) what licentiousness this freedom in the adoption and mixture of colors too frequently induces. we have also shown that the colors worn by ladies should be those which contrast or harmonize best with their individual complexions, and we have endeavored to make the selection of suitable colors less difficult by means of a few general rules founded upon the laws of harmony and contrast of colors. in the present essay, we propose to offer some general observations on form in dress. the subject is, however, both difficult and complicated, and as it is easier to condemn than to improve or perfect, we shall more frequently indicate what fashions should not be adopted, than recommend others to the patronage of our readers. the immediate objects of dress are twofold--namely, decency and warmth; but so many minor considerations are suffered to influence us in choosing our habiliments, that these primary objects are too frequently kept out of sight. dress should be not only adapted to the climate, it should also be light in weight, should yield to the movements of the body, and should be easily put on or removed. it should also be adapted to the station in society, and to the age, of the individual. these are the essential conditions; yet in practice how frequently are they overlooked; in fact, how seldom are they observed! next in importance are general elegance of form, harmony in the arrangement and selection of the colors, and special adaptation in form and color to the person of the individual. to these objects we purpose directing the attention of the reader. it is impossible, within the limits we have prescribed ourselves, to enter into the subject of dress minutely; we can only deal with it generally, and lay down certain broad principles for our guidance. if these are observed, there is still a wide margin left for fancy and fashion. these may find scope in trimmings and embroidery; the application of which, however, must also be regulated by good taste and knowledge. the physical variety in the human race is infinite; so are the gradations and combinations of color; yet we expect a few forms of dress to suit every age and complexion! instead of the beautiful, the graceful, and the becoming, what are the attractions offered by the dress makers? what are the terms used to invite the notice of customers? novelty and distinction. the shops are "magasins de nouveautés," the goods are "distingués," "recherchés," "nouveaux," "the last fashion." the new fashions are exhibited on the elegant person of one of the dress maker's assistants, who is selected for this purpose, and are adopted by the purchaser without reflecting how much of the attraction of the dress is to be ascribed to the fine figure of the wearer, how much to the beauty of the dress, or whether it will look equally well on herself. so the fashion is set, and then it is followed by others, until at last it becomes singular not to adopt some modification of it, although the extreme may be avoided. the best dressers are generally those who follow the fashions at a great distance. fashion is the only tyrant against whom modern civilization has not carried on a crusade, and its power is still as unlimited and despotic as it ever was. from its dictates there is no appeal; health and decency are alike offered up at the shrine of this moloch. at its command its votaries melt under fur boas in the dog days, and freeze with bare necks and arms, in lace dresses and satin shoes, in january. then, such is its caprice, that no sooner does a fashion become general, than, let its merits or beauties be ever so great, it is changed for one which perhaps has nothing but its novelty to recommend it. like the bed of procrustes, fashions are compelled to suit every one. the same fashion is adopted by the tall and the short, the stout and the slender, the old and the young, with what effect we have daily opportunities of observing. yet, with all its vagaries, fashion is extremely aristocratic in its tendencies. every change emanates from the highest circles, who reject it when it has descended to the vulgar. no new form of dress was ever successful which did not originate among the aristocracy. from the ladies of the court, the fashions descend through all the ranks of society, until they at last die a natural death among the cast-off clothes of the housemaid. fig. 35. had the bloomer costume, which has obtained so much notoriety, been introduced by a tall and graceful scion of the aristocracy, either of rank or talent, instead of being at first adopted by the middle ranks, it might have met with better success. we have seen that jenny lind could introduce a new fashion of wearing the hair, and a new form of hat or bonnet, and mme. sontag a cap which bears her name. but it was against all precedent to admit and follow a fashion, let its merits be ever so great, that emanated from the stronghold of democracy. we are content to adopt the greatest absurdities in dress when they are brought from paris, or recommended by a french name; but american fashions have no chance of success in aristocratic england. it is beginning at the wrong end. the eccentricities of fashion are so great that they would appear incredible if we had not ocular evidence of their prevalence in the portraits which still exist. at one period we read of horned head-dresses, which were so large and high, that it is said the doors of the palace at vincennes were obliged to be altered to admit isabel of bavaria (queen of charles vi. of france) and the ladies of her suite. in the reign of edward iv., the ladies' caps were three quarters of an ell in height, and were covered by pieces of lawn hanging down to the ground, or stretched over a frame till they resembled the wings of a butterfly.[1] at another time the ladies' heads were covered with gold nets, like those worn at the present day. then, again, the hair, stiffened with powder and pomatum, and surmounted by flowers, feathers, and ribbons, was raised on the top of the head like a tower. such head-dresses were emphatically called "_têtes_." (see chapter on head-dress.) fig. 36. but to go back no farther than the beginning of the present century, where mr. fairholt's interesting work on british costume terminates, what changes have we to record! the first fashion we remember was that of scanty clothing, when slender figures were so much admired, that many, to whom nature had denied this qualification, left off the under garments necessary for warmth, and fell victims to the colds and consumptions induced by their adoption of this senseless practice. to these succeeded waists so short that the girdles were placed almost under the arms, and as the dresses were worn at that time indecently low in the neck, the body of the dress was almost a myth. fig. 39. [1] mr. planché has shown, in his "history of british costume," that these head-dresses are the prototypes of those still worn by the women of normandy. about the same time, the sleeves were so short, and the skirts so curtailed in length, that there was reason to fear that the whole of the drapery might also become a myth. a partial reaction then took place, and the skirts were lengthened without increasing the width of the dresses, the consequence of which was felt in the country, if not in the towns. then woe to those who had to cross a ditch or a stile! one of two things was inevitable; either the unfortunate lady was thrown to the ground,--and in this case it was no easy matter to rise again,--or her dress was split up. the result depended entirely upon the strength of the materials of which the dress was composed. the next variation, the _gigot_ sleeves, namely, were a positive deformity, inasmuch as they gave an unnatural width to the shoulders--a defect which was further increased by the large collars which fell over them, thus violating one of the first principles of beauty in the female form, which demands that this part of the body should be narrow; breadth of shoulder being one of the distinguishing characteristics of the stronger sex. we remember to have seen an engraving from a portrait, by lawrence, of the late lady blessington, in which the breadth of the shoulders appeared to be at least three quarters of a yard. when a person of low stature, wearing sleeves of this description, was covered with one of the long cloaks, which were made wide at the shoulders to admit the sleeves, and to which was appended a deep and very full cape, the effect was ridiculous, and the outline of the whole mass resembled that of a haycock with a head on the top. fig. 37. one absurdity generally leads to another; to balance the wide shoulders, the bonnets and caps were made of enormous dimensions, and were decorated with a profusion of ribbons and flowers. so absurd was the whole combination, that, when we meet with a portrait of this period, we can only look on it in the light of a caricature, and wonder that such should ever have been so universal as to be adopted at last by all who wished to avoid singularity. the transition from the broad shoulders and gigot sleeves to the tight sleeves and graceful black scarf was quite refreshing to a tasteful eye. these were a few of the freaks of fashion during the last half century. had they been quite harmless, we might have considered them as merely ridiculous; but some of them were positively indecent, and others detrimental to health. we grieve especially for the former charge: it is an anomaly for which, considering the modest habits and education of our countrywomen, we find it difficult to account. it is singular that the practice of wearing dresses cut low round the bust should be limited to what is called full dress, and to the higher, and, except in this instance, the more refined classes. is it to display a beautiful neck and shoulders? no; for in this case it would be confined to those who had beautiful necks and shoulders to display. is it to obtain the admiration of the other sex? that cannot be; for we believe that men look upon this exposure with unmitigated distaste, and that they are inclined to doubt the modesty of those young ladies who make so profuse a display of their charms. but if objectionable in the young, whose youth and beauty might possibly be deemed some extenuation, it is disgusting in those whose bloom is past, whether their forms are developed with a ripe luxuriance which makes the female figures of rubens appear in comparison slender and refined, or whether the yellow skin, stretched over the wiry sinews of the neck, remind one of the old women whom some of the italian masters were accustomed to introduce into their pieces, to enhance, by contrast, the beauty of the principal figures. every period of life has a style of dress peculiarly appropriate to it, and we maintain that the uncovered bosom so conspicuous in the dissolute reign of charles ii., and from which, indeed, the reign of charles i. was not, as we learn from the vandyck portraits, exempt, should be limited, even in its widest extension, to feminine youth, or rather childhood. if the dress be cut low, the bust should be covered after the modest and becoming fashion of the italian women, whose highly picturesque costume painters are so fond of representing. the white drapery has a peculiarly good effect, placed as it is between the skin and richly-colored bodice. as examples of this style of dress, we may refer to sir charles eastlake's "pilgrims in sight of rome," "the grape gatherer of capri," by lehmann, and "the dancing lesson," by mr. uwins, all of which are engraved in the _art journal_. another hint may be borrowed from the italian costume; we may just allude to it _en passant_. if bodices fitting to the shape must be worn, they should be laced across the front in the italian fashion. fig. 38. by this contrivance the dress will suit the figure more perfectly, and as the lace may be lengthened or shortened at pleasure, any degree of tightness may be given, and the bodice may be accommodated to the figure without compressing it. we find by the picture in the louvre called sometimes "titian's mistress" that this costume is at least as old as titian. we have noticed the changes and transitions of fashion; we must mention one point in which it has continued constant from the time of william rufus until the present day, and which, since it has entailed years of suffering, and in many instances has caused death, demands our most serious attention. we allude to the pernicious practice of tight lacing, which, as appears from contemporary paintings, was as general on the continent as in england. the savage american indian changes the shape of the soft and elastic bones of the skull of his infant by compressing it between two boards; the intelligent but prejudiced chinese suffers the head to grow as nature formed it, but confines the foot of the female to the size of an infant's; while the highly-intellectual and well-informed european lady limits the growth of her waist by the pressure of the stays. when we consider the importance of the organs which suffer by these customs, surely we must acknowledge that the last is the most barbarous practice of the three. we read in the history of france that the war-like franks had such a dislike to corpulency that they inflicted a fine upon all who could not encircle their waists with a band of a certain length. how far this extraordinary custom may have been influential in introducing the predilection for small waists among the ladies of that country, as well as our own through the norman conquerors, we cannot determine. during the reign of queen elizabeth, the whole of the upper part of the body, from the waist to the chin, was encased in a cuirass of whalebone, the rigidity of which rendered easy and graceful movement impossible. the portrait of elizabeth by zucchero, with its stiff dress and enormous ruff, and which has been so frequently engraved, must be in the memory of all our readers. stiffness was indeed the characteristic of ladies' dress at this period; the whalebone cuirass, covered with the richest brocaded silks, was united at the waist with the equally stiff vardingale or fardingale, which descended to the feet in the form of a large bell, without a single fold. there is a portrait in the possession of mr. seymour fitzgerald of the unfortunate mary queen of scots, when quite young, in a dress of this kind; and one cannot help pitying the poor girl's rigid confinement in her stiff and uncomfortable dress. fig. 41 represents jeanne d'albret, the mother of henry iv., in the fardingale. [illustration: pl. 3. figure 39. dress, with short waist and sleeves. 41. dress of the mother of henry iv. 40. dress of henrietta maria. 42. from the "illustrated london news." ] with henrietta maria dresses cut low in the front, (fig. 40,) and flowing draperies, as we find them in the vandyck portraits, came into fashion, but the figure still retained its stiffness around the waist, and has continued to do so through all the gradations and variations in shape and size of the hoop petticoat, and the scanty draperies of a later period, until the present day.[2] [2] the fardingale differed from the hoop in the following particulars: the hoop petticoat was gathered round the waist, while the fardingale was without a fold of any description. the most extraordinary instances we remember to have seen of the fardingale, are in two or three pictures of the virgin in the spanish gallery in the louvre, where the fardingale in which the virgin is dressed takes the form of an enormous mitre. if the proportions of the figure were generally understood, we should not hear of those deplorable, and in many cases fatal, results of tight lacing which have unfortunately been so numerous. so general has the pernicious practice been in this country, that a medical friend, who is professor of anatomy in a provincial academy, informed us that there was great difficulty in procuring a model whose waist had not been compressed by stays. that this is true of other localities besides that alluded to, may be inferred from a passage in mr. hay's lecture to the society of arts "on the geometrical principles of beauty," in which he mentions having, for the purpose of verifying his theory, employed "an artist who, having studied the human figure at the life academies on the continent, in london, and in edinburgh, was well acquainted with the subject," to make a careful drawing of the best living model which could be procured for the purpose. mr. hay observes, with reference to this otherwise fine figure, that "the waist has evidently been compressed by the use of stays." in further confirmation of the prevalence of this bad habit, we may refer to etty's pictures, in which this defect is but too apparent. we fear, from mr. planché's extracts, that the evil was perpetuated by the poets and romance writers of the norman period; and we are sure that the novelists of our own times have much to answer for on this score. had they not been forever praising "taper waists," tight lacing would have shared the fate of other fashions, and have been banished from all civilized society. similar blame does not attach to the painter and sculptor. the creations of their invention are modelled upon the true principles of proportion and beauty, and in their works a small waist and foot are always accompanied by a slender form. in the mind of the poet and novelist the same associations may take place: when a writer describes the slender waist or small foot, he probably sees _mentally_ the whole slender figure. the small waist is a _proportionate_ part of the figure of his creation. but there is this difference between the painter and sculptor, and the novelist. the works of the first two address themselves to the eye, and every part of the form is present to the spectator; consequently, as regards form, nothing is left to the imagination. with respect to the poet and novelist, their creations are almost entirely mental ones; their descriptions touch upon a few striking points only, and are seldom so full as to fill up the entire form: much is, therefore, necessarily left to the imagination of the reader. now, the fashion in which the reader will supply the details left undetermined by the poet and novelist, and fill up their scanty and shadowy outlines, depends entirely upon his knowledge of form; consequently, if this be small, the images which arise in the mind of the reader from the perusal of works of genius are confused and imperfect, and the proportions of one class of forms are assigned to, or mingled with, those of others, without the slightest regard to truth and nature. when we say, therefore, that writers leave much to the imagination, it may too frequently be understood, to the _ignorance_ of the reader; for the imaginations of those acquainted with form and proportion, who generally constitute the minority, always create well-proportioned ideal forms; while the ideal productions of the uneducated, whether expressed by the pencil, the chisel, or the pen, are always ill proportioned and defective. the most efficient method of putting an end to the practice of tight lacing will be, not merely to point out its unhealthiness, and even dangerous consequences, because these, though imminent, are uncertain,--every lady who resorts to the practice hoping that she, individually, may escape the penalty,--but to prove that the practice, so far from adding to the beauty of the figure, actually deteriorates it. this is an effect, not doubtful, like the former case, but an actual and positive fact; and, therefore, it supplies a good and sufficient reason, and one which the most obtuse intellect can comprehend, for avoiding the practice. young ladies will sometimes, it is said, run the risk of ill health for the sake of the interest that in some cases attaches to "delicate health;" but is there any one who would like to be told that, by tight lacing, she makes her figure not only deformed, but positively ugly? this, however, is the plain unvarnished truth; and, by asserting it, we are striking at the root of the evil. the remedy is easy: give to every young lady a general knowledge of form, and of the principles of beauty as applied to the human frame, and when these are better understood, and acted on, tight lacing will die a natural death. the study of form, on scientific principles, has hitherto been limited entirely to men; and if some women have attained this knowledge, it has been by their own unassisted efforts; that is to say, without the advantages which men derive from lectures and academical studies. in this, as in other acquirements, the pursuit of knowledge, as regards women, is always attended with difficulties. while fully concurring in the propriety of having separate schools for male and female students, we do think that a knowledge of form may be communicated to all persons, and that a young woman will not make the worse wife, or mother, for understanding the economy of the human frame, and for having acquired the power of appreciating its beauties. we fear that there are still some persons whose minds are so contracted as to think that, not only studies of this nature, but even the contemplation of undraped statuary, are derogatory to the delicacy and purity of the female mind; but we are satisfied that the thinking part of the community will approve the course we recommend. dr. southwood smith, who is so honorably distinguished by his endeavors to promote the sanatory condition of the people, strenuously advocates the necessity of giving to all women a knowledge of the structure and functions of the body, with a view to the proper discharge of their duties as mothers. he remarks (preface to "philosophy of health") on this subject, "i look upon that notion of delicacy which would exclude women from knowledge calculated in an extraordinary degree to open, exalt, and purify their minds, and to fit them for the performance of their duties, as alike degrading to those to whom it affects to show respect, and debasing to the mind that entertains it." at the present time, the knowledge of what constitutes true beauty of form is, perhaps, best acquired by the contemplation of good pictures and sculpture. this may not be in the power of every body; casts, however, may be frequently obtained from the best statues; and many of the finest works of painting are rendered familiar to us by engravings. the _art journal_ has done much in diffusing a taste for art, by the engravings it contains from statues, and from the fine works of english art in the "vernon gallery." engravings, however, can of course represent a statue in one point of view only; but casts are now so cheap as to be within the reach of all persons. small models of the "greek slave" are not unfrequently offered by the italian image venders for one shilling; and although these are not sharp enough to draw from, the form is sufficiently correct to study the general proportions of the figure; and as this figure is more upright than statues usually are, it may be found exceedingly useful for the above purpose. one of these casts, or, if possible, a sharper and better cast of a female figure, should be found on the _toilette_ of every young lady who is desirous of obtaining a knowledge of the proportions and beauties of the figure. we believe it will always be found that the beauty of a figure depends not only upon the symmetry of the parts individually, but upon the harmony and proportion of each part to the rest. the varieties of the human form have been classed under the general heads of the broad, the proportionate, and the slender. the first betokens strength; and what beauty soever, of a peculiar kind, it may display in the figure of the hercules, it is not adapted to set off the charms of the female sex. if, however, each individual part bears a proportionate relation to the whole, the figure will not be without its attraction. it is only when the proportions of two or three of the classes are united in one individual, that the figure becomes ungraceful and remarkable. the athletic--if the term may be applied to females--form of the country girl would appear ridiculous with the small waist, and the white and taper fingers, and small feet of the individuals who come under the denomination of slender forms. the tall and delicate figure would lose its beauty if united to the large and broad hands which pertain to the stronger type. a small waist and foot are as great a blemish to an individual of the broad variety as a large waist and foot are to the slender. "there is a harmony," says dr. wampen, "between all the parts in each kind of form, but each integral is only suited to its own kind of form. true beauty consists not only in the harmony of the elements, but in their being suitable to the kind of form." were this fundamental truth but thoroughly understood, small waists and small feet would be at a discount. when they are recognized _as small_, they have ceased to be beautiful, because they are disproportionate. where every part of a figure is perfectly proportioned to the rest, no single parts appear either large or small. the ill effects of the stays in a sanatory point of view have been frequently pointed out, and we hope are now understood. it will, therefore, be unnecessary to enlarge on this head. we have asserted that stays are detrimental to beauty of form; we shall now endeavor to show in what particulars. [illustration: pl. 4. figures 43, 44. from the plates of sommaering, shows the waist of the venus of antiquity. 45, 46. the waist of a modern lady, from the above. 49. from the "london news." 50. woman of mitylene. 53. algerine woman. 54. the archon's wife. ] the natural form of the part of the trunk which forms the waist is not absolutely cylindrical, but is flattened considerably in front and back, so that the breadth is much greater from side to side than from front to back. this was undoubtedly contrived for wise purposes; yet fashion, with its usual caprice, has interfered with nature, and by promulgating the pernicious error that a rounded form of the waist is more beautiful than the flattened form adopted by nature, has endeavored to effect this change by means of the stays, which force the lower ribs closer together, and so produce the desired form. nothing can be more ungraceful than the sudden diminution in the size of the waist occasioned by the compression of the ribs, as compared with the gently undulating line of nature; yet, we are sorry to say, nothing is more common. a glance at the cuts, figs. 43, 44, 45, 46, from the work of sommæring, will explain our meaning more clearly than words. fig. 43 represents the natural waist of the venus of antiquity; fig. 45, that of a lady of the modern period. the diagrams 44 and 46 show the structure of the ribs of each. it will be seen that, by the pressure of the stays, the arch formed by the lower ribs is entirely closed, and the waist becomes four or five inches smaller than it was intended by nature. is it any wonder that persons so deformed should have bad health, or that they should produce unhealthy offspring? is it any wonder that so many young mothers should have to lament the loss of their first born? we have frequently traced tight lacing in connection with this sad event, and we cannot help looking upon it as cause and effect. by way of further illustration, we refer our readers to some of the numerous engravings from statues in the _art journal_, which, though very beautiful, are not distinguished by small waists. we may mention, as examples, bailey's "graces;" marshall's "dancing girl reposing;" "the toilet," by wickman; "the bavaria," by schwanthaler; and "the psyche," by theed. there is another effect produced by tight lacing, which is too ungraceful in its results to be overlooked, namely, that a pressure on one part is frequently, from the elasticity of the figure, compensated by an enlargement in another part. it has been frequently urged by inconsiderate persons, that, where there is a tendency to corpulency, stays are necessary to limit exuberant growth, and confine the form within the limits of gentility. we believe that this is entirely a mistake, and that, if the waist be compressed, greater fulness will be perceptible both above and below, just as, when one ties a string tight round the middle of a pillow, it is rendered fuller at each end. with reference to the waist, as to every thing else, the _juste milieu_ is literally the thing to be desired. it has been already observed, that a small waist is beautiful only when it is accompanied by a slender and small figure; but, as the part of the trunk, immediately beneath the arms, is filled with powerful muscles, these, when developed by exercise, impart a breadth to this part of the figure which, by comparison, causes the waist to appear small. a familiar example of this, in the male figure, presents itself in the hercules, the waist of which appears disproportionately small; yet it is really of the normal size, its apparent smallness being occasioned by the prodigious development of the muscles of the upper part of the body. the true way of diminishing the apparent size of the waist, is, as we have remarked above, by increasing the power of the muscles of the upper part of the frame. this can only be done by exercise; and as the habits of society, as now constituted, preclude the employment of young ladies in household duties, they are obliged to find a substitute for this healthy exertion in calisthenics. there was a time when even the queens of spain did not disdain to employ their royal hands in making sausages; and to such perfection was this culinary accomplishment carried at one period, that it is upon record that the emperor charles v., after his retirement from the cares and dignities of the empire, longed for sausages "of the kind which queen juaña, now in glory, used to pride herself in making in the flemish fashion." (see mr. stirling's "cloister life of charles v.") this is really like going back to the old times, when- "the queen of hearts, she made some tarts." in england, some fifty years ago, the young ladies of the ancient city of norwich were not considered to have completed their education, until they had spent some months under the tuition of the first confectioner in the city, in learning to make cakes and pastry--an art which they afterwards continued when they possessed houses of their own. this wholesome discipline of beating eggs and whipping creams, kneading biscuits and gingerbread, was calculated to preserve their health, and afford sufficient exercise to the muscles of the arms and shoulders, without having recourse to artificial modes of exertion. it does not appear that the ancients set the same value upon a small waist as the moderns; for, in their draped female figures, the whole circuit of the waist is seldom visible, some folds of the drapery being suffered to fall over a part, thus leaving its exact extent to the imagination. the same remark is applicable to the great italian painters, who seldom marked the whole contour of the waist, unless when painting portraits, in which case the costume was of course observed. it was not so, however, with the shoulders, the true width of which was always seen; and how voluminous soever the folds of the drapery around the body, it was never arranged so as to add to the width of the shoulders. narrow shoulders and broad hips are esteemed beauties in the female figure, while in the male figure the broad shoulders and narrow hips are most admired. [illustration: pl. 5. figure 47. athenian peasant. 48. shepherdess of arcadia. 51. athenian woman. 52. french costume of the tenth century. 62. lady of the time of henry v. ] the costume of the modern greeks is frequently very graceful, (fig. 47, peasant from the environs of athens,) and it adapts itself well to the figure, the movements of which it does not restrain. the prevailing characteristics of the costume are a long robe, reaching to the ground, with full sleeves, very wide at the bands. this dress is frequently embroidered with a graceful pattern round the skirt and sleeves. over it is worn a pelisse, which reaches only to the knees, and is open in front; either without any sleeves, or with tight ones, finishing at the elbows; beneath which are seen the full sleeves of the long robe. the drapery over the bust is full, and is sometimes confined at the waist by a belt; at others it is suffered to hang loosely until it meets the broad, sash-like girdle which encircles the hips, and which hangs so loosely that the hands are rested in its folds as in a pocket. the drapery generally terminates at the throat, under a necklace of coins or jewels. the most usual form of head-dress is a veil so voluminous as to cover the head and shoulders; one end of the veil is frequently thrown over the shoulder, or gathered into a knot behind. the shoes, apparently worn only for walking, consist generally of a very thick sole, with a cap over the toes. one glance at the graceful figures in the plates is sufficient to show how unnecessary stays are to the beauty of the figure. fig. 48, shepherdess of arcadia. the modern greek costumes which we have selected for our illustrations, from the beautiful work of m. de stackelberg, ("costumes et peuples de la grèce moderne," published at rome, 1825,) suggest several points for consideration, and some for our imitation. the dress is long and flowing, and high in the neck. it does not add to the width of the shoulders; it conceals the exact size of the waist by the loose pelisse, which is open in front; it falls in a graceful and flowing line from the arm-pits, narrowing a little at the waist, and spreading gently over the hips, when the skirt falls by its own weight into large folds, instead of curving suddenly from an unnaturally small waist over a hideous bustle, and increasing in size downward to the hem of the dress, like a bell, as in the present english costume. figs. 42 and 49 are selected from the "illustrated london news." (volume for 1851, july to december, pp. 20 and 117.) the one represents out-door costume, the other in-door. many such are scattered through the pages of our amusing and valuable contemporary. for the out-door costume we beg to refer our readers to the large woodcut in the same volume, (pp. 424, 425.) if a traveller from a distant country, unacquainted with the english and french fashions, were to contemplate this cut, he would be puzzled to account for the remarkable shape of the ladies, who all, more or less, resemble the figure we have selected for our illustration; and, if he is any thing of a naturalist, he will set them down in his own mind as belonging to a new species of the genus _homo_. looking at this and other prints of the day, we should think that the artists intended to convey a satire on the ladies' dress, if we did not frequently meet with such figures in real life. the lady in the evening dress (fig. 49) is from a large woodcut in the same journal representing a ball. this costume, with much pretension to elegance, exhibits most of the faults of the modern style of dress. it combines the indecently low dress, with the pinched waist, and the hoop petticoat. in the figure of the woman of mitylene, (fig. 50,) the true form and width of the shoulders are apparent, and the form of the bust is indicated, but not exposed, through the loosely fitting drapery which covers it. in the figure of the athenian peasant, (fig. 47,). the loose drapery over the bust is confined at the waist by a broad band, while the hips are encircled by the sash-like girdle in which the figure rests her hands. the skirt of the pelisse appears double, and the short sleeve, embroidered at the edge, shows the full sleeve of the under drapery, also richly embroidered. in the second figure from the environs of athens, (fig. 51,) we observe that the skirt of the pelisse, instead of being set on in gathers or plaits, as our dresses are, is "gored," or sloped away at the top, where it unites almost imperceptibly with the body, giving rise to undulating lines, instead of sudden transitions and curves. in the cut of the arcadian peasant, (fig. 48,) the pelisse is shortened almost to a spencer, or _côte hardie_, and it wants the graceful flow of the longer skirt, for which the closely fitting embroidered apron is no compensation. this figure is useful in showing that tight bodies may be fitted to the figure without stays. the heavy rolled girdle on the hips is no improvement. the dress of the algerine woman, (fig. 53,) copied from the "illustrated london news," bears a strong resemblance to the greek costume, and is very graceful. it is not deformed either by the pinched waist or the stays. in the tenth century, the french costume (fig. 52) somewhat resembled that of the modern greeks; the former, however, had not the short pelisse, but, in its place, the ladies wore a long veil, which covered the head, and reached nearly to the feet. the greek and oriental costume has always been a favorite with painters: the "vernon gallery" furnishes us with two illustrations; and the excellent engravings of these subjects in the _art journal_ enable us to compare the costumes of the two figures while at a distance from the originals. the graceful figure of "the greek girl," (engraved in the _art journal_ for 1850,) painted by sir charles eastlake, is not compressed by stays, but is easy and natural. the white under-drapery is confined at the waist, which is short, by a broad girdle, which appears to encircle it more than once, and adds to the apparent length of the waist; the open jacket, without a collar, falls gracefully from the shoulders, and conceals the limits of the waist; every thing is easy, natural, and graceful. m. de stackelberg's beautiful figure of the "archon's wife" (fig. 54) shows the district whence sir c. eastlake drew his model. there is the same flowing hair,--from which hang carnations, as in the picture in the "vernon gallery,"--the same cap, the same necklace. but in the baron's figure, we find the waist encircled with a broad band, six or seven inches in width, while the lady rests her hand on the sash-like girdle, which falls round the hips. turn we now to pickersgill's "syrian maid," (engraved in the _art journal_ for 1850:) here, we see, the artist has taken a painter's license, and represented the fair oriental in stays, which, we believe, are happily unknown in the east. how stiff and constrained does this figure appear, after looking at sir c. eastlake's beautiful "greek girl;" how unnatural the form of the chest! the limits of the waist are not visible, it is true, in the "syrian maid," but the shadow is so arranged, that the rounded form, to which we have before alluded, and which fashion deems necessary, is plainly perceptible; and an impression is made that the waist is small and pinched. we could mention some cases in which the girdle is omitted altogether, without any detriment to the gracefulness of the figure. such dresses, however, though illustrative of the principle, are not adapted to the costume of real life. in sculpture, however, they frequently occur. we may mention gibson's statue of her majesty, the female figure in m'dougall's "triumph of love," and "penelope," by wyatt, which are engraved in the _art journal_, (the first in the year 1846, the others in 1849.) but the drapery of statues can, however, scarcely be taken as a precedent for that of the living subject, and although we mention that the girdle is sometimes dispensed with, we are far from advocating this in practice; nay, we consider the sash or girdle is indispensable; all that we stipulate for is, that it should not be so tight as to compress the figure, or impede circulation. in concluding our remarks on this subject, we would observe, that the best means of improving the figure are to secure freedom of motion by the use of light and roomy clothing, and to strengthen the muscles by exercise. we may also observe, that singing is not only beneficial to the lungs, but that it strengthens the muscles, and increases the size of the chest, and, consequently, makes the waist appear smaller. singing, and other suitable exercises in which both arms are used equally, will improve the figure more than all the backboards in the world. chapter iii. the head. there is no part of the body which has been more exposed to the vicissitudes of fashion than the head, both as regards its natural covering of hair, and the artificial covering of caps and bonnets. at one time, we read of sprinkling the hair with gold dust; at another time, the bright brown hair, of the color of the horse-chestnut, so common in italian pictures, was the fashion. this color, as well as that beautiful light golden tint sometimes seen in italian pictures of the same period, was frequently the result of art, and receipts for producing both tints are still to be found in old books of "_secreti_." both these were in their turn discarded, and after a time the real color of the hair was lost in powder and pomatum. the improving taste of the present generation is, perhaps, nowhere more conspicuous than in permitting us to preserve the natural color of the hair, and to wear our own, whether it be black, brown, or gray. there is also a marked improvement in the more natural way in which the hair has been arranged during the last thirty years. we allude, particularly, to its being suffered to retain the direction intended by nature, instead of being combed upright, and turned over a cushion a foot or two in height. these head-dresses, emphatically called, from their french origin, _têtes_, were built or plastered up only once a month: it is easy to imagine what a state they must have been in during the latter part of the time. madame d'oberkirch gives, in her memoirs, an amusing description of a novel head-dress of this kind. we transcribe it for the amusement of our readers. "this blessed 6th of june she awakened me at the earliest dawn. i was to get my hair dressed, and make a grand _toilette_, in order to go to versailles, whither the queen had invited the countess du nord, for whose amusement a comedy was to be performed. these court _toilettes_ are never-ending, and this road from paris to versailles very fatiguing, especially where one is in continual fear of rumpling her petticoats and flounces. i tried that day, for the first time, a new fashion--one, too, which was not a little _gênante_. i wore in my hair little flat bottles, shaped to the curvature of the head; into these a little water was poured, for the purpose of preserving the freshness of the natural flowers worn in the hair, and of which the stems were immersed in the liquid. this did not always succeed, but when it did, the effect was charming. _nothing could be more lovely than the floral wreath crowning the snowy pyramid of powdered hair!_" few of our readers, we reckon, are inclined to participate in the admiration of the baroness, so fancifully expressed, for this singular head-dress. we do not presume to enter into the question whether short curls are more becoming than long ones, or whether bands are preferable to curls of any kind; because, as the hair of some persons curls naturally, while that of others is quite straight, we consider that this is one of the points which must be decided accordingly as one style or the other is found to be most suitable to the individual. the principle in the arrangement of the hair round the forehead should be to preserve or assist the oval form of the face: as this differs in different individuals, the treatment should be adapted accordingly. the arrangement of the long hair at the back of the head is a matter of taste; as it interferes but little with the countenance, it may be referred to the dictates of fashion; although in this, as in every thing else, simplicity in the arrangement, and grace in the direction of the lines, are the chief points to be considered. one of the most elegant head-dresses we remember to have seen, is that worn by the peasants of the milanese and ticinese. they have almost uniformly glossy, black hair, which is carried round the back of the head in a wide braid, in which are placed, at regular intervals, long silver pins, with large heads, which produce the effect of a coronet, and contrast well with the dark color of the hair. [illustration: pl. 6. figure 55. after parmegiano. 56. titian's daughter. 57. lady harrington. 59. roman peasant. 61. gigot sleeves. ] the examples afforded by modern sculpture are not very instructive, inasmuch as the features selected by the sculptors are almost exclusively greek, whereas the variety in nature is infinite. with the greek features has also been adopted the antique style of arranging the hair, which is beautifully simple; that is to say, it is parted in the front, and falling down towards each temple, while the long ends rolled lightly back from the face so as to show the line which separates the hair from the forehead, or rather where it seems, as it were, to blend with the flesh tints--an arrangement which assists in preserving the oval contour of the face, are passed over the top of the ear, and looped into the fillet which binds the head. the very becoming arrangement of the hair in the engraving, from a portrait by parmegianino, (fig. 55,) is an adaptation of the antique style, and is remarkable for its simplicity and grace. not less graceful, although more ornamental, is the arrangement of the hair in the beautiful figure called "titian's daughter." fig. 56. in both these instances, we observe the line--if line it may be called--where the color of the hair blends so harmoniously with the delicate tints of the forehead. the same arrangement of the hair round the face may be traced in the pictures by murillo, and other great masters. sir joshua reynolds has frequently evinced consummate skill in the arrangement of the hair, so as to show the line which divides it from the forehead. for some interesting remarks on this subject, we refer our readers to an "essay on dress," republished by mr. murray from the "quarterly review." nothing can be more graceful than sir joshua's mode of disposing of the hair when he was able to follow the dictates of his own good taste; and he deserves great credit for the skill with which he frequently treated the enormous head-dresses which in his time disfigured the heads of our countrywomen. the charming figure of lady harrington (fig. 57) would have been perfect without the superstructure on her beautiful head. how stiff is the head-dress of the next figure, (fig. 58,) also, after sir joshua, when compared with the preceding. the graceful spanish mantilla, to which we can only allude, is too elegant to be overlooked: the modification of it, which of late years has been introduced into this country, is to be considered rather as an ornament than as a head-covering. it has been recently superseded by the long bows of ribbon worn at the back of the head--a costume borrowed from the roman peasants. fig. 59. the fashion for young people to cover the hair with a silken net, which, some centuries ago, was prevalent both in england and in france, has been again revived. some of the more recent of these nets are very elegant in form. the hats and bonnets have, during the last few years, been so moderate in size, and generally so graceful in form, that we will not criticize them more particularly. it will be sufficient to observe that, let the brim be what shape it will, the crown should be nearly of the form and size of the head. if this principle were always kept in view, as it should be, we should never again see the monster hats and bonnets which, some years ago, and even in the memory of persons now living, caricatured the lovely forms of our countrywomen. chapter iv. the dress. we shall consider the dress, by which we mean, simply, the upper garment worn within doors, as consisting of three parts--the sleeve, the body, and the skirt. the sleeve has changed its form as frequently as any part of our habiliments: sometimes it reached to the wrist, sometimes to a short distance below the shoulder. sometimes it was tight to the arm; sometimes it fell in voluminous folds to the hands; now it was widest at the top, then widest at the bottom. to large sleeves themselves there is no objection, in a pictorial point of view, provided that their point of junction with the shoulder is so conspicuous that they do not add to the apparent width of the body in this part. the lines of the sleeves should be flowing; and they are much more graceful when they are widest in the lower part, especially when so open as to display to advantage the beautiful form of the wrist and fore-arm. in this way, they partake of the pyramid, while the inelegant gigot sleeve, which for so long a period enjoyed the favor of the ladies, presents the form of a cone reverted, and is obviously out of place in the human figure. when the large sleeve, supported by canes or whalebones, forms a continuous line with the shoulder, it gives an unnatural width to this part of the figure--an effect that is increased by the large collar which conceals the point where the sleeve meets the dress. examples of the large, open sleeve, in its extreme character, may be studied with most advantage in the portraits of vandyck. fig. 60, lady lucy percy, after vandyck. the effect of these sleeves is frequently improved by their being lined with a different color, and sometimes by contrasting the rich silk of the outer sleeve with the thin gauze or lace which forms the immediate covering of the arm. the figures in the plates will show the comparative gracefulness of two kinds of large sleeves, namely, that which is widest at the top, and that which is widest below. if the outline of the central figure of our more modern group, (fig. 61,)--consisting of three figures, which is copied from a french work,--were filled up with black, a person ignorant of the fashion might, from the great width of the shoulders, have mistaken it for the farnese hercules in petticoats. the large sleeves, tight in the upper part, and enlarging gradually to the wrist, which are worn by the modern greeks, are extremely graceful. when these are confined below the elbow, which is sometimes done for convenience, they resemble somewhat the elbow sleeves with wide ruffles which were so common in the time of sir joshua reynolds. sleeves like those now worn in greece were fashionable in france in the tenth century, and again about the beginning of the sixteenth century. they were also worn by jeanne d'albret, the mother of henry iv., and are seen in fig. 41. a very elegant sleeve, fitting nearly close at the shoulder, and becoming very full and long till it falls in graceful folds almost to the feet, prevailed in england during the time of henry v. and vi. fig. 62, copied from a manuscript of the time of henry v., now preserved in the british museum. on the authority of professor heideloff, it is said to have existed also in flanders in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, and in france in the fifteenth century. in the examples of continental costume, the _tout ensemble_ is graceful, and especially the head-dress; while in england the elegant sleeve is accompanied with very short waists, and with the hideous, horned head-dresses then fashionable. the effect of these sleeves much resembles that of the mantles of the present day, and from its wide flow is only adapted for full dress, or out-of-door costume. the sleeves worn under these full ones were generally tight. at a much later period, the large sleeves were made of more moderate dimensions, both in length and width, and a full sleeve of fine lawn or muslin, fastened at the wrist with a band, and edged with a lace ruffle, was worn beneath. this kind of sleeve has recently been again introduced into england, but has given place to another form, in which the under sleeve of lace or muslin, being of the same size as the upper, suffers the lower part of the arm to be visible. the effect of this sleeve, which is certainly becoming to a finely-formed arm, is analogous to that of the elbow sleeve, which, with its deep ruffles of point lace, is frequent on the portraits of sir joshua reynolds. [illustration: pl. 7. figure 63. from bonnard's costumes. 64. sancta victoria. 65. anne, countess of chesterfield, from vandyck. 67. woman of markinitza. ] the slashed sleeve, criticized by shakspeare in the "taming of the shrew," was sometimes very elegant. the form in which it appears in fig. 63, worn in the fifteenth century, is particularly graceful. not so, however, the lower part of the sleeve. in the preceding remarks, we have considered the sleeve merely in a picturesque point of view, without reference to its convenience or inconvenience. the length of the waist has always been a matter of caprice. sometimes the girdle was placed nearly under the arms; sometimes it passed to the opposite extreme, and was suffered to fall upon the hips. sometimes it was drawn tightly round the middle, when it seemed to cut the body almost in two, like an hourglass. judging from what we see, we should say that this is a feat which many ladies of the present time are endeavoring to achieve. the first and third cases are almost equally objectionable, because they distort the figure. the hip girdle, which is common in greece (as shown in figs. 48 and 53) and oriental countries, prevailed also in england and france some centuries ago. the miniatures of old manuscripts furnish us with examples of long-waisted dresses fitting closely to the person, sometimes stiffened like the modern stays, at others yielding to the figure. the waist of this kind of dress reached to the hips, where it was joined to the full petticoat, which was gathered round the top--an extremely ungraceful fashion. the hip girdle, properly used, is, however, by no means inelegant. it is not at all necessary that it should coincide with the waist of the dress; it should be merely looped or clasped loosely round the figure, and suffered to fall to its place by its own weight. but to enable it to do so in a graceful manner, it is essential that the skirt of the dress should be so united with the body as to produce no harsh lines of separation, or sudden changes of curvature; as, for example, when the skirt is set on in full plaits, or gathers, and spread over a hoop. we have before noticed, that this point was attended to by rubens, (fig. 66,) by vandyck, (fig. 65,) by sir joshua reynolds, and by the modern greeks. we refer also to the elegant figure 64. the most natural situation for the girdle, or point of junction of the body with the skirt, is somewhere between the end of the breast bone and the last rib, as seen in front--a space of about three or four inches. fashion may dictate the exact spot, but within this space it cannot be positively wrong. the effect is good when the whole space is filled with a wide sash folded round the waist, as in sir c. eastlake's "greek girl," or some of the graceful portraits by sir joshua reynolds. how much more elegant is a sash of this description than the stiff line which characterizes the upper part of the dress of "sancta victoria." (fig. 64.) the whalebone, or busk, is absolutely necessary to keep the dress in its proper place. the resemblance in form between the body of the dress of this figure and those now or recently in fashion cannot fail to arrest the attention of the reader. stiff, though, as it undoubtedly is, the whole dress is superior to the modern in the general flow of the lines uniting the body and skirt. long skirts are more graceful than short ones, and a train of moderate length adds to the elegance of a dress, but not to its convenience. long dresses, also, add to the apparent height of a figure, and for this reason they are well adapted to short persons. for the same reason, waists of moderate length are more generally becoming than those that are very long, because the latter, by shortening the skirt of the dress, diminish the apparent height. besides the variation in length, the skirts of dresses have passed through every gradation of fulness. at one time, it was the fashion to slope gradually from the waist, without gathers or plaits; then a little fulness was admitted at the back; then a little at the front, also. the next step was to carry the fulness all round the waist. in the graceful costume of the time of vandyck, and even in the more stiff and formal dress delineated in the pictures of rubens, the skirt was united to the body by large, flat plaits, when the fulness expanded gradually and gracefully, and the rich material of the dress spread in well-arranged folds to the feet. the lines were gently undulating and graceful, and that unnatural and clumsy contrivance called a "bustle"--a near relation of the hoop and fardingale--was at that time happily unknown. this principle of uniting the skirt gradually with the body of the dress is carried out to the fullest extent by the modern greeks. in the figure of the peasant from the neighborhood of athens, (fig. 47,) the pelisse is made without gathers or plaits: the skirt, which hangs full round the knees, is "gored" or sloped away till it fits the body at the waist. the long underskirt is, as we find from the figure of the woman of makrinitza, (fig. 67,) gathered several times, so as to lie flat to the figure, instead of being spread over the inelegant "bustle." it is only necessary to compare these graceful figures, in which due regard has been paid to the undulating lines of the figure, with a fashionable lady of the present day, whose "polka jacket," or whatever may be the name of this article of dress, is cut with violent and deep curves, to enable it to spread itself over the bustle and prominent folds of the dress. [illustration: pl. 8. figure 60. lady lucy percy, from vandyck. 69, 70. by jules david, in "le moniteur de la mode." 68. the hoop, after hogarth. ] not satisfied with the bustle in the upper part of the skirt, some ladies of the present day have returned to the old practice of wearing hoops, to make the dresses stand out at the base. these are easily recognized in the street by the "swagging"--no other term will exactly convey the idea--from side to side of the hoops, an effect which is distinctly visible as the wearer walks along. it is difficult to imagine what there is so attractive in the fardingale and hoop, that they should have prevailed, in some form or other, for so many years, and that they should have maintained their ground in spite of the cutting, though playful, raillery of the "spectator," and the jeers and caricatures of less refined censors of the eccentricities of dress. they were not recommended either by beauty of line or convenience, but by the tyrant fashion, and we owe some gratitude to george iv., who banished the last relics of this singular fashion from the court dress, of which, until his time, it continued to form a part. who could imagine that there would be an attempt to revive the hoop petticoat in the nineteenth century? we invite our readers to contrast the lines of the drapery in the figures after vandyck, (figs. 60 and 61,) and those in the modern greek costume, (figs. 51 and 54,) with that of a lady in a hoop, after a satirical painter, hogarth, (fig. 68,) and two figures from a design by jules david, in "le moniteur de la mode," a modern fashionable authority in dress. (figs. 69 and 70.) there can be no doubt which is the most graceful. the width of the shoulders and the tight waist of the latter, will not escape the notice of our readers. chapter v. the feet. the same bad taste which insists upon a small waist, let the height and proportions of the figure be what they will, decrees that a small foot is essential to beauty. size is considered of more importance than form; and justly so if it is a _sine qua non_ that the foot must be small, because the efforts that are made to diminish its size generally render it deformed. we have before mentioned that to endeavor to diminish the size of the human body in a particular part, is like tying a string round the middle of a pillow; it only makes it larger at the extremities. it is so with the waist, it is so with the foot. if it be crippled in length, or in width across the toes, it spreads over the instep and sides. the italians and other nations of the south of europe have smaller hands and feet than the anglo-saxons; and as this fact is generally known, it is astonishing that people of sense should persist in crippling themselves merely for the reputation of having small feet. here again we have to complain of poets and romance writers; ladies would not have pinched their feet into small shoes, if these worthies had not sung the praises of "tiny feet." "her feet, beneath her petticoat, like little mice, stole in and out, as if they feared the light." nor are painters--portrait painters, we mean, and living ones too--it is needless however, to mention names--entirely free from blame for thus ministering to vanity and false taste. they have sacrificed truth to fashion in painting the feet smaller than they could possibly be in nature. but it is not only with the endeavor to cripple their dimensions that we are inclined to quarrel. we object _in toto_ to the shape of the shoe, which bears but little resemblance to that of the foot. we have heard persons say that they could never see any beauty in a foot. no wonder, when they saw none but those that were deformed by corns and bunions. how unlike is such a foot to the beautiful little--for little it really is in this case--fat foot of a child, before its beauty has been spoiled by shoes, or even to those of the barefooted children one sees so frequently in the street. were it not for these opportunities of seeing nature we, in this country, should have but little idea of the true shape of the human foot, except what we learn from statues. according to a recent traveller, we must go to egypt to see beautiful feet. it is impossible, he says, to see any thing more exquisite than the feet and hands of the female peasants. the same beauty is conspicuous in the hindoo women. let us compare now the shape of the foot with that of the sole of a shoe. when the foot is placed on the ground, the toes spread out, the great toe is in a straight line with the inner side of the foot, and there is an opening between this and the second toe. the ancients availed themselves of this opening to pass through it one of the straps that suspended the sandal. the moderns on the contrary press the toes closely together, in order to confine them within the limits of the shoe; the consequence is, that the end of the great toe is pressed towards the others, and out of the straight line, the joint becomes enlarged, and thus the foundation is laid for a bunion; while the toes, forced one upon another, become distorted and covered with corns. one of the consequences of this imprisonment of our toes is, that, from being squeezed so closely together, they become useless. let any one try the experiment of walking barefooted across the room, and while so doing look at the foot. the toes, when unfettered by the shoes, spread out and divide from one another, and the body rests on a wider and firmer base. we begin to find we have some movement in our toes; yet, how feeble is their muscular power, compared with that of persons who are unaccustomed to the use of shoes! the hindoo uses his toes in weaving; the australian savage is as handy (if the term can be applied to feet) with this member, as another man is with his hands; it is the unsuspected instrument with which he executes his thefts. the country boy, who runs over the roof of a house like a cat, takes off his shoes before he attempts the hazardous experiment; he has a surer hold with his foot on the smooth slates and sloping roof. the exercise of the muscles of the foot has the effect of increasing the power of those of the calf of the leg; and the thinner the sole, and the more pliant the materials of which the shoe is made, the more the power is developed. dancing masters, who habitually wear thin shoes, have the muscles of the leg well developed, while ploughmen, who wear shoes with soles an inch thick, have very little calf to their leg. the french sabot is, we consider, better than the closely fitting shoe of our country people; because it is so large, that it requires some muscular exertion to keep it in its place. we have frequently seen french boys running in sabots, the foot rising at every step almost out of the unyielding wooden shoe. wooden clogs and pattens are as bad as the thick shoes of the country people. when clogs are necessary, the sole should be made of materials which will yield to the motion of the foot. the american indian's moccasins are a much better covering for the foot than our shoes. if thick soles are objectionable by impeding the free movement of the limb, what shall we say to the high heel which was once so popular, and which threatens again to come into fashion? it is to be hoped, however, when the effects of wearing high heels are duly considered, that this pernicious custom will not make progress. it is well for their poor unfortunate votaries, that the introduction of certain fashions is gradual; that both mind and body--perhaps we should be more correct in saying the person of the wearer and the eye of the spectator--are, step by step, prepared for the extreme point which certain fashions attain; they have their rise, their culminating point, and their decline. the attempt to exchange the short waists, worn some thirty or forty years ago, for the very long waists seen during the past year, would have been unsuccessful; the transition would have been too great--too violent; the change was effected, but it was the work of many years. the same thing took place with regard to the high head-dresses which were so deservedly ridiculed by addison, and in an equally marked degree with respect to high heels. the shoes in the cut, after gainsborough, (fig. 71,) are fair specimens of what were in fashion in his time. let the reader compare the line of the sole with that of the human foot placed, as nature intended it, flat on the ground. the heel was in some cases four and a half inches high; the line, therefore, must have been in this case, a highly inclined plane, undulating in its surface, like the "line of beauty" of hogarth. the position of the foot is that of a dancer resting on the toes, excepting that the heel is supported, and the strain over the instep and contraction of the muscles of the back of the leg and heel must be considerable; so much so we are told, that the contraction of the latter becomes habitual; consequently, those persons who have accustomed themselves to the use of high heels, are never afterwards able to do without them. it is said that "pride never feels pain;" we should think the proverb was made for those who wear high heels, for we are told, although we cannot speak from personal experience, that the pain on first wearing shoes of this kind, in which the whole weight of the body seems to thrust the toes forward into the shoe, is excruciating; nothing but fashion could reconcile one to such voluntary suffering. the peas in the shoes of the pilgrims could scarcely be more painful. [illustration: pl. 9. figure 66. from rubens's "descent from the cross." 71. from a drawing by gainsborough. 72. woman of myconia. 74. queen anne. ] it was with some surprise that we found among m. stackelberg's graceful costumes of modern greece a pair of high-heeled shoes, (fig. 72,) which might rival in ugliness and inconvenience any of those worn in england. we have known an instance where the lady's heels were never less than an inch and a half high. we were sorry to observe some of these high-heeled shoes in the great exhibition, and still more so, to see that shoes with heels an inch high are likely to be fashionable this season. could we look forward to this height as the limit of the fashion, we might reconcile ourselves to it for a time; but, judging from past experience, there is reason to fear that the heel will become continually higher, until it attains the elevation of former years. not content with imprisoning our feet in tight shoes, and thereby distorting their form and weakening their muscular power, we are guilty of another violence towards nature. nature has made our toes to turn inwards; when man is left to himself the toes naturally take this direction, though in a much less degree than in the infant. the american indian will trace a european by his footprints, which he detects by the turning out of the toes; a lesson we are taught in our childhood, and especially by our dancing master. sir joshua reynolds used to say, "the gestures of children, being all dictated by nature, are graceful; affectation and distortion come in with the dancing master." now, observe the consequence of turning out the toes. the inner ankle is bent downwards towards the ground, and the knees are drawn inwards, producing the deformity called knock-kneed; thus the whole limb is distorted, and consequently weakened; there is always a want of muscular power in the legs of those who turn their toes very much outwards. it must be remarked, however, that women, from the greater breadth of the frame at the hips, naturally turn the toes out more than men. in this point also, statues may be studied with advantage. where form only is considered, it is generally safer to refer to examples of sculpture than painting; because in the latter, the artist is apt to lose sight of this primary object in his attention to color and form; besides, it is the sculptor only, who makes an exact image of a figure which is equally perfect, seen from all points of view. the painter makes only a pictorial or perspective representation of nature, as seen from one point of view only. what pains we take to distort and disfigure the beautiful form that nature has bestowed upon the human race! now building a tower on the head, then raising the heel at the expense of the toe; at one time confining the body in a case of whalebone, and compressing it at the waist like an hour glass; at another, surrounding it with the enormous and ungraceful hoop, till the outline of the figure is so altered, that a person can scarcely recognize her own shadow as that of a human being. chapter vi. remarks on particular costumes. we must now offer a few brief remarks upon certain costumes which appear to us most worthy of our attention and study, for their general elegance and adaptation to the figure. of the modern greek we have already spoken. the style of dress which has been immortalized by the pencil of vandyck is considered among the most elegant that has ever prevailed in this country. it is not, however, faultless. the row of small curls around the face, however becoming to some persons, is somewhat formal; and although the general arrangement of the hair, which preserves the natural size and shape of the head, is more graceful than that of the time of sir joshua reynolds, we think it would have been more pleasing had it left visible the line which divides the hair from the forehead. with regard to the dress itself, it is apparent, in the first place, that the figures are spoiled by stays; secondly, that the dress is cut too low in front; and thirdly, that the large sleeves sometimes give too great width in front to the shoulders. these defects are, in some degree, counterbalanced by the graceful flow of the ample drapery, and of the large sleeves, which are frequently widest at their lower part, and by the gently undulating line which unites the waist of the dress with the skirt. the vandyck dress, with its voluminous folds, is, however, more appropriate to the inhabitants of palaces, than to the ordinary occupants of this working-day world. the drapery is too wide and flowing for convenience. the annexed cut, (fig. 73,) representing charlotte de la tremouille, the celebrated countess of derby, exhibits some of the defects and many of the beauties of the vandyck dress. lely's half-dressed figures may be passed over without comment; they are draped, not dressed. kneller's are more instructive on the subject of costume. the dress of queen anne, (fig. 74,) in kneller's portrait, is graceful and easy. the costume is a kind of transition between the vandyck and reynolds style. the sleeves are smaller at the shoulder than in the former, and larger at the lower part than in the latter; in fact, they resemble those now worn by the modern greeks. the dress is cut higher round the bust, and is longer in the waist than the vandycks, while the undulating line uniting the body and skirt is still preserved. while such good examples were set by the painters--who were not, however, the inventors of the fashions they painted--it is astonishing that these graceful styles of dress should have been superseded in real life by the lofty head-dresses and preposterous fashions which prevailed during the same period and long afterwards, and which even the ironical and severe remarks of addison, in the "spectator," were unable to banish from the circles of fashion. speaking of the dresses of ladies during the reigns of james ii. and william iii., mr. planché, in his "history of british costumes," says, "the tower or commode was still worn, and the gowns and petticoats flounced and furbelowed, so that every part of the garment was in curl;" and a lady of fashion "looked like one of those animals," says the "spectator," "which in the country we call a friesland hen." but in 1711 we find mr. addison remarking, "the whole sex is now dwarfed and shrunk into a race of beauties that seems almost another species. i remember several ladies who were once nearly seven foot high, that at present want some inches of five. how they come to be thus curtailed i cannot learn; whether the whole sex be at present under any penance which we know nothing of, or whether they have cast their head-dresses in order to surprise us with something in that kind which shall be entirely new: though i find most are of opinion they are at present like trees lopped and pruned, that will certainly sprout up and flourish with greater heads than before." the costume of the time of sir joshua reynolds, as treated by this great artist, though less splendid, appears to us, with the exception of the head-dress, nearly as graceful, and far more convenient than the vandyck dress. it is more modest, more easy, and better adapted to show the true form of the shoulders, while the union of the body of the dress with the skirt is effected in the same graceful manner as in the vandyck portraits. the materials of the drapery in the latter are generally silks and satins; of the former, it is frequently muslin and stuff of a soft texture, which clings more closely to the form. that much of the elegance of both styles of dress is to be attributed to the skill and good taste of the painters, is evident from an examination of portraits by contemporary artists. much also may be ascribed to the taste of the wearer. there are some people who, though habited in the best and richest clothes, never appear well dressed; their garments, rumpled and untidy, look as if they had been pitched on them, like hay, with a fork; while others, whose dress consists of the most homely materials, appear well dressed, from the neatness and taste with which their clothes are arranged. [illustration: pl. 10. figure 73. charlotte de la tremouille. 75. after gainsborough. 76. after gainsborough. 77. costume of mrs. bloomer. ] many of the costumes of gainsborough's portraits are elegant and graceful, with the frequent exception of the extravagant head-dress and the high-heeled shoes. the easy and very pleasing figure, (fig. 75,) after this accomplished artist, is not exempt from the above defects. in our next illustration, (fig. 76,) gainsborough has not been so happy. the lady is almost lost in her voluminous and fluttering drapery, and the dishevelled hair and the enormous hat give to the figure much of the appearance of a caricature. leaving now the caprices of fashion, we must notice a class of persons who, from a religious motive, have resisted for two hundred years the tyranny of fashion, and, until recently, have transmitted the same form of dress from mother to daughter for nearly the same period of years. the ladies of the society of friends, or, as they are usually called, "quakers," are still distinguished by the simplicity and neatness of their dress--the quiet drabs and browns of which frequently contrast with the richness of the material--and by the absence of all ornament and frippery. every part of their dress is useful and convenient; it has neither frills, nor flounces, nor trimmings to carry the dirt and get shabby before the dress itself, nor wide sleeves to dip in the plates and lap up the gravy and sauces, nor artificial flowers, nor bows of ribbons. the dress is long enough for decency, but not so long as to sweep the streets, as many dresses and shawls are daily seen to do. some few years back the quaker ladies might have been reproached with adhering to the letter, while they rejected the spirit, of their code of dress by adhering too literally to the costume handed down to them. the crowns of their caps were formerly made very high, and for this reason it was necessary that the crowns of their bonnets should be high enough to admit the cap crown; hence the peculiarly ugly and remarkable form of this part of the dress. the crown of the cap has, however, recently been lowered, and the quaker ladies, with much good sense, have not only modified the form of their bonnets, but have also adopted the straw and drawn silk bonnet in their most simple forms. in the style of their dress, also, they occasionally approach so near the fashions generally worn, that they are no longer distinguishable by the singularity of their dress, but by its simplicity and chasteness. we venture now to devote a few words to the bloomer costume, (fig. 77,) although we are aware that we are treading on tender ground, especially as the costume involves a sudden and complete change in the dress. independently of its merits or demerits, there are several reasons why it did not succeed in this country. in the first place, as we have before observed, it originated in america, and was attempted to be introduced through the middle ranks. in the second place, the change which it endeavored to effect was too sudden. had the alteration commenced with the higher classes, and the change been effected gradually, its success might possibly have been different. thirdly, the large hat, so well adapted to the burning sun of america, was unnecessary, and remarkable when forming a part of the costume of adult ladies in this country, although we have seen that hats quite as large were worn during the time of gainsborough. another reason for the ill success of the bloomer costume is to be found in the glaring and frequently ill-assorted colors of the prints of it, which were every where exposed in the shop windows. by many sober-minded persons, the large hat and glaring colors were looked upon as integral parts of the costume. the numerous caricatures also, and the injudicious attempts to make it popular by getting up "bloomer balls," contributed to render the costume ridiculous and unpopular. setting aside the hat, the distinguishing characteristics of the costume are the short dress, and a polka jacket fitting the body at the throat and shoulders, and confined at the waist by a silken sash, and the trousers fastened by a band round the ankle, and finished off with a frill. on the score of modesty there can be no objection to the dress, since the whole of the body is covered. on the ground of convenience it recommends itself to those who, having the superintendence of a family, are obliged frequently to go up and down stairs, on which occasions it is always necessary to raise the dress before or behind, according to circumstances. the objection to the trousers is not to this article of dress being worn, since that is a general practice, but to their being seen. yet we suspect few ladies would object on this account to appear at a fancy ball in the turkish costume. the disadvantages of the dress are its novelty--for we seldom like a fashion to which we are entirely unaccustomed--and the exposure which it involves of the foot, the shape of which, in this country, is so frequently distorted by wearing tight shoes of a different shape from the foot. the short dress is objectionable in another point of view, because, as short petticoats diminish the apparent height of the person, none but those who possess tall and elegant figures will look well in this costume; and appearance is generally suffered to prevail over utility and convenience. if to the bloomer costume had been added the long under-dress of the greek women, or had the trousers been as full as those worn by the turkish and east indian women, the general effect of the dress would have been much more elegant, although perhaps less useful. setting aside all considerations of fashion, as we always do in looking at the fashions which are gone by, it was impossible for any person to deny that the bloomer costume was by far the most elegant, the most modest, and the most convenient. chapter vii. ornament--economy. ornament, although not an integral part of dress, is so intimately connected with it, that we must devote a few words to the subject. under the general term of ornament we shall include bows of ribbon, artificial flowers, feathers, jewels, lace, fringes, and trimmings of all kinds. some of these articles appear to be suited to one period of life, some to another. jewels, for instance, though suitable for middle age, seem misplaced on youth, which should always be characterized by simplicity of apparel; while flowers, which are so peculiarly adapted to youth, are unbecoming to those advanced in years; in the latter case there is contrast without harmony; it is like uniting may with december. the great principle to be observed with regard to ornament is, that it should be appropriate, and appear designed to answer some useful purpose. a brooch, or a bow of ribbon, for instance, should fasten some part of the dress; a gold chain should support a watch or an eyeglass. trimmings are useful to mark the borders or edges of the different parts of the dress; and in this light they add to the variety, while by their repetition they conduce to the regularity of the ornamentation. [illustration: pl. 11. figure 78. from the embroidery on fig. 47, pl. 5. 79. from the sleeve of the same dress, above. 80. from the sleeve of the pelisse. 81. the pattern embroidered from the waist to the skirt of the dress, fig. 51, pl. 5. 82. the border of the shawl, fig. 51. 83. sleeve of the same, figure 51. 84. design on the apron, fig. 48, pl. 5. 85. from the border of the same dress, fig. 48. ] ornament is so much a matter of fashion, that beyond the above remarks it scarcely comes within the scope of our subject. there is one point, however, to which the present encouragement of works of design induces us to draw the attention of our readers. we have already borrowed from the beautiful work of m. de stackelberg, some of the female figures in illustration of our views with regard to dress; we have now to call the attention of our readers to the patterns embroidered on the dresses. these are mostly of classic origin, and prove that the descendants of the greeks have still sufficient good taste to appreciate and adopt the designs of their glorious ancestors. the figures in the plates being too small to show the patterns, we have enlarged some of them from the original work, in order to show the style of design still cultivated among the peasants of greece, and also because we think the designs may be applied to other materials besides dress. some of them appear not inappropriate to iron work. when will our people be able to show designs of such elegance? fig. 78 is an enlarged copy of the embroidery on the robe of the peasant from the environs of athens, (fig. 47.) it extends, as will be seen, half way up the skirt. fig. 79 is from the sleeve of the same dress. fig. 80 is the pattern embroidered on the sleeve of the pelisse. fig. 81 is the pattern from the waist to the hem of the skirt of an athenian peasant's dress, (fig. 51.) fig. 82 is the border to the shawl; fig. 83, the sleeve of the last-mentioned dress; fig. 84, the design on the apron of the arcadian peasant, (fig. 48.) fig. 85 is the border of the same dress. fig. 86 is the pattern round the hem of the long under-dress of the athenian peasant, (fig. 51;) fig. 87, the border of a shawl, or something of the kind. fig. 88 is another example. the brocade dress of sancta victoria (fig. 64) offers a striking contrast to the simple elegance of the greek designs. it is too large for the purpose to which it is employed, and not sufficiently distinct; and, although it possesses much variety, it is deficient in regularity; and one of the elements of beauty in ornamental design, namely, repetition, appears to be entirely wanting. in these respects, the superiority of the greek designs is immediately apparent. they unite at once symmetry with regularity, and variety with repetition. [illustration: pl. 12. figure 86. pattern round the hem of the long under dress, fig. 51, pl. 5. 87, 88. borders of shawls. 89. infant's dress, exhibited at the world's fair in london. 90, 91. from "le moniteur de la mode," by jules david and réville, published at paris, london, new york, and st. petersburg. ] the examination of these designs suggests the reflection that when we have once attained a form of dress which combines ease and elegance with convenience, we should tax our ingenuity in inventing ornamental designs for decorating it, rather than seek to discover novel forms of dress. the endless variety of textile fabrics which our manufacturers are constantly producing, the variety, also, in the colors, will, with the embroidery patterns issued by our schools of design, suffice to appease the constant demand for novelty, which exists in an improving country, without changing the form of our costume, unless to adopt others which reason and common sense point out as superior to that in use. we are told to try all things, and to hold fast to that which is good. the maxim is applicable to dress as well as to morals. the subject of economy in dress, an essential object with many persons, now claims our attention. we venture to offer a few remarks on this head. our first recommendation is to have but few dresses at a time, and those extremely good. if we have but few dresses, we wear them, and wear them out while they are in fashion; but if we have many dresses at once, some of them become quite old-fashioned before we have done with them. if we are rich enough to afford the sacrifice, the old-fashioned dress is got rid of; if not, we must be content to appear in a fashion that has long been superseded; and we look as if we had come out of the tombs, or as if one of our ancestors had stepped out of her picture frame, and again walked the earth. as to the economy of selecting the best materials for dresses, we argue thus: every dress must be lined and made up, and we pay as much for making and lining an inferior article, as we do for one of the best quality. now, a good silk or merino will wear out two bad ones; therefore, one good dress, lining and making, will cost less than two inferior ones, with the expenses of lining and making them. in point of appearance, also, there is no comparison between the two; the good dress will look well to the last, while one of inferior quality will soon look shabby. when a good silk dress has become too shabby to be worn longer as a dress, it becomes, when cut up, useful for a variety of purposes; whereas an inferior silk, or one purely ornamental, is, when left off, good for nothing. plain dresses, that is to say, those of a single color, and without a pattern, are more economical as well as more quiet in their appearance than those of various colors. they are also generally less expensive, because something is always paid for the novelty of the fashion; besides, colored and figured dresses bear the date on the face of them, as plainly as if it was there in printed characters. the ages of dress fabrics are known by the pattern; therefore dresses of this description should be put on as soon as purchased, and worn out at once, or they will appear old-fashioned. there is another reason why vari-colored dresses are less economical than others. where there are several colors, they may not all be equally fast, and if only one of them fades the dress will lose its beauty. trimmings are not economical; besides their cost in the first instance, they become shabby before the dress, and if removed, they generally leave a mark where they have been, and so spoil the appearance of the dress. dresses made of one kind of material only, are more durable than those composed of two; as, for instance, of cotton and silk, of cotton and worsted, or of silk and worsted. when the silk is merely thrown on the face of the material, it soon wears off. this is also the case in those woollen or cotton goods which have a silken stripe. the question of economy also extends to colors, some of which are much more durable than others. for this we can give no rule, except that drabs and other "quaker colors," as they are frequently called, are amongst the most permanent of all colors. for other colors we must take the word of the draper. there is no doubt, however, but that the most durable colors are the cheapest in the end. in the selection of colors, the expense is not always a criterion; something must be paid for fashion and novelty, and perhaps for the cost of the dye. the newest and most expensive colors are not always those which last the longest. it is not economical to have the dresses made in the extremity of the fashion, because such soon become remarkable; but the fashions should be followed at such a distance, that the wearer may not attract the epithet of old-fashioned. we conclude this part of our subject with a few suggestions relative to the selection of different styles and materials of dress. the style of dress should be adapted to the age of the wearer. as a general rule, we should say that in youth the dress should be simple and elegant, the ornaments being flowers. in middle age, the dress may be of rich materials, and more splendid in its character; jewels are the appropriate ornaments. in the decline of life, the materials of which the dress is composed may be equally rich, but with less vivacious colors: the tertiaries and broken colors are particularly suitable, and the character of the whole costume should be quiet, simple, and dignified. the french, whose taste in dress is so far in advance of our own, say, that ladies who are _cinquante ans sonnés_, should neither wear gay colors, nor dresses of slight materials, flowers, feathers, or much jewelry; that they should cover their hair, wear high dresses and long sleeves. tall ladies may wear flounces and tucks, but they are less appropriate for short persons. as a general rule, vertical stripes make persons appear taller than they really are, but horizontal stripes have a contrary effect. the latter, mr. redgrave says, are not admissible in garment fabrics, "since, crossing the person, the pattern quarrels with all the motions of the human figure, as well as with the form of the long folds in the skirts of the garment. for this reason," he continues, "large and pronounced checks, however fashionable, are often in bad taste, and interfere with the graceful arrangement of the drapery." is it to show their entire contempt for the principles of design that our manufacturers introduced last year not only horizontal stripes of conspicuous colors, but checks and plaids of immense size, as autumnal fashions for dress fabrics? we had hoped that the ladies would have shown the correctness of their taste by their disapproval of these unbecoming designs, but the prevalence of the fashion at the present time is another evidence of the triumph of fashion over good taste. a white and light-colored dress makes the wearers appear larger, while a black or dark dress causes them to appear smaller than they actually are. a judicious person will, therefore, avail herself of these known effects, by adopting the style of dress most suitable to her stature. to sum up, in a few words, our impressions on this subject, we should say that the best style of dress is that which, being exactly adapted to the climate and the individual, is at once modest, quiet, and retiring, harmonious in color and decoration, and of good materials. we conclude with the following admirable extract from tobin's "honeymoon," which we earnestly recommend to the attention of our fair readers. i'll have no glittering gewgaws stuck about you to stretch the gaping eyes of idiot wonder, and make men stare upon a piece of earth, as on the star-wrought firmament--no feathers, to wave as streamers to your vanity; nor cumbrous silk, that with its rustling sound makes proud the flesh that bears it. she's adorned amply, that in her husband's eye looks lovely- the truest mirror that an honest wife can see her beauty in! _julia._ i shall observe, sir. _duke._ i should like well to see you in the dress i last presented you. _julia._ the blue one, sir? _duke._ no, love,--the white. thus modestly attired, a half-blown rose stuck in thy braided hair, with no more diamonds than those eyes are made of, no deeper rubies than compose thy lips, nor pearls more precious than inhabit them, with the pure red and white, which that same hand which blends the rainbow, mingles in thy cheeks; this well-proportioned form (think not i flatter) in graceful motion to harmonious sounds, and thy free tresses dancing in the wind, thou'lt fix as much observance, as chaste dames can meet without a blush. we look forward hopefully to a day when art-education will be extended to all ranks; when a knowledge of the beautiful will be added to that of the useful; when good taste, based upon real knowledge and common sense, will dictate our fashions in dress as in other things. we have schools of art to reform our taste in pottery, hardware, and textile fabrics, not to speak of the higher walks of art, painting, sculpture, and architecture. the handle of a jug, the stem of a wine glass, the design for dress silks or lace veils, will form the subjects of lectures to the students of the various schools of design; disquisitions are written on the important question whether the ornamental designs should represent the real form of objects, or only give a conventional representation of them; while the study of the human figure, the masterpiece of creation, is totally neglected, except by painters and sculptors. we hope that the study of form will be more extended, that it will be universal, that it will, in fact, enter into the general scheme of education, and that we shall hereafter see as much pains bestowed in improving by appropriate costume the figure which nature has given us, as we do now in distorting it by tight stays, narrow and high-heeled shoes, and all the other deformities and eccentricities of that many-faced monster, fashion. the economy of the frame, and the means of preserving it in health and beauty, should form an integral part of education. there can be no true beauty without health; and how can we hope to secure health if we are ignorant of the means of promoting it, or if we violate its precepts by adopting absurd and pernicious fashions? surely it is not too much to hope that dressmakers will hereafter attend the schools of design, to study the human form, and thence learn to appreciate its beauties, and to clothe it with appropriate dress, calculated to display its beauties to the greatest advantage, and to conceal its defects--the latter with the reservation we have already noticed. we hope, also, that the shoemaker will learn to model the shoe upon the true form of the foot. manufacturers are now convinced of the importance and utility of schools of design; and whether the article hereafter to be produced be a cup and saucer, a fender, a pattern for a dress, or for furniture, for a service of plate or a diamond tiara, it is thought proper that the pupil, as a preliminary course that cannot be dispensed with, should commence with the study of the human figure. yet is not dress an art-manufacture as well as a cup and saucer, or a teaboard? is there less skill and talent, less taste required to clothe the form which we are told is made after god's own image, than to furnish an apartment? why should not dressmakers and tailors attend the schools of design, as well as those artisans who are intended to be employed in what are called art-manufactures? why should not shoemakers be taught the shape and movements of the foot? if this were the case, we are satisfied that an immediate and permanent improvement would be the consequence in our style of dress. would any person acquainted with the human form, and especially with the little round form of an infant, have sent to the great exhibition an infant's robe shaped like that in our cut. fig. 89. an infant with a waist "growing fine by degrees and beautifully less"!--was there ever such a deformity? we believe that many portrait painters stipulate that they should be allowed to dictate the dress, at least as regards the arrangement of the colors, of their sitters; the reason of this is, that the painter's selection of dress and color is based upon the study of the figure and complexion of the individual, or the knowledge of the effects of contrast and harmony of lines, tissues, and colors, while the models which are presented for his imitation too frequently offer to his view a style of dress, both as regards form and color, which set the rules of harmony at defiance. now, only suppose that the dressmaker had the painter's knowledge of form and harmony of lines and colors, what a revolution would take place in dress? we should no longer see the tall and the short, the slender and the stout, the brown and the fair, the old and the young, dressed alike, but the dress would be adapted to the individual; and we believe that, were the plan of study we recommend generally adopted, this purpose might always be effected without the sacrifice of what is now the grand desideratum in dress--novelty. the reasons why the art of dressmaking has not hitherto received the attention which it deserves, are to be sought for in the constitution of society. the branches of manufacture which require a knowledge of design, such as calico printing, silk and ribbon weaving, porcelain and pottery, and hardware manufactures, are conducted on a large scale by men of wealth and talent, who, if they would compete successfully with rival manufacturers, find it necessary to study and apply to their own business all the improvements in science, with which their intercourse with society gives them an opportunity of becoming acquainted. it is quite otherwise with dressmaking. a woman is at the head of every establishment of this kind, a woman generally of limited education and attainments, from whom cannot be expected either liberality of sentiment or enlarged views, but who possibly possesses some tact and discrimination of character, which enables her to exercise a kind of dictatorial power in matters of dress over her customers; these customers are scarcely better informed on the subject than herself. the early life of the dressmaker is spent in a daily routine of labor with the needle, and when she becomes a mistress in her turn, she exacts from her assistants the same amount of daily labor that was formerly expected from herself. work, work, work with the needle from almost childhood, in the same close room from morning to night, and not unfrequently from night to morning also, is the everlasting routine of the monotonous life of the dressmakers. they are working for bread, and have no leisure to attend to the improvement of the mind, and the want of this mental cultivation is apparent in the articles they produce by their labor. when one of the young women who attends these establishments to learn the trade, thinks she has had sufficient experience, she leaves the large establishment, and sets up in business on her own account. in this new situation she works equally hard, and has, therefore, no time for improving her mind or taste. of the want of this, however, she is not sensible, because she can purchase for a trifle all the newest patterns, and the thought never enters her poor little head, that the same fashion may not suit all her customers. this defective education of the dressmakers, or rather their want of knowledge of the human form, is one of the great causes of the prevalence of the old fashion of tight lacing; it is so much easier to make a closely-fitting body suit over a tight stay than it is on the pliant and yielding natural form, in which, if one part be drawn a little too tight, or the contrary, the body of the dress is thrown out of shape. supposing, on the other hand, the fit to be exact, it is so difficult to keep such a tight-fitting body in its place on the figure without securing its form by whalebones, that it is in vain to expect the stays to become obsolete until the tight-fitting bodice is also given up. this will never take place until not only the ladies who are to be clothed, but the dressmakers, shall make the human form their study, and direct their efforts to set off their natural advantages by attending to the points which are their characteristic beauties. a long and delicate throat, falling shoulders, not too wide from point to point, a flat back, round chest, wide hips--these are the points which should be developed by the dress. whence it follows, that every article of dress which shortens the throat, adds height or width to the shoulders, roundness to the back, or flatness to the chest, must be radically wrong in principle, and unpleasant and repulsive in effect. in the same manner, whatever kind of dress adds to the height of a figure already too tall and thin, or detracts from the apparent height of the short and stout, must be avoided. these things should form the study of the dressmaker. as society is now constituted, however, the dressmaker has not, as we have already observed, leisure to devote to studies of the necessity and importance of which she is still ignorant. the reform must be begun by the ladies themselves. they must acquire a knowledge of form, and of the principles of beauty and harmony, and so exercise a controlling influence over the dressmakers. by this means, a better taste will be created, and the dressmakers will at length discover their deficiency in certain guiding principles, and will be driven at last to resort to similar studies. but in this case a startling difficulty presents itself--the poor dressmaker is at present over-worked: how can she find leisure to attend the schools of design, or even pursue, if she had the ability, the necessary studies at home? a girl is apprenticed to the trade at the age of thirteen or fourteen; she works at it all her life, rising early, and late taking rest; and what is the remuneration of her daily toil of twelve hours? eighteen pence, or at most two shillings a day, with her board![3] as she reckons the value of the latter at a shilling, it follows, that the earnings of a dressmaker, in the best period of her life, who goes out to work, could not exceed fifteen shillings, or, at the most, eighteen shillings a week, if she did not--at the hazard of her health, which, indeed, is frequently sacrificed--work at home before she begins, and after she has finished, her day's work abroad. the carpenter or house painter does not work harder, or bring to bear on his employment greater knowledge, than the poor dressmaker; yet he has four shillings sixpence a day, without his board, while she has only what is equivalent to two shillings sixpence, or three shillings. what reason can be assigned why a woman's work, if equally well done, should not be as well paid as that of a man? a satisfactory reason has yet to be given; the fact, however, is indisputable, that women are not in general so well paid for their labor as men. [3] of course it will be understood that these are the english prices; but does not the comparison hold good between male and female labor in this country? although these remarks arose naturally out of our subject, we must not digress too far. to return to the dressmaker. if the hours of labor of these white slaves who toil in the dressmaking establishments were limited to ten or twelve hours, as in large factories, two consequences would follow: the first is, that more hands would be employed, and the second, that the young women would have time to attend schools, and improve their minds. if they could also attend occasional lectures on the figure, and on the harmony of color and costume with reference to dress, the best effects would follow. those dressmakers who are rich enough, and, we may add, many ladies also, take in some book of fashions with colored illustrations, and from this they imbibe their notions of beauty of form and elegance of costume. how is it possible, we would ask, for either the dressmaker or the ladies who employ them to acquire just ideas of form, or of suitable costume, when their eyes are accustomed only to behold such deformed and unnatural representations of the human figure as those in the accompanying plates? figs. 90 and 91. is it any wonder that small waists should be admired, when the books which aspire to be the handmaids and mirrors of fashion present to their readers such libels on beauty of form? now, suppose that lithographed drawings of costumes issued occasionally from the schools of design, is it not reasonable to suppose that, with the knowledge which the students have acquired of the human figure, the illustrations would be more accurate imitations of nature? an eye accustomed to the study of nature can scarcely bear to contemplate, much less to imitate, the monsters of a depraved taste which disgrace the different publications that aspire to make known the newest fashions. many of the illustrations of these publications, although ill proportioned, are executed in a certain stylish manner which takes with the uneducated, and the mechanical execution of the figures is also good. this, however, is so far from being an advantage, that it only renders them the more dangerous; like the song of the siren, they lead only to evil. we are told that many of the first parisian artists derive a considerable part of their income from drawing the figures in the french books of fashion and costume, and that, in the early part of his career, horace vernet, the president of the french academy, did not disdain to employ his talents in this way. we cannot, however, refrain from expressing our surprise and honest indignation that artists of eminence, especially those who, like the french school, have a reputation for correct drawing, and who must, therefore, be so well acquainted with the actual as well as ideal proportions of the female figure, should so prostitute their talents as to employ them in delineating the ill-proportioned figures which appear in books of fashions. it is no small aggravation of their offence, in our eyes, that the figures should be drawn in such graceful positions, and with the exception of the defective proportions, with so much skill. these beauties only make them more dangerous; the goodness of their execution misleads the unfortunate victims of their fascination. what young lady, unacquainted with the proportions of the figure, could look on these prints of costumes and go away without the belief that a small waist and foot were essential elements of beauty? so she goes home from her dressmaker's, looks in the glass, and not finding her own waist and foot as small as those in the books of fashion, gives her stay-lace an extra tightening pull, and, regardless of corns, squeezes her feet into tight shoes, which makes the instep appear swollen. both the figures in our last plates were originally drawn and engraved by jules david, and reville, in "_le moniteur de la mode_," which is published at paris, london, new york, and st. petersburg. let our readers look at these figures, and say whether the most determined votary of tight lacing ever succeeded in compressing her waist into the proportions represented in these figures. we should like to hear that lectures were given occasionally, by a lady in the female school of design, on the subjects of form, and of dress in its adaptation to form and to harmony of color. we have no doubt that a lady competent to deliver these lectures will readily be found. after a course of these lectures, we do not hesitate to predict that illustrations of fashion emanating from this source would be, in point of taste, every thing that could be desired. we venture to think that the students of the female school may be as well and as profitably employed in designing costumes, as in inventing patterns for cups and saucers or borders for veils. until some course, of the nature we have indicated, is adopted, we cannot hope for any permanent improvement in our costume. chapter viii. some thoughts on children's dress. by mrs. merrifield. can any good and sufficient reason be given, said a friend, as we were contemplating the happy faces and lively gestures of a party of boys and girls, who, one cold, frosty evening, were playing at the old game called "i sent a letter to my love," why, when one of the party picks up the ball which another has thrown down, the boys always stoop, while the girls (with the exception of one little rosy girl, who is active and supple as the boys) invariably drop on one knee? at first we almost fancied this must be a new way of playing the game; but when one of the seniors threw a handful of _bonbons_ among the children, and in their eager scramble to pick up the tempting sweets we observed the same respective actions, namely, that the boys stooped, while the girls knelt on one knee, we began to meditate on the cause of this diversity of action. a little more observation convinced us that the girls, though equally lively, were less free in their movement than the boys. we observed, also, that every now and then some of the girls stopped and hitched their clothes, (which appeared almost in danger of falling off,) with an awkward movement, first upon one shoulder, and then on the other, while others jerked one shoulder upwards, which caused the sleeve on that side to sink nearly to the elbow. "now," we exclaimed, "we can solve the problem: the different actions are caused by the difference in the dress; let us see where the difference lies." so we continued our observations, and soon found that the boys were all dressed in high dresses up to the throat, while the bands which encircled their waists were so loose as merely to keep the dress in its place without confining it; in short, that their dress did not offer the slightest restraint on their freedom of movement. it was otherwise with the girls, excepting the little rosy girl before mentioned: they were dressed in low dresses, and their shoulders were so bare that we involuntarily thought of a caterpillar casting its skin, and began to fear, from the uneasy movement of their shoulders, that the same thing might happen to the children, when we observed that this was rendered impossible by the tightness of the clothes about the waist. the mystery was now cleared up; the tightness of the dress at the waist, while it prevented the children from "slipping shell," as it were, entirely destroyed their freedom of movement. we could not help contrasting these poor girls--dressed in the very pink of fashion, with their bare shoulders, compressed waists, and delicate appearance--with the rosy face, quick and active movement, and thick waist of the little girl before alluded to; and we sighed as we thought that, induced by the culpable folly or ignorance of parents, "pale decay would steal before the steps of time, and snatch 'their' bloom away." "whence does it arise," continued my friend, "that the boys are clad in warm dresses, suited to the season, their chests and arms protected from the wintry air, and their feet incased in woollen stockings, while the girls are suffered to shiver at christmas in muslin dresses, with bare necks and arms, and silk or thin cotton stockings? are they less susceptible of cold than boys? is their circulation less languid, that their clothes are so much thinner? are their figures better, their health stronger, for the compression of their tender bodies by stays?" at this point our cogitations were stopped by a summons to supper; and after supper, hats and shawls were produced, and we took our leave. our young companions, fatigued with their exertions, soon fell asleep in the corners of the carriage, and we were left to our own meditations. our thoughts once more reverted to the subject of children's dress, and gradually assumed the following form:-the subject of dress, which is so important both to our health and comfort, is usually treated as a matter of fashion, and is regulated partly by individual fancy, partly by the dictates of the _modiste_. fashion, as it applies to the costume of men, is, with the exception of the hat, controlled by convenience and common sense; but with regard to the dress of women and children, neither of these considerations has any weight. the most extravagant and _bizarre_ arrangements of form and colors will meet with admirers and imitators, provided they emanate from a fashionable source. the dress of children, especially, appears to be exceedingly fantastic in its character, and, with regard to that of girls, is ill adapted to secure the enjoyment of health and the perfect development of the figure. we venture to offer a few remarks on this highly interesting theme. in discussing the subject of children's dress, several points present themselves for our consideration, namely, first, the adaptation of the costume to the climate, the movements, and healthful development of the figure; and secondly, the general elegance of the habiliments, the harmony of the colors, and their special adaptation to the age and individual characteristics of children. the first are essential conditions; the latter, though too frequently treated as the most important, may, in comparison with the first, be deemed non-essentials. we shall remark on these subjects in the before-mentioned order. with regard to the adaptation of the dress of children to the climate, this appears so evident that any observations upon it might be deemed almost unnecessary; yet, in practice, how little is it understood! the great object in view in regulating the warmth of the clothing, is to guard the wearer from the vicissitudes of the climate, and to equalize the circulation, which is accelerated by heat and retarded by cold. children are habitually full of activity, which quickens the circulation and produces a determination to the skin; in other words, causes some degree of perspiration, and if this, perspiration be suddenly checked by the application of cold, illness in some shape or other is induced. in order to lessen this risk, the clothing should be light and warm; sufficiently warm to shield the child from the effects of cold, but not to elevate greatly the temperature of the body. the latter would only render the child more susceptible of cold. children are, by some over-careful but not judicious parents, so burdened with clothes that one is surprised to find they can move under the vast encumbrance. there is much diversity of opinion among medical men as to the propriety of wearing flannel next to the skin. the arguments appear to be in favor of the practice, provided that the thickness of the flannel be proportioned to the seasons of the year. in winter it should be thick; in summer it can scarcely be too thin. flannel is preferable to linen or calico, because, although it may be saturated with perspiration, it never strikes cold to the skin; whereas linen, under similar circumstances, always does, and the sudden application of cold to the skin, when warmed by exercise, checks the circulation, and causes illness. parents are frequently guilty of much inconsistency in the clothing of their children. the child, perhaps, has delicate lungs; it must, therefore, have warm clothing; so garment after garment, made fashionably, that is to say, very full and very short, is heaped one upon the other over the chest and upper part of the body, until the poor child can scarcely move under the heavy burden with which, with mistaken kindness, it has been laden, while the lower limbs, in which the circulation is most languid, and which require to be protected as well as the chest, are frequently exposed to the air, and the foot is covered with a shoe which is too thin to keep it dry. the consequence of this arrangement is, that the child, oppressed by the weight of its clothing, becomes overheated, and being cooled too hastily, catches severe colds. the habiliments of children cannot be too light in weight; and this is perfectly consistent with a proper degree of warmth. those parents are greatly to blame who, influenced only by appearance, and the wish to dress their children fashionably, add to the weight of their clothing by introducing so much unnecessary fulness into the skirts. the next point for consideration, and which is not inferior in importance to the last, is the adaptation of the dress to the movements and healthful development of the figure; and, strange to say, this point is almost entirely overlooked by those who have the management and control of children, although a few honest and sensible medical men have raised their warning voices against the system now pursued. we hear every where of the march of intellect; we are perpetually told that the schoolmaster is abroad; lessons and masters of all kinds are endeavoring "to teach the young idea how to shoot;" while the little delicate frame which is to bear all this mental labor is left to the ignorance of mothers and nurses, and the tender mercies of the dressmaker, who seems to think that the human frame is as easily moulded into an imitation of those libels on humanity represented in books of fashionable costume as the materials with which she works. would that we had powers of persuasion to convince our readers how greatly these figures, with their excessively-small waists, hands and feet, deviate from the actual proportions of well-formed women! unfortunately, the pinched waist is too common in real life for those unacquainted with the proportions of the figure not to think it one of the essential elements of beauty. so far, however, from being a beauty, a small waist is an actual blemish. never, until the economy of the human frame is studied by all classes, and a knowledge of the principles on which its beauties depend is disseminated among all ranks, can we hope that just ideas will be entertained on this subject. if there is one thing in which the schoolmaster or the reformer is more wanted than in another, it is in our dress. from our birth to our death we are the slaves of fashion, of prejudice, and of circumstances. the tender, unresisting infant, the delicate girl, the mature woman, alike suffer from these evil influences; some fall victims to them, others suffer during life. let us consider the dress of an infant. here, however, it must be acknowledged that of late years much improvement has taken place in some respects, although much still remains to be done. caps, with their trimming of three or four rows of lace, and large cockades which rivalled in size the dear little round face of the child, are discontinued almost entirely within doors, though the poor child is still almost overwhelmed with cap, hat, and feathers, in its daily airings, the additional weight which its poor neck has to sustain never once entering into the calculation of its mother and nurse. fine feathers, it is said, make fine birds. this may be true with respect to the feathered creation, but it is not so with regard to children. they suffer from the misplaced finery, and from the undue heat of the head. and yet the head has, generally speaking, been better treated by us than the rest of the body. when we look back upon the history of costume, it really seems as if men--or women, shall we say?--had exercised their ingenuity in torturing the human frame, and destroying its health and vigor. the american indian compresses the tender skull of the infant, and binds its little body on to a flat board; the chinese squeezes the feet of the females; the italian peasants, following the custom of the orientals, still roll the infant in swathing bands; the little legs of the child, that when left to its own disposal are in perpetual motion, now curled up to the body, then thrust out their extreme length, to the evident enjoyment of their owner, are extended in a straight line, laid side by side, and bandaged together, so that the infant reminds one in shape of a mummy. in this highly cultivated country we are guilty towards our infants of practices quite as senseless, as cruel, and as contrary to nature. the movements of the lower limbs, so essential to the healthy growth of the child, are limited and restrained, if not altogether prevented, by the great weight that we hang upon them. the long petticoats, in which every infant in this country has been for centuries doomed to pass many months of its existence, are as absurd as they are prejudicial to the child. the evil has of late years rather increased than diminished, for the clothes are not only made much longer, but much fuller, so that the poor victim has an additional weight to bear. many instances can be mentioned in which the long clothes have been made a yard and a quarter long. the absurdity of this custom becomes apparent, if we only imagine a mother or nurse of short statue carrying an infant in petticoats of this length; and we believe that long clothes are always made totally irrespective of the height of mother or nurse. imagine one or the other treading on the robe, and throwing herself and the child down! imagine, also, the probable consequences of such an accident! and when one ventures to express doubts as to the propriety of dressing an infant in long clothes, instead of arguments in their favor, one is met by the absurd remark, "a baby looks so grand in long clothes!" we have for some years endeavored, as far as our influence extended, to put an end to this practice, and in some cases we have so far succeeded as to induce the mother to short-coat the child before it was three months old, and even previous to this period to make the under garments of a length suited to the size of the child, while the frock or robe, as it is called, retained the fashionable length. the latter, being of fine texture, did not add considerably to the weight of the clothes. children who have the free use of their limbs not only walk earlier than others, but are stronger on their feet. another evil practice, which some years since prevailed universally, was that of rolling a bandage, three inches in width, and two or three yards in length, round the body of the child. the pain that such a bandage, from its unyielding nature, would occasion, not to speak of its ill effects on the health, may be readily imagined. this bandage was, in fact, a kind of breaking in for the tight lacing, the penalty which most females in this country have had, at some period or other, to undergo. there is no end of the inconsistencies of children's dress. if, in early infancy, they are buried in long petticoats, no sooner can they walk than the petticoats are so shortened that they scarcely cover the child's back when it stoops. the human race has a wonderful power of accommodating itself to a variety of temperatures and climates; but perhaps it is seldom exposed to greater vicissitudes than in the change from long clothes to the extremely short and full ones that are now fashionable. the very full skirt is not so warm in proportion to its length as one of more moderate fulness; because, instead of clinging round the figure, it stands off from it, and admits the air under it. the former is also heavier than the latter, inasmuch as it contains more material; and the weight of the clothing is a great disadvantage to a child. a sensible medical writer, dr. john f. south, in an excellent little work entitled "domestic surgery," makes some very judicious observations relative to children's dress. of the fashion of dressing boys with the tunic reaching to the throat, and trousers, which are both so loose as to offer no impediment to freedom of motion, he approves; but he condemns, in the strongest terms, "the unnatural"--mr. south remarks he had almost said "atrocious--system to which, in youth, if not in childhood, girls are subjected for the improvement of their figure and gait." it is fortunate for the present generation that it is the fashion for the dresses of even little girls to be made as high as the throat; the old fashion of cutting the frock low round the neck, which still exists in what is called "full dress," is objectionable on more than one account. in the first place, it is objected to on the consideration of health; because the upper part of the chest is not protected from the influence of currents of air, and by this means, as mr. south observes, the foundation is laid for irritable lungs. in the next place, the dress is generally suffered to fall off the shoulders, and is, in fact, only retained in its place by the tight band about the waist. to avoid the uneasiness occasioned by the pressure of the latter, the child slips its clothes off one shoulder, generally the right, which it raises more than the other; the consequence of this is, that the raised shoulder becomes permanently higher than the other, and the spine is drawn towards the same side. it is said that there is scarcely one english woman in fifty who has not one shoulder higher or thicker than the other; and there appears but little doubt that much of this deformity is to be ascribed to the above-mentioned cause. in confirmation of this opinion, it may be mentioned that the practice of wearing dresses low in the neck is almost peculiar to english girls; french girls, nearly from infancy, wear high dresses, and it is certain that deformity is not so frequent among french women as it is among english. the discipline of tight lacing is frequently begun so early in life, that the poor victim has little or no recollection of the pain and suffering occasioned by the pressure of the stiff and uncomfortable stays before the frame has become accustomed to them. those of our readers who were fortunate enough to escape this infliction in early life, and who adopted stiff stays at a more mature age, can bear testimony to the suffering occasioned by them during the first few weeks of their use. "o," said a girl who put on stiff stays, for the first time, at the age of fourteen or fifteen, "i wish bedtime was come, that i might take off these stiff and uncomfortable stays, they pain me so much." "hush, hush!" exclaimed a starch old maiden aunt, shocked at what she thought the indelicacy of the expression which pain had wrung from the poor girl; "you must bear it for a time; you will soon get used to it." used to it! yes, indeed, as the cook said the eels did to skinning, and with, as regards the poor girls, almost as disastrous consequences. there are three points of view in which tight lacing is prejudicial. it weakens the muscles of the shoulders and chest, which rust, as it were, for want of use; it injures, by pressure, the important organs contained in the chest and trunk; and, lastly, instead of improving the figure, it positively and absolutely deforms it. a waist disproportionately small, compared with the stature and proportions of the individual, is a greater deformity than one which is too large; the latter is simply clumsy; it does not injure the health of the person, while the former is not only prejudicial to health, but to beauty. were our fair readers but once convinced of this fact, there would be an end of tight lacing; and the good results arising from the abolition of this practice would be evident in the improved health of the next generation. what a host of evils follow in the steps of tight lacing! indigestion, hysteria, spinal distortion, consumption, liver complaints, disease of the heart, cancer, early death!--these are a few of them, and enough to make both mothers and daughters tremble. it is an aggravation of the evil that is brought upon us frequently by the agency of a mother--of her upon whose affection and experience a child naturally relies in all things, and whose lamentable ignorance of what constitutes beauty of form, as well as her subjection to the thraldom of fashion, is the prolific source of so much future misery to her unsuspecting daughter. education is the order of the day; but surely that education must be very superficial and incomplete, of which the study of the economy of the human form, its various beauties, and the wonderful skill with which it was created, form no part. a girl spends several years in learning french, italian, and german, which may be useful to her should she meet with french, italians, or germans, or should she visit the continent; she spends three, four, five, and sometimes six hours a day, in practising on the piano, frequently without having any real talent for this accomplishment, while she is kept in utter ignorance of that which is of vital consequence not only to herself, but to her future offspring, namely, a knowledge of what constitutes true beauty, and contributes to the preservation of health, and, we may also add, of good humor and happiness; for it is one of the evils attending ill health, that it frequently induces a fretful and irritable state of mind. instead of the really useful knowledge of the economy of the frame, and the means of preserving health, girls are taught the constrained attitudes and the artificial deportment of the dancing master. the remark of sir joshua reynolds on this subject has been often quoted. he said, "all the motions of children are full of grace; affectation and distortion come in with the dancing master." to dancing itself there is not the slightest objection; it is at once an agreeable and healthy occupation, and it affords a pleasing and innocent recreation. the pleasure which most children take in it, in spite of the "exercises" which they are compelled to practise, proves, we think, its utility. the treatment of the feet is on a par with that of the rest of the body. the toes are thrust close together into a shoe, the shape of the sole of which does not resemble that of the foot. it is generally narrower than the foot, which, therefore, hangs over the sides. the soles of children's shoes are, moreover, made alike on both sides, whereas the inside should be nearly straight, and the width of the sole should correspond exactly with that of the foot. boots, which have been so fashionable of late years, are very convenient, and have a neat appearance, but they are considered to weaken the ankle, because the artificial support which they give to that part prevents the full exercise of the muscles, which waste from want of use. shoes should be cut short in the quarter, because the pressure necessary to keep such shoes as are now worn on the feet will, in this case, be on the instep instead of the toes, which will, by this arrangement, have more room. we shall conclude our observations on children's dress, considered in a sanitary point of view, in the words of mr. south. "if, then, you wish your children, girls especially, to have the best chance of health, and a good constitution, let them wear flannel next their skin, and woollen stockings in winter; have your girls' chests covered to the collar bones, and their shoulders _in_, not _out_ of their dresses, if you would have them straight; and do not confine their chests and compress their digestive organs by bone stays, or interfere with the free movement of their chests by tight belts, or any other contrivance, if you desire their lungs should do their duty, upon which so mainly depends the preservation of health."--_sharpe's london magazine._ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ note.--the fig. 58, referred to on the top of page 59, is not found in the plate; but the same style of dressing the hair may be seen in fig. 57. transcriber's notes and amendments: inconsistencies in spelling and hyphenation retained: ardene/arderne makrinitza/markinitza parmegianino/parmegiano sommæring/sommaering reville/réville outdoor/out-door 'head dress' on the title page was left un-hyphenated, as printed. amendments to the text as originally printed: list of illustrations and chapter vii (caption for plate xii.) '89, 90. from "le moniteur de la mode,"' to '90, 91. from "le moniteur de la mode,"' chapter ii. 'the lady in the evening dress (fig 49)' to 'the lady in the evening dress (fig. 49)' chapter vi. 'the materials of the drapery in the latter is' to 'the materials of the drapery in the latter are' chapter vii. 'ribbon, artificial flowers. feathers,' to 'ribbon, artificial flowers, feathers,' 'the environs of athens, (fig. 49.)' to 'the environs of athens, (fig. 47.)' note: project gutenberg also has an html version of this file which includes the original illustrations. see 34903-h.htm or 34903-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/34903/34903-h/34903-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/34903/34903-h.zip) transcriber's note: text enclosed by equal signs is in bold face (=bold=). a list of corrected printer's errors and inconsistencies can be found at the end of the text. the artistic crafts series of technical handbooks edited by w. r. lethaby dress design [illustration: a long-trained muslin dress. about 1800.] dress design an account of costume for artists & dressmakers by talbot hughes illustrated by the author from old examples · together with 35 pages of half-tone illustrations london sir isaac pitman & sons, ltd. bath, melbourne, toronto, and new york reprinted 1920 general preface to the series in issuing this volume of a series of handbooks on the artistic crafts, it will be well to state what are our general aims. in the first place, we wish to provide trustworthy text-books of workshop practice, from the points of view of experts who have critically examined the methods current in the shops, and putting aside vain survivals, are prepared to say what is good workmanship, and to set up a standard of quality in the crafts which are more especially associated with design. secondly, in doing this, we hope to treat design itself as an essential part of good workmanship. during the last century most of the arts, save painting and sculpture of an academic kind, were little considered, and there was a tendency to look on "design" as a mere matter of _appearance_. such "ornamentation" as there was was usually obtained by following in a mechanical way a drawing provided by an artist who often knew little of the technical processes involved in production. with the critical attention given to the crafts by ruskin and morris, it came to be seen that it was impossible to detach design from craft in this way, and that, in the widest sense, true design is an inseparable element of good quality, involving as it does the selection of good and suitable material, contrivance for special purpose, expert workmanship, proper finish and so on, far more than mere ornament, and indeed, that ornamentation itself was rather an exuberance of fine workmanship than a matter of merely abstract lines. workmanship when separated by too wide a gulf from fresh thought--that is, from design--inevitably decays, and, on the other hand, ornamentation, divorced from workmanship, is necessarily unreal, and quickly falls into affectation. proper ornamentation may be defined as a language addressed to the eye; it is pleasant thought expressed in the speech of the tool. in the third place, we would have this series put artistic craftsmanship before people as furnishing reasonable occupations for those who would gain a livelihood. although within the bounds of academic art, the competition, of its kind, is so acute that only a very few per cent. can fairly hope to succeed as painters and sculptors; yet, as artistic craftsmen, there is every probability that nearly every one who would pass through a sufficient period of apprenticeship to workmanship and design would reach a measure of success. in the blending of handwork and thought in such arts as we propose to deal with, happy careers may be found as far removed from the dreary routine of hack labour, as from the terrible uncertainty of academic art. it is desirable in every way that men of good education should be brought back into the productive crafts: there are more than enough of us "in the city," and it is probable that more consideration will be given in this century than in the last to design and workmanship. * * * * * the designing and making of costume is a craft--sometimes artistic--with which we are all more or less concerned. it is also, in its own way, one of the living arts, that is, it is still carried forward experimentally by experts directly attached to the "business." it has not yet been subjected to rules of good taste formulated by academies and universities; but when inigo jones, the great architect, was asked to make some designs for fancy dress, he based them on the five orders of architecture, and ponderous fancies they were. if we look for the main stem of principle on which modern costume develops, we seem to find it in the desire for freshness, for the clean, the uncrushed, and the perfectly fitted and draped. probably a modern lady's ideal would be to wear a dress once, and then burn it. a correlative of the ideal of freshness is the delight in perfect "cut," and the rapidly changing fashions are doubtless conditioned in part by the desire for the new and unsullied. "novelty" is a guarantee of newness. in such ephemeral productions it would be vain to seek for certain fine types of excellence which were once common when dresses were not so lightly cast aside. so it is necessary that we should understand what the ruling principle is, for it is one which will not be set aside at the bidding of well-meaning reformers. i will only venture to say that it would be desirable to make the attempt to separate in some degree the more constant elements of dress from those which are more variable. it will seem a pity to more than outsiders that a "well-dressed" person need wear so little which deserves to have been made by human hands, and nothing which deserves to be preserved. fine laces and jewels are allowed to be antique--could not the circle of such things be a little broadened? a properly groomed man carries about on him literally nothing worth looking at. we might surely look for a watch-chain with some delicacy of handiwork--something beyond mechanical reductions of iron cables. fine buttons might conceivably be made to go with the studs, or be made of crystal, amethyst, and silver or gold. women might allow of the transfer of fine embroidered applications from one dress to another, or make more use of clasps and the like. i am confident that when it is pointed out, it will be felt as a shortcoming that no part of a fine lady's dress need now be too good to throw away. although the present volume is cast into the form of a history, it is also intended to be a book of suggestions; and the hope is held that modern dressmakers may refer to it as much as, or more than, those who are interested in dress from the historical point of view. in any case the author's accurate knowledge of the facts, and his many bright sketches--which are often drawn from examples in his own remarkable collection--make the present volume an admirable handbook of english costume. the more technical "patterns" which are included amongst the illustrations will be found most valuable to all who wish to go deeper than the first glance reveals. w. r. lethaby. 1913. contents page general preface to the series xi _preface_ xiv list of plates xxiii introduction 33 chapter i prehistoric dress--female 40 prehistoric dress--male 41 chapter ii the development of costume to the tenth century--female 45 the development of costume to the tenth century--male 49 chapter iii tenth to the fifteenth century--female 57 tenth to the fifteenth century--male 71 chapter iv fifteenth century--female 84 fifteenth century--male 92 chapter v sixteenth century. character of trimmings 109 sixteenth century. henry viii--female 113 sixteenth century. henry viii--male 118 sixteenth century. the reigns of edward vi and mary--female 124 sixteenth century. the reigns of edward vi and mary--male 129 sixteenth century. elizabeth--female 133 sixteenth century. elizabeth--male 139 chapter vi the character of trimmings through the seventeenth century 142 james i 142 charles i 143 the commonwealth 145 charles ii 145 james ii and william and mary 146 seventeenth century. james i--female 147 seventeenth century. james i--male 150 seventeenth century. charles i--female 154 seventeenth century. charles i--male 160 seventeenth century. the commonwealth--male and female 168 seventeenth century. charles ii--female 169 seventeenth century. charles ii--male 174 seventeenth century. james ii--female 178 seventeenth century. james ii--male 180 seventeenth century. william and mary--female 184 seventeenth century. william and mary--male 186 chapter vii the character of decoration and trimmings of the eighteenth century 190 eighteenth century. anne--female 193 eighteenth century. anne--male 198 eighteenth century. george i--female 201 eighteenth century. george i--male 207 eighteenth century. george ii--female 211 eighteenth century. george ii--male 214 eighteenth century. george iii to 1800--female 217 eighteenth century. george iii to 1800--male 231 chapter viii character of trimmings of the nineteenth century 237 nineteenth century. george iii--female 241 nineteenth century. george iii--male 246 nineteenth century. george iv--female 248 nineteenth century. george iv, 1820-30--male 254 nineteenth century. william iv--female 258 nineteenth century. william iv--male 263 nineteenth century. victoria--female 264 nineteenth century. victoria--male 273 patterns of various reigns from antique costume 276 patterns to scale 283 patterns to scale, detailed list 353 index 359 list of descriptive lines to the plates frontispiece _facing title_ a long-trained muslin dress, about 1800. plate i _facing p. 39_ boots and shoes from the fourteenth to nineteenth century. plate ii " 42 _a._ elizabethan robe in plush, 1585-1605. _b._ elizabethan robe in silk brocade, 1565-85. _c._ elizabethan male robe in velvet brocade, 1580-1615. _d._ back-piece of elizabethan doublet in embroidered linen, 1580-1605. plate iii " 55 _a._ elizabethan jump (or jacket), about 1600. _b._ portrait of lady in embroidered costume, between 1620 and 1640. plate iv " 58 _c._ youth's jacket of linen embroidered in worsted, 1635-65. _d._ linen male jacket embroidered with gold and silk, 1600-40. plate v " 71 _a._ jerkin--period james i. _b._ lady's bodice of slashed and vandyked satin, 1635-50. _c._ jerkin of embroidered linen, 1630-60. _d._ jerkin of embroidered linen, 1580-1635. plate vi " 74 _a._ collar and cuffs set with lace, 1600-30. _b._ embroidered leather jerkin, 1620-1640. _c._ top of stocking, embroidered linen, 1625-50. plate vii " 87 _a._ herald's coat, embroidered velvet and silk, first half seventeenth century. _b._ lady's bodice of black velvet, 1630-60. _c._ black silk jerkin, 1640-50. plate viii " 90 _a._ three suits--period charles ii. _b._ " " " " _c._ " " " " plate viiia " 103 _a._ suit of embroidered silk, 1610-30. _b._ three sword-hangers embroidered in gold, charles ii. _c._ braided suit, 1670-90. plate ix " 106 _a._ lady's embroidered silk jacket, 1605-20. _b._ lady's bodice of silk brocade, 1680-1700. plate x " 119 _a._ black velvet bodice, 1600-25. _b._ five embroidered waistcoats, between 1690 and 1800. plate xi " 122 sixteen leather boots and shoes, between 1535 and 1850. plate xii " 135 _a._ lady's outdoor costume, 1785-95. _b._ costume, early eighteenth century. _c._ silk brocade dress, 1760-80. plate xiii " 138 _a._ silk coat, 1735-55. _b._ brocade silk coat, 1745-60. _c._ embroidered cloth coat, 1770-90. plate xiv " 151 _a._ embroidered silk dress with pannier, 1765-80. _b._ brocade dress and quilted petticoat, 1750-65. plate xv " 154 _a._ white cloth coat, 1775-90. _b._ silk dress, 1740-60. _c._ embroidered velvet coat, 1753-75. plate xvi " 167 _a._ silk brocade dress, 1740-60. _b._ silk brocade sack-back dress, 1755-1775. _c._ dress of striped material, 1755-85. plate xvii " 170 _a._ silk suit, 1765-80. _b._ quilted dress, 1700-25. _c._ silk embroidered suit, 1765-80. plate xviii " 183 _a._ brocade bodice, 1770-85. _b._ flowered silk dress, 1750-70. _c._ silk brocade bodice, 1780-95. plate xix " 186 _a._ silk brocade dress, 1775-85. _b._ embroidered silk jacket, 1775-90. _c._ brocade jacket, 1780-95. plate xx " 199 _a._ gold-embroidered muslin dress, 1795-1805. _b._ nine aprons, between 1690 and 1750. _c._ dress of spotted stockinette, 1795-1808. plate xxi " 202 twenty-three boots and shoes, from 1800 to 1875. plate xxii " 215 _a._ linen dress, 1795-1808. _b._ silk bodice, 1825-30. _c._ " " 1818-25. plate xxiii " 218 _a._ muslin dress with tinsel design, 1798-1810. _b._ silk dress, period george iv. _c._ satin and gauze dress, 1820-30. plate xxiv " 231 _a._ outdoor silk jacket, 1798-1808. _b._ embroidered muslin bodice, 1816-1830. _c._ embroidered muslin bodice, 1824-1825. _d._ satin and gauze bodice, 1820-30. plate xxv " 234 _a._ silk dress, 1800-10. _b._ cotton dress, 1800-10. _c._ embroidered muslin dress, 1820-30. _d._ silk gauze dress, 1824-30. plate xxvi " 247 _a._ morning coat of chintz, 1825-45. _b._ cloth coat, 1808-20. _c._ cloth overcoat, 1820-35. plate xxvii " 250 outdoor silk dress, 1825-35. plate xxviii " 259 _a._ silk pelisse, 1820-30. _b._ cotton dress, 1830-40. _c._ silk spencer and cape, 1818-27. plate xxix " 263 _a._ embroidered silk gauze dress, 1820-30. _b._ gauze dress with appliqued design, 1825-35. _c._ printed linen outdoor dress, 1827-1847. plate xxx " 266 _a._ printed silk bodice, 1840-50. _b._ gathered linen bodice, 1837-47. _c._ silk bodice and bertha, 1845-55. plate xxxi " 270 _a._ embroidered muslin outdoor dress, 1855-65. _b._ riding habit, 1845-75. _c._ gauze ball dress, 1840-55. plate xxxii " 279 _a._ silk dress, 1860-70. _b._ gauze walking dress, 1850-60. _c._ silk dress, 1848-58. plate xxxiii " 282 _a._ silk dress with court train, 1828-1838. _b._ silk afternoon dress, 1872-78. _c._ silk coat and skirt, 1855-56. dress design plates originally printed in collotype are now produced in half-tone introduction the subject of historical costume covers such a multitude of detail that a volume on each century could be written, with hundreds of illustrations. thus it is, most works on costume are expensive and bewildering; but i hope this small practical handbook will be a useful addition to the many beautifully illustrated works which already exist. i have divided the matter into centuries and reigns, as far as possible, in this small work, besides separating male and female attire, thus simplifying reference. a special feature has also been made, of supplying the maker or designer of dress with actual proportions and patterns, gleaned from antique dresses, as far back as they could be obtained; and i am much indebted to the authorities at the victoria and albert museum for the permission given me to examine and measure their unique specimens; also to mr. wade, mr. g. g. kilburne, mr. duffield, mr. box kingham, mr. hill, mr. breakespeare, and others, for their valuable assistance with interesting specimens. i have used outline drawings in the text, as being more clear for purposes of explanation. the dates given to the illustrations are to be taken as approximate to the time in which the style was worn. many of the photographs have been arranged from my own costume collection, which has made so much of my research simple, reliable, and pleasant. i am also happy to state that before the final revision of this book i have heard that my collection of historical costumes and accessories will, after a preliminary exhibition at messrs. harrod's, be presented to the victoria and albert museum as a gift to the nation by the directors of that firm. thus the actual dresses shown in these plates will find a permanent home in london, and become valuable examples to students of costume. the coiffures in the collotype plates are not to be judged as examples, for it would have consumed far too much time to set up these figures more perfectly, but all the bonnets, caps, and accessories given are genuine examples. in a book of this size, one cannot go into the designs of materials, &c., which is a study any earnest student would not neglect, but in this connection i would draw attention to the comparative colour density and proportion of designs chosen for various effects. it has been my endeavour to arrange a greater variety of the forms which make up the characters of each period, and also to give a wider knowledge into the footwear, or details of the footwear, than is usual in most costume books. in a review of the styles i would not press any choice for building new designs, as i believe in close individual research and selection, which may utilise many interesting features from costume settings even in periods which are almost scorned. i believe the purest beauty is found in the simple forms of dress and decoration settings from the 12th to the 15th centuries, schemed to the natural proportions of the figure. the grace of line and movement is often aided by the short train, which can be so happily caught up in many ways; the slight drag of the train always keeps the front clear in outline, besides showing the movement of the limbs. length of fall in the material was desired, the figure creating its own folds with every turn, but a belt was often placed rather high under the breast. there is little reason with nature of fine form to make dress into sections by a corset waist. a long, lithe, complete curve in outline--much happier unbroken, except by the girdle--is certainly the most artistically useful conception, not breaking the rhythm (as does the harder belt), while it also induces much beauty in lifting and arranging the drapery. the long falling sleeve also has the same qualities, giving a greater fullness of shape, a variety of colour (by a difference of lining), with a winglike motion, besides softening the angle of the elbow. i think the next garment for high esteem is the chasuble-shaped tunic (with or without sleeves). falling cleanly from the shoulders, it stops at a charming length for the skirt to take up the flow of line. the delightful effect of partly-laced or clasped sides was not missed by the ablest designers. how refined, too, was the character of decoration of the old period! the art of concentrating effects is seen to perfection, retaining the breadth of shape and length unbroken. jewelled embroidery of fine enrichment was wrought on the borders, neck settings, square corners, the girdle, and the clasps. the preciousness of effect was truly appreciated by the enclosing of the face in the purity of white lawn and zephyr-like veilings; the circlet and the long interlaced plaits and charming nettings were all tastefully schemed. has woman ever looked more supreme through all the centuries of extravagant styles and distortions? i believe not: but i have come to the conclusion that, at whatever period of seeming insanity of style, the woman of fine taste can overcome all obstacles by her individual choice and "set up," and has really always looked fascinating. there was another form of decoration at this period--the cutting of the edges into a variety of simple or foliated shapes, giving a flutter and enrichment to forms in a simple manner, and this, in conjunction with the increasing richness of materials, was a valuable aid to lighten the effects. it was probably initiated by the heraldic characteristics in vogue. the pricked and slashed details had much the same result in enriching surfaces. later the fan sleeves of the 18th century were enhanced in a similar way by the curved and scalloped shaping, which was used as late as the victorian sixties with happy effect on the polonaises. now, as regards the finest corset dress, the palm must be given to the sack-back dress of the eighteenth century (not in the period of its distortion with hoops), and a full setting showed it to greatest advantage. this type of design lent itself to more variety in beauty of arrangement than any other; the looping, reefing, and tying always set gracefully in accord with the back fall. the easy exchange of the stomacher also gave additional chance of effect, and the beauty of the fan-shaped sleeve, with its lace falls at the elbow, was a delightful creation. how rich and refined this character could be, without the monstrous forms and head-dresses which later invaded it and turned it into ornate absurdity! when we examine the period of charles i, we find much charming dignity in the adaptations of earlier inventions; the collar settings were noble, indeed perfect, in arrangement, and the bodice decoration and proportions most interesting. for the grace of girlhood no dresses are happier than those of the early 19th century to 1830, and the inventions in trimmings through this period were prolific in beauty and lightness of style. analysis of the many fashion-plates and original dresses of this period will well repay all interested in beautiful needlecraft and dress design. the arrangement of frills, insertions, gathered effects, applied forms, and tasselled or buttoned additions, will be found full of beauty and novelty, especially in the dresses of white embroidery. plates xxiii and xxiv (see pp. 218-231) give some happy examples of this time. [illustration: plate i.--boots and shoes from the 14th to the 19th centuries. 1. charles ii. 2. james ii. 3. william and mary. 4. george ii. 5. george iii., 1770. 6. george iii., 1760. 7. george iii., 1780-1800. 8. 1870-1880. 9. william and mary. 10. 1680-1700. 11. 1680-1702. 12. 1750-1775. 13. 1580-1625. 14. 1710-1730. 15. henry viii. 16. semi-clog, 1780-1800. 17. henry viii. 18. 1778-1795. 19. late 15th century or early 16th century. 20. 1500-1540. 21. late 14th century to middle of 15th century. 22. 1530-1555. 23. 1535-1555.] a word on the most condemned flow of fashion during the victorian era. there are many dresses of real charm to be found amongst the mass of heavy styles which must not be overlooked in studying design and style. even the crinoline dress, when treated with the exquisite silk gauzes, as fig. 3 in plates xxxi and xxxiii (see pp. 270-282), was as alluring as any woman could wish, and the original design of the jacket in the latter figure, with its richly embroidered, long-skirted front cut short at the back, arranged itself perfectly on this type of undersetting. there was notable refinement of effect and beauty of proportion in many dresses of the sixties, as exemplified in fig. a, plate xxxii (see p. 279), the waist being set rather high, and the very full skirt carried back by the crinoline being held thus with its cross ties. chapter i prehistoric dress. female. the woman's attire would have been chiefly a shortish skirt or wrap of coarse linen, wool, or leather, gathered in front or folded at one hip; grass cloth may also have been in use in most primitive tribes. probably the upper part of the body was kept bare, except for many ornaments and necklaces, but a bodice or jacket cut in the same simple form as the male shirt, with a heavy belt or girdle, would have been used, and certainly a large shawl, which could be wrapped over the head and round the figure during inclement hours. dyed or painted patterns on the cloths might well have been also in use, their chief designs being stripes, circles or dots, zigzag lines, diamonds and plaid squares, rope patterns and plaited patterns. the hair would have been loose, plaited, or coiled on top, held by bone pins or circlets of bronze. prehistoric dress. male. we have little description or illustration to certify the actual dress of the early inhabitants of britain, but we can draw conclusions with pretty certain assurance, from the knowledge of their mode of living. from their attainments in artistic design and handiwork, it is clear they had arrived at a very high state of savage culture before the roman invasion; and we have only to study the better types of savage life still in progress, to picture how our own primitive race would be likely to dress under the conditions of climate. the thousands of "finds," which accumulate evidence every year, give us a closer acquaintance with their customs and work. the rest we must imagine from our general knowledge of what they had to contend with in climate, forest, cave, and floods. these early people, it is presumed from certain discoveries, had long known the art of coarsely weaving flax and wool, which must soon have been in general use, from its being healthier and cleaner than the garments of skin. and very probably a coarse linen, with simple dyes of red, blue, yellow, and brown, was in use here when the romans came. the head-dress consisted of a cap of fur or wool, probably decorated with a feather, over loose and most likely very unkempt hair falling to the shoulders. the gauls cut their locks from the back of the head, often tying up the remainder in a tuft on the top; no doubt the hair was sometimes plaited or pinned up with wood, bone, or bronze ornaments. bone pins, teeth, and boar tusks were carried in the ears, as well as studs of bone or stone in the underlip, and even the cheek may have been so decorated, as it was amongst the esquimaux. the face and body were painted with red and white ochre and a blue stain. the neck was adorned with strings of teeth, stones, amber, jet, bronze, and probably beads of glass or baked clay coloured. amulets and tokens, armlets and bracelets were all in use. also the torque, a twisted rod of gold flattened or curled together at the ends, was a mark of dignity. a wristlet of wood, bone, or leather was worn when the bow and arrows were used. the arms were a spear of flint or bronze and a dagger of the same, a hatchet or heavy club, a mace studded with flint or bronze spikes, and the sling, which would have necessitated a leather wallet to carry the stones; fish spears and snags. also the bolas for felling cattle seems to have been known; in fact nearly all the usual implements appertaining to savage life were in use. [illustration: plate ii.- (_a_) elizabethan robe in plush. 1585-1605. (_b_) elizabethan robe in silk brocade. 1565-85. (_c_) elizabethan male robe in velvet brocade. 1580-1615. (_d_) back-piece of elizabethan doublet in embroidered linen. 1580-1605. _measures, see p. 281._ _sleeve pattern of c, see p. 300._] the first item of male attire was of two skins fastened at the shoulders, and from this we get the early chasuble form (which may be so beautifully treated, even to the present time), girt with a leather thong or strap at the waist. one skin lapped the other, and hardly needed sewing together at the sides, while thus it was easier to throw off; it may also have been tied up between the legs. the fur was worn both inside and out, according to the weather; this large skin wrap would also be worn cross-ways with the right shoulder free, and the simple cloak of various lengths with a hole for the head to pass through was no doubt one of the first discoveries in costume. a loin cloth or skin may have been worn alone, caught up through the legs and fastened at the back of the waist with a heavy belt and set well down the hips. this would hold a number of personal necessities, in the shape of a wallet and dagger. the legs would be wrapped with skins, tied up or crossed by leather or sinew thongs, or with hemp or grass rope. skins were probably also used on the feet, gathered and tied above the instep and round the ankle. the enumeration of these items will give a pretty definite idea of how the early race would appear in their more or less attired form. in fighting, they cleared for action (as it were) and discarded all clothing, their only protection being a shield of wicker or wood covered with leather; it may have been studded with bronze plates or painted with grotesque characters, as were their own bodies, in true savage style, to strike fear into their enemies; it is even possible feather decorations formed part of their "get up." chapter ii the development of costume to the tenth century. female. the female head-dress consisted chiefly of flowing hair banded with a circlet of various shapes, but a development of braiding plaits is found very early, and the hair was probably arranged so before the roman era. these plaits were generally brought over the shoulder to the front, the hair being parted in the centre, thus making an oval forehead. various caps began to show originality, and jewels were set in the centre of the forehead on the little crown-like hat, which must have been most becoming. squares of coloured stuffs were draped over the head and shoulders, sometimes upon white linen squares, and many ladies began to bind the face and head, shutting out the hair, in the 8th century. the kerchief draping is very important to study, because it was the general mode amongst the people. heavy collars of ornament and strings of beads, hanging even to the waist, are noticeable features of these centuries, also large ear-rings. a full cloak, with a large clasp or brooch, opened in front, or was turned to free one shoulder; there was also a long "drape" thrown round over the opposite shoulder or brought picturesquely over the head. the ecclesiastical form of cloak as described in the male attire was also formed about the 6th century; its graceful line was frequently bordered completely with a band of ornament, and it was clasped just across the breasts. the complete circular cloak, with a hole for the head, is seen very early, decorated with a pinked edge, which may also be noted on some of the short dresses of the middle classes. aprons are no doubt of the earliest origin. a loose tunic falling to the hips was girded rather high up the body, as in the classic dress, and bands passing both outside or crossing between the breasts and going over the shoulder came from the same source; these were with, or without, short sleeves to the elbow. a long loose robe was the chief attire to the 6th century, belted rather high in the waist, and caught up with a girdle at the hips; these girdles gave a great interest to the early centuries, with the art of arranging the fullness of skirt into its hold. [illustration: fig. 1.] from the 6th century the dress became closer fitting, and a short bodice is seen; the neck was cut very low, either square or round in shape, and this style had short tight sleeves or tight sleeves to the wrist. the later tunic of the 9th century marked the beginning of the slit-open upper sleeve, and a greater length of the neck opening, which came to be fastened down the front to the waist. the early skirts (to the 6th century) were hung from the hips, and were often attached to a heavy girdle band, the fullness was gathered mostly at the back and front; other skirts hung from a higher belt and were again caught up in the girdle. a =v=-shaped neck setting was worn by the franks, from which probably came the shaped front piece that will interest us in the 13th century. the shoes were similar to the male shapes described later, and the same mode of binding the stockings was sometimes imitated. the development of costume to the tenth century. male. in taking the long period from the roman occupation to the 10th century, we can discover a real development of style in costume, as with the system of vassalage a distinction of class arose. no doubt the romans introduced a finer tuition of weaving, needlecraft, decoration, and dyeing; and later the various peoples coming from the continent, when settled under alfred in the 9th century, produced a solid style of barbaric splendour. [illustration: fig. 2.] [illustration: fig. 3.] the male hair dressing, from the rugged mass of hair, soon became well combed and trimmed square across the neck: ear-rings may still have been in use by some nobles till the 11th century, and chaplets were worn upon the hair. the saxon beard was divided into two points. small round tight caps of wool, fur, or velvet, and rush or straw hats of a definite shape were in use to the 10th century. tight caps, with lappets tied under the chin, and hoods appear on the short capes about the 8th century, or probably earlier. the garment was of the simplest form, cut like a plain square loose shirt to the middle of the thigh, and this was put on over the head. the opening to pass the head through was the first part to receive a band of decoration. the sides were sometimes opened to the hips and the front caught between the legs and held at the waist. a garment opened down the front, and another wrapped across to either shoulder is also seen. a belt girt the waist, and the tunic was pulled loosely over it. this also carried the essential requirements in the shape of a pouch, dagger, knife, comb, sword, &c. the neck was ornamented with chains of bronze, gold, beads, and charms, and up to the 8th century a bronze ornamental armlet was worn, besides a wristlet. the men of the ruling class from the 8th century were clothed in a long garment of simple shape, falling to the ankle, richly bordered at the hem and neck. this generally had long tight sleeves, and often over this a shorter tunic, reaching just below the knee, sometimes sleeveless, or with rather full sleeves tightening to the wrist. [illustration: fig. 4.] a plain square chasuble shape was in fashion from the 8th century, reaching to the bottom of the calf of the leg, and richer materials began to be used; no belt was passed round this, as it was allowed to fall straight. loose breeches were worn from very early times, and a loose trouser to the ankle, being tied there or bound crosswise from the boot sometimes right up the thigh. the same binding was done even with the bare legs and later hose: close-fitting short breeches and cloth hose became a feature in the 10th century, and with the latter an ornamental knee-piece or garter below the knee sometimes finished the strappings. the cloak was the "grand garment," heavily banded with ornament and fastened with a large clasp on one shoulder, or at the centre of the breast. long circular cloaks of varying lengths, put on over the head, were much favoured, and when caught up at the sides on either shoulder gave a fine draped effect. another cloak of ecclesiastical character, sloping in a curve from the neck and not meeting in front, is seen on many notable figures from the early 8th century, large clasps bridging the width low down on the chest. [illustration: plate iii.- (_a_) elizabethan jump (or jacket). about 1600. (_b_) portrait of a lady in embroidered costume. between 1620 and 1640.] [illustration: fig. 5.--types of shoes. british, roman, norman to 13th century.] no doubt the sandal of various forms was much used for footwear through this period, also a simple low shoe which was held on by the leg-strappings, as, about the 8th century, shoes are seen with loops at the upper edge, these being attachments for the binding, and this was no doubt a method from the prehistoric times. there was also a soft boot reaching to the calf, laced up the front; and, after the 8th century, a rather pointed shoe, open down the instep, laced, tied, or gathered into a buckle about the ankle. chapter iii tenth to the fifteenth century. female. the head-dress of women now began to show a preference to confine the hair with nets and to close in the face, which continued till the 15th century. the circlet and long plait or plaits and the flowing hair remained till the 14th century. in the 12th century we discover the hair gathered in nets at either side of the head, covering the ears. a low-crowned hat was bound over with a band of lawn or fine material passing underneath the chin, otherwise the plaits were looped up under a circlet which was also worn with the flowing hair. a square effect was aimed at in the 13th century with tight side-plaits bound into a shape or netted hair was strapped to the head as in fig. 11 (see p. 65). a fall of fine material softened the hard effect, and many ladies of quality bound the face, neck, and head in the wimple of fine linen, sometimes gathering this to the same quaint shape of the netted hair. i give a variety of these settings on page 65. a kerchief of linen coming round the neck was brought up tightly round the face and festooned on the top of the head, while another piece was pinned close to the brows and fell loosely to the shoulders, being often held on by a circlet as well. this character was maintained till the early 14th century, when a style of high peaked hats came into evidence, one shape of which became the most imposing feature of historic costume in the 15th century. it was still but a simple form in the middle of the 14th century, for another shape first gained predominance. early in this century also may be noted a curious shape like the cap of liberty, usually with a long tail at the back as drawn on page 59. this carried design to the eccentric forms of the pig-tailed hood, and then the rival of the high peaked hat took its place towards the end of the 14th century--a cushioned head-dress, which rose and divided in a hornlike structure. it started as in fig. 25, and i have illustrated its progress; the veil draping was a great feature, giving plenty of scope for individual fancy. it was, as a rule, richly decorated with gold and jewels, and the hair was completely enclosed in a gold net and a tight-fitting cap to hold this erection. large drop ear-rings were much worn, and a fine chain of gems encircled the neck or fell to the breast. [illustration: plate iv.- (_c_) youth's jacket of linen embroidered in worsted. 1635-65. _pattern, see p. 299._ (_d_) linen male jacket embroidered with gold and silk. 1600-40.] [illustration: fig. 6.--tenth to thirteenth century.] [illustration: fig. 7. _henry ii._ _john_ _henry i._ _richard i._] [illustration: fig. 8.--twelfth to fourteenth century.] in the 10th century a long close-fitting robe was in fashion, sometimes with a deep =v=-shaped neck opening, though usually the neck was cut to a round form. some sleeves were tighter with a small cuff, but usually the outer garment had a falling sleeve with a square or round end showing the tight undersleeve. the outer sleeve varied much in length, from the elbow or hand dropping even to the ground; it was narrow and widened through the 14th century, when its edge was cut into various patterns as in fig. 18 (see p. 79). in the 13th century we notice a long sleeve opened at the elbow for the under sleeve to come through, which beautiful style continued to the middle of the 17th century. [illustration: fig. 9. _norman, 12th century_ _saxon, 12th century_] [illustration: fig. 10.--fourteenth century, 1st half.] [illustration: fig. 11.--fourteenth century, 2nd half.] with the 10th century came the first corselet from the waist to the hip, clasping a loose tunic with an under-dress taking a long pointed train. the manner of tucking the tunic under the corselet when it was worn over it, and so creating festoons, is worthy of notice as interesting in arrangement and design. the 13th century parti-coloured and striped dresses foreshadowed the heraldic fashion, which must be studied for its proportion and treatment of decorative colour-values in counterchange to get the true value of its noble effects. a great feature now appears in the chasuble-shaped front or setting to a closely cut jacket. this ultimately becomes the decorative stomacher through the later periods, and it is very interesting to note its development. in the 13th century this jacket was a fur construction of a long simple form opened at the sides to the hips for the sleeves to come through; it had a straight hem or was rounded at the front points, and a chasuble form of it was treated as in fig. 13 or in conjunction with a short cape; it was chiefly a decoration of ermine. it grew into a complete jacket, and in the 14th century it was heavily ornamented with gems; and the simple front, from being a feature outside the jacket, was later often enclosed at the sides. the jacket itself is beautiful in form and proportion, and the curved band of design over the hips makes a nice foil to the curved front. this pattern is plainly derived from the effect of the rich girdle that was at first seen through the side openings and few jackets are without it, the usual shaping of the neck with most of these was square. [illustration: fig. 12.--nos. 1 to 7, 14th century. nos. 8 and 9, 15th century.] in the first quarter of the 14th century the setting of the neck was of a round shape, and after 1350 a raised or curved form is favoured. later still, and with the hornlike head-dress, a very deep =v= shape, open almost to the belt was the mode, often being filled in with velvet. at the same time some began to take up the fashions of a very high collar and a round-shaped body and sleeves, as in fig. 24 (see p. 89), with which a wide pointed belt is seen. some robes were opened in front up to the height of the girdle, though many dresses were worn without girdles after the 12th century. decorated pockets are sometimes seen in the later period, and an interesting hand-covering or falling cuff came with them. [illustration: fig. 13.--nos. 1 to 3, 14th century. nos. 4 to 9, 15th century.] the cloak as described in the 10th century still continued till the 12th, as well as the light wrap which may almost be placed with any period, though mostly a feature of the more classic styles. skirts and underskirts were worn with trains. they were mostly banded with wide borders of ornament up to the 13th century, the fullness being often gathered to the back and front. the chasuble-shaped overdress was worn to the middle of the 14th century, sleeveless, and, laced or sewn tight to the figure from the arm to the hip, or completely down the sides, generally reached just below the knee. the shoes were of much the same character as those of the male examples illustrated, though they hardly reached the same extravagance in length, owing, no doubt, to the feet of woman being hampered by her skirt; but i suspect they even braved high wooden clogs, as we know they did the tall chopins of the 16th century, to heighten their stature. [illustration: plate v.- (_a_) jerkin. period james i. (_b_) lady's bodice of slashed and vandyked satin. 1635-50. (_c_) jerkin of embroidered linen. 1630-60. (_d_) jerkin of embroidered linen. 1580-1635. _pattern measurements, see p. 293._] tenth to the fifteenth century. male. from the 10th to the 15th century, we find costume developing rapidly into elaborate and interesting designs. close relations with the continent brought new ideas, and rich velvets and brocades interwoven with gold enhanced the gorgeousness of attire, while the introduction of heraldic design brought in a very picturesque element. hats and head-dresses began to become important features, enlarging to eccentric shapes and proportions, only equalled in the extravagant part of the 18th century. it may be noted that feminine fashion, as it assumes new characters and proportions, affects the style of the male clothes in the same way, as, when a high or pointed head-dress comes in, the male hat also increases its size; the same with curved or angular designs, full or tight sleeves. the hair was worn long and rather squared in shape at the back till the end of the 15th century. a tendency to shut in the face by close hoods tied under the chin is remarked, and this forms a strong feature of the 13th and 14th centuries. ear-rings were seldom worn after the 10th century; but the neck was generally adorned with heavy chain decorations. beards assumed a pointed shape in accordance with this development of fashion, and double-pointed beards were revived between 1380 and 1386. hats of straw with mushroom brims and round tops came into vogue in the 11th century, covered with coloured materials and finished with a spike or button at the top, and the crowns of these took a pointed shape in the 14th century. the usual cap with folded brim had a loose crown, and we find this began to lengthen and fall over to one side in the 11th century, and continued to elongate till, in the 15th century, it often dropped to the knee in a long thin point. in the 14th century it took a fullness of loose folds, with serrated or foliated edges falling to the shoulder as in fig. 15 (see p. 73). a close helmet-shaped cap is seen in the 12th century, with a falling point from the crown, and the 13th century brought in the higher crowned hat, with a long peaked front, turned up at the back. feathers were worn at the front, back, or side of hats, and sometimes on the front of the hoods; these increased their dimensions in height and peak, till the straight-up high hat, which was often brimless, came in the 15th century. the early hood or cowl soon began to vary its design, for in the 13th century it was often a part of, or attached to, a chasuble shape falling back and front, or with the long front, stopping at a short cape length behind. a note of interest in the 14th century appears, where the forehead part of the hood is turned up, showing a coloured lining, and at times the fashionable serrated edge surrounding the face is seen. [illustration: fig. 14. _13th century_ _14th century_ _15th century_] [illustration: fig. 15.--fourteenth century.] [illustration: plate vi.- (_a_) collar and cuffs set with lace. 1600-30. (_b_) embroidered leather jerkin. 1620-40. (_c_) top of stocking. embroidered linen. 1625-50.] [illustration: fig. 16.--twelfth to thirteenth century.] the chasuble-shaped garment was a feature often worn over the coat until the end of the 15th century, and was generally worn long with the elongated fashion of the 14th century, and short with the shorter tunics of the 15th century. they are found very wide in the 14th century, and so fall well down over the shoulder, where they are often laced a short distance up, creating an interesting feature. cloaks were not so much in favour with the heavier cowl and cape, but they were used, fastened by brooches to either shoulder rather at the back, after the 12th century. [illustration: fig. 17.--fourteenth century.] a very tight-fitting suit called justacorps came into use from the 12th century, and developed a padded round-shaped body towards the end of the 14th century; the closely-cut body was buttoned up to the throat, or was set with a high collar for the first time. the tights came over it, sometimes rather high up the waist, being laced to it. a long tunic was chiefly favoured during the 10th and 11th centuries with short or long cuffless sleeves, and a full bell-shaped falling sleeve showed a close-fitting under one. these tunics were chiefly open at the neck as in the earlier times, though a slight difference to be noted is a =v=-shaped opening in the 14th century, which is developed in the 15th century; they were also split up the sides, even to the hips. some were very full in shape, and were gathered to either side as in the illustration; others had the body closely fitted and full only in the skirt, but as a rule one finds this latter shape only reaches just below the knee. they were often tucked into the belt in front, showing a rich underskirt. a girdle (besides a belt) was worn on the hips with the longer tunics, as in fig. 28 (see p. 94), the dagger and pouch being carried in front on the girdle, and not the belt. a small dagger was often slung at the back or front of the neck, as an ornament at the end of the 14th century. [illustration: fig. 18.--fourteenth century.] tights to the waist were worn with both long and short tunics, and retained the crossed binding up the legs to the 13th century, in the various designs of page 53. parti-coloured tights came in with the 14th century, carrying out the heraldic character of dress, and this may be found till about 1530. a sandal shoe was much worn up to the 12th century, with strappings to various heights up the leg, this even over the short top-boots, but the usual shoe opened down the front of the instep to the toe, which was rather pointed in shape, and it was curved or square at the ankle. the illustration gives a good variety of the prevalent forms. the stocking-boot is also another characteristic of this earlier time, as well as the commoners' woollen gaiters, worn as in fig. 30, on the seated figure, which were in use to the middle of the 16th century. [illustration: fig. 19.--twelfth and thirteenth centuries.] in the illustrations which show no shoe on the tights, it will be understood that a sole of leather was sewn on to the under part of the foot. this practice is even seen to-day on the continent, where the clog is mostly in use. a soft boot, reaching to the calf, was worn till the 15th century, with the top folded or trimmed with fur, the latter being generally laced down the front, even to the instep: the shape of these only varied in the length of the pointed toes as the style developed. the long-pointed shoes began to increase all through the 13th century, and in the 14th century they reached their greatest length, when the points were often tied up to a garter just below the knee. wooden clogs were much used, and were often considerably raised. iron circular supports were also in use at the end of this time; these were the foretaste of the eccentric chopins of the 16th century, which were more favoured on the continent than here. the pointed toes also were made to curl outwards, giving a splay-footed effect, late in the 14th century. [illustration: fig. 20.--fourteenth and fifteenth centuries.] chapter iv fifteenth century. female. we have now arrived at the height of eccentric fashion in mediæval head-dress. the hornlike creations, studded with jewels, and peaks of wondrous height, both draped with fine muslins and often completely shutting away the hair from sight, had a supporting cap which mostly came over ears and cheeks, and a clutch is seen on the forehead, at times concealed by a jewel. the hair was generally allowed to fall loose under the back drape, or a long plait is sometimes seen at the back with the first-named head-dress. the back drape setting from the brow down the back was well conceived to balance the high spire, but it seems to have been discarded during the reign of edward v, and light veil falls were worn which often came half over the face. in henry vii's time the extreme fashion came in the shape of a closely-fitting curved cap, with a fall of material over the back. the ermine-trimmed jacket was still in favour to the middle of the last-named reign, when it was worn low down over the hips. [illustration: fig. 21.--fifteenth century, 1st half.] [illustration: fig. 22.--middle of fifteenth century to sixteenth century.] [illustration: plate vii.- (_a_) herald's coat. embroidered velvet and silk. 1st half 17th century. measured pattern, page 301. (_b_) lady's bodice of black velvet. 1630-60. _measurement, see p. 297._ (_c_) black silk jerkin. 1640-60.] [illustration: fig. 23.--fifteenth century, 1st half.] the chief dress of this period had a =v=-shaped collar-front meeting at the waist, mostly made in black material or fur. it was wide on the shoulder, and seems to have been stiffened to set out; the =v= shape was generally filled in with velvet, and a very wide band encircled the waist; a girdle is occasionally noted. the keys' pocket and other requisites were generally carried on the underskirt during these times. the skirt was full and gathered to the back in a train, the gathers often running into the bodice; a very wide border is prevalent, even to the middle of the thigh. tight sleeves are usual, and hanging sleeves were worn, mostly set in a very short sleeve, which assume a puff-shape in henry vii's reign; long cuffs, almost covering the hand, are seen on many sleeves. [illustration: fig. 24.--fifteenth century, 2nd half.] [illustration: fig. 25.--fifteenth century, 2nd half.] [illustration: plate viii.--(_a_) (_b_) (_c_) three suits. period charles ii.] [illustration: fig. 26.--end of fifteenth century.] modes of opening the skirt up to the hips occasionally showed themselves, and even the sides to the hips are seen laced. in the earlier dress, about 1485, the neck setting of dress became very square, and was filled with fine-drawn lawn. the square shape rises in a curved centre before the end of this period, and a close-fitting robe was worn with a girdle, often opened up the sides. the short upper sleeve and full outer sleeve so much in vogue gave place to a divided upper and lower sleeve, laced or tied with ribbon, with puffs of lawn pulled through the openings at shoulder and elbow, and down the back of the forearm. slashes are now seen in most sleeves, and an italianesque character pervaded the fashion. high, soft boots and shoes of a similar shape to the male description were worn, and changed when the square-toe shoes came in. through this period there are many interesting details of costume to study, while gilt tags, finishing laces, and ribbons are to be remarked from this period. fifteenth century. male. [illustration: fig. 27.--fifteenth century.] [illustration: fig. 28.--fifteenth century, 1st half.] [illustration: fig. 29.--middle of fifteenth century.] the chief shapes to mark in this century in male head-dress is the increased height of the tall hats which rise to vie with the female fashions. we still see a round hat with a rolled edge and long fall over one side, besides shorter folds in the crown, both scalloped or foliated at the edge, and this shape may be noted till about 1460. some of these hats were made without a crown, as in fig. 28 (see p. 94); the roll was decorated, as a rule, with jewelled studs. a top hat, something like our present shape, appears, but more belled at the top and also a padded, rolled brim. it was made in various rich materials, and often decorated with jewels. the peak-fronted hat still continued to be favoured till about 1480, its chief difference being a crown more eccentric in height. tall cylinder hats, with folded brims or no brim, and other shapes are illustrated. the variety is so great through this period that it is well to study the vagaries of fashion which i have illustrated in sequence as far as possible; they were mostly used till about the last quarter of this century, when the low-crowned flat hat with turned-up brim began to secure the fashion. this was generally worn tilted on one side and often over a scarlet skull-cap. a large bunch of plumes came in with this hat, set up from the front, curving backwards, and giving a very grand effect: with most of the tall hats the feather was set at the back. [illustration: fig. 30.--fifteenth century.] [illustration: fig. 31.--fifteenth century, 1st half.] [illustration: fig. 32.--fifteenth century, 2nd half.] the notable change in the tunic, which was worn both very short and to the ground, was the arrangement of folds to the back and front, gathered to a =v= shape at the waist. the hanging sleeve began to go out of favour after the middle of the century, but the sleeve or cuff covering the hand was continued till the end of this century. a sleeve, full at the shoulder, is found, and short, round, padded sleeves came in, worn over a close-fitting sleeve. this short sleeve became raised on the shoulder, and was cut or looped up the outer side: a long loose outer sleeve is also seen in conjunction with these short ones. a very short jacket is notable, of a plain square shape, with a plain sleeve on the left arm and a hanging sleeve on the right to the knee. the tight-fitting jerkin, laced down the front, was worn with this as with most other coats. [illustration: fig. 33.--end of fifteenth century.] [illustration: fig. 34.--fifteenth century, 2nd half.] [illustration: plate viiia- (_a_) suit of embroidered silk. 1610-30. (_b_) three sword hangers embroidered in gold. charles ii. (_c_) braided suit. 1670-90.] [illustration: fig. 35.--fifteenth-century shoes and clogs.] the high collar to the throat had gone out for a collar opened in front. very short and very long "chasubles" were worn with or without sleeves which were gathered high and full at the shoulders. the sleeves were now sometimes slit open at the back and held with several ties, as linen sleeves are now shown with these. parti-coloured tights were not so much favoured through this period, but a decorated thigh, or part of the thigh and knee, was a favourite method of enrichment. [illustration: fig. 36.] a long coat came in at the later part of this time, with a deep =v=-shaped collar meeting at the waist; it was also cut into a square shape at the shoulders, as in fig. 43 (see p. 119). a loose bell-shaped sleeve usually went with this, often opened in the front of the upper arm. a short square cape is at times seen in conjunction with this. a low square or round neck shape came in during the last quarter of this century, filled in with a fine gathered lawn and a tight-fitting coat with a pleated skirt and full padded sleeves, or a tight sleeve with a full puff or spherical upper part. [illustration: fig. 37. nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, second half of 15th century. nos. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, variety of shapes from 1490 to 1630.] [illustration: fig. 38. no. 1. 14th century. 2. 15th century. 3. " " 4. late 16th cent. 5. 1580-1610. 6. " " 7. 1605-1640. 8. 1600-1625. 9. 1550-1600. 10. 1610-1640. 11. 1590-1620. 12. 1605-1630. 13. 1675-1695. 14. 1670-1690. 15. 1680-1700. 16. 1690-1720. 17. 1680-1700. 18. 1700-1750. 19. 1700-1780. 20. 1700-1760. 21. 1740-1780. 22. 1745-1780. 23. 1770-1800. 24. 1730-1760. 25. 1700-1780. 26. 1830-1860. 27. 1780-1800. 28. 1840-1870. 29. " " ] [illustration: plate ix.- (_a_) lady's embroidered silk jacket. 1605-30. (_b_) lady's bodice of silk brocade. 1680-1700.] [illustration: fig. 39.--decorated leather, 15th and 16th centuries. _comb case_ _purse_ _cut leather. 15 cent._ _leather_ _pierced leather, 16 cent._ _bronze studs 15 or 16 cent._ _metal studs_ _incised lines with metal studs 15 cent._] shoes and boots were still worn with very long pointed toes till about 1465, when a proclamation was issued for beaks or piked shoes not to pass two inches, and after this time a broad round-toed shoe began to appear. soft high boots to the top of the thigh, with folded top, belong to this century, as well as the fashionable boot to the calf. the sword or dagger was carried towards the front or side, and a small dagger across the belt at the back. the pouch or purse was also used as a dagger support. chapter v sixteenth century. character of trimmings. before the 16th century we find the art of decoration in costume had been confined chiefly to applied ornamental bands at the neck, waist, and borders of skirt and cloak. they had up till this time utilised, with great artistry of design (no doubt partly due to the heraldic study), the patterns of the finely decorated damasks and velvets. the counter colour effects and relative proportions, such as a small-patterned, dull-coloured silk setting off a large full-coloured design was ably considered, as well as the introduction of a nicely-balanced black note or setting, which proved these designers were highly skilled in judgment of style. they also discovered the art of giving enrichment and lightness to the effect by means of the various serrated edgings to the materials, which also gave a flutter to the movement. a preference of lacing for fastening added to the charm of the dress, but the long rows of close buttons were also a feature of the clinging robes, the clasps and brooches, neck-chains, girdle, belt, and wallet being further very important items of enrichment to the effect. on coming to the 16th century we enter what may be termed the slashed and puffed period. the sleeves of henry viii's reign are very rich in design and jewel-setting, the design of the sleeve as in fig. 40 giving a striking effect, the angle of the top sleeve being held out by the stiffness of the under silk one. the neck-setting and festooning of the jewel-chains play an important part in the design on the plain velvet corset bodices. the head-dress is one of the most remarkable, and gave a great chance for individual arrangement in binding the back fall to set at various angles on the shaped cap piece, combining severity with a big loose draping which is extremely picturesque. with edward vi commences what may be termed the braided period of decoration. this latter came suitably with the stiffer corsage and set up. mary's reign was not of attractive severity, but the over-robe with the short circular sleeve at the shoulder and high collar was a graceful creation, and was retained by many as late as 1630. there was little to admire in the elizabethan age as regards design, except the beauty of the materials and the exquisite needlework. the proportions of the dresses were exceedingly ugly, and the pleated farthingale an absurdity. the male dress had much interest and often beauty of setting and decorative effect. the slashed materials gave a broken quality to what would otherwise be a hard effect, and it also cleverly introduced another colour change through the suit. there will be found many examples in these illustrations of the pricked and punctured designs on leather-work which are worth examining for modern treatment. quilting and pleating were ably combined with the braiding, and we see the clever adaptation of straw patterns sewn on (a feature of the late 16th century), which harmonised with the gold braidings or gold lace, or resembled the same effect. the trimmings of braid were often enriched with precious or ornamental stones and pearls, the stomacher, waist, front band down the skirt, and borders of most garments. the points of slashes were often held by jewelled settings, and the long slashes were caught here and there with the same. another important item was the black stitchwork on linen, sometimes mingled with gold, so highly prized now for its beauty of design and effect, but beginning probably in the reign of henry vii. short coats of this type of the elizabethan age are marvels of skill, and many caps are still in existence. fine linen ruffs and collars were often edged with this work, as well as with gold lace. jackets and caps, both male and female, bearing geometrical and scroll designs in gold, filled in with coloured needlework of flowers, birds, or animals have happily been preserved for our admiration. sequins appear on work from henry viii's time, and were much appreciated by the elizabethan workers, who no doubt found the trembling glitter added much to the gold-lace settings and delicate veilings: long pear-shaped sequins were favoured for this. sleeves were often separate, and could be changed at will. sixteenth century. henry viii. female. the hair at this period was parted in the centre and gathered into a plait at the back; it was also seen rather full and waved at the sides of the head, and a small circlet was often carried across the brow. a cap of velvet or gold brocade, sometimes with a padded front, curved over the ears to the neck, keeping the shape of the head. over this again a velvet fall was turned back from the front or shaped as in the illustration, reaching to the shoulder. these falls were also bound into set-out shapes, which gave many picturesque effects. dress had now taken a new phase, and the set bodice became a lasting feature. at this period the waist was rather short, and the neck, arranged in a low square or round form, generally filled in with gathered lawn. the upper part of the sleeve was often divided from the bodice by ties with lawn puffs, and was made in a full circular form, slashed or puffed and banded, with a tight-fitting sleeve on the forearm. another type divided the upper and lower part of the arm at the shoulder and elbow, the forearm being effectively tied or laced, and the under lawn sleeve pulled through; small slashings are also seen on these. at times a bell-shaped sleeve was worn, showing a slashed or puffed under one. many dresses were still cut in one, and were often high-necked; with these usually a girdle or band of drapery was worn, and some skirts opened up the front, showing a rich underskirt. [illustration: fig. 40.--sixteenth century, 2nd quarter.] [illustration: fig. 41.--period henry viii.] full skirts, heavily pleated at the waist, were worn in the earlier part of this reign, banded in varying widths of designs to about the knee; but a new development was in progress--a stiff, bell-shaped dress, set on hoops over a rich underskirt which usually bore a jewelled band down the centre, the upper one being divided in front to display this feature. the bodice with this type becomes longer in the waist, and was made on a stiff corset. gloves are occasionally seen, serrated at the cuff-end. shoes of the slashed character and square toes were also worn by the ladies, but many preferred a shoe with a moderately rounded toe. the first mention of a leather umbrella is 1611, but this is a rare instance, as they were not in use till the 18th century here, though they are noted in continental prints during the 17th century. [illustration: fig. 42.--sixteenth-century modes, 1st half henry viii.] sixteenth century. henry viii. male. the modes at the end of the last century now developed into a heavier character of design. the long hair soon began to be closely cut, and a short beard came into fashion. a flat type of hat was worn, with serrated brim, or tabs which could be turned down at times, and others were kept in place by a lacing cord through holes. there was also a flat "tam o' shanter" shape, generally worn well tilted on one side, and amongst the upper classes mostly adorned with feathers. the =v=-shaped collar, or opening to the belt, was still retained on the jerkin, and plain or pleated skirts are seen, also a square close-fitting vest, with a low square neck, filled with gathered lawn, or one with a high neck and short collar, on which a very small ruff appeared for the first time, and at the wrist as well. these were now decorated with long slashes or gathered puffs: heraldic design was still seen on the breast, and even parti-colour was worn, but this character was now treated more by decorating with coloured bands on the tunics or tights. [illustration: plate x.- (_a_) black velvet bodice. 1600-25. (_b_) five embroidered waistcoats. between 1690 and 1800. _pattern, see p. 292._] [illustration: fig. 43.--period henry viii.] [illustration: fig. 44.--cap shapes. period henry viii.] [illustration: fig. 45.--variety of shapes and slashing. henry viii.] long coats were still worn of the shape described at the end of the 15th century, but a short surcoat was the mode, reaching just below the knee, sleeveless, or with the various hanging sleeves of this period, the fronts usually turned back to form a wide collar, either round or square in shape on the shoulder, or at times falling to a deep square at the back. the sleeves were full in the upper part, tightening to the wrist, sometimes open up to the elbow and laced, or they were pleated into a full round shape at the shoulder. puffs and slashings increased in these designs, and by 1520 we find the sleeves mostly divided into puffed and slashed forms, which grew to fantastic proportions. very short, tight breeches or trunks, with a front flap or codpiece, were decorated to match the body design and colour schemes; they increased in length to the knee, or just below, during this reign, and usually finished in a serrated roll. [illustration: plate xi.--16 leather boots and shoes. between 1535 and 1860. 1. 1740-1780. 2. 1535-1550. 3. 1680-1700. 4. 1645-1690. 5. 1665-1685. 6. 1690-1710. 7. 1845-1860. 8. 1790-1820. 9. 1665-1670. 10. 1800-1820. 11. 1820-1840. 12. " 13. 1815-1850. 14. 1760-1780. 15. 1650-1670. 16. 1630-1660.] [illustration: fig. 46.--footwear, 1510-1540.] shoes were of the square form, some very short in front, held on by a strap across the instep, others with fronts to the instep. the corners were often brought out to a point on each side of the toes, and the mode of decorating with slashing and punctures made them very interesting. the sides of these shoes are very low, from ¾ to 1 inch, and no heels are seen. a big, round shape was also favoured, which increased in width till a proclamation forbade it exceeding 6 inches. chains were still a decorative feature round the neck, and the belt carried a sword and pouch, or, amongst the working classes, other necessities. sixteenth century. the reigns of edward vi and mary. female. in the reign of edward vi, which was so short, as also in that of mary, there was little time to form a real character. these reigns form developing links to the elizabethan era, so i have taken them in one chapter. [illustration: fig. 47. fig. 48. fig. 49. elizabethan modes.] [illustration: fig. 50.--costumes, 1554-1568.] [illustration: fig. 51.--costumes, 1568-1610.] with edward vi the same shaped cap is seen as that of henry viii, and with mary's accession, the head-dress is curved to the head in a like manner, but it now became more of a hat form and took a brim curved in on the brow; this was often worn over the little tight curved cap, or showed the hair waved out at the sides, often netted with gold and pearls. a fall of velvet, silk, or veiling was still retained till the very high ruff or collar came in the elizabethan days. a small-crowned hat, with a brooch and feather in front, and a full gathered crown came in before elizabeth's time, when we see many eccentric shapes, such as the tall hat with a feather at the side, and the witch-like hats towards the end of her reign. the bodice, which became longer in the first reign, still retained the full belled oversleeve or the full puffed sleeve to the end of mary's reign, also the same square neck shape with curved-up front, now often filled with silk quilted with pearls up to the neck. high-necked dresses set with a small ruff became general in mary's reign. we also find a tight sleeve gathered in a circular puff at the shoulder or set in a rolled epaulet. the same shaped skirt of the hooped bell form (sometimes very pleated in mary's reign) or divided in front to show the underskirt as described under henry viii, was worn. the short square shape and the heavy round shoe is seen in mary's reign, but fashion then preferred a rather pointed oval shoe, well up the instep with higher sides, decorated with characteristic slashing. gloves are seen in many portraits up to this period, but of a plain make minus embroidery, and a circular fan of feathers was carried. sixteenth century. the reigns of edward vi and mary. male. with edward vi and mary a more refined and sober type of style set in. the hair was now worn short and combed backwards. the flat hat of the earlier shapes lasted to elizabeth's reign; becoming smaller in width, with a turned-down, curved brim and a fuller crown encircled with a gold band or set with a feather worn at the right-hand side. a small tight-fitting round hat with a rolled brim and a feather in front is also of this later mode. through these reigns a small square turned-over collar or a very small ruff set on a high collar came into use, which increased to a larger ruff in mary's reign. a small ruff was also worn at the wrist, many of these were edged with black-stitch designs. the heavy puffed sleeves became tight and started from a small epaulet or puffed roll; some of these had a small cuff at the wrist or a frill. braided designs became very elaborate on a close-fitting, padded, and round-shaped jerkin with a short skirt, which appeared in the first reign, and this skirt was often long enough to fasten just under the codpiece. short trunks at times worn half-way down the thigh were slashed, banded, and puffed for decoration. no parti-colour was now worn or striped effects on tights, except amongst the soldiers in the reign of mary. short capes to the length of the trunks of a plain round form sloping from the shoulders, or a square type with a high square collar and loose sleeves, are seen; a tunic also of the earlier character with a =v=-shaped collar and full sleeve comes into this reign, and we note the earlier types of shoes mingling with the newer pointed oval-shaped shoe which now continued for the remainder of this century. [illustration: fig. 52.--costumes, 1554-1580.] [illustration: fig. 53.--costumes, 1570-1605.] in mary's reign the round-shaped doublet began to protrude from the breast to the waist in a round form with slightly longer skirts or small tabs, while the trunks assumed large circular proportions and were sometimes set on tight knee-breeches. the capes remained about the same. sixteenth century. elizabeth. female. the costly splendour of attire is well known in elizabeth's reign, which began with the same form of hair and head-dress as with mary, the hat being set rather higher on the hair. the ruffs, which were imported already starched from holland, assumed larger proportions and complications when the methods of starching became known in england about 1564. stow describes ruffs growing to a quarter of a yard deep; these were no doubt supported by piccalilloes, though they are not actually mentioned till after 1600, but they surely came with the fan-shaped structures of these later days. white, red, blue or purple colours were used in the starching, and yellow in the latter days of this century. the introduction of this curved fanlike collar setting became a grand and complicated feature right into the 17th century. "make up" became very apparent on the faces at this time, for bishop hall censured the fashion in a choice sermon, saying, "hear this, ye plaster-faced jezabels! god will one day wash them with fire and brimstone." [illustration: fig. 54.--elizabethan modes.] [illustration: plate xii.- (_a_) lady's outdoor costume. 1785-95. (_b_) costume. early 18th century. (_c_) silk brocade dress. 1760-80.] [illustration: fig. 55. 1585-1610 1600-1620 1595-1605 1605-1615 1589-1600] the bodices grew very long and pointed in the waist, the neck setting being mostly treated in the same =v= shape, even open down to the waist point was filled with a decorated stomacher, and a deep oval-shaped neck was seen at the end of the reign. an outer opened sleeve was now favoured, caught in front at the elbow and hanging to the knee over a fairly tight undersleeve with a turned-back lace cuff or ruffle. with this came the high-set fan ruff on its wooden support at the back of the neck, and consequently a higher coiffure. [illustration: fig. 56. nos. 1, 2, 3, 1540-50, and other shoe forms worn in the reign of elizabeth.] the same character of skirt continued as in the earlier reigns on hoops at the lower part, but they became much fuller and rounder at the hips till about 1590, when the full pleated skirt was supported on a farthingale or hoop which was set with a gathered circle in the same goffered design as the ruffs at the edge. these reached their extreme dimensions at the end of this reign, when the sleeves also assumed a full padded shape and large epaulets also came in. an overdress with a full pleated back (like the watteau dress) was in fashion from the middle of this reign, and we are lucky to possess some specimens in the victoria and albert museum of which i am able to give the dimensions. small looking-glasses were carried, and were also inset on the round feather fans. perfumed gloves, elaborately embroidered, were introduced during this reign. silk stockings were worn by elizabeth for the first time in 1560, and worsted stockings were made in england in 1564. corsets of pierced steel are seen in france from the late 16th and 17th century, and may have been in use here, though wood, cane, and whalebone were the chief supports. shoes became narrow and even pointed, while the heel began to increase to considerable heights. the buskins of queen elizabeth now at oxford are raised to 3 inches in height by the aid of a thick sole, and shoes a and b, fig. 61, are also reported to have belonged to her. chopins for heightening the stature were in use on the continent, but i believe did not appear here; but very thick corked soles and high heels were introduced for this purpose. [illustration: plate xiii.- (_a_) silk coat. 1735-55. (_b_) brocade silk coat. 1745-60. (_c_) embroidered cloth coat. 1770-90. _pattern, see p. 308._] sixteenth century. elizabeth. male. in this reign a very neat small-pointed beard was the fashion, the hair being brushed up as high as possible and often fulled out at the sides, and a "chic" appearance was sought after. a stiff belled top-hat with an egret at the right side made its first appearance with a curved brim, also one of a tapered shape with a smallish round brim, and another very small round hat with a curved brim, a clasp and feather being mostly worn on the front of each. the brims of all the hats began to enlarge at the end of the century when the very high crowned wide brimmed hat made its appearance, sometimes with a peaked top, and beaver is first mentioned in their make. large circular ruffs became all the rage besides the small turned-over collar. the round doublet with protruding front became tighter at the waist, the protuberance taking a punchlike pointed form curving to almost between the legs and sloping sharply up the hips to the back. this was set with a very short tab or tabs on padded breeches tightening to the knee, which usually had very small trunks on the upper part, and large, stuffed trunk hose also appeared. the stockings were brought over these in a roll above the knee. up to this time tights were made of wool, worsted, fine cloth, frieze, and canvas. the slashings, pleating, and gatherings of the period were of a much neater character, and punched patterns and pricked materials came into use. close-fitting high boots, generally with serrated tops and thick soles curving into a short heel, are features of this time. the shoe had a long front decorated with slashings (often caught with jewels), and an oval toe which became almost pointed in the last years of this century. a short top-boot rising to the calf was also in use, mostly with a little fur edge at the top, and these were often pricked with patterns. [illustration: fig. 57.--elizabethan modes.] chapter vi the character of trimmings through the seventeenth century. james i. the braiding and small slashing continued of a similar character to the end of the elizabethan age. the slashing now began to be treated with a larger effect and less elaboration, but pricking and punching were still much used for enriching surfaces. an improved style of design was evident. the female bodice was arranged with a long stomacher, often shaped into curved forms at the point, and this was set with jewels or embroidery, otherwise the bodice was decorated with braiding and jewels as in elizabeth's reign. the full sleeves were embellished with small slashes (making diamond squares), puffs, or pricked and punched designs. a turned-up cuff or ruff of pointed lace finished the wrist, braided epaulets formed a beautiful feature of the effect, and the front of the underskirt was decorated with a jewelled band or conventional design, as was also the border of the overskirt. caps of an interesting curved form beautifully embroidered in gold and coloured silks are seen, of which i give patterns; also loose jackets of the same work were in use when not in full dress. charles i. many beautifully embroidered caps, jerkins, jackets, and shirts are seen at this period in gold and black or coloured silks. slashings of this reign, though in fashion, had commenced to go out; and those retained were of a large character, mostly from the neck or shoulder to the breast. the favoured sleeves were cut into straps to the elbow or wrist, and were often edged with braid, either side meeting together and lining the forearm, the body being treated in the same way. the open-fronted sleeve was set with buttons and loops or long braided buttonholes with frayed or knotted ends, though these were not generally fastened. the tight undersleeve was often set with gold or silver narrow braids down the front and back seams, and close lines of small braids horizontally round the arm, or vertically when the outer sleeve was treated horizontally, this gave a beautiful counterchanged effect. many of the ladies' caps of this time had beautiful gold scrolls, with flowers and birds embroidered in coloured silks, also loose jackets of the same were in use. the bodice was banded with braids or lace on the front and seams, and the stomacher was often of fine embroidery; set rosettes or bows were placed at the waist. other finishing effects of collar or sleeve, and the button and buttonhole decorations were made important features on both male and female sleeves, and even down the front of the outer skirt when it was not treated with lace. red heels to shoes began to be worn and continued to the end of the 18th century in marked favour. the commonwealth. during this short period the character and placing of braiding was the same as in the latter part of last reign; slashing had almost completely gone out, except for the treatment of some ladies' sleeves cut into bands. a very sober effect was assumed in colour schemes, besides a plainer treatment in decoration, and a deep plain collar or a small turn-over one was chiefly worn by the men, while the hat of the puritan rose to an absurd height, with a wide flat brim. charles ii. this may be named the period of ribbon trimmings, though braiding was treated in broad lines on the short jackets and sleeves, and down the sides of the breeches. a preference is shown for gold and silver lace, or amongst the élite purfled silk edges; the new mode being a decoration of groups of ribbon loops placed about the suit or dress. the notable feature with the female dress was the gathering of drapery by means of jewelled clasps, and groups of ribbon loops were also used, as with the male dress. the edges of the materials were sometimes cut into scalloped or classic forms, and a very simple voluminous character was fashion's aim. james ii and william and mary. with the later type of long-skirted coat which began in charles ii's reign, a heavy style of braiding and buttoning came into vogue, all the seams of the coat besides the pockets and cuffs and fronts being braided, which fashion continued to the end of the century. many coats began to be embroidered in the later reign, and waistcoats became a special feature for the display of fine needlecraft on the fronts and pockets, while quilting or imitations of it in various needlework designs are often seen. in the female dress a more elaborate interest was again taken in the stomachers and the jewelled claspings, while lengths of soft silk gathered into long puffs often edged the outer skirts or were used in smaller trimmings, and "classical" shapings of the edges of materials and sleeves are often seen, also heavy bands of rich embroidery bordered the underskirt or train. seventeenth century. james i. female. we find much the same high forms of set-up head-dress continuing in fashion as in the later years of elizabeth's reign; but the hair began to take a fuller shape, rather round, done up in tight frizzled curls, with the usual decorations of jewels, pearls, or set bows of this period. hats with high crowns and small straight brims, with an upright set of small plumes, gradually assumed a larger brimmed character--often turned up on one side. the same absurd pleated hoop, with its hanging skirt, continued for some time (worn rather short); but we also see the longer and very full hooped-out skirt, with an overskirt opened in the front. the stomacher front became much enlarged during this reign, many having shaped designs at the point. most bodices took a very deep curved front at the neck, and large padded sleeves narrowed at the wrist still continued, besides the high fan collar at the back of the neck, and large ruffs were used by many. there also appeared, later in the reign, a stiff round collar, set high in the neck, cut off straight across the front, and the bodice took a very low square-cut neck, with a raised curved shape at the centre of neck. the tighter sleeve was also worn throughout this time, with the overdress and sleeve hanging almost to the ground, which often had a very angular cuff. a little later some sleeves began to be gathered at intervals into puffy forms. the waist also showed signs of shortening. [illustration: fig. 58.] [illustration: fig. 59.--costumes. period, james i.] shoes with rounded toes and latchets holding large rosettes were chiefly worn, and heels of various heights are seen. chopins, still worn on the continent, do not seem to have appeared here. seventeenth century. james i. male. the hat was of the high-crowned type, perhaps higher than in the last reign. the brim had broadened, and feathers were placed upwards fantastically at the back and sides of crown. brims were often fastened up on the right side with a jewel; otherwise a band was buckled in front. the hair was now allowed to fall longer again, and a pointed or square-shaped beard with a brushed-up moustache was the mode. ruffs both large and small surrounded the neck, and a flat fan-shaped collar was seen in the earlier years. [illustration: plate xiv.- (_a_) embroidered silk dress with pannier. 1765-80. (_b_) brocade dress and quilted petticoat. 1750-65. _pattern of bodice, p. 322._] [illustration: fig. 60.--costumes. period james i.] the jerkin was close fitting and the length of the waist more normal, with less tendency to being tightened in, and not so deep in the front point, so as to set better over the very full trunks or breeches. the square tabs of the jerkin increased in size, and soon formed large flaps divided into three or four, to the centre of the back. sleeves were fairly tight and started from slightly larger epaulets, and were usually set at the wrist, either with a small ruff or turned-up lawn cuff, edged with lace. the trunks were padded in a very full shape and were much longer, just above the knee. also full padded-out breeches tapering to the knee or just above, where a large tie and bow hung at the side, and full square breeches not tied in, are also a feature of these days, usually banded with wide braids at ends and sides. upright pockets were made on either side towards the front, about two inches from the side seams. they fastened up the front in a pleated fold, many being decorated with punched, pricked, or slashed design of a smallish character. [illustration: fig. 61.--shapes of shoes from 1590-1650.] cloaks were worn longer to the knee, retaining the same shapes and braid decoration as in the elizabethan period, and hanging sleeves were still worn on them, as well as on some of the jerkins. shoes became fuller and rounder at the toes, mostly with thick welted soles and short heels, or none. they were fastened with a large rosette of gold lace or ribbon on the front, and the latchets were set back to show an open side. the top-boots were close fitting and took squarer toes; the spur flap being rather small. beautifully embroidered clocks are seen on the tights and stockings of this period. seventeenth century. charles i. female. the hair was now allowed to fall in ringlets round the back and sides, with a few flat curls on the brow, and a bow and pearls were caught in at the sides. short feathers may also be noted in use. a plait was often coiled at the back after 1630. [illustration: plate xv.- (_a_) white cloth coat. 1775-90. (_b_) silk dress. 1740-60. (_c_) embroidered velvet coat. 1755-75.] [illustration: fig. 62.] [illustration: fig. 63. collar and bodice types. period charles i.] [illustration: fig. 64. collar and bodice types. period charles i to 1660.] in the early part of this reign the ladies were wearing the long corset-bodice, with a richly decorated stomacher which curved outwards to set on the very full skirts; this often finished with a curved or foliated shape at the point. square starched collars, rounded at the back, sometimes set up at the back of the neck or flat on the shoulder, and ruffs were still seen round the neck with collars as well, but they were seldom met with after 1635. a plainer, deep collar, flat, round, or =v=-shaped at the back, coming well over the shoulders, was caught together by a bow or ornament in front. about 1630 shorter waisted bodices came in, with full, loose sleeves set in epaulets: the neck shape was rounded or square. the bodices were often slashed, and the full sleeves, cut into bands, were sometimes gathered by cross bands from one to three times. full plain sleeves, opened in the front seam, were also clasped at the elbow in a like manner. outer short sleeves became a feature, opening in the front, showing the full under one or a tight one; the waist became very short and its tabs larger. a waistband fastened in the stomacher with a bow either side and bows with long gold tags decorated the waist as in the male jerkin. the skirt decorated by a band of ornament down the front was often tied upon the corset-bodice, the front point being left outside. shoes of the same shape as the male illustrations, with very square toes, were frequent, but an oval toe, rather pointed, is seen in many pictures, with the large lace rosettes in front. muffs are first noticed in these days, though they were seen much earlier on the continent. [illustration: fig. 65.--period 1625-1660.] seventeenth century. charles i. male. the hair was worn loose to the shoulders, and a small plait was sometimes arranged on the left side, brought to the front of shoulder. the beard was trimmed to a pointed shape, and smarter curled moustaches were fashionable. hats were still high in the crown, but rather lower than with james i; the large brims were turned about in various curves, and feathers were worn falling over the brims to the side or back. the jerkin was high in the collar, supporting a large, square, turn-down collar edged with pointed lace to the shoulders, or a small, plain, turn-over collar; ruffs are very rarely seen after 1630. [illustration: fig. 66.--charles i.] [illustration: fig. 67.--period 1625-1660.] [illustration: fig. 68.--period 1625-1660.] a rather short waist grew shorter during this reign, with much larger tabs, or large flaps laced to the body, forming a series of bows with long gilt tags round the waist. the body is usually decorated with long slashes from the shoulders to the breast, or the full length, and a long slashed opening is often seen in the back (presumably to give more play to the sword-thrust). the sleeve is also treated in the same way to the elbow or waist. all sleeves start from a stiff epaulet. breeches are both very full and fairly tight, the latter edged with a purfling of silk or gold lace as well as the sides, the former shape tied either above or below the knee with a large silk bow with falling ends. they were held up by a number of hooks, fastening to a small flap with eyelets, round the inside of the doublet (see pattern 11, p. 295), and were buttoned down the front, the buttons being half hidden in a pleat. the pockets were placed vertically in the front of the thigh, and were frequently of a decorative character. a short or long circular cloak was worn, and a coat-cloak with opened sleeves is an interesting garment. these coverings were hung in various ways from the shoulders by methods of tying the cords across the body. [illustration: fig. 69.--period 1625-1660.] [illustration: fig. 70.--shoe shapes. charles i to 1700. nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 23. charles i. nos. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 25. charles ii. nos. 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28. james ii and william and mary.] [illustration: plate xvi.- (_a_) silk brocade dress. 1740-60. (_b_) silk brocade sack-back dress. 1755-75. _pattern, see p. 334._ (_c_) dress of striped material. 1775-85. _pattern, see p. 335._] [illustration: fig. 71.--boot shapes. charles i to 1700. nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9. charles i. nos. 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15. charles ii. nos. 16, 17, 18. james ii and william and mary.] shoes became very square at the toes, or blocked as in fig. 70, no. 6. the fronts were set with large rosettes of silk and silver or gold lace, the heels varied much in height, that mostly favoured being a large, low heel. a quaint fashion of shoe combined with a clog sole was an interesting shape (see illustration of clogs, p. 106). fairly tight top-boots, coming well above the knee, were often turned down. other boots with large bell-tops, turned over or pushed down, were covered or filled with a lace or bell-shaped stocking-top. a sash was worn round the waist or across the body over the left shoulder (the length and width of these is given in the description of patterns, p. 279). a broad belt, or sword-hanger, came across the right shoulder. gloves were beautifully embroidered in gold, pearls, or coloured silks, the gauntlets being from five to eight inches deep. seventeenth century. the commonwealth. male and female. the same shapes apply to costume during the commonwealth, though a sterner effect was given by the choice of plain decoration and less colour. a small or a large plain collar, and the disappearance of slashings on the coat, and a longer skirt became noticeable. a very high tapered hat, with stiff circular brim, was worn by the puritans, and little, close, black hoods were much favoured. a general reaction from gay extravagance set in. seventeenth century. charles ii. female. the hair was set out from the head on combs with falling ringlets, and several small flat ringlets were placed on the forehead. the back of the hair was plaited into a knot, and pearl strings were interlaced, or ribbon loops caught in at either side. toward 1680 the hair was worn tightly curled and fulled out into a round shape with a curl or two falling on the front of the shoulders; small feathers or long feathers were also worn. hats were of a similar shape to those of the last reign, with a stiffer and narrower curved brim; but the chief head-dress was a large hood faced with another material, which latter was tied under the chin; these mostly formed part of a cape also. [illustration: fig. 72.--period 1650-1685.] [illustration: plate xvii.- (_a_) silk suit. 1765-80. (_b_) quilted dress. 1700-25. (_c_) silk-embroidered suit. 1765-80.] [illustration: fig. 73. 1, 2, 3, 4.--back and front of two corset bodices. period charles ii. 5, 6.--two corsets. period charles ii. 7, 8.--two bodice types. period charles i.] the bodice again became much longer and of a pointed shape, but many corset bodices took a round point, and a round neck coming well off the shoulders became general, usually decorated with a plain wide band of lace. ruffs and collars were no longer seen amongst the upper classes. very full sleeves and large opened sleeves were tied or clasped over full lawn ones, and at times separated from the shoulders, being caught effectively with jewels. groups of ribbons were placed at the breast or point of the bodice, and the ends of sleeves or shoulders, besides at the fronts of the outer skirt when divided, also in the gathering of the lawn sleeves. stomachers were not much worn, but a drape of soft silk was caught here and there round the neck of bodice, and large draperies were clasped to the shoulders. loose robes and robes shaped to the figure, opening down the front from the neck even to the waist, with a clasp or several holding them together; these were worn over a quilted linen corset laced in front as in the illustration, but the bodice was often formed on a corset. long gloves and mittens were in use, and small muffs with ribbon loops on the front were carried. high-heeled shoes with very long square toes were affected in imitation of the male shoe, but most ladies now began to wear a very pointed shoe. [illustration: fig. 74.--sleeve treatments. period charles ii.] seventeenth century. charles ii. male. long hair or wigs of long curls falling on the shoulders, a very narrow moustache and point of beard on the chin came with this reign. lace collars of a smaller square or rounded shape were in use, but a fall of lace pleated in the centre soon took its place. high-crowned hats with a band and bow in front and a flat, waved, or curved brim, with feathers on either side or all round, were the fashion, the crowns becoming shorter during the reign; the fronts and sometimes the sides of the brim are seen turned up, and so begins to form the three-cornered hat, which remained so long a feature in history. [illustration: fig. 75.--period charles ii.] we find with extravagant shapes a happy return of gay colours. the high-waisted jerkins of the charles i period were now seen without the skirt (as very short jackets), leaving the lawn shirt to show between this and the breeches, besides which the jackets were nearly always left unbuttoned several inches up, some being cut away in a rounded shape and also having short sleeves. the lower arm was covered with a full lawn sleeve caught at two or even three distances with a loop of ribbons or bows, and finishing with a wide lace frill; a bunch of ribbon loops was also often seen on the right shoulder. a long circular cloak, with turned-back fronts forming a collar in many, still retained the hanging sleeve, and was mostly decorated with bands of heavy braid. a long square coat also came in about 1666, buttoned right down the front, with pockets set very low in the skirt, and large narrow cuffs opened at the back as in plate viii (see p. 90). very full breeches were worn to just about the knee or shorter, with a fringe of ribbon loops, and a row or several rows of the same were arranged at the waist. a short petticoat just showed the under breeches, many of which were turned into a doublet shape by an additional piece looped up loosely from the knee with a silk filling; the ribbon loops at the waist were repeated up the sides of the petticoat. silk garters were worn with bows on both sides of the leg, or a deep lace fall came from the end of the breeches to the middle of the calf; a lace setting also filled the wide top of the boots, which was worn very low, even to the ankles. these short bell-topped boots were favoured, with high heels and very square toes. shoes were long and square (or duck-billed) at the toes; and had a high narrow front to the instep, and latchets fastened with a stiffened butterfly bow, besides, at times, a rosette lower down on the front: red heels were in evidence. the sword-band was very wide, and many were decorated with gold embroidery. [illustration: fig. 76.--costume types. period charles ii.] seventeenth century. james ii. female. the hair was still worn full at the sides over a comb, as in the former reign, with curls dropping to the shoulders, but they now began to discard the set-out comb and the little flat curls on the forehead, the hair being of a round shape or parted from the centre and mounted higher and narrower on the head, in the latter part of this reign. the same large hoods and drapes continued in use, and a high goffered head-dress with set-out front began to appear; the same shaped bodice with round low neck showing the shoulders, often set with a stomacher front or jewelled in that form, and smaller decorations of ribbon loops were still favoured. a smaller and shorter sleeve began to appear with a turned-up cuff, and the gathered-in lawn sleeves and ruffles caught here and there with pearls or clasps as before, besides the same light drapery clasped about the breast front. the overskirt was now looped back, the points being held together, giving a wide display of the underskirt, which was heavily banded or had a jewel setting down the front. other train skirts, also divided in front, were bordered with drawn silk caught at intervals into long puffs. very small muffs were the fashion. shoes increased their pointed shape and rather large heels are to be noted, but some shoes assumed a very narrow square toe; they were either tied from small latchets with a bow, or with buckled latchets. longer gloves were worn, and large full cloaks with hoods or large drapery wraps when required for outdoor wear. [illustration: fig. 77.--costume notes. period 1670-1690.] seventeenth century. james ii. male. the same long wig was worn as in the last reign, but the curls were more of a set ringlet type, and embroidered caps were worn when these were taken off. the face was now clean shaven until the 19th century. hats also of the older character were retained, but the turned-up three-cornered shape, filled with short feathers, became more settled in fashion, and they were heavily banded with gold braid or lace on the edge. [illustration: fig. 78.--period 1690-1700.] a smart bow was worn crosswise over the folded lace fall at the neck. the coat was a very long square shape to the knees, the stiff skirt often set out over rather full breeches, which were sometimes "shorts," and just above the knee, the stocking being often brought up above the knee, with a garter just below. the sleeves were short, above or below the elbow, with a turned-up cuff, leaving the full-gathered lawn sleeve with a lace ruffle to show at the wrist. a sash encircled the waist, and often shut in the sword-belt, which hung from the right shoulder. the coat had buttons from the neck to the bottom of the skirt, though the lower buttons were seldom fastened; the sides of the skirt were opened up about 11 inches, and also the back seam to the same height; most seams were heavily decorated with gold, silver braid, or lace, and the pockets were placed rather low down towards the front of the skirt, and were sometimes set vertically. [illustration: plate xviii.- (_a_) brocade bodice. 1770-85. (_b_) flowered silk dress. 1750-70. (_c_) silk brocade bodice. 1780-95.] [illustration: fig. 79.--period 1688-1702.] long round capes were still worn, without sleeves, and a collar turned down about 4 inches. shoes of a similar shape to those of the later charles ii type were in use, but the heels became larger and the toes not so long; the top of the front was sometimes shaped and turned down. heavy boots to the knee, with large curved tops, were also in favour, as in the illustration (fig. 71). seventeenth century. william and mary. female. the hair was now mounted high on top and the front parted with two curls, the rest of the hair being bound on top, or a curl was arranged on either shoulder. a goffered frill head-dress, set on a cap, rose very high, and a long fall of lace, or lappets, came down on either side from the cap, or was gathered in like a small hood at the back. bare shoulders now began to disappear, the bodice shape coming over the shoulder to a =v= shape enclosing a stomacher, which was sometimes tabbed or shaped at the point. many dresses were made in one length, caught together at the waist with a band; the fronts of these skirts were looped back high up, creating a pannier-like fullness at the hips, and narrow hoops came in to set out the skirts, many of which were heavily embroidered with gold. the watteau-back dress started in this reign; a very early specimen, at the victoria and albert museum, is most probably of this time (fig. 85, a). the sleeves worn to the elbow increased in width from the shoulder, and were set with large narrow cuffs gathered with a jewel or bow on the front of the arm. hoods and cloaks of the same character as described for the last reign continued, and light sticks were carried by the ladies. very pointed shoes were worn, with large high heels, the top of the front flap in some being shaped into points. black masks were frequently used, some having long lace falls. rather small muffs were still the fashion, and beautifully decorated short aprons became a feature with the dress. [illustration: fig. 80.--1688-1698.] seventeenth century. william and mary. male. wigs of the same long character continued, and were parted in the centre with a raised effect, and variously shaped caps, with turned-up fold or brim, were worn when the wig was taken off. the beaver or felt hat, turned up three-cornerwise, was now in general use. it is often seen with the brims loose, or sometimes down, especially amongst the lower classes. both small shapes and large were worn. [illustration: plate xix.- (_a_) silk brocade dress. 1775-85. (_b_) embroidered silk jacket. 1775-90. _pattern, see p. 326._ (_c_) brocade jacket. 1780-95. _cap pattern, see p. 331._ _coat pattern, see p. 348._] [illustration: fig. 81.--period 1680-1690.] black ties across formal lace cravats, and long lawn cravats, edged with lace, one end of which was sometimes caught up loosely through the large buttonhole of the coat were worn. waistcoats were left open well down to the waist; some of these were nearly of the same length as the coat, the skirt being often edged with deep gold fringe. the coats were of much the same character as in the time of james ii, with buttons all down the front, but now it was the mode to button coats just at the waist, allowing the waistcoat to be shown. the sleeves were generally longer, to the middle of the forearm, and the turned-back cuffs became very large and deep, often towards the end of the reign taking a curved shape. the seams, fronts, and pockets were frequently braided as before. a long square waistcoat of rich brocade or embroidered material, about four inches shorter than the coat, was worn; some of these had tight sleeves, which came to the wrist beneath the outer coat-sleeve; otherwise a gathered lawn sleeve with ruffle was worn. shoes and boots were practically the same as in the previous reign, with larger high heels and a high square front, with latchets buckled or stiffly tied, and very square toes. top-boots of the same heavy character continued as in plate ii (see p. 42). stockings continued to be worn frequently above the knee outside the breeches, with a garter beneath, and beautifully embroidered clocks to the calf. muffs were carried by many men, and the gauntlets of gloves had a very angular shape. patches and make-up were used by the dandies, and the sword was now carried through the side pleats on a waist-belt sometimes worn outside the waistcoat. chapter vii the character of decoration and trimmings of the eighteenth century. in the early part to the middle of this century the trimmings were chiefly of gold or silver lace, real lace, and purfled silk, mostly of the same material as the dress: a bow was often worn on the breast, and also in the front of the sleeve cuff. purfled or ruched trimming generally ran down the front of the dress from the neck to the hem of the skirt in the second georgian dress, and gathered borders or decorations of curved forms were in use. the skirts usually had only one flounce till the reign of george iii, when the trimmings became more elaborate, and gauze and imitation flowers were festooned upon the skirts, with ribbons and tassels and padded designs standing out in strong relief; some charming gimp trimmings are also seen. the lace ruffles of a fan shape which finished the earlier sleeves till about 1745 were sometimes of lace, interwoven with gold, silver, and coloured silk needlework, and this was no doubt the forerunner of the use of the more solid material itself. the setting of the sleeve finish is interesting to note all through this period, for it was beautifully treated in balancing the effect of the dress. the square cuff with the deep lace fall was big in style, and the later closely-fitted elbow piece, richly gathered, was happily conceived, but no finer setting could have been applied to the sack-back dress than the large fan or double fan with its lace fall. the edges of the early fan-finished sleeves were of curved and scalloped forms, the latter shaping often being seen in the later sleeves. with george iii we notice designs in straw work, decorations of imitation flowers in ribbon-work and various materials, and much taste in the choice of colour schemes, while the tassels of this period were delightful creations. the designs of stuffs at the early part of the century were generally of fine strong colour blends, but in the middle period there was much questionable taste displayed in the heavy massing of patterns, but this soon improved with the striped character crossed by running flowers which was quite ideal in type for costume keeping, grace, and lightness, with a beautiful interchange of colour. the quilted silk and satin petticoats are a special feature to note in these times; many simple and effective designs were in use, and they added much glitter to the scheme. aprons were also beautiful examples of needlework, and were worn with the best of dresses to the middle of the century; the earlier ones generally had a scalloped edging, and many had pockets; gold lace edging or fringe was often used in the time of george ii, and they were all finely decorated with needlework in gold, silver, or coloured silks. the white aprons were also of consummate needlecraft, and hanging pockets worn at the sides were also a decorated feature, but these only showed when the dress was worn tucked up. the later style of dress became much simpler, consisting chiefly of gathered flounce settings, fichus, and large mob caps; these were often daintily embroidered with tambour work and large bow and sash settings, making delightful costumes. bags, muffs, gloves, and shoes were all chosen for the display of needlecraft, while artists and jewellers used all their skill on the fans, patch-boxes, and étuis, and even the dress materials were often painted by hand, while many painted chinese silks were also utilised. eighteenth century. anne. female. the hair was dressed in a simple manner, with two curls parted from the centre of the forehead, and curved inwards on the brow. a loose ringlet or two were brought on to the left shoulder, the rest being gathered into a back-knot. feathers or flowers were arranged on top, generally with a pair of lace lappets falling to the back; these also adorned the cap, which still bore the front goffered frills set out as in the last reign, but these were diminished in size and were mostly of one row. we note probably the last stage of this style appearing in a print of hogarth's, dated 1740. [illustration: fig. 82.--bodice types. period 1690-1720.] [illustration: fig. 83.--costume type. 1695-1710.] hoods and capes or cloaks, and long black fichus or wraps, were the chief coverings, as the head-dress did not allow of hats being worn, but with the small frilled caps a little straw hat, or a low-crowned felt with a largish brim, are seen, and a small lace frill round the neck began to appear. bodices with a low curved neck often had a short skirt or shaped pieces, as well as a shaped short sleeve over a gathered lawn one, while many wore long sleeves to the wrist, and a waistbelt is sometimes noted. there was also the sleeve spreading in width to the elbow, with a turned-up square cuff. the front of the bodice may be remarked with bands fastening across, and this became a feature in many dresses later in this century, otherwise it set closely over the shoulders to a =v= shape at the waist, and was filled with a stomacher of fine needlework, bows, or the ends of the lawn fichu laced or caught in by a big bow. a full, loose gown, with the fullness pleated to back and front, came in, the front being held by a bow and the back allowed to fall loose or crossed with a large bow at the back of waist, as in the museum specimen, fig. 85. this became the more elaborate sack-back dress. [illustration: fig. 84.--period 1700-1725.] the skirts began to be set out in a bell form, and trains were in much favour; the overskirts were parted in front, and many looped up to the back in a similar manner to the last reign. small aprons of fine embroidery were worn with the best of dresses, and embroidered pockets are seen when the skirts were thrown back. petticoats of fine quilting became much appreciated, and tall sticks were carried by ladies. pointed shoes with high heels and latchets tied or buckled, the top of the fronts being mostly cut into four points, or they had a square finish. eighteenth century. anne. male. the wigs of the full ringlet style were still the fashion, but a simpler character is noticeable, the hair being combed back off the forehead and allowed to fall in looser waves. but many began to set a mode of smaller "coiffure," with their own hair caught in curls by a bow at the back, and curls over each ear. powder came into use with the smart set, and a big bow and bag to finish the back of wig appeared, giving a smarter appearance to the white hair. [illustration: plate xx.- (_a_) gold-embroidered muslin dress. 1795-1805. (_b_) nine aprons. between 1690 and 1850. (_c_) dress of spotted stockinette. 1795-1808.] [illustration: fig. 85.--bodice types. 1700-1725.] the hat, sometimes of white felt, was the same three-cornered type, edged with feathers and banded with broad gold braids or silver lace. the neckwear was a bind of lawn, with a long fall finished with lace. the coat remained long to the knees, but took a greater fullness in the side pleats of the skirt. large buttons and buttonholes, 3 inches long, are seen, with the same on the cuff, which was worn very large, often 9 inches broad, and mostly of a curved outline, and of another coloured brocade; a tight undersleeve is also seen with these. the coat was sometimes heavily decorated with needlework or braids of gold down the front, pockets, seams, and cuffs. the pocket was wide and set higher in the skirt, and the back opening of coat was decorated by several horizontal braids to the two side pleats. a long, full-skirted waistcoat, of rich materials or needlework, was at times braided and fringed at the skirt with gold, the pockets covered with a large flap, and five buttons fastened it or were placed as decorations just below it. the front buttons were often reduced to four at the waist, as it was still fashionable to show the lawn shirt. breeches were of the same cut as in the former reign, with five or six side buttons at the knee, and stockings with embroidered clocks were worn rolled over outside the breeches as before. shoes were square at the toes and not quite so long, while the heels were still rather heavy, and red was the mode. they had a high square top at the front instep, and buckles fastened the latchets. muffs were often carried by the dandies, and walking-sticks, with tassel and loop, were slung on the arm; besides a sword, which, passing through the side pleats and out at the back, helped to set out the coat, which was often stiffened in the skirts. gloves, with short gauntlets very angular or curved in shape, were trimmed with gold fringe; the backs were also richly embroidered with gold or silver. eighteenth century. george i. female. [illustration: fig. 86.--1725-1750.] [illustration: plate xxi.--23 boots and shoes. from 1800-75. 1. 1800-1820. 2. " 3. 1810-1828. 5. 1820-1830. 8. " 9. 1820-1830. 10. " 13. 1830-1855. 16. " 16a. " 7. 1850-1865. 14. " 15. " 4. " 6. " 17. " 12. " 21. 1860-1875. 11. " 18. " 20. " 19. " 22. " ] [illustration: fig. 87.--period 1725-1750.] [illustration: fig. 88.--modes, 1750-1770.] [illustration: fig. 89.--various styles in cut back of bodice.] the hair was very simply gathered from the forehead and taken up to a knot of curls at the back. occasionally a group of curls was allowed to fall behind, or a curl was arranged to fall on one shoulder, and waved curls of the queen anne type were still seen on many people. caps, with long dropping points in front, sometimes tied under the chin or with long lappets at the back, were the chief favourites, also a small frilled cap. shallow-crowned straw hats with various widths of brim; hoods and capes, both short and long, are seen, besides light silks draped from the hair to the waist, feathers, flowers, and ribbons being worn in the head-dress. richly embroidered aprons were worn with the finest dresses. the sack-back dress was very full, and started right across the shoulders in two double box-pleats, which were kept trim by being sewn flat for two to four inches down. sleeves to the elbow were rather full, and gathered at the shoulders, with a square cuff often decorated with a bow in front, and a fan of lace, sometimes in several rows, fell from beneath. sleeves finishing in a shaped edge are occasionally seen. the skirts were made for the very round hoop setting, and were gathered in flat pleats on either hip. a wide pleat or two came from the shoulders down the front sometimes as a continuation of the sack-back. these pleats, meeting at the waist, formed a =v= shape, which was filled by an embroidered stomacher, or made of the same material, crossed by bands, bows, or rows of lace. the flat front pleat was occasionally embroidered, and gradually widened to the bottom of the skirt. very pointed toes to the shoes, and high heels, with tied or buckled latchets, are seen, the tops of the front often being shaped into four points. eighteenth century. george i. male. long, full wigs are still seen amongst older men, but several new shapes appear as illustrated (fig. 90), and the black bow and bag became very large; a black ribbon attached to it, with a bow in front, came round the neck. we also see the ends of the wig made into a long, tight pigtail. hats were of the same three-cornered shape, rather fuller in size, and the feathered edging was still favoured. a hat of the type of fig. 105 was also worn; and the loose cap with a tassel was put on when the wig was removed (see fig. 104). [illustration: fig. 90.--wig types, 1st half 18th century.] [illustration: fig. 91.--list of dated shoes and boots. no. 1. 1700-1750. 2. 1700-1780. 3. 1700-1780. 4. 1700-1750. 5. 1700-1760. 6. 1720-1780. 7. 1690-1720. 8. 1700-1750. 9. 1700-1740. 10. 1740-1760. 11. 1702-1720. 12. 1730-1750. 13. 1760-1800. 14. 1730-1760. 15. 1740-1770. 16. 1770-1780. 17. 1740-1780. 18. 1786-1796. 19. 1774-1784. 20. 1775-1790. 21. sole of shoe no. 22. 22. 1776-1800. 23. 1780-1790.] the neck had the same lawn bind with a long lace ruffle, and the coat the same full cut as in the last reign, and the large rounded cuff was still in favour, but many varieties of size were now worn. a vertical pocket is seen occasionally on cloth coats, also a cape and turned-down collar are noted, while several appear with a very small upright collar. buttons were still worn on some coats, right down the front; but on many coats the buttons stopped level with the pocket. a short-skirted coat came in amongst the dandies towards the end of the reign, and was stiffened out on the skirts; these mostly had a tighter sleeve and cuff. the same decorations continued in use. waistcoats were much the same, and were cut to the length of the coats, or about four inches shorter; they were buttoned higher, the lace often falling outside. breeches were the same in cut, fastened with six buttons and a buckle at the side of the knee. the stockings, usually decorated with clocks, were still worn rolled outside the knee amongst smart people. the stiff high boots or gaiters generally had a full curved piece at the top, and short gaiters to the calf are also to be noticed. the shoes were square-toed or of a roundish form, with a short or rather high square front, and heels of various heights. patches and make-up were used by the fops, and swords and sticks carried, the latter being very high, to 46 inches. eighteenth century. george ii. female. the hair was treated in much the same manner as with george i up to the end of this reign--gathered back from the forehead to a bunch of curls at the back. the small hats and caps, often worn together, continued of the same character; the dresses also remained similar in cut. the sack-back dress was supreme in the fifties, when it was set with panniers, together with the hoops, but the latter were not so much worn towards the end of this reign, except for the "grand dress." quilted petticoats were much worn, but flounces are not a feature on the skirts till the latter part of this period. the simpler dress was of various lengths, and was at times worn quite short up to 1740. the corset bodice was still in use, with lawn sleeves: square cuffs and lace ruffles held the lead throughout this time, but the fan-shaped sleeve finish to the elbow, in the same material as the dress, began to appear about 1750, generally with a waved or scalloped edge. pointed toes and high-heeled shoes continued, with either tied or buckled latchets, and long gloves and mittens were in use. [illustration: fig. 92.--three hoops and four pannier forms. types 1725-1760. 1750-1780. 1740-1770. 1700. 1720-50. 1735-65. 1780-90.] [illustration: fig. 93. _quilted designs on petticoats, 18th century._] eighteenth century. george ii. male. wigs with double points at the back, short curled or of long pigtailed shapes, some with side curls, others curled all round the front, were worn. large bows and bags, or no bows, finished the back hair, and the bow to the front of the neck was in use from the early part of this reign. long coats, as in the last reign, and short coats with stiffened skirts were used; many with braided seams and fronts, also a braided opening at the back. large round cuffs and big square ones, caped coats, and coats with turn-down collars were all in the mode, and the "maccaroni" fashions started about 1760, with absurdities in small hats, clubbed wigs, and very short coats. high sticks and crook sticks, canes and swords continued in use. [illustration: plate xxii.- (_a_) linen dress. 1795-1808. _pattern of bodice, see p. 316._ (_b_) silk bodice. 1825-30. (_c_) silk bodice. 1818-25.] [illustration: fig. 94.--wig types, second half 18th century. 1740-1765. 1765-1795.] the pocket flaps were of a curved form, with a rounded centre still, and many of the shoes had a high square front, high heels, and square toes: according to the caricature prints of boitard, the fashionable hats were smaller in 1730, and much larger ten years later; very full skirts at the former date, and smaller and less stiffened at the latter. stockings were often still worn outside the knee. shoes reached an extreme high square front at the latter date, and gloves with curved or square cuffs are to be noted. [illustration: fig. 95.--first half eighteenth century.] eighteenth century. george iii to 1800. female. this long reign, like that of queen victoria, embraces several changes of style. up till about 1785 white powder was still used for the hair, reaching its fullest extravagance in the middle of the seventies, set with pearls, bandeaus, caps, lace, flowers and feathers, and about 1776 the top was widened considerably. the front hair, gathered from the forehead, was pressed in a forward curve over a high pad, with one to three curls at the sides and one at the shoulders, the back hair being arranged in a loose loop, curled on the top and set with a large bow at the back; a small round hat with very small low crown (usually decorated with flowers and silks gathered into puffs, or ribbons and small feathers) was tilted right on the front. about 1780 large mob caps with a big bow on the front came in, and were generally worn together with the tall-crowned hat or the large-brimmed hat in favour at this time. a cape with smallish hood worn in the earlier reigns was supplanted about 1777 by the calash, a huge hood set out with whalebone which came to cover the full head-dresses. the heavier caped or hooded cloak, sometimes with side opening for the arms, and usually trimmed with fur, still remained in use to 1800. [illustration: fig. 96.--costume notes, 1770-1780.] [illustration: plate xxiii.- (_a_) muslin dress with tinsel design. 1798-1810. (_b_) silk dress. period george iv. (_c_) satin and gauze dress. 1820-30.] [illustration: fig. 97.--head dress. period 1780-1795.] [illustration: fig. 98.--hats and caps during period 1780-1795.] [illustration: fig. 99.--hats during period 1790-1800.] the bodice retained the same shape as in the former reign, rather longer in the points back and front, with a large fan finish to the sleeve, double or single; this became supplanted by a much-gathered elbow-piece, sometimes eight inches deep, gathered in four rows. small drawn gathers started round the waist of the skirt, for the side panniers and hoops were being less worn, except for the "smart gown," but bunching, reefing, and looping took their place in effect, and quilted petticoats remained while this character of dress lasted. the later sack-back dress was sewn tighter to the body, and usually started in a narrower set at the back, while the full pleat from the shoulder down the front went out, and the neck was more displayed by lower bodice fronts, which continued to be set with bows, jewels, lace, or embroidery. sack-back jackets were often worn in the seventies; when the sack began to disappear, it took the form of overlapped seams on the bodice. the decorated side pockets are noted in prints showing tuck-up dresses to 1775. the jacket bodice of the same form described in the preceding reign was perhaps more in evidence till 1780, not so long in the skirt as in the earlier reigns, but after this date it took a longer skirt, which was often pleated at the back, with a very low neck and short waist. [illustration: fig. 100.--period 1780-1795.] about 1780 we find a change of style appearing in a shorter waist, with less pointed setting, having often a rounded point or square tabs, and even a shaped finish to the corset front, which was sometimes used like a waistcoat effect under the cut-away dresses seen after 1770 (see fig. 99, p. 221). a general tendency to imitate male attire is apparent, and the front of the bodice was set with lapels and straps buttoned across (though i have noted this latter character in the early part of this century), and long coats with this character were much worn, with two or three capes. the sleeves are sometimes set over a tight undersleeve, in fact the longer sleeve to the wrist became fashionable. with this change a short gathered skirt is seen on some bodices, and the full gathered skirt was bunched out at the back on a bustle, of which i give an illustration (p. 212), the low neck being filled with a large lawn fichu; a wide belt was generally worn, or a wide sash and bow at the back or side is seen with the lighter dresses, these being simple in style, just gathered at the waist, with short full sleeves set with a frill, and another frill was also arranged round the neck. [illustration: fig. 101.] about 1790 the mode again began to change to a classic style, still higher in the waist, with a short tight sleeve, at times puffed in the upper part, or an outer and under sleeve, as per illustration a, plate xxii (see p. 215). the fronts of this type of bodice were mostly buttoned or pinned up to the shoulders over a tight underfront, the skirt opening about 18 inches at the sides, thus saving a fastening at the back. i have illustrated some very interestingly cut jackets of this period from my collection, as a, plate xxiv (see p. 231); the sleeves were very long and were ruckled on the arm, as likewise were the long gloves or mittens of this time. a long scarf or drape was carried with this style, and a round helmet-like hat in straw or a turban was adopted. high sticks were still carried by ladies till the nineties, and umbrellas or parasols; the former came into vogue about 1770, the latter about six years later. muffs of beautifully embroidered silk and satin were set with purfled trimmings, gold and silver lace, or bows and ribbons; otherwise they were of furs or feathers. they remained rather small up to 1780, when a very large shape set in, which continued till the end of the reign; the quantity of beautiful fans of this century must be so well known as to need no description. the highest artistry was concentrated on them. [illustration: fig. 102.--period 1790-1800.] [illustration: fig. 103.--costume notes, 1790-1800.] [illustration: fig. 104.--lounge caps worn during removal of wig.] shoes at the beginning of this reign were set on very high spindle heels; the toe-front became rounded, the instep-front a pointed shape, and wide latchets were buckled till about 1785, but fashion discarded them earlier; for about 1780 the shoes became very small at the heel, and pointed again at the toe. when the latchets went out, the pointed instep remained for a time, but a low round front appeared, and the heel practically vanished just before 1800. these later shoes were decorated on the front by needlework or incised leather openwork underlaid with another colour. the soles at this time were extremely quaint in shape, and the shoes were tied sandal fashion up the ankle. [illustration: plate xxiv.- (_a_) outdoor silk jacket. 1798-1808. (_b_) embroidered muslin bodice. 1816-30. (_c_) embroidered muslin bodice. 1824-25. (_d_) satin and gauze bodice. 1820-30.] eighteenth century. george iii to 1800. male. the wigs, which were rather high in the front of the crown in the earlier part, began to cast off the most eccentric forms, and became just curled, rather full at the sides, and tied with a bow at the back: dull pink powder became a favoured hue from about 1780; most people began to return to their own hair, and one might see many without long hair in the nineties. the last type of dressing the hair in imitation of the wig form was a long, tightly braided pigtail at the back, with one or even two side curls over the ear, and side whiskers were allowed to fill up to them; thus when the short hair set the fashion, side whiskers came in. hats were still worn of the three-cornered shape, but the favourites became a front cockade hat and a hat with a rounded crown and rather wide brim, sometimes turned up on one side; a short type of top-hat was also often seen, and later became the fashion. the same lawn and lace cravat developed into more of a plain white stock, with a frilled shirt-front. the coat was worn much tighter in the arms and was smartly cut, with the fronts running away into a narrow tailed skirt. the pockets often began to take a plain square form, with or without buttons; the buttons on the front of the coat stopped at the waist--many cuffs are seen without them; and the side pleats, set more to the back, were pressed and narrower. both the plain and turn-over collars were set up high in the neck, large cut-steel buttons were introduced in the early seventies, and many fancy china buttons, besides the gilt silver and paste ones were in use. a new type of coat made its appearance with a high turn-over collar and large lapels, and a sudden cut-in of the coat-front high in the waist, giving a very long-tailed effect to the skirt. a cuff shape with these was mostly made in one with the sleeve and buttoned at the side towards the back, and when the cuff was additional, it seldom had buttons, as formerly. a greatcoat with one, two, or three capes was a picturesque garment, and a leather-covered bottle was often carried when riding a distance, of which i have an example in my collection. [illustration: fig. 105.] waistcoats, which had become much shorter, were now giving place to a type with a straight-across front and turned-back lapels at the neck; these large lapels were mostly worn outside over the coat lapel. the waistcoats were often double-breasted with an embroidered design down the front between the double row of buttons, and the straight pockets of these had no flaps; they shortened at the waist in character with the lapelled coat, but were worn lower than the cut-in shape of the coat, showing about 3 inches when the coat was fastened. breeches became very tight, and trousers begin to appear after 1790. striped stockings and suits were much in favour. top-boots with rather long brown tops were worn, or high boots with a curved top, with a gold tassel set in front, were seen. the shoes with latchets and buckles had a low front on the instep, and from about 1780 took a rather pointed oval toe shape; the heels were mostly worn shorter. swords were not so much in use except on great occasions, but sword-sticks were carried, and heavy club-sticks were fashionable before 1800. patches were little used after the seventies, but the snuff-box was still indispensable. the double long purse with central rings and tassels at the ends was carried, of knitted silk or of leather, the former with steel beads and coloured silks worked together after 1780: small bag purses were also in use, usually set in gilt mounts and made in the same methods with a tassel below. [illustration: plate xxv.- (_a_) silk dress. 1800-10. (_b_) cotton dress. 1800-10. (_c_) embroidered muslin dress. 1820-30 (_pattern, see p._ 339). (_d_) silk gauze dress. 1824-30.] [illustration: fig. 106.] chapter viii character of trimmings of the nineteenth century. during the later part of the 18th century, a great deal of tinsel drawn work was done on fine muslin, and became beautifully treated in delicate design on the hem and down the front of many of the high-waisted dresses as in fig. a, plate xxiii (see p. 218). later on towards the twenties we see a great deal of effective coarse work in heavy gold tinsel, and at the same time to the forties a number of dresses were ably enriched with fine gold thread. the white embroidery in the earlier trimmings of this period, of which i give examples in plate xxiv (see p. 231), was remarkable for its wealth of fancy; the chief beauty of these dresses was the delightful treatment of gathered effects, and with the reign of george iv we note the gradual return of the longer pointed bodice, with the growth of very full sleeves, also the increase in the size and fuller set-out of the skirts over the stiff flounced drill petticoats. the =v=-shaped bertha setting to neck and shoulders began to establish itself, and became a great feature through the thirties and forties; the first signs of it appear about 1814. varieties of materials were used to great advantage in designing, and drawn tulle trimmings were happily introduced to soften hard shapes and colours. the shoulder fullness also began to be neatly drawn in and held by straps, which gave a charming character to many bodices. from 1816 choice work in piped shapes, often of flower forms decorated with pearls or beads, was set on fine net, as seen in plates xxiii and xxix (see pp. 218, 263). the attraction to the thirties was the happy effects gained by the bow and flower looping on the flounces, and these ripened in fancy and variety through the forties. braiding was adopted in the thirties with a rather charming treatment of tassels down the front of the dress; the polonaises of this time were also effective and simple, caught here and there with posies of flowers, and we find this fashion again revived in the sixties. with the reign of george iv we notice an increasing choice of strong coloured effects, which culminated in the mid-victorian era in raw colour and violent shot silks, velvets, and heavy fringes, but one may see that many of these dresses of bright pure tone looked exceedingly refined and were quite stately. a remarkable dress is fig. a, plate xxxii (see p. 279), which is of very strong bright blue; its only enrichment being a curved line of folded silk. all these dresses from 1800 were delightfully embellished with embroidered fichus, light scarves of frail gauze, crêpe, or norwich silk, and in the victorian times capes and =v=-shaped shawls; fascinating lace ruffles and tuck-in fronts to the bodice necks, of frills and bands of embroidery, broke the severity or bareness of many dresses. an endless variety of fascinating caps and lace head-lappets was pinned or caught into the hair at the wearer's fancy; besides the bows, flowers, and jewels (especially pearls) which have always played an important part in the coiffure from early times, the chatelaines and bags, fobs, fans, and lace or silk handkerchiefs all give the artist a note of extra colour when desired. the cruel period of taste really came with the seventies, though one can trace many quaint and interesting cuts in the bodices and skirts of this time; but the "grand dress" of complicated drapings, heavily fringed or braided, was a "set piece" which, let us hope, will never appear again. the long stocking-purse which began to appear in the late 17th century was up to 1820 sometimes carried tucked through the belt; it was set with a pair of metal rings and tassels of steel or gilt beads. small and large circular and bag-shaped purses were also in use; all these were made in coloured silk threads enriched with steel, gilt, or coloured beads, the latter shapes being set in chased metal mounts, the circular ones generally having a fringe and the bag shape a small tassel or heavy drop. these shapes can also be seen in coloured leathers with a leather tassel, besides the plain money-bag with a draw-string. nineteenth century. george iii. female. the hair up to 1808 was gathered into a knot of curls at the back of the head, rather high up, with a small curl at the sides in front of the ear. later the knot was set more on the top, and the side curls were made more of a feature, several being arranged at the sides. numerous varieties of large and small brimmed hats, bonnets, and turbans are seen, and several masculine top-hats and cockade hats may be noted late in this reign. the usual feather decorations and large ribbons or flowers were in use, and a handkerchief was sometimes bound over the top of the straw hat and tied under the chin. [illustration: fig. 107.--costume notes, 1811-1812.] [illustration: fig. 108.--costume notes, 1814-1816.] the classic high-waisted dress continued till 1808, and was often beautifully decorated with white embroidery and gold or tinsel, as in a, plates xx and xxiii (see pp. 199, 218), and the frontispiece is a lovely white example. there were several interesting drapings, one being a cord hanging from the back of the shoulder to loop up the train of the dress, as in a, plate xxii (see p. 215). the simple tunic shapes are better described by the illustrations: more originality was essayed in design after the last-mentioned date. a high vandyked lace collar and fan setting to the shoulders appeared, and many interesting dresses of a plain cut, mostly in velvet and silks, were worn about 1810-12. a gathered sleeve drawn tight at intervals was often seen up to 1816, when embroidered ruffles and frills decorated most of the necks and skirts, and a braided type of character, rather military in effect with beautifully piped edgings, came in from about 1817. spencer bodices were an additional interest at this period, and a short puff sleeve was generally banded or caught with bows; these being often worn over a fairly loose long sleeve gathered by a wristband. dresses were worn shorter from about 1810. charming lace and embroidered fichus crossed the shoulders, and long scarf-capes were thrown round the neck and were often tied round behind, as in the 18th century; long capes with points and tassels in front fell to the knees, and a simple pelisse with cape became a pleasing feature. bags were always carried, of which there is a variety of shapes in the plates; long gloves or mittens were generally worn. parasols of a flat shape, or others with round or pagoda shaped tops are seen, many being edged with a deep fringe. long purses were often tucked through the waistband. [illustration: fig. 109.] the pointed shoe, tied sandal fashion up the leg, and with no heel, remained through this reign, but a round-toed low shoe, tied on in the same manner, began to supersede it about 1810. nineteenth century. george iii. male. wigs had practically gone out, except for a few of the latter type of the 18th century amongst elderly people. the hair was now worn short, and left rather full on the front, with short side-whiskers. plain black or white stocks tied with a front bow, and a starched or unstarched collar with a frilled or gathered shirt-front were in use. a tie-pin or stud was also seen in the centre of the stock or frilling. the same hats as in the latter part of the 18th century continued for a time, but the top-hat had established its favour, and assumed various shapes throughout this reign. [illustration: plate xxvi.- (_a_) morning coat of chintz. 1825-45. _pattern, see p. 313._ (_b_) cloth coat. 1808-20. _pattern, see p. 307._ (_c_) cloth overcoat. 1820-35. _pattern similar to p. 311._] the coats were set with very high turn-over collars and a wide-shaped lapel, and the lapel of the waistcoat was still brought outside. as these lapels on the coats became smaller and changed into a roll collar, they were cut into points at the breast, as seen in the illustrations. the front of the coat cut away in a short square, rather high in the waist, which thus formed a long-tailed skirt; the fronts were made double-breasted, and were often fastened high up the lapel. the hip-pleats had gone round more to the back into a closely pressed fold, about three inches from the back-opening. sleeves were gathered rather full in the shoulders, becoming very tight on the forearm, and were finished in a cuff, or buttoned cuff-shape. we also see that a short square coat without tails was worn over the longer one. overcoats (or long-skirted coats) with a cape or capes, up to four, were worn all through this reign, both double and single breasted, sometimes with turn-up cuffs; but this mode was not frequently used, as a sewn-on cuff or cuff made in the sleeve was now worn, and began to take a curved shape well over the hand, with three buttons to fasten it on the outer sides. short double-breasted waistcoats continued much the same, but a round-shaped lapel appeared on many. very tight-fitting breeches were worn of the same 18th-century cut, and trousers began to gain favour; a fob of seals, &c., was always worn, coming from under the waistcoat. soft high boots with turn-down tops, and boots with longish brown tops set low on the leg. the top-boot with the pointed or oval-shaped front and tassel still held sway, and an oval-toed low shoe with or without small latchets was in use. nineteenth century. george iv. female. the hair at this period was worn in plaits or curls gathered on top, and during the latter years was arranged into stiff loops set with a high comb; a group of curls was drawn to the sides of the face, the hair being mostly parted from the centre. plumes were much used for head-dresses, and caps with gathered puffs and pointed frills. a high-crowned straw poke bonnet, tilted upwards, was still in form; but the prevailing mode was a silk bonnet, with the brim curved in at the front, the sides being drawn together under the chin with a bow. the prevailing decoration was a group of feathers thrown forward or ribbon loops, and after this a large round hat, with a full gathered crown, arrived about 1827, or straw shapes, such as fig. a, plate xxviii (see p. 259). [illustration: fig. 110.] dresses gradually assumed a longer waist, and a short pointed bodice made its appearance here and there from about 1822, when short stays began to return, and pointed belt corselets were frequent, though the waistband or sash was chiefly used. short puffed sleeves of charming character and workmanship were sometimes set in a gauze sleeve, as in fig. c, plate xxiii (see p. 218). spencers and pelisses had long sleeves coming from these short ones; they were rather full, and were caught at the wrist with a band. the upper sleeve gradually disappeared as the full-topped sleeves began to develop in size, about 1824; this fullness was often broken up into gathered parts, a tight cuff-piece usually finished at the wrist. the high set-up collars and neck-frills gave way to the flat capes about 1827, though the small ruffs were worn round the top of the high-necked capes to 1830. the gathered shoulder began about 1823, and soon became a marked feature; pointed or scalloped frills and trimmings came into favour from 1825, fig. b, plate xxiii (see p. 218), and about 1827 the sloped appearance in the bodice began to be noticed as the sleeves were set lower. the shoulders in ball dresses were shown, and a gathered bertha of silk or lace was arranged round the neck of bodice, fig. d, plate xxiv (see p. 231), or this form was made in the pattern as in fig. c, plate xxii (see p. 215). the =v=-shaped piece from the centre of waist or breast began to spread over the shoulders, where it was opened, as in fig. b, plate xxii (see p. 215). this =v= shape was often open down to the waist, where it was filled in with a centre-piece of embroidery. skirts were gradually set out fuller, with stiff-flounced petticoats; they had various simple or richly decorated borders and fronts, or several small flounces, or one deep one often with the edges cut into divers shapes. [illustration: plate xxvii.--outdoor silk dress. 1825-35.] [illustration: fig. 111.] i have striven to give good examples of the marked styles in the various dated illustrations, as well as the court train to dress, fig. a, plate xxxiii (see p. 282), which also comes into this time. shoes were rather round at the toes till near the end of the reign, when they took a square shape; a tiny rosette or bow was placed at the front of instep, and they were held by narrow ribbons, crossed and tied round the ankle. boots lacing at the inside, with seam down the front, often had a toe-cap as in fig. 5, plate xxi (see p. 202); no heels were worn. light gauze scarves were usually carried, and very small fans besides the larger feather ones. bags or sachets of the forms illustrated were painted or embroidered in ribbonwork, chenille, tulle, and coloured silks. a few specimens of parasols are also given, and gloves and mittens were of the same character as in the latter part of the last reign. the patterns given of some of the dresses shown in the plates will be useful as to the measurements of the increase in skirt-width and sleeves; one may also note the very pointed set-out of the breast, sometimes made with two gores, which only occurs in this reign. muffs were usually of a large size, and a bow with long ends was often worn on the front. nineteenth century. george iv. 1820-30. male. the mode in beaver hats was most varied; high straight crowns with small brims, others tapering at the top with larger curled brims, or crowns enlarging at the top with almost straight small brims; a top-hat of straw is shown on page 309. a short-crowned hat was also worn. the hair was combed towards the front at either side, and the face shaven, with the exception of short side-whiskers. a very high stock of black satin or linen surrounded the throat, with or without the points of collar showing, and a frilled shirt, often stiffly goffered. coats were very tight-fitting and mostly double-breasted, with long swallow-tailed skirts, or long full skirts; the waist was rather short, and the effect of coat-front round-breasted with a high turned-over collar finished in large lapels, which were often treated with velvets. the favourite colours for overcoats were greys, buffs, greens, and blues, and the edges were neatly finished with fine cord. the sleeves, rather full in the shoulder, became tight on the lower arm, coming to a curved shape well over the hand, and buttoned up the side. the pockets were frequently set at an angle, as in illustration, and a short round cape, or two, was seen on many overcoats. a short type of coat is seen about 1827, with a single roll collar. [illustration: fig. 112.--period 1820-1840.] waistcoats mostly had a round-shaped lapel, and were often double-breasted and very shaped at the waist, which was set fairly high; a long opening allowed the frilled shirt-front full display. there were also waistcoats having no lapels, no pockets, or no cover-flap; the points of front were very small, being buttoned to the end, or, with the double-breasted shape, they were straight across. breeches were not so much worn as trousers of cloth, nankeen, drill, and fine white corduroy; these were usually fastened under the boots with a strap, others were looser and often worn short, well above the ankle. a very full type in the upper part peg-tops, was in fashion about 1820-25 amongst the dandies, and for evening dress, very close-fitting breeches to the knee, or just above the ankle, the latter being opened and buttoned up to the calf. pince-nez were favoured, with a heavy black ribbon, generally worn tucked in the lapels of the waistcoat; and a fob of gold seals, &c., hung from the braces, below waistcoat pocket. [illustration: fig. 113.--1830-1840.] shoes and short wellington boots were chiefly worn, the former being low in the heel and very short in the tongue, which was almost covered by small latchets, either buckled or tied, the shape of the toe being rather round. the hessian boots with curved front and tassel at the top were still worn. nineteenth century. william iv. female. the hair still retained the high loops on top and the bunch of curls at the sides, poised by a back comb and set with flowers or feathers; there was also a great variety of fancy capes with pointed frills, some with long tie ends, and these are seen with most dresses, and were worn in conjunction with the hats. the favourite hat was a big, flat, circular form, generally tilted at one side, and decorated with bows, flowers, and feathers; a flat tam-o'-shanter shape was often worn with the riding-dress, sometimes with a large peak-shape in front, and straps under the chin. the large poke-bonnet also kept the front as flat and round as possible, with a high crown tilted upward in order to set over the hair loops. [illustration: plate xxviii.- (_a_) silk pelisse. 1820-30. (_b_) cotton dress. 1830-40. (_pattern, see p._ 343). (_c_) silk spencer and cape. 1818-27 (_pattern, see p._ 324).] [illustration: fig. 114.--1828-1836.] the bodice began with a very pointed front and very low neck off the shoulders, tuck-ins of fine embroidery, and capes or _fichus_ of the same, covered the shoulders, often three deep. the pointed bodice only lasted for a few years, when the waistband again became the favourite. the sleeves were very large at the shoulders, diminishing at the wrist, but soon took a big round form, sometimes tightly pleated into quarters before 1835. we then get the huge sleeve gathered at the wrist, and often falling below it; this again tightened on the forearm, and we note a tendency to tighter sleeves coming in before 1837, neatly gathered well down the shoulder. the evening-dress sleeve was a large puff, set out by stiffening to a flat wide effect. very wide epaulet collars were seen on most dresses, meeting in a =v= shape at the waist, with a filling of lace in the front, and many bodices were elaborately gathered, and some of the sleeves were also gathered into puffs all down the arm. [illustration: fig. 115.--1830-1840.] the skirts were set out very full over stiff flounced petticoats, and were worn rather short; as a rule they were trimmed with one or two flounces, which were handsomely decorated, and a short polonaise is occasionally seen. there were many interesting trimmings of gauze, flowers, and bows; while silk-flowered gauze over dresses made some charming effects. heavy mantles and capes or pelisses began to be braided, and rather strong colours were in general taste. the hand-bags were of a curved form and generally bore heavy tassels. very small fans and round fans were attractive, and bouquet-holders of gilt, with pearl handles, became the thing to carry. shoes were of the low sandal type, fastened by crossed elastic, with very square toes, and a tiny rosette or bow on the front; boots to the ankle were now in fashion, mostly lacing at the inside, and having a long toe-cap, sometimes with a small rosette at the top of this or a tassel at front of the top of the boot. [illustration: plate xxix.- (_a_) embroidered silk gauze dress. 1820-30. (_b_) gauze dress with appliqued design. 1825-35. (_c_) printed linen outdoor dress. 1827-47 (_pattern, see p. 342_).] nineteenth century. william iv. male. the hair was worn rather full in curls at the sides or on top, parted at the left side, besides being occasionally parted at the centre. side whiskers, curved forward, still continued, and a short trimmed beard was now worn round under the chin by many, moustaches also made their first appearance at the end of this reign. top-hats were high and straight, but many still adhered to the tapered crown and larger brim. the same plain stocks of black satin continued, with or without a front bow, and a soft pleated or frilled shirt-front. the coats were similar to the last reign: the chief differences being an increase in the length of the waist, wider tails, and large lapels of a similar cut: velvet collars and cuffs were much worn, and the waist was still made tight. a coat with a square skirt as in fig. 116 is seen for the first time, and the swallow-tailed coat was worn not quite so long. a lower opening to the waistcoat was generally seen in evening attire, which sometimes had but four small buttons, while more of the single-breasted type were in use, with and without lapels. very tight trousers to the ankle buttoned up to the calf continued, or plain trousers were held by straps under the boot; twill, corduroy, or nankeen were both strapped or free at the ankle and rather short. knee-breeches were still worn by many for evening dress, and long italian capes with overcapes and high turn-over collars were fashionable, besides the very full-skirted greatcoat. boots and shoes were square at the toes and rather long and narrow, the shoes having a bow or buckle. short wellington boots continued much in use, also spats. fobs of gold seals, &c., were worn, and eye-glasses attached to a black ribbon is a noticeable feature. nineteenth century. victoria. female. the hair was parted in the centre and tightened in a top setting of plaits, with side curls over the ears. this mode was retained by many till the fifties, but the top plaits began to be set lower at the back, and the same flat parted hair was brought in a curved shape to the front of the ears, often in a small plait, allowing the ear to show, or in a plaited knot at either side; about 1850 it was waved, parted, and simply curved from the forehead over the ears in a fuller manner, sometimes being turned under to increase the side fullness, while the back hair was arranged lower down the neck. in the sixties the hair was waved and caught behind in ringlets or was bunched into the hideous chignons, which are seen till about 1880. [illustration: fig. 116.--1840-1860.] the variety of caps and hats is too alarming to deal with, and baffles comprehensible description, so it is best for the student to dip into the hundreds of illustrations through this period in the _ladies' magazine_, _punch_, the _illustrated london news_, or the _ladies' treasury_ for the later styles. the straw bonnet with a straighter poke front was favoured till 1850, when the front became considerably reduced in size and fitted closely round the face. the larger brimmed bonnets had a little frill by the ears, and the tight-brimmed bonnet often had the frill all round with a flower also tucked in effectively to the wearer's taste, and we see this favoured till the seventies. in the fifties a large flat leghorn hat with a small crown was in evidence, the brim dipping back and front, decorated with feathers or bows, and a three-cornered french hat with feathers set in the brim came in with revival of the 18th-century style about 1860. a small bowler hat and a very small "pork-pie" hat appears in the late sixties, and a tiny-shaped bonnet of a curved form during the seventies. [illustration: plate xxx.- (_a_) printed silk bodice. 1840-50. (_pattern, see p. 320._) (_b_) gathered linen bodice. 1837-47. (_c_) silk bodice and bertha. 1845-55.] [illustration: fig. 117.--1845-1855.] at the beginning of this long reign we find the pointed bodice with a normal length of waist has really come to stay, though many dresses retain the waistband till the fifties, and there is such a confusion of styles at that time, it is difficult to arrange a sequence. from the 18th century fashions became more complicated in the greater variety of design, each overlapping the other, and several distinct forms of character come and go during this long reign. i do not envy the person who undertakes the chronology of our present period. at the commencement in 1837 the huge sleeves gathered at the wrist were still in evidence, especially as a gauze oversleeve to evening attire, and they continued thus to the fifties, but very large sleeves were really dying out and the usual reaction was setting in; the full-shouldered sleeve had turned a somersault and was neatly gathered tight from the shoulder to the elbow, the fullness falling on the forearm, and this was gathered into a tight setting or wristband. the =v=-shaped front to the bodice was kept in many dresses by a collar or two tapering from the shoulders to the waist, the fullness of the breast often being tightly gathered at the shoulders, besides a few inches in the front point of the bodice. a very plain tight-fitting sleeve became fashionable, and on most of these we find a small upper sleeve or a double one as shown in a, plate xxx (see p. 266); this was sometimes opened at the outer side. these sleeves continued till about 1852. in 1853 a bell-shaped sleeve is noticed in ordinary dress, and this continued in various sizes till 1875, reaching its fuller shape about 1864. these types of sleeves were usually worn over a tight one or a full lawn sleeve gathered at the wrist; most bodices with this sleeve were closely fitted and high in the neck, the waist often being cut into small tabs. we also notice for a few years in the early fifties the deeper part of the bell curved to the front of the arm, giving a very ugly appearance. a close-fitting jacket also came into evidence till about 1865 with tight sleeves and cuffs, sometimes with a little turn-down collar and a longer skirt as in fig. c, plate xxxiii (see p. 282). this particularly fine embroidered specimen, in imitation of the 18th-century style, is interestingly cut away short at the back to allow for better setting on the crinoline. there is another type of sleeve seen about 1848, of a plain, full, square cut; these became varied in shape, being opened up the side and generally trimmed with wide braids. this clumsy character is seen up to 1878, the later ones being fuller in cut. zouave jackets were occasionally worn in the forties and later in the early sixties, when the wide corselet belt was again favoured. skirts at the beginning of the reign were fully set out on drill petticoats, stiff flounces, and even whalebone, so it was hardly "a great effect" when the crinoline appeared about 1855, though a furious attack was made against it at first; this undersetting developed to its fullest extent between 1857 and 1864, and many dresses in the early sixties were also worn short, showing the high boots of this period. at first the crinoline was slightly held back from the front by ties, and again in the sixties it was often kept with a straight front, the fullness being held to the back, till the appearance of the bustle brought in another shape. the skirts were now pulled in tight to the front of the figure and bunched up at the back, with a train or shaped flounced pieces overlapping each other caught up under the bustle, as in fig. b, plate xxxiii (see p. 282). [illustration: plate xxxi.- (_a_) embroidered muslin outdoor dress, 1855-65. (_b_) riding habit. 1845-75. (_c_) gauze ball dress. 1840-55.] [illustration: fig. 118.--dress improvers, 1865-1875.] mantles of a cumbersome type and shot-silk capes with long pointed fronts were worn, often heavily fringed, the former also being mostly decorated with braided designs. large paisley shawls were much used all through this reign, besides the cape and hood with its fine tassels which became very fashionable in the sixties. gloves and mittens are seen both long and short, the latter often beautifully embroidered on the back in the french style. hand-bags were often carried, of which examples are given in the plates of a variety of shapes; the favourite materials for their make were velvets and silks decorated with bullion, sequins, braids, needlework, and beads, and these bags were richly set in gilt, silver, or steel mounts. parasols were still heavily fringed, and were of the usual shapes. a very small one was carried in the carriages, and are even seen on the ladies' driving whips. shoes continued in the same heelless sandal character to the sixties for evening wear, but from the forties most outdoor shoes had a heel and large rosettes. with the seventies came round toes with a low round front and bow, and high shaped heels came to stay till the present day. boots of white satin, kid, or coloured silks were chiefly worn till the seventies, reaching just above the ankle, laced up the inner side, but many wore elastic sides from the fifties; the toes of these were rather square, and a toe-cap and front seam was made in many of this type. in the forties a tight rosette was sometimes placed low down towards the toes, and later, a huge bow was sewn on the front. high boots buttoned towards the side and very much shaped, with pointed round toes and high heels were sometimes laced and finished with a pair of tassels. spats were always fashionable through this period. nineteenth century. victoria. male. the same modes of doing the hair remained till the sixties, parted at one side and worn rather long and waved, with the side whiskers or beard all round the chin. the side whiskers were allowed to grow long between fifty-five and seventy, and full beards also became fashionable, while the hair was parted in the centre from front to back and flattened on the forehead. the favourite top-hat still reigned supreme, many of which retained the tapered top and large curled brim till about 1855, and a bell shape was frequently seen in the fifties, but the real straight chimney shape was seen throughout till the eighties, with a rather narrow brim, and often of white or fawn-coloured cloth. the bowler hat increased in appreciation, being of a short type, with smallish brim. a short flat felt hat, with rather straight brim, also came into favour from the fifties; little round caps and caps with ear-flaps, for travelling, &c., were also in general use. the frock-coat kept the rather tight sleeves and tight waist, and full square skirt, with back pockets, also a deep lapel, sometimes with a velvet collar, and small cuffs; a breast-pocket was often placed on the left side, and in the fifties the type of morning coat with rounded-off fronts at the skirt appeared, also a small collar and lapel. square-cut jackets and tweed suits similar to our present shapes, but heavier in cut and with braided edges, were much in use. velvet or fur-trimmed overcoats, and heavy travelling-coats, also capes and inverness capes, were all in vogue. waistcoats became buttoned higher in the neck, and the stock-collar was supplanted in the sixties by a turn-down collar, and small tie or loose bow; many still affected the black stock and pointed collar to the seventies, when a high round collar began to appear. coloured and fancy waistcoats were much worn till the eighties, and evening dress was similar to the present cut, with slight differences in the length of lapels and waistcoat front. the trousers were made with the front flap till they were buttoned down the front about 1845, and side pockets became general. braids may be noted down the sides in the fifties, and are seen now and then all through the reign, while large plaids and stripes were highly esteemed. short wellington boots were chiefly preferred up to the sixties, and trouser-straps and spats were fashionable all through the reign. the heavier lace-up boot came in during the fifties, and a very shaped type of fashion appeared in the sixties. having now completed the general survey of costume, the following pages are given up to the cut and measurements of various antique garments. patterns of various reigns from antique costume with notes and measurements i have striven to gather as many representative patterns of dress types and accessories as possible, and also give many measurements from the various examples, when i have been unable to obtain a complete pattern. the character of cut and proportion is the essential point in the study of dress design, and the intimate knowledge of periods. when seeing a collection of patterns, one is astonished at the great variety in cut used to arrive at the different bodice types. several patterns of single pieces are given, as it aids one to find the fellow-part; for example, the photo of a back given in fig. c, plate iii (see p. 55), will go with the front cut on page 290; even though these two pieces did not belong to the same body, the cut is seen from which to design the missing part. often a small piece is wanting for the top of the shoulder, which can easily be supplied to fill the sleeve measurement. the types of trimmings in the different centuries will soon be acquired by a careful student, and the proportions of patterns will be valued for gaining the character. i believe with this collection one could get the true effects of any style of dress seen in the period prints. the drawings are mostly scaled for the half, and the measurement, in inches, will be found by dots on the top of the collotypes, and by a marked line on the pattern pages. one must note, with the 18th-century dress, the sleeve cuffs can be changed, so i give, on page 300, a full-size measurement of the elbow-cuff seen in fig. a, plate xvi (see p. 167), and a deeper one of this style is seen on fig. c, plate xii (see p. 135), gathered seven times at the elbow. the plain square type was pleated in the front as given on page 300, and a variety of this character is shown on fig. b, plate xv (see p. 154). though many patterns may be found remarkable in proportions, an allowance is often to be made for the undersetting, as well as for the thick, straight corsets worn to the end of the 18th century. i give several specimens of quilting on petticoats of the 18th century, which will probably be found useful to artists; the measurement is also given of their circumference, which attained similar proportions to those set on the victorian crinolines, going 3 to 4 yards round: four 18th century ones measured 100, 114, 116, 120 inches, and they are often 1 inch longer at the sides, to allow for setting over the panniers; a pattern is given on pages 213 and 332. the embroidered pockets on page 300 were worn in pairs at the sides on the petticoats, and only showed when the dress was looped up. the extra lawn sleeves, given on page 287, show how precious the superfine linen was held, with its superb gathered work, lace ruffles, and often fine embroidery; these pieces could be looked after with special care in the laundry, and could be tacked, pinned, or buttoned on when required. the 16th and 17th century collars were mostly attached to the chemise or shirt, as is seen in many of the old prints. on page 289 i give examples of shape of the various stomachers, which will be found useful for getting the characteristic proportions. the scarves worn round the body of the 17th century cavaliers were from 2 feet 3 inches wide to 3 feet 6 inches, and from 8 feet 6 inches to 7 feet in length. [illustration: plate xxxii.- (_a_) silk dress. 1860-70. _pattern, see p. 346._ (_b_) gauze walking dress. 1850-60. (_c_) silk dress. 1848-58. _pattern, see p. 344._] the stocking top, fig. c, plate vi (see p. 74), is probably of similar proportions to the woollen one in the victoria and albert museum, on which the bell-top circumference is 36 inches, and the full length of stocking 38 inches. on page 285 a cap of three pieces is given; their real design is at present unknown, but i trust the museum authorities may soon discover their placing, for many of these pieces are in existence, and this set in my collection is impressed with a beautiful pattern. the bodice, fig a, plate x (see p. 119), should have been set on a stiff-fronted corset to give it the straight style, as it is charmingly proportioned and clean in outline. i have also measured a short circular cloak of the early 17th century, which is 34 inches in diameter, with a square collar 10 inches deep; and another cape of the late 16th century, 40 inches in diameter. on page 290 will be found the smaller tabs which are placed round the jerkin, with a deep front point, as in fig. a, plate viii_a_ (see p. 103); the collar of this type often rises 2¾ inches in the front to 3 inches at the back, in order to carry the stiff ruff or deep turned-down collar. tabs of the smallest dimensions, in the earlier elizabeth and james character, generally have six pieces from front to the middle of the back, which are from 2 to 3 inches deep. the epaulets are made in small stiff tabs, caught together in two places only, and so have plenty of give in the shoulder movements; they run to 2¼ inches at the widest part, and do not continue right under the arm. fig. d, plate v (see p. 71), has the middle seam of the back open from the waist to within 2 inches of the collar, which is noticeable on many of the later charles i coats. long aprons are conspicuous through the 17th century, and one measured was 42 inches wide, gathered to 15 inches at the waist; they were decorated with three bands of embroidered insertion down the front, with a 3-inch plain border, edged with small lace; this is typical in character of design, as is also the same style of linen cape seen on a figure, page 159. a similar one, lent by sir robert filmer, is at the victoria and albert museum; also a cap, of which i give a pattern, a, page 285. the smaller type of embroidered aprons of the late 17th and 18th centuries measure 40 inches wide, 19½ inches deep, with the centre dipping to 17¾ inches; another shape is 26 inches wide, 18 inches in centre, and 13½ inches on sides. the bodice, with deep skirt, fig. b, plate xviii (see p. 183), is a type seen all through the 18th century, both longer and shorter in the skirt. the pattern of the 17th-century breeches is interesting as regards the cut, the upper part being kept plain, otherwise the gathered fullness would have disturbed the set of the jerkin tabs; the band of these breeches has six hooks either side to back, which fasten to eyes on an under flap sewn on body of jerkin. the epaulet on this pattern is only a ¾-inch piece, braided with two narrow braids, and the bows on tabs are of ribbon, 1½ inches wide. the three patterns of capes given on pages 349, 350 will be found useful, as they are simple and very typical of the victorian times, long shawls being otherwise much used. the fullness of the elizabethan overdress seen on b, plate ii (see p. 42), is 66 inches to the back seam, and the fig. c, on the same plate, is 47 inches. the "jump," or jacket, fig. a, plate iii (see p. 55), is 100 inches round, the fullness of the sleeve 13 inches, and the length of back 32 inches. an over-tunic of the early 17th century is interesting to examine, though it is a specimen of german costume. [illustration: plate xxxiii.- (_a_) silk dress with court train. 1828-38. (_b_) silk afternoon dress. 1872-78. (_c_) silk coat and skirt. 1855-65. _pattern, see p. 320._] patterns to scale _for detailed list, see page 353._ [illustration: pattern 1. _made in satin on wood_ _piccadilloes 1580-1630_ _side view open_ _gather to a ring at mark_ _gather to a ring at mark_ _a pair belonging above_ _3 caps 16-17th c._ _12 in. ties_ _1600-1650 17th c._ _others measure_ 16×14 14×9 13×9 _cap 16-17th c._ _cap of pierced embroidery, late 17th & early 18th cent._] [illustration: pattern 2. _17th c. stock, chas. ii._ _18th c._ _stiff gorget for carrying collar_ _stock_ _cap, embroidered, 1st half 18th c._ _collar and caps, 17 century_] [illustration: pattern 3. _ruff, 1590-1610_ _24 in. round_ _15 round_ _20 in. round_ _18 century_ 14 _1st half of 17th c._ 10 _caps and extra sleeves of fine linen 17 century_] [illustration: pattern 4. _embroidered linen jacket, front and sleeve, 16th century_ _embroidered linen bodice front, chas. i._] [illustration: pattern 5. _elizabethan jerkin of punched leather._ _gold embroidered stomacher, about 1600-30_ 1660-1689 1690-1730 1680-1730] [illustration: pattern 6. _set of tabs for male jerkin, 17 cent._ _back_ _front_ _side_ _pattern type from worked pieces elizabethan reign 1570-1605_] [illustration: pattern 7. _circular cape, 17 cent._ _collar_ _join top and gather at dots._ _cap, 1580-1630._] [illustration: pattern 8. _bodice_ _fig. 1 plate 10_] [illustration: pattern 9. _corset, 1620-60_ _cut of bodice, fig. b, plate 5_ _corset, 1665-85_ _corset, 1685-1705_] [illustration: pattern 10. _26 buttons_ _sleeve seam_ _start epaulette_ _finish_ _scale_ _collar_ _similar type to fig. c, plate 7_ _jerkin of white quilted satin_ _see page opposite for breeches of same, 1620-1640. victoria and albert museum, kensington._] [illustration: pattern 11. _breeches, 1615-60_ _ties_ _pocket_ _pocket_ _fulled_ _hooks to fasten to jerkin_] [illustration: pattern 12. _sleeve_ _35 buttons_ _neck band_ _buttons ¾ in._ _open_ _12 buttons_ _full cape coat, v. & a. museum, about 1640-68_] [illustration: pattern 13. _back of bodice, fig. b, plate 7._ _13½ front to back of epaulette_ _male cap, early 18 century_] [illustration: pattern 14. _2 collars, time chas. ii._] [illustration: pattern 15. _jacket. fig. c, plate 4_ _top sleeve_ _open to mark_ _open_ _open_] [illustration: pattern 16. _sleeve cuffs, 18 cent._ _early type_ _late type_ _1690-1750, 2 pockets_ _hanging sleeve of fig. c, plate 2_ _open_ _embroidered bodice fronts, early 18 century_] [illustration: pattern 17. _quilted linen corsage, 1660-1715_ _open_ _herald's coat, fig. a, plate 7. victoria & albert museum_ _open_ _open_] [illustration: pattern 18. _front of embroidered linen sleeved waistcoat, 1690-1720_ _victoria and albert museum_] [illustration: pattern 19. _inner vest_ _sleeve waistcoat, early 18th cent._ _sleeve to lace on_ _open to mark_] [illustration: pattern 20. _breeches, 1660-1720_ _button_ _pleat_ _pocket_ _open for pocket_ _fullness_ _open_ _pocket_] [illustration: pattern 21. _breeches, 18th century_ _waist_ _gather_ _open_ _top_ _knee strap_ _waist_ _loose flap_ _pocket_ _pocket_] [illustration: pattern 22. _fly knee_ _breeches, 18th century_] [illustration: pattern 23. _coat, fig. b, plate 26_ _dart_ _open to waist_ _collar_] [illustration: pattern 24. _coat, fig. b, plate 13_ _joined under pleat_ _pocket_ _pocket_ _small pocket_ _open_ _caught_ _open_ _open_ _side tab_ _corderoy trousers 1815._] [illustration: pattern 25. _fig. a, plate 15 coat, 1775-90_ _cuff_ _band to draw up_ _open_ _double_ _under collar_ _turnover collar_ _pocket_ _pleat_ _open_ _open_ _15 in. tie_ _leather breeches, 1800-30_ _straw hat, 1816-30_] [illustration: pattern 26. _join_ _fold_ _under collar_ _turnover collar_ _pleat_ _open to waist_ _coat, 1784-94 directoire type see_ fig. 106] [illustration: pattern 27. _collar_ _breast pocket, left only_ _coat, 1830-1845 similar type to fig. c, plate 26._] [illustration: pattern 28. _pocket_ _slightly gather_ _pocket_ _top_ _foot strap_ _strap inside_ _open_ _foot strap_ _buff linen trousers, 1810-1840_] [illustration: pattern 29. _turnover collar_ _collar tab_ _pocket flap_ _pocket_ _pleat_ _joined on waistcoat inside_ _open to mark_ _coat, fig. a, plate 26_] [illustration: pattern 30. _bodice, 1816-22_ _trimming stretched to curl over_ _sleeve straps_ _collar_ _waist_ _gathered in strap_ _piped straps and seams_] [illustration: pattern 31. _bell sleeved bodice, 1848-58_ _trimmed narrow velvet braid_ _open_ _open_] [illustration: pattern 32. _bodice of linen dress, fig a, plate 22_ _buttons for front_ _cord for looping train, 90 inches_ _outside sleeve_] [illustration: pattern 33. _bodice, 1860-70_ _bodice, 1850-60 type_ _sleeve for net covering_ _gathered sleeve_ _bodice, 1816-25_] [illustration: pattern 34. _jacket bodice, fig. a, plate 24_] [illustration: pattern 35. _bodice, 1845-55 similar type fig. a, plate 30_ _epaulette_ _band round waist_ _front_] [illustration: pattern 36. _sleeveless overjacket, early 18 century embroidered_ _wrist strap_ _tie on_ _gather_ _gather_ _strap_ _gather_ _spencer, 1827-37, piped trimming_] [illustration: pattern 37. _bodice, 1812-18_ _top_ _silk to line_ _under lining_] [illustration: pattern 38. _corset pattern, 18 century_ _bodice of fig. a, plate 14_] [illustration: pattern 39. _similar type of bodice to fig. b, plate 14. bodice with type of pleated back, 1720-50_ _box pleats_ _pleated back_ _lining for front_ _lining for back_ _laced_] [illustration: pattern 40. _tab gathered in centre trimming on epaulette_ _cape_ _epaulette band_ _waist band_ _collar_ _pattern, fig. c, plate 28_ _thickly kilted skirt to bodice, 26 ins._ _bodice, fig. a, plate 18_] [illustration: pattern 41. _zouave jacket, late 18 century_ _gather_ _bodice, 1818-28_] [illustration: pattern 42. _silk jacket, fig. b, plate 19_ _gathered_ _pleat_] [illustration: pattern 43. _bodice, fig. c, plate 18_] [illustration: pattern 44. _bodice, fig. a, plate 30_ _wrist_ _bertha_ _gather_ _gather_] [illustration: pattern 45. _cased_ _pleat_ _pleats_ _open_ _open_ _open to mark_ _pocket_ _coat, fig. c, plate 33_] [illustration: pattern 46. _waist_ _s. lining_ _puff sleeve_ _gather_ _gather_] [illustration: pattern 47. _dress, 1805-1818_ _pleated_ _pleat_ _apron front_ _gathered_ _mob cap, 1780-1800_ _gathered in band_ _trimmed double lace frill round front_ _width of insertion_ _cap with comb, 1790-1800_ _puff comb_] [illustration: pattern 48. _pleated_ _pleated_ _pleated_ _side plaquet_ _quilted petticoat, 1740-70_ _waist band_] [illustration: pattern 49. _pleats_ _pleat to notch_ _made in lining_ _petticoat, fig. b, plate 16_ _top_] [illustration: pattern 50. _dress, fig. b, plate 16_ _pleat_ _under corset_ _lining back_] [illustration: pattern 51. _dress, fig. c, plate 16_ _neck_ _lining_ _box pleats_ _small pleats_ _s pleats_ _small pleats_ _s. pleats_ _pleat_] [illustration: pattern 52. _pleat_ _pleat_ _pleat_ _pleat_ _pleat_ _pleat_ _white linen dress, 1795-1805_ _front_ _sleeve_ _gather_ _button_ _outside sleeve_ _caught up thus_] [illustration: pattern 53. _gathered_ _open to mark_ _gathered_ _striped cotton dress, 1805-15_ _gathered_ _collar_ _front_ _wrist_ _3 sleeve frills_ _open_ _gather_] [illustration: pattern 54. _pattern of under robe, 1818-30_ _gathered_ _gathered_ _waist_ _sleeve_ _s. placquets_] [illustration: pattern 55. _waist band_ _neck band_ _gathered_ _cuff_ _top_ _gathered_ _pattern of fig c, plate 25_] [illustration: _muslin dress, 1822-32_ _cuff_ _yoke_ pattern 56.] [illustration: pattern 57. _gather_ _gather_ _satin dress, 1837-45_ _gather_ _gather_ _top_] [illustration: pattern 58. _top gathered to a fold round sleeve_ _gathered_ _dress, fig. c, plate 29_ _gathered_ _gathered_ _gather_ _cape_ _gathered_ _gathered_ _waist_ _waist_ _gather_ _gather_] [illustration: pattern 59. _dress, fig. b, plate 28_ _gathered_ _gathered_ _gathered_ _gathered_ _band front of waist_ _waist_] [illustration: pattern 60. _gather_ _gather_ _dress, fig. c, plate 32._ _trimming over shoulder_ _top_ _gather_ _gather_ _tight pleats_ _waist_] [illustration: pattern 61. _lady's coat, 1856-70_] [illustration: pattern 62. _blue silk dress, 1860-70_ _fig. a, plate 32_ _scale 6 inches_ _gather_ _gather_ _pleat_] [illustration: pattern 63. _reefed polonaise, pinked edge, 1860-70_ _scale inches_ _gather_ _plain_ _gather_ _plain_ _pleat_ _gather_ _puff sleeve lining_ _reefed up_ _ties_ _puff sleeve_] [illustration: pattern 64. _lady's jacket, fig. c, plate 19_ _gathered_ _pleated_] [illustration: pattern 65. _fullness for arm_ _an interesting cape of shot silk, 1840-50_] [illustration: pattern 66. _cut in one_ _front_ _cape collar_ _2 pieces_ _black velvet cape, 1830-40_ _victorian cape, 1860-75_ _same cut from 40 ins._] [illustration: pattern 67. _sleeve, 16 century_ _collar_ _cut of doublet and slashed sleeve, 1620-40_ _sleeve, 1620-40._ _epaulette_ _cut of boy's stays, coat, vest, 1700-60_] [illustration: pattern 68. _male robe 1600-25_ _black felt puritan hat, 1640-60_ _v. and a. museum_ _black velvet hat, 1600-20_] detailed list of scaled patterns pattern 1, page 285:- piccadillo, 1580-1630. three caps, 16-17 century. cap of three pieces, 16-17 c. triangular cap, 16-17 c. long cap, 17 c. cap, late 17 c., early 18 c. pattern 2, page 286:- 4 collars, 17 c. gorget of linen, 17 c. 2 stocks, 17 and 18 c. 3 male caps and 1 female, 17 and 18 c. pattern 3, page 287:- ruff, 17 c. 4 extra linen sleeves, 17 and one 18 c. 2 caps, female, 17 c. pattern 4, page 288:- front of linen jacket, 16 c. front of linen bodice, charles i. pattern 5, page 289:- elizabethan jerkin. 4 stomachers, 17 and 18 c. pattern 6, page 290:- set of tabs for male jerkin, 17 c. pattern type, sleeve and bodice front, 1570-1605. pattern 7, page 291:- circular cape, 17 c. cap, female, 1580-1630. pattern 8, page 292:- bodice, fig. 1, plate x, james i. pattern 9, page 293:- 3 corsets and bodice of, fig. 2, plate v, 17 c. pattern 10, page 294:- jerkin of white quilted satin, 17 c. pattern 11, page 295:- breeches of same suit. pattern 12, page 296:- cape-coat, 17 c. pattern 13, page 297:- back of bodice, plate vii, 17 c. shaped cap, male, 17 and 18 c. pattern 14, page 298:- 2 collars, charles ii. pattern 15, page 299:- jacket, fig. _c_, plate iv, 17 c. pattern 16, page 300:- 2 sleeve-cuffs, 18 c. 2 embroidered pockets, 17 and 18 c. hanging sleeve, fig. _c_, plate ii, 16-17 c. embroidered bodice fronts, 17-18 c. pattern 17, page 301:- quilted linen corsage, 1660-1715. herald's coat, fig. _a_, plate vii, 16-17 c. pattern 18, page 302:- sleeved waistcoat, 1690-1720. pattern 19, page 303:- sleeved waistcoat and vest, early 18 c. pattern 20, page 304:- breeches, 1660-1720. pattern 21, page 305:- breeches, 18 c. pattern 22, page 306:- breeches, 18 c. pattern 23, page 307:- coat, fig. _b_, plate xxvi, 19 c. pattern 24, page 308:- coat, fig. _b_, plate xiii, 18 c. corderoy trousers, from 1815. pattern 25, page 309:- coat, late 18 c., fig. _a_, plate xv. leather breeches, late 18-19 c. straw hat, 1816-30. pattern 26, page 310:- coat, 1784-94. pattern 27, page 311:- coat, 1830-45. pattern 28, page 312:- buff linen trousers, 1810-40. pattern 29, page 313:- morning coat, fig. _a_, plate xxvi, 19 c. pattern 30, page 314:- bodice, 1816-22. pattern 31, page 315:- bell-sleeved bodice, 1848-58. pattern 32, page 316:- bodice of linen dress, fig. _a_, plate xxii, about 1800. pattern 33, page 317:- bodice, 1860-70. bodice, 1850-60. bodice, 1816-25. pattern 34, page 318:- jacket bodice, fig. _a_, plate xxiv, about 1800. pattern 35, page 319:- bodice, similar type, fig. _a_, plate xxx, 1845-55. pattern 36, page 320:- sleeveless over jacket, early 18 c. spencer, 1827-37. pattern 37, page 321:- bodice, 1812-18. pattern 38, page 322:- corset pattern, 18 c. bodice of fig. _a_, plate xiv, 18 c. pattern 39, page 323:- bodice with type of pleated sack back, 1720-50. pattern 40, page 324:- bodice, fig. _c_, plate xxviii, 19 c. bodice, fig. _a_, plate xviii, 18 c. pattern 41, page 325:- zouave jacket, late 18 c. bodice, 1818-28. pattern 42, page 326:- silk jacket, fig. _b_, plate xix, 18 c. pattern 43, page 327:- bodice, fig. _c_, plate xviii, 18 c. pattern 44, page 328:- bodice, fig. _a_, plate xxx, 19 c. pattern 45, page 329:- lady's coat, fig. _c_, plate xxxiii. pattern 46, page 330:- polonaise dress, 1835-45. pattern 47, page 331:- dress, 1805-18. mob cap, 1780-1800. cap with comb top, 1790-1800. pattern 48, page 332:- quilted petticoat, 18 c. pattern 49, page 333:- petticoat, fig. _b_, plate xvi, 18 c. pattern 50, page 334:- dress, fig. _b_, plate xvi. pattern 51, page 335:- dress, fig. _c_, plate xvi. pattern 52, page 336:- white linen dress, 1795-1800. pattern 53, page 337:- striped cotton dress, 1805-15. pattern 54, page 338:- pattern of under robe, 1818-30. pattern 55, page 339:- dress, fig. _c_, plate xxv. pattern 56, page 340:- muslin dress, 1822-32. pattern 57, page 341:- satin dress, 1837-47. pattern 58, page 342:- dress, fig. _c_, plate xxix. pattern 59, page 343:- dress, fig. _b_, plate xxviii. pattern 60, page 344:- dress, fig. _c_, plate xxxii. pattern 61, page 345:- lady's coat, 1856-70. pattern 62, page 346:- silk dress, fig. _a_, plate xxxii, 1860-70. pattern 63, page 347:- reefed polonaise, 1860-70. pattern 64, page 348:- lady's jacket, fig. _c_, plate xix, 18 c. pattern 65, page 349:- cape, 1840-50. pattern 66, page 350:- cape, 1860-75. cape, 1830-40. pattern 67, page 351:- upper sleeve and collar, 16 c. bodice with slashed sleeve, 1620-40. boy's stays, coat, and vest, 1700-60. pattern 68, page 352:- male robe, 1600-25. puritan hat, 1640-60. black velvet hat, 1600-20. index aprons- 17 century, 186, 280 18 c., 192, 198, 206 bags, 193, 262, 272 bertha, 238, 252 bouquet holder, 262 breeches- mediæval, 54 16 c., 122, 132 17 c., 152, 164, 281 19 c., 248, 256, 264 bustle, 226 calash, 217 capes- 16 c., 132, 279 17 c., 184 19 c., 244, 262, 264, 274, 281 chain ornaments- to 15 c., 62, 72 16 c., 110, 124 cloaks- to 15 c., 54, 70 17 c., 152, 164, 176, 180, 279 18 c., 222 collars- 16 c., 112, 128, 129, 139, 278 17 c., 145, 158, 160, 172, 174 19 c., 244, 246 corsets- to 15 c., 62, 66 16 c., 110, 116, 138 17 c., 158, 169, 172 18 c., 211, 278 19 c., 250 crinolines, 270, 278 decorative styles- black-stitch work, 122, 129 braided, 110, 111, 132, 142, 143, 144, 145, 146, 182, 188, 200, 238, 244, 272 button, 110, 143, 144, 146, 182, 210 laced, 70, 88, 92, 110, 116 piped, 238, 244 pleated, 111, 140 pricked, 111, 140, 142, 152 punched, 111, 140, 142, 152 puffed, 88, 92, 110, 116, 118, 122, 129, 142, 146, 150, 180, 260 purfled, 145, 164, 190 ribbon, 145, 172, 176, 178, 191, 253 serrated or shaped edging, 71, 96, 110, 146, 191, 214, 252 slashing, 92, 111, 112, 113, 116, 118, 122, 140, 142, 145, 152, 158, 164 straw-work, 111, 191 tassel, 238 tinsel, 237 tulle, 238 doublets, 132, 139 dress- prehistoric, female, 40; male, 41 to 10 c., female, 45, 46, 48; male, 52, 54 10 to 15 c., female, 62, 66, 68, 70; male, 76, 78, 80 15 c., female, 84, 88, 92; male, 92, 100, 104, 108 16 c., 278, 279, 281. henry viii, female, 113, 116; male, 118, 122. ed. vi and mary, female, 124, 128; male, 129, 132. eliz., female, 133, 136, 138; male, 139, 281 17 c., james i, female, 147, 150; male, 152, 154. chas. i, female, 158; male, 160, 164, 168. commonwealth, female and male, 168, 169. chas. ii, female, 169, 172; male, 174, 176. james ii, female, 178, 180; male, 182. william and mary, female, 184, 185; male, 186, 188. anne, female, 196; male, 200. george i, female, 206; male, 210 18 c., george ii, female, 221; male, 214. george iii to 1800, female, 217, 222, 224, 226, 230; male, 232, 234 19 c., george iii (_continued_), female, 244, 247; male, 247. george iv, female, 250; male, 254. william iv, female, 260; male, 263. victorian, female, 268; male, 274. note also page 39 drill petticoat, 238 ear-rings, 62-72 epaulets- 16 c., 128, 129, 136 17 c., 143, 152, 280, 281 19 c., 250 fans- 16 c., 129, 138 18 c., 193, 230 19 c., 240, 253, 262 farthingale, 111, 136 foot-wear- to the end of 14 c., 44, 48, 56, 70, 80, 82, 92 15 c., 108 16 c., henry viii, 16, 122; ed. vi and mary, 128, 132; elizabeth, 138, 140 17 c., james i, 150, 154; chas. i, 158, 164; commonwealth, 168; chas, ii, 172, 176; james ii, 180, 184; william and mary, 186, 188 18 c., 193; anne, 198, 201; george i, 207, 210; george ii, 214, 216; george iii to 1800, 230, 234 19 c., george iii, 246, 248; george iv, 253, 258; william iv, 262, 264; victoria, 272, 275 girdles- to 15 c., 68, 78, 92 16 c., 116 gloves- 16 c., 116, 129, 138 17 c., 168, 172 18 c., 193, 201, 214, 226 head-dress- prehistoric, female, 40; male, 42 to 10 c., female, 45; male, 49 10 to 15 c., female, 57; male, 71 15 c., female, 84; male, 92 16 c., henry viii, female, 113; male, 118. ed. vi and mary, female, 124; male, 129. eliz., female, 133; male, 138 17 c., james i, female, 147; male, 150. chas. i, female, 154; male, 160. commonwealth, 168. chas. ii, female, 169; male, 174. james ii, female, 178; male, 180. william and mary, female, 184; male, 186 18 c., anne, female, 193; male, 198. george i, female, 201; male, 207. george ii, female, 211; male, 214. george iii, female, 217, 241; male, 231, 246. george iv, female, 248; male, 254. william iv, female, 258; male, 263. victoria, female, 264; male, 273 heraldic fashion, 66, 71, 109, 132 hoop skirts- 16 c., 116, 128, 136 17 c., 147, 185 18 c., 222 jackets- to 15 c., 66, 68, 88, 100 16 c., 112, 182 17 c., 143 18 c., 224, 226 19 c., 270 lapets, 184, 193, 206, 239 maccaroni fashion, 214 mantles, 262, 271 masks, 186 muffs, 160, 172, 180, 186, 189, 193, 201, 230, 253 neck-wear, 174, 182, 186, 200, 207, 232, 246, 250, 254, 263, 275 overcoats, 232, 254, 274 panniers, 211, 222 parasols, 230, 234, 244, 272 patterns scaled, 276 pelisses, 244, 250, 262 plates (collotypes), frontispiece, 39, 42, 55, 58, 71, 74, 87, 90, 103, 106, 119, 122, 135, 138, 151, 154, 167, 170, 183, 186, 199, 202, 215, 218, 231, 234, 247, 250, 259, 263, 266, 270, 279, 282 pockets, 192, 224 polonaise, 238, 262 purses, 236, 240, 246 quilting, 111, 128, 146, 172, 192, 198, 211, 222, 278 ruffs, 112, 118, 128, 129, 133, 136, 139, 143, 147, 158, 160, 172, 250, 280 sack-back (or watteau) dress, 136, 185, 191, 196, 206, 211, 222 sashes, 168, 182, 279 sequins, 112 shawls, 272 spats, 273 spencers, 244, 250 sticks, 181, 188, 201, 211, 214, 226, 234 stockings, 138, 140, 154, 168, 182, 184, 189, 201, 210, 216, 234, 270 stomachers, 66, 112, 136, 142, 144, 146, 147, 154, 158, 172, 178, 184, 196, 207, 278 printed by spottiswoode, ballantyne & co. ltd. colchester, london & eton, england * * * * * dressmaking simple dressmaking. by ethel r. hambridge, _art teachers' certificate, etc._ in foolscap 4to, cloth, 200 pp., with 750 plates and black-and-white diagrams. 7_s._ 6_d._ net. this book deals exhaustively with the various stitches and fastenings used in dressmaking and their applications, pressing, making-up processes, taking measurements, cutting-out; and also contains some notes on fitting. simplicity and completeness have been the dual purpose of the author, and her systematic treatment of the subject, aided by her remarkable gift of lucid explanation, and her unique practical experience, has produced a valuable contribution to the literature of domestic science. dress cutting and making. for the classroom, workroom, and home. by emily wallbank, _head of the needlework and dressmaking department, national training school of cookery_, and marian wallbank. in foolscap 4to, cloth, 271 pp., with 265 diagrams and illustrations. 6_s._ net. the object of this work will be realized in some degree if it helps the practical reader so to mobilize her knowledge of underlying causes that she is able to produce any desired effect in the cut and fashion of a garment. sir isaac pitman & sons, limited 1 amen corner, london, e.c. 4. embroidery an embroidery pattern book. by mary e. waring. with a foreword by professor w. r. lethaby, _royal college of art_. in cloth gilt, 170 pp., 2 coloured plates, with 84 full-page black-and-white diagrams. 8_s._ 6_d._ net. "designing of this sort is no mystery that requires 'genius'; it is of the same kind as planting a garden border.... most embroideresses, who will begin by adapting the elements given in this pattern book, and gain interest and confidence in so doing, will go forward insensibly to varying the elements themselves, and to taking flowers and animals direct from nature. this ... is the work of a highly competent designer of embroidery, and i heartily recommend it."--w. r. lethaby in the foreword. embroidery & design. by joan h. drew. in foolscap 4to, cloth, about 115 pp., with 82 black-and-white illustrations and designs. 5_s._ net. the writer endeavours to arouse in her readers a desire for better designs, and greater individuality and thought in the home embroidery of to-day. the difference between decorative and undecorative work is clearly explained with the aid of many illustrations, and these are of the right size for tracing and working. sir isaac pitman & sons, limited art the art of painting in pastel. by j. littlejohns, r.b.a., and l. richmond, r.a. with a frontispiece and foreword by frank brangwyn, r.a. with 40 beautiful full-page coloured plates and 15 other illustrations. in demy 4to, cloth gilt. 15_s._ net. extract from _the connoisseur_: "the beautiful volume may quicken public interest in the method. the 40 plates in colour afford a fine series of examples of the resources of the medium and the best methods of exploiting them." drawing and design. a school course in composition. by samuel clegg, _headmaster of the county secondary school, long eaton, derbyshire_, with a foreword by william rothenstein, _professor of civic art, sheffield university_. 10 in. by 7½ in. 12_s._ 6_d._ net. a feature of the book is the inclusion of plates printed by scholars from wood-blocks of their own making and designing. it also contains good sections on lettering and pen and ink drawing, as well as on pencil work, colour work, etc. sir isaac pitman & sons, limited from the artistic crafts series hand-loom weaving. by luther hooper. 125 drawings by the author and noel rooke. coloured and collotype reproduction. small crown 8vo, 368 pp. 8_s._ 6_d._ net. extract from _the morning post_: "... every phase and process in weaving is described with so clear and careful an exactitude, that, helped as the text is by the author's sketches and diagrams, the reader should have no difficulty in conquering with its aid the rudiments of the craft." embroidery & tapestry weaving. by mrs. a. h. christie. _fourth edition._ 178 diagrams and illustrations by the author, 16 pp. of collotype reproductions. small crown 8vo, 320 pp. 10_s._ 6_d._ net. extract from the _pall mall gazette_: "mrs. christie has performed her task to admiration, ... and her lucid explanations of various kinds of stitches ... should be of value to all workers at embroidery or tapestry weaving and to novices anxious to learn." sir isaac pitman & sons, limited from the artistic crafts series manuscript writing & lettering. by an educational expert. showing the historical development and practical application to modern handwriting of several manuscript styles derived from ancient roman letters. fully illustrated. foolscap 4to. 6_s._ net. extract from _the times_: "this book supplies and supplies generously a need which has become urgent.... for purposes purely practical, no teacher of plain handwriting need know more than this book tells him; nor should be content to know less." heraldry for craftsmen and designers. by w. h. st. john hope, litt.d., d.c.l. small crown 8vo, 496 pp., 300 diagrams and designs, 24 collotype reproductions, and 8 coloured plates, 10_s._ 6_d._ net. extract from _the athenæum_: "a series which includes three such books as mr. douglas cockerell's 'bookbinding,' mr. edward johnston's 'writing,' and this ranks almost as a national possession.... no artist can see this book without wanting to buy it, if it were only for the beauty of the objects selected for illustration." sir isaac pitman & sons, limited from the artistic crafts series writing and illuminating & lettering. by edward johnston. _tenth edition._ 227 illustrations and diagrams by the author and noel rooke, 8 pp. of examples in red and black, 24 pp. of collotype reproductions, 512 pp. small crown 8vo. 8_s._ 6_d._ net. extract from _the athenæum_: "... this book belongs to that extremely rare class in which every line bears the impress of complete mastery of the subject. we congratulate mr. johnston on having produced a work at once original and complete." bookbinding and the care of books. by douglas cockerell. _fourth edition._ 122 drawings by noel rooke, 8 pages collotype reproductions. small crown 8vo, 352 pp. 7_s._ 6_d._ net. extract from _the times_: "... a capital proof of the reasoned thoroughness in workmanship, which is the first article in the creed of those who ... are attempting to carry into practice the industrial teaching of ruskin and william morris." sir isaac pitman & sons, limited * * * * * transcriber's note: the following printer's errors were corrected in the text: plate xi " 122 sixteen leather boots and shoes, between 1535 and 1850. original had "1630" instead of "1535" plate xxi " 202 twenty-three boots and shoes, from 1800 to 1875. original had "twenty-two" _c._ braided suit, 1670-90. original had "1695-90" _c._ dress of spotted, 1795-1808. original had "stockingette" _a._ morning coat of chintz, 1825-45. original had "chintze" the bodice, fig a, plate x (see p. 119), original had "see p. 292" _sleeve_ original had "sleev" pattern 53. original had "patteen" pattern 55, page 339:- dress, fig. _c_, plate xxv. original had "g" pattern 58, page 342:- dress, fig. _c_, plate xxix. original had "g" the following inconsistencies are retained as printed: plate vii, c. black silk jerkin. illustration caption has 1640-60, list of illustrations has 1640-50. plate ix, a. lady's embroidered silk jacket. illustration caption has 1605-30, list of illustrations has 1605-20. plate xv, c. embroidered velvet coat. illustration caption has 1755-75, list of illustrations has 1753-75. plate xx, b. nine aprons. illustration caption has 1850, list of illustrations has 1750. the scarves worn round the body of the 17th century cavaliers were from 2 feet 3 inches wide to 3 feet 6 inches, and from 8 feet 6 inches to 7 feet in length. second range is inconsistent as printed. plate xxxiii, c. silk coat and skirt. illustration caption has 1855-65, list of illustrations has 1855-56. the corset and the crinoline. the corset and the crinoline. a book of modes and costumes from remote periods to the present time. by w. b. l. with 54 full-page and other engravings. "o wha will shoe my fair foot, and wha will glove my han'? and wha will lace my middle jimp wi' a new-made london ban'?" _fair annie of lochroyan._ london: ward, lock, and tyler. warwick house, paternoster row. london printed by jas. wade, tavistock street, covent garden preface. the subject which we have here treated is a sort of figurative battle-field, where fierce contests have for ages been from time to time waged; and, notwithstanding the determined assaults of the attacking hosts, the contention and its cause remain pretty much as they were at the commencement of the war. we in the matter remain strictly neutral, merely performing the part of the public's "own correspondent," making it our duty to gather together such extracts from despatches, both ancient and modern, as may prove interesting or important, to take note of the vicissitudes of war, mark its various phases, and, in fine, to do our best to lay clearly before our readers the historical facts--experiences and arguments--relating to the much-discussed "_corset question_." as most of our readers are aware, the leading journals especially intended for the perusal of ladies have been for many years the media for the exchange of a vast number of letters and papers touching the use of the corset. the questions relating to the history of this apparently indispensable article of ladies' attire, its construction, application, and influence on the figure have become so numerous of late that we have thought, by embodying all that we can glean and garner relating to corsets, their wearers, and the various costumes worn by ladies at different periods, arranging the subject-matter in its due order as to dates, and at the same time availing ourselves of careful illustration when needed, that an interesting volume would result. no one, we apprehend, would be likely to deny that, to enable the fairer portion of the civilised human race to follow the time-honoured custom of presenting to the eye the waist in its most slender proportions, the corset in some form must be had recourse to. our information will show how ancient and almost universal its use has been, and there is no reason to anticipate that its aid will ever be dispensed with so long as an elegant and attractive figure is an object worth achieving. such being the case, it becomes a matter of considerable importance to discover by what means the desirable end can be acquired without injury to the health of those whose forms are being restrained and moulded into proportions generally accepted as graceful, by the use and influence of the corset. it will be our duty to lay before the reader the strictures of authors, ancient and modern, on this article of dress, and it will be seen that the animadversions of former writers greatly exceed modern censures, both in number and fierceness of condemnation. this difference probably arises from the fact of corsets of the most unyielding and stubborn character being universally made use of at the time the severest attacks were made upon them; and there can be no reasonable doubt that much which was written in their condemnation had some truth in it, although accompanied by a vast deal of fanciful exaggeration. it would also be not stating the whole of the case if we omitted here to note that modern authors, who launch sweeping anathemas on the very stays by the aid of which their wives and daughters are made presentable in society, almost invariably quote largely from scribes of ancient date, and say little or nothing, of their own knowledge. on the other hand, it will be seen that those writing in praise of the moderate use of corsets take their facts, experiences, and grounds of argument from the everyday life and general custom of the present period. the crinoline is too closely associated with the corset and with the mutable modes affected by ladies, from season to season, to be omitted from any volume which treats of fashion. the same facts, indeed, may be stated of both the crinoline and the corset. both appear to be equally indispensable to the woman of the present period. to make them serve the purposes of increased cleanliness, comfort, and grace, not only without injury to the health, but with positive and admitted advantage to the _physique_--these are the problems to be solved by those whose business it is to minister to the ever-changing taste and fashion of the day. [illustration] contents. chapter i. the corset:--origin. use amongst savage tribes and ancient people. slenderness of waist esteemed in the east, ceylon, circassia, crim tartary, hindustan, persia, china, egypt, palestine pages 9 to 29 chapter ii. the corset according to homer, terentius. the strophium of rome, and the mitra of greece. the peplus. a roman toilet, bath, and promenade. general luxury. cleopatra's jewels. tight-lacing on the tiber pages 30 to 38 chapter iii. frankish fashions. the monks and the corset. corsets worn by gentlemen as well as ladies in the thirteenth century. the kirtle. small waists in scotland. chaucer on small bodies. the surcoat. long trains. skirts. snake-toed shoes. high-heeled slippers pages 41 to 59 chapter iv. bonnets. headdresses. costumes in the time of francis i. pins in france and england. masks in france. puffed sleeves. bernaise dress. marie stuart. long slender waists. henry iii. of france "tight-laces." austrian joseph prohibits stays. catherine de medici and elizabeth of england. severe form of corset. lawn ruffs. starching. stuffed hose. venice fashions. elizabeth's false hair. stubs on the ladies. james i. affects fashion. garters and shoe-roses. dagger and rapier pages 60 to 91 chapter v. louise de lorraine. marie de medici. distended skirts. hair powder. hair _à l'enfant_. low dresses. louis xiv. high heels. slender waists. siamese dress. charles i. patches. elaborate costumes. puritan modes. tight-lacing and strait-lacing under cromwell. augsburg ladies pages 92 to 104 chapter vi. louis xv. à la watteau. barbers. fashions under queen anne. diminutive waists and enormous hoop. the farthingale. the _guardian_. fashions in 1713. low dresses. tight stays. short skirts. a lady's maid's accomplishments. gay and ben jonson on the bodice and stays pages 109 to 123 chapter vii. stays or corset. louis xvi. dress in 1776. severe lacing. hogarth. french revolution. short waists. long trains. buchan. jumpers and garibaldis. figure-training. backboards and stocks. doctors on stays. george iii. gentlemen's stays. the changes of fashion. the term crinoline not new. south sea islanders. madame la sante on crinoline. starving and lacing. anecdote. wearing the corset during sleep. american belles. illusion waists. medicus favours moderate tight-lacing. ladies' letters on tight-lacing pages 124 to 164 chapter viii. the austrian empress. viennese waists. london small-sized corsets. correspondence of _the queen_ and the _englishwoman's domestic magazine_. lady morton. figure-training. corsets for young girls. early use of well-constructed corsets. the boarding-school and the corset. letters in praise of tight-lacing. defence of the crinoline and the corset. the venus de medici. fashionably-dressed statue. clumsy figures. letter from a tight-lacer. a young baronet. a family man pages 165 to 186 chapter ix. no elegance without the corset. fashion of 1865. short waist and train of 1867. tight corset and short waist. a form of french corset. proportions of figure and waist. the point of the waist. older writers on stays. denunciations against small waists and high heels. alarming diseases through high heels. female mortality. corset statistics. modern and ancient corset pages 189 to 201 chapter x. front-fastening stays. thomson's corset. stability of front-fastening corset. de la garde's corset. self-measurement. viennese _redresseur_ corset. flimsy corsets. proper materials. "minet back" corset. elastic corsets. narrow bands injurious. the corset properly applied produces a graceful figure. the farthingale reviewed. thomson's zephyrina crinoline. costume of the present season. the claims of nature. similitude between the tahitian girl and venetian lady pages 202 to 224 list of illustrations. page 1. the dawn of the corset 11 2. circassian lady 15 3. egyptian lady in full skirt 18 4. persian dancing girl 21 5. egyptian lady in narrow skirt 24 6. lady of ancient greece 32 7. roman lady of rank (reign of heliogabalus) 39 8. the fiend of fashion, from an ancient manuscript 43 9. the princess blanche, daughter of edward iii. 48 10. lady of rank of the thirteenth century 51 11. lady of the court of queen catherine de medici 55 12. full court dress as worn in france, 1515 58 13. ladies of fashion in the costume of 1380 61 14. norman headdress of the present day 64 15. lady of the court of charles viii., 1500 67 16. lady of the court of maximilian of germany and francis of france 70 17. corset-cover of steel worn in the time of catherine de medici 71 18. corset-cover of steel worn in the reign of queen elizabeth (open) 72 19. the bernaise headdress, and costume of marie stuart 74 20. corset-cover of steel worn in the reign of queen elizabeth (closed) 76 21. henry iii. of france and the princess margaret of lorraine 77 22. lady of the court of queen elizabeth 80 23. a venetian lady of fashion, 1560 83 24. queen elizabeth 86 25. court dress during the boyhood of louis xiii. 93 26. marie de medici 96 27. fancy costumes of the time of louis xiv. 99 28. siamese dress worn at the court of louis xiv. 102 29. young english lady of fashion, 1653 105 30. fancy dress worn in the reign of louis xv. 108 31. costumes after watteau 111 32. crinoline in 1713 114 33. low bodies and curtailed crinoline 117 34. court dress of the reign of louis xvi. 125 35. classic costume of the french revolutionary period 128 36. lady of fashion, 1806 131 37. fashionable dress in 1824 139 38. lady of fashion, 1827 142 39. lady of fashion, 1830 145 40. lady of fashion, 1837 148 41. the crinoline of a south sea islander 151 42. the fashion of 1865 188 43. the fashion of 1867 191 44. corset, forming both corset and stomacher (front) 197 45. corset, forming both corset and stomacher (back) 200 46. common cheap stay, fastened 202 47. common cheap stay, open 203 48. the glove-fitting corset (thomson and co.) 204 49. corset of messrs. de la garde, paris (front) 205 50. corset of messrs. de la garde, paris (back) 208 51. the redresseur corset of vienna (weiss) 211 52. the fashion of 1868 222 53. the zephyrina jupon (thomson and co.) 223 54. tahitian dancing girl and venetian lady 224 the corset and the crinoline. chapter i. the origin of the corset--the indian hunting-belt--reduction of the figure by the ancient inhabitants of polenqui--use of the corset by the natives of the eastern archipelago--improvements in construction brought about by the advance of civilisation--slenderness of waist esteemed a great beauty in the east--earth-eating in java--figure-training in ceylon--the beauties of circassia, their slender waists and corsets--elegant princesses of crim tartary--hindoo belles--hindoo ideas of beauty--elegance of figure highly esteemed by the persians--letter from a chinese gentleman (woo-tan-zhin) on slender waists--researches amongst the antiquities of egypt--fashions of the egyptian ladies--the corset in use among the israelitish ladies--the elegance of their costume, bridal dress, &c.--scriptural references. for the origin of the corset we must travel back into far antiquity. how far it would be difficult to determine. the unreclaimed savage who, bow in hand, threads the mazes of the primeval forests in pursuit of the game he subsists on, fashions for himself, from the skin of some animal which good fortune may have cast in his way, a belt or girdle from which to suspend his rude knife, quiver, or other hunting gear; and experience teaches him that, to answer the purpose efficiently, it should be moderately broad and sufficiently stiff to prevent creasing when secured round the waist. a sharpened bone, or fire-hardened stick, serves to make a row of small holes at each end; a strip of tendon, or a thong of hide, forms a lace with which the extremities are drawn together, thereby giving support to the figure during the fatigues of the chase. the porcupine's quill, the sea-shell, the wild beast's tooth, and the cunningly-dyed root, all help to decorate and ornament the hunting-belt. the well-formed youths and graceful belles of the tribe were not slow in discovering that, when arrayed in all the panoply of forest finery, a belt well drawn in, as shown in the annexed illustration, served to display the figure to much greater advantage than one carelessly or loosely adjusted. here, then, we find the first indication of the use of the corset as an article of becoming attire. at the very first dawn of civilisation there are distinct evidences of the use of contrivances for the reduction and formation of the female figure. researches among the ruins of polenqui, one of the mysterious forest cities of south america, whose history is lost in remote antiquity, have brought to light most singular evidences of the existence of a now forgotten race. amongst the works of art discovered there is a bas-relief representing a female figure, which, in addition to a profusion of massive ornaments, wears a complicated and elaborate waist-bandage, which, by a system of circular and transverse folding and looping, confines the waist from just below the ribs to the hips as firmly and compactly as the most unyielding corset of the present day. at the period of the discovery of some of the islands of the eastern archipelago, it was found customary for all young females to wear a peculiar kind of corset, formed of spirally-arranged rattan cane, and this, when once put on, was not removed until the celebration of the marriage ceremony. such races as were slowly advancing in the march of civilisation, after discovery by the early navigators, became more and more accustomed to the use of clothing, to adjust and retain which, waistbands would become essentially requisite. these, when made sufficiently broad to fit without undue friction, and stiff enough to prevent folding together in the act of stooping, sitting, or moving about, at once became in effect corsets, and suggested to the minds of the ingenious a system of cutting and fitting so as more perfectly to adapt them to the figure of the wearer. the modes of fastening, as we shall see, have been various, from the simple sewing together with the lace to the costly buckle and jewelled loop and stud. [illustration: the dawn of the corset.] investigation proves to us that the taste for slender waists prevailed even more in the eastern nations than in those of europe, and we find that other means besides that of compression have been extensively taken advantage of. humboldt, in his personal narrative, describes the women of java, and informs us that the reddish clay called "_ampo_" is eaten by them in order that they may become slim, want of plumpness being a kind of beauty in that country. though the use of this earth is fatal to health, those desirous of profiting by its reducing qualities persevere in its consumption. loss of appetite and inability to partake of more than most minute portions of food are not slow in bringing the wished-for consummation about. the inhabitants of ceylon make a perfect study of the training of the figure to the most slender proportions. books on the subject are common in that country, and no young lady is considered the perfection of fashionable elegance unless a great number of qualities and graces are possessed; not the least of these is a waist which can be quite or nearly clasped with the two hands; and, as we proceed with our work, it will be seen that this standard for the perfection of waist-measurement has been almost world-wide. from the coral-fringed and palm-decked islands of the pacific and indian ocean we have but to travel to the grass-clad yaila of crim tartary and the rock-crowned fastnesses of circassia, to see the same tastes prevailing, and even more potent means in force for the obtainment of a taper form. any remarks from us as to the beauty of the ladies of circassia would be needless, their claim to that enviable endowment being too well established to call for confirmation at our hands, and that no pains are spared in the formation of their figures will be best seen by a quotation from a recent traveller who writes on the subject:-"what would" (he says) "our ladies think of this fashion on the part of the far-famed beauties of circassia? the women wear a corset made of 'morocco,' and furnished with two plates of wood placed on the chest, which, by their strong pressure, prevent the expansion of the chest; this corset also confines the bust from the collar-bones to the waist by means of a cord which passes through leather rings. they even wear it during the night, and only take it off when worn out, to put on another quite as small." he then speaks of the daughters of osman oglow, and says, "their figures were tightened in an extraordinary degree, and their _anteries_ were clasped from the throat downwards by silver plates." these plates are not only ornamental, but being firmly sewn to the two busks in front of the corset, and being longest at the top and narrowest at the waist, when clasped, as shown in the accompanying illustration, any change in fit or adjustment is rendered impossible. it will be seen on examination that at each side of the bottom of the corsage is a large round plate or boss of ornamental silver. these serve as clasps for the handsomely-mounted silver waist-belt, and by their size and position serve to contrast with the waist, and make it appear extremely small. that the elegancies of female attire have been deeply studied even among the tartars of the crimea will be seen by the following account, written by madame de hell, of her visit to princess adel beg, a celebrated tartar beauty:-"admitted into a fairy apartment looking out on a terraced garden, a curtain was suddenly raised at the end of the room, and a woman of striking beauty entered, dressed in rich costume. she advanced to me with an air of remarkable dignity, took both my hands, kissed me on the two cheeks, and sat down beside me, making many demonstrations of friendship. she wore a great deal of rouge; her eyelids were painted black, and met over the nose, giving her countenance a certain sternness, which, nevertheless, did not destroy its pleasing effect. a furred velvet vest fitted tight to her still elegant figure, and altogether her appearance surpassed what i had conceived of her beauty. after some time, when i offered to go, she checked me with a very graceful gesture, and said eagerly, 'pastoi, pastoi,' which is russian for 'stay, stay,' and clapped her hands several times. a young girl entered at the signal, and by her mistress's orders threw open a folding-door, and immediately i was struck dumb with surprise and admiration by a most brilliant apparition. imagine, reader, the most exquisite sultanas of whom poetry and painting have ever tried to convey an idea, and still your conception will fall far short of the enchanting models i had then before me. there were three of them, all equally graceful and beautiful. they were clad in tunics of crimson brocade, adorned in front with broad gold lace. the tunics were open, and disclosed beneath them cashmere robes with very tight sleeves, terminating in gold fringes. the youngest wore a tunic of azure-blue brocade, with silver ornaments; this was the only difference between her dress and that of her sisters. all three had magnificent black hair escaping in countless tresses from a fez of silver filigree, set like a diadem over their ivory foreheads. they wore gold-embroidered slippers and wide trousers drawn close at the ankle. i had never beheld skins so dazzlingly fair, eyelashes so long, or so delicate a bloom of youth." [illustration: circassian lady.] [illustration: egyptian lady in full skirt.] the hindoos subject the figures of their dancing-girls and future belles to a system of very careful training; in all their statues, from those of remote antiquity, to be seen in the great cave temples of carlee elanra, and elephanta, to those of comparatively modern date, the long and slender waist is invariably associated with other attributes of their standard of beauty. "thurida," the daughter of brahama, is thus described by a hindoo writer:-"this girl" (he informs us) "was of a yellow colour, and had a nose like the flower of resamum; her legs were taper, like the plantain tree; her eyes large, like the principal leaf of the lotus; her eyebrows extended to her ears; her lips were red, and like the young leaves of the mango tree; her face was like the full moon; her voice like the sound of the cuckoo; her arms reached to her knees; her throat was like that of a pigeon; her loins narrow, like those of a lion; her hair hung in curls down to her feet; her teeth were like the seeds of the pomegranate; and walk like that of a drunken elephant or a goose." the persians entertain much the same notions with regard to the necessity for slenderness of form in the belles of their nation, but differ in other matters from the hindoos. the following illustration represents a dancing-girl of persia, and it will be seen that her figure bears no indication of neglect of cultivation. it is somewhat curious that the chinese, with all their extraordinary ingenuity, have confined their restrictive efforts to the feet of the ladies, leaving their waists unconfined. that their doing so is more the result of long-established custom than absence of admiration for elegantly-proportioned figures will be clearly proved by the following extract from a letter published in _chambers' journal_, written by a genuine inhabitant of the celestial empire, named woo-tan-zhin, who paid a visit to england in 1844-45. thus he describes the ladies of england:-"their eyes, having the blue tint of the waters of autumn, are charming beyond description, and their waists are laced as tight and thin as a willow branch. what, perhaps, caught my fancy most was the sight of elegantly-dressed young ladies, with pearl-like necks and tight-laced waists; nothing can possibly be so enchanting as to see ladies that compress themselves into taper forms of the most exquisite shape, the like of which i have never seen before." by many writers it has been urged that the admiration so generally felt for slenderly-proportioned and taper waists results from an artificial taste set up by long custom; but in woo-tan-zhin's case it was clearly not so, as the small-waisted young ladies of the "outer barbarians" were to him much as some new and undescribed flowers or birds would be to the wondering naturalist who first beheld them. although researches among the antiquities of egypt and thebes fail to bring to our notice an article of dress corresponding with the waist-bandage of polenqui or the strophium of later times, we find elaborately-ornamented waist-belts in general use, and by their arrangement it will be seen that they were so worn as to show the waist off to the best advantage. the accompanying illustrations represent egyptian ladies of distinction. the dress in the first, it will be observed, is worn long. a sort of transparent mantle covers and gives an appearance of width to the shoulders, whilst a coloured sash, after binding the waist, is knotted in front, and the ends allowed to fall freely over the front of the dress, much as we have seen it worn in our own time; and it is most remarkable that, although there is no evidence to show the use of crinoline by the ladies of old egypt, the lower border of the skirt, in some instances, appears distended as in the prior illustration; whilst in others, as shown in the second engraving, the dress is made to fit the lower portion of the figure closely, barely affording scope for the movement of the legs in walking. how often these arrangements of dress have been in turn adopted and discarded will be seen as our work proceeds. [illustration: persian dancing girl.] [illustration: egyptian lady in narrow skirt.] the following extract from fullam will show that fashion within the shadow of the pyramids, in the days of the pharaohs, reigned with power as potent and supreme as that which she exercises in the imperial palaces of paris and vienna at the present day:-"the women of egypt early paid considerable attention to their toilet. their dress, according to herodotus, consisted usually of but one garment, though a second was often added. among the upper orders the favourite attire was a petticoat tied round the waist with a gay sash, and worn under a robe of fine linen or a sort of chintz variously coloured, and made large and loose, with wide sleeves, the band being fastened in front just under the bust. their feet were incased in sandals, the rudiment of the present eastern slipper, which they resembled also in their embroidery and design. their persons and apparel, in conformity with oriental taste in all ages, were profusely decked with ornaments, 'jewels of silver and jewels of gold,' with precious gems of extraordinary size, of which imitations, hardly distinguishable from the real stones, were within the reach of the humblest classes, whose passion for finery could not be surpassed by their superiors. the richly carved and embroidered sandals, tied over the instep with tassels of gold, were surmounted by gold anklets or bangles, which, as well as the bracelets encircling the wrist, sparkled with rare gems; and necklaces of gold or of beautiful beads, with a pendant of amethysts or pearls, hung from the neck. almost every finger was jewelled, and the ring finger in particular was usually allotted several rings, while massive earrings shaped like hoops, or sometimes taking the form of a jewelled asp or of a dragon, adorned the ears. gloves were used at a very early date, and among the other imperishable relics of that olden time the tombs of egypt have rendered up to us a pair of striped linen mittens, which once covered the hands of a theban lady. "women of quality inclosed their hair with a band of gold, from which a flower drooped over the forehead, while the hair fell in long plaits to the bosom, and behind streamed down the back to the waist. the side hair was secured by combs made of polished wood or by a gold pin, and perhaps was sometimes adorned, like the brow, with a favourite flower. the toilet was furnished with a brazen mirror, polished to such a degree as to reflect every lineament of the face, and the belles of egypt, as ladies of the present day may imagine, spent no small portion of their time with this faithful counsellor. the boudoirs were not devoid of an air of luxury and refinement particularly congenial to a modern imagination. a stand near the unglazed window supported vases of flowers, which filled the room with delicious odours; a soft carpet overspread the floor; two or three richly-carved chairs and an embroidered fauteuil afforded easy and inviting seats; and the lotus and papyrus were frescoed on the walls. besides the brazen mirror, other accessories of the toilet were arranged on the ebony table, and boxes and caskets grotesquely carved, some containing jewels, others furnished with oils and ointments, took their place with quaintly-cut smelling bottles, wooden combs, silver or bronze bodkins, and lastly, pins and needles. "seated at this shrine, the egyptian beauty, with her dark glance fixed on the brazen mirror, sought to heighten those charms which are always most potent in their native simplicity. a touch of collyrium gave illusive magnitude to her voluptuous eyes; another cosmetic stained their lids; a delicate brush pencilled her brows--sometimes, alas! imparted a deceitful bloom to her cheeks; and her taper fingers were coloured with the juice of henna. precious ointments were poured on her hair, and enveloped her in an atmosphere of perfume, while the jeweller's and milliner's arts combined to decorate her person." in sir gardner wilkinson's admirable work on ancient egypt, to which i am indebted for some valuable information, there is a plate representing a lady in a bath with her attendants, drawn from a sculpture in a tomb at thebes, whence we may derive some faint idea of the elaborate character of an egyptian toilet. the lady is seated in a sort of pan, with her long hair streaming over her shoulders, and is supported by the arm of an attendant, who, with her other hand, holds a flower to her nose, while another damsel pours water over her head, and a third washes and rubs down her delicate arms. a fourth maiden receives her jewels, and deposits them on a stand, where she awaits the moment when they will be again required. there appears little doubt that the ancient israelitish ladies, amongst their almost endless and most complex articles of adornment, numbered the corset in a tolerably efficient form, and of attractive and rich material, for we read in the twenty-fourth verse of the third chapter of isaiah, referring to divine displeasure manifested against the people of jerusalem and judah, and the taking away of matters of personal adornment from the women, that "instead of a girdle there should be a rent, and instead of well-set hair baldness, and instead of a stomacher a girding of sackcloth, and burning instead of beauty." here we have the coarse, repulsive, unattractive sackcloth held up in marked contrast to the stomacher, which was without question a garment on which much attention was bestowed; and the following extract from fullam's _history of woman_ shows how costly and magnificent was the costume of the period:-"the bridal dress of a princess or jewish lady of rank, whose parents possessed sufficient means, was of the most sumptuous description, as may be seen from the account given of that worn by the bride of solomon in the canticles, and the various articles enumerated show the additions which feminine taste had already made to the toilet. the body was now clothed in a bodice ascending to the network which inclosed, rather than concealed, the swelling bust; and jewelled clasps and earrings, with strings of pearls and chains of gold, gave a dazzling effect to oriental beauty. in solomon's reign silk is said to have been added to the resources of the toilet, and the sex owe to a sister, pamphyla, the daughter of patous, the discovery of this exquisite material, in which woman wrested from nature a dress worthy of her charms. "the ordinary attire of jewish women was made of linen, usually white, without any intermixture of colours, though, in accordance with the injunction in numbers xv. 38, they made 'fringes in the borders of their garments,' and 'put upon the fringe of the borders a riband of blue.' judith, when she sought to captivate holofernes, 'put on her garments of gladness, wherewith she was clad during the life of manasses her husband; and she took sandals upon her feet, and put about her bracelets, and her chains, and her rings, and her earrings, and all her ornaments, and decked herself bravely to allure the eyes of all men that should see her.' gemmed bangles encircled her ankles, attracting the glance to her delicate white feet; and holofernes, by an oriental figure of speech, is said to have been 'ravished by the beauty of her sandals.' like the belles of egypt she did not disdain, in setting off her charms, to have recourse to perfumes and cosmetics, and previously to setting out she 'anointed herself with precious ointment.' in another place jezebel is said to 'paint her eyelids;' and solomon, in the proverbs, in describing the deceitful woman, adjures his son not to be 'taken with her eyelids,' evidently alluding to the use of collyrium. the jewish beauty owed no slight obligation to her luxuriant tresses, which were decorated with waving plumes and strings of pearls; and in allusion to this custom, followed among the tribes from time immemorial, st. paul affirms that 'a woman's ornament is her hair.' judith 'braided the hair of her head and put a tire upon it;' and the headdress of pharaoh's daughter, in the canticles, is compared by solomon to carmel. no mention is made of judith's mirror, but it was undoubtedly made of brass, like those described in exodus xxxviii. 8 as 'the looking-glasses of the women which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.'" [illustration] chapter ii. homer the first ethnic writer who speaks of an article of dress allied to the corset--the cestus or girdle of venus--terentius, the roman dramatist, and his remarks on the practice of tight-lacing--the use of the strophium by the ladies of rome, and the mitra of the grecian belles--the peplus as worn by the ancients--toilet of a roman lady of fashion--roman baths--fashionable promenades of ancient rome--boundless luxury and extravagance--cleopatra and her jewels--the taper waists and tight-lacing of the ancient roman ladies--conquest of the roman empire. amongst the ethnic writers, homer appears to be the first who describes an article of female dress closely allied to the corset. he tells us of the cestus or girdle of venus, mother of the loves and graces, and of the haughty juno, who was fabled to have borrowed it with a view to the heightening and increasing her personal attractions, in order that jupiter might become a more tractable and orderly husband. the poet attributes most potent magical virtues to the cestus, but these are doubtlessly used in a figurative sense, and juno, in borrowing the cestus, merely obtained from a lady of acknowledged elegance of figure a corset with which to set her own attractions off to the best possible advantage, so that her husband might be charmed with her improved appearance; and juno appears to have been a very far-seeing and sensible woman. from periods of very remote antiquity, and with the gradual increase of civilisation, much attention appears to have been paid to the formation and cultivation of the female figure, and much the same means were had recourse to for the achievement of the same end prior to 560 b.c. as in the year 1868. terentius, the roman dramatist, who was born in the year 560, causes one of his characters, in speaking of the object of his affections, to exclaim-"this pretty creature isn't at all like our town ladies, whose mothers saddle their backs and straitlace their waists to make them well-shaped. if any chance to grow a little plumper than the rest, they presently cry, 'she's an hostess,' and then her allowance must be shortened, and though she be naturally fat and lusty, yet by her dieting she is made as slender as a broomstick. by this means one woodcock or another is caught in their springe." [illustration: lady of ancient greece.] strutt informs us that the roman women, married as well as unmarried, used girdles, and besides them they sometimes wore a broad swath or bandage round their breasts, called strophium, which seems to have answered the purpose of the bodice or stays, and had a buckle or bandage on the left shoulder, and that the mitra or girdle of the greeks probably resembled the strophium of the romans. the annexed illustration represents a lady of ancient greece. he also speaks of the muses as being described by hesiod as being girt with golden "_mitres_," and goes on to inform us that theocritus in one of his pastorals introduces a damsel complaining to a shepherd of his rudeness, saying he had loosened her mitra or girdle, and tells her he means to dedicate the same to venus. so it will be seen that the waist and its adornment were considered at that early period of the world's history matters of no ordinary importance, and whether the term strophium, zone, mitra, custula, stays, bodice, or corset is made use of, the end sought to be obtained by their aid was the same. constant mention is made by early writers of the _peplus_ as being a very elegant garment, and there are notices of it as back as the trojan war, and the ladies of troy appear to have generally worn it. on the authority of strutt, it may be stated to have been "a thin light mantle worn by grecian ladies above the tunic;" and we read that antinous presented to penelope a beautiful large and variegated peplus, having twelve buckles of gold, with tongues neatly curved. the peplus, however, was a very splendid part of the lady's dress, and it is rarely mentioned by homer without some epithet to distinguish it as such. he calls it the _variegated_ peplus and the painted peplus, alluding to ornamental decorations either interwoven or worked with the needle upon it, which consisted not only in diversity of colours, but of flowers, foliage, and other kinds of imagery, and sometimes he styles it the _soft purple peplus_, which was then valuable on account of the excellence of the colour. we learn from a variety of sources that the early roman and grecian ladies indulged in almost unprecedented luxury in matters of personal adornment, as the following extract from fullam will show:-"the toilet of a roman lady involved an elaborate and very costly process. it commenced at night, when the face, supposed to have been tarnished by exposure, was overlaid with a poultice, composed of boiled or moistened flour spread on with the fingers. poppæan unguents sealed the lips, and the body was profusely rubbed with cerona ointment. in the morning the poultice and unguents were washed off; a bath of asses' milk imparted a delicate whiteness to the skin, and the pale face was freshened and revived with enamel. the full eyelids, which the roman lady still knows so well how to use--now suddenly raising them, to reveal a glance of surprise or of melting tenderness, now letting them drop like a veil over the lustrous eyes--the full, rounded eyelids were coloured within, and a needle dipped in jetty dye gave length and sphericity to the eyebrows. the forehead was encircled by a wreath or fillet fastened in the luxuriant hair which rose in front in a pyramidal pile formed of successive ranges of curls, and giving the appearance of more than ordinary height. "'so high she builds her head, she seems to be, view her in front, a tall andromache; but walk all round her, and you'll quickly find she's not so great a personage behind.' "roman ladies frequented the public baths, and it was not unusual for dames of the highest rank to resort to these lavatories in the dead hour of the night. seated in a palanquin or sedan borne by sturdy chairmen, and preceded by slaves bearing flambeaux, they made their way through the deserted streets, delighted to arouse and alarm their neighbours. a close chair conveyed the patrician matron to the spectacles and shows, to which she always repaired in great state, surrounded by her servants and slaves, the dependants of her husband, and the clients of her house, all wearing the badge of the particular faction she espoused. the factions of the circus were four in number, and were distinguished by their respective colours of blue, green, white, and red, to which domitian, who was a zealous patron of the circensian games, added the less popular hues of gold and purple. but the spectators generally attached themselves either to the blue or the green, and the latter was the chief favourite, numbering among its adherents emperors and empresses, senators, knights, and noble dames, as well as the great mass of the people, who, when their champions were defeated, carried their partisanship to such an extreme that the streets were repeatedly deluged with the blood of the blues, and more than once the safety of the state was imperilled by these disgraceful commotions. "the public walks and gardens were a fashionable resort of the roman ladies. there they presented themselves in rich costume, which bore testimony alike to the wealth of their husbands and their own taste. a yellow tire or hood partly covered, but did not conceal, their piled hair; their vest of muslin or sarcenet, clasped with gems, was draped with a murry-coloured robe descending to their high-heeled greek boots; necklaces of emerald hung from their swan-like necks, and jewelled earrings from their ears; diamonds glittered on their fingers, and their dazzling complexions were shielded from the sun by a parasol." the researches of strutt show us that the shoes of the ladies, and especially among the romans, proved a very expensive part of the dress. in general they were white, but persons of opulence did not confine themselves to any colour. we find them black, scarlet, purple, yellow, and green. they were often not only richly adorned with fringes and embroideries of gold, but set with pearls and precious stones of the most costly kind, and these extravagances were not confined to persons of rank. they were imitated by those of lower station, and became so prevalent at the commencement of the third century, that even the luxurious emperor heliogabalus thought it necessary to publish an edict prohibiting the use of such expensive shoes excepting to women of quality. the women wore the close shoe or _calceus_. gloves, too, as we have seen before, were known and used in very early ages, and it appears probable that they were first devised by those whose labours called them to the thick-tangled thorn coverts, but that they were worn by those who did not labour is clearly proved by homer, who describes the father of ulysses when living in a state of rest as wearing gloves; but he gives us no information as to the material from which they were manufactured. the romans appear to have been much more addicted to the practice of wearing gloves than the greeks, and we are informed that "under the emperors they were made with fringes," though others were without them, and were fashioned much after the manner of the mittens of the present day. further on we learn that "as riches and luxury increased, the lady's toilet was proportionately filled with ornaments for the person, so that it was called '_the woman's world_.'" they not only anointed the hair and used rich perfumes, but sometimes they _painted it_. they also made it appear of a bright yellow colour by the assistance of washes and compositions made for that purpose; but they never used powder, which is a much later invention. they frizzled and curled the hair with hot irons, and sometimes they raised it to a great height by rows of curls one above another in the form of a helmet, and such as had not sufficient hair of their own used false hair to complete the lofty pile, and these curls appear to have been fashioned with hairpins. the grecian virgins used to braid their hair in a multiplicity of knots, but that custom, as well as painting the under part of the eyelids with black paint, was discommended by an ancient poet. persons of rank had slaves to perform for them the offices of the toilet. they held the mirror in their hand themselves and gave directions, and martial tells us that, if the slaves unfortunately placed a hairpin wrong, or omitted to twist the curls exactly as they were ordered, the mirror was thrown at the offender's head, or, according to juvenal, the whip was applied with much severity. the hair was adorned with ornaments of gold, with pearls and precious stones, and sometimes with garlands or chaplets of flowers. it was also bound with fillets and ribbons of various colours and kinds. the net or hair-caul for the purpose of inclosing the hinder part of the hair was in general use with the grecian and roman ladies. these ornaments were frequently enriched with embroidery, and sometimes made so thin that martial sarcastically called them "_bladders_." again, in the matter of _earrings_, we quote from the same valuable and trustworthy authority. no adornment of the head claims priority to earrings. they have been fashionable, as montfaucon justly observes, in all ages and almost all nations. it is evident from homer that the grecian women bored their ears for the admission of these ornaments. the poet gives earrings to the goddess juno, and the words he uses on the occasion are literally these:--"in her well-perforated ears she put the earrings of elaborate workmanship, having three eyes in each"--that is, three pendants or jewels, either made in the form of eyes, or so called from their brightness. the extravagance of the grecian and roman ladies in the purchase of these articles of adornment almost exceeds belief. pliny says, "they seek for pearls at the bottom of the red sea, and search the bowels of the earth for emeralds to ornament their ears;" and seneca tells us that "a single pair of earrings was worth the revenue of a large estate, and that some women would wear at their ears the price of two or three patrimonies." we read that the earrings worn by cleopatra were valued at £161,458, and that servilia, the mother of brutus, was presented with a pair by julius cæsar, the value of which was £48,457. bracelets are also ornaments of high antiquity, as are rings and brooches of various forms for fastening the dress. rich gold chains and jewelled fastenings were in common use during this period. the annexed illustration represents a roman lady of rank about the reign of heliogabalus. little alteration appears to have taken place in the general style of costume for some very considerable period of time, and the patrician ladies concealed beneath their flowing draperies a kind of corset, which they tightened very considerably, for a slight and tapering waist was looked upon as a great beauty in women, and great attention was paid to the formation of the figure, in spite of all that has been written about the purely natural and statuesque forms of the roman matrons. on the conquest of the roman empire by the wild and savage hunnish tribes, fashion, art, taste, literature, and civilisation were swept ruthlessly away, and a long, weird night of mental darkness may be said to have reigned throughout the land from the tenth to the middle of the fifteenth century, and we see little or nothing of roman elegance or magnificence of dress to distinguish it above other nations from that period. [illustration] [illustration: roman lady of rank (reign of heliogabalus).] chapter iii. the ladies of old france--their fashions during the reign of king pepin--revival of the taste for small waists--introduction of "_cottes hardies_"--monkish satire on the corset in england in the year 1043, curious ms. relating to--the small waists of the thirteenth century--the ancient poem of _launfal_--the lady triamore, daughter of the king of the fairies--curious entry in the household register of eleanor, countess of leicester, date 1265--corsets worn by gentlemen at that period--the kirtle as worn in england--the penance of jane shore--dress of blanche, daughter of edward iii--dunbar's _thistle and rose_--admiration for small waists in scotland in the olden time--chaucer's writings--small waists admired in his day--the use of the surcoat in england--reckless hardihood of a determined tailor--the surcoat worn by marie d'anjou of france--italian supremacy in matters of dress--the medici, este, and visconti--costume of an italian duchess described--freaks of fashion in france and germany--long trains--laws to restrain the length of skirts--snake-toed shoes give place to high-heeled slippers. research fails to show us that the ladies of france in their simple hersvingian and carlovingian dresses paid any attention to the formation of the waist or its display. but during the ninth century we find the dresses worn extremely tight, and so made as to define the waist and render it as slim as possible; and although the art of making the description of corsets worn by the ladies of rome was no doubt at that time lost, the revived taste for slender figures led to the peculiar form of corsage known as _cottes hardies_, which were much stiffened and worn extremely tight. these took the place of the quaint, oddly-formed robes we see draping the figures of childeric's and pepin's queens. the "_cottes hardies_" were, moreover, clasped at the waist by a broad belt, and seem pretty well to have merited their martial name. very soon after this period it is probable that a much more complete description of corset was invented, although we do not find any marked representation of its form until 1043. a manuscript of that date at present in the british museum bears on it the strange and anomalous figure represented in the annexed illustration. opinions vary somewhat as to whether its origin might not have been italian, but we see no reason for adopting this view, and consider it as of decidedly home production. it will be seen that the shoulder, upper part of the arm, and figure are those of a well-formed female, who wears an unmistakable corset, tightly laced, and stiffened by two busks in front, from one of which the lace, with a tag at the end, depends. the head, wings, tail, feet, and claws are all those of a demon or fiend. the drapery is worn so long as to render large knots in it requisite to prevent dragging on the ground. the ring held in the left claw is of gold, and probably intended to represent a massive and costly bracelet. produced, as this ms. appears to have been, during the reign of edward the confessor, there is little doubt that it was a severe monkish satire on the prevailing fashion, and a most ungallant warning to the male sex that alabaster shoulders and slender waists were too often associated with attributes of a rather brimstone character, and that an inordinate love of long, trailing garments and ornaments of precious metals were snares and enticements of a sinister nature. many of the figures to be found on ancient mss. after this period show by their contour that the corset was worn beneath the drapery, and strutt, whose work was published in 1796, thus writes of the customs relating to dress in the period following shortly after:--"in the thirteenth century, and probably much prior to that period, a long and slender waist was considered by our ancestors as a criterion of elegance in the female form. we ought not, therefore, to wonder if it be proved that the tight lacing and compressing of the body was practised by the ladies even in early times, and especially by such of them as were inclined to be corpulent." he then, in order to show at what an early date of the history of this country a confirmed taste for small waists existed, quotes from a very ancient poem, entitled _launfal_, in which the lady triamore, daughter of the king of the fairies, and attendant ladies are described. of two of the latter it is said- "their kirtles were of rede cendel,[1] i laced smalle, jollyf, and well, there might none gayer go." [1] a rich description of silk. [illustration: the fiend of fashion, from an ancient manuscript.] in the french version of the same poem it is, we read, more fully expressed. it says, "they were richly habited and very tightly laced." the lady triamore is thus described:- "the lady was in a purple pall, with gentill bodye and middle small." wharton quotes from an ancient poem, which he believes to date as far back as 1200, in which a lover, speaking of the object of his admiration, thus throws down the gauntlet of challenge, and exclaims- "middle her she hath mensk small." the word _mensk_ or _maint_ being used instead of very or much. some differences of opinion have existed among writers as to the origin of the word _corset_. some are of opinion that the french words _corps_, the body, and _serrer_ (to tightly inclose or incase), led to the adoption of the term. madame la sante gives it as her opinion, however, that it is more probably a corruption of the single word _corps_, which was formerly written _cors_, and may be taken as a diminutive form of it. another view of the matter has been that the name of a rich material called _corse_, which was at one time extensively used in the manufacture of corsets, may have been thus corrupted. this is scarcely probable, as the word corset was in use at too early a period to admit of that origin. perhaps as early an instance of the use of the term corset as any in existence may be found as a portion of an entry in the household register of eleanor, countess of leicester, which bears the date may 24, 1265:-"item: pro ix ulnis radii. pariensis pro robas æstivas corsetto et clochia pro eodem."[2] [2] item: for nine ells, paris measure, for summer robes, corsets, and cloaks for the same. the persons for whom these garments were made were richard, king of the normans, and edward, his son, whose death occurred in the year 1308. so that corsets were, even in those early days, used by gentlemen as well as ladies. the term kirtle, so often referred to, may not clearly convey to the mind of the modern reader the nature of the garment indicated by it, and therefore it may not be amiss to give strutt's description of it. he says, "the kirtle, or, as it was anciently written '_kertel_,' is a part of the dress used by the men and the women, but especially by the latter. it was sometimes a habit of state, and worn by persons of high rank." the garment sometimes called a "_surcol_" chaucer renders _kirtle_, and we have no reason to dispute his authority. kirtles are very frequently mentioned in old romances. they are said to have been of different textures and of different colours, but especially of green; and sometimes they were laced closely to the body, and probably answered the purpose of the bodice or stays--_vide launfal_, before referred to:- "their kirtles were of rede cendel, i laced smalle, jollyf, and well." to appear in a kirtle only seems to have been a mark of servitude. thus the lady of sir ladore, when he feasted the king, by way of courtesy waited at the table- "the lady was gentyll and small, in kirtle alone she served in hall." we are further informed that at the close of the fifteenth century it was used as a habit of penance, and we read that jane shore, when performing penance, walked barefoot, a lighted taper in her hand, and having only her kirtle upon her back. john gower, however, who wrote at about the same period as chaucer, thus describes a company of ladies. they were, says he, "clothed all alike, in kirtles with rich capes or mantles, parti-coloured, white, and blue, embroidered all over with various devices." their bodies are described as being long and small, and they had crowns of gold upon their heads, as though each of them had been a queen. we find that the tight-laced young ladies of the court of the lady triamore "had mantles of green-coloured velvet, handsomely bordered with gold, and lined with rich furs. their heads were neatly attired in kerchiefs, and were ornamented with cut work and richly-striped wires of gold, and upon their kerchiefs they had each of them a pretty coronal, embellished with sixty gems or more;" and of their pretty mistress it is said in the same poem, that her cheeks were as red as the rose when it first blossoms. her hair shone upon her head like golden wire, falling beneath a crown of gold richly ornamented with precious stones. her vesture was purple, and her mantle, lined with white ermine, was also elegantly furred with the same. the princess blanche, the daughter of edward iii., the subject of the annexed illustration, appears to have copied closely the dress above described, and, like the maids of honour of the lady triamore herself, she is not only richly habited but thoroughly well-laced as well. thus we see, in the year 1361, the full influence of the corset on the costume of that period. there is another poem, said to be more ancient than even _launfal_, which, no doubt, served to give a tone and direction to the fashions of times following after. here we find a beautiful lady described as wearing a splendid girdle of beaten gold, embellished with rubies and emeralds, about her _middle small_. [illustration: the princess blanche, daughter of edward iii.] gower, too, when describing a lover who is in the act of admiring his mistress, thus writes:- "he seeth hir shape forthwith, all hir bodye round, hir middle small." that the taste for slender figures was not confined to england will be shown by the following quotation from dunbar's _thistle and rose_. when the belles of scotland grouped together are described he tells us that "their middles were as small as wands." a great number of ancient writings descriptive of female beauty go clearly to prove that both slenderness and length of waist were held in the highest esteem and considered indispensable elements of elegance, and there can be no question that such being the case no pains were spared to acquire the coveted grace a very small, long, and round waist conferred on its possessor. the lower classes were not slow in imitating their superiors, and the practice of tight lacing prevailed throughout every grade of society. this was the case even as far back as chaucer's day, about 1340. he, in describing the carpenter's wife, speaks of her as a handsome, well-made young female, and informs us that "her body was genteel" (or elegant) and "small as a weasel," and immediately afterwards that she was "long as a maste, and upright as a bolt." notwithstanding the strict way in which the waist was laced during the thirteenth century, the talents of the ingenious were directed to the construction of some article of dress which should reduce the figure to still more slender proportions, and the following remarks by strutt show that tight lacing was much on the increase from the thirteenth to the fourteenth centuries. he says-"a small waist was decidedly, as we have seen before, one criterion of a beautiful form, and, generally speaking, its length was currently regulated by a just idea of elegance, and especially in the thirteenth century. in the fourteenth the women seem to have contracted a vitiated taste, and not being content with their form as god hath made it, introduced the corset or bodice--a stiff and unnatural disguisement even in its origin." [illustration: lady of rank of the thirteenth century.] how far this newly-introduced form of the corset became a "disguisement" will be best judged of by a glance at the foregoing illustration, which represents a lady in the dress worn just at the close of the thirteenth century. the term _surcoat_ was given to this new introduction. this in many instances was worn over the dress somewhat after the manner of the body of a riding-habit, being attached to the skirt, which spreads into a long trailing train. an old author, speaking of these articles of dress, thus writes:-"there came to me two women wearing _surcoats_, longer than they were tall by about a yard, so that they were obliged to carry their trains upon their arms to prevent their trailing upon the ground, and they had sleeves to these surcoats reaching to the elbows." the trains of these dresses at length reached such formidable dimensions that charles v. of france became so enraged as to cause an edict to be issued hurling threats of excommunication at the heads of all those who dared to wear a dress which terminated "like the tail of a serpent." notwithstanding this tremendously alarming threat, a tailor was found fully equal to the occasion, who, in spite of the terrors inspired by candle, bell, and book, set to work (lion-hearted man that he was) and made a magnificent surcoat for madame du gatinais, which not only trailed far behind on the ground, but actually "took _five yards of brussels net for sleeves, which also trailed_." history, or even tradition, fails to inform us what dreadful fate overtook this desperate tailor after the performance of a feat so recklessly daring; but we can scarcely fancy that his end could have been of the kind common to tailors of less audacious depravity. the bodies of these surcoats were very much stiffened, and so made as to admit of being laced with extreme tightness. they were often very richly ornamented with furs and costly needlework. as fashion changed, dresses were made with open fronts, so as to be worn over the surcoat without altogether concealing it. a portrait of marie d'anjou, queen of france, shows this arrangement of costume. the waist appears very tightly laced, and the body of the surcoat much resembles the modern bodice, but is made by stiffening and cut to perform the part of a very strong and efficient corset. until the termination of the fourteenth century very little change appears to have been made either in costume or the treatment of the figure, but at the commencement of the fifteenth century, when such noble families as the medici, este, and visconti established fashions and styles of costume for themselves, each house vied with the other in the splendour of their apparel. the great masters of the period, by painting ideal compositions, also gave a marked tone to the increasing taste for dress. the costume of an italian duchess, whose portrait is to be seen in the academy at pisa, has been thus described:--"the headdress is a gold coronet, the chemisette is finely interwoven with gold, the under-dress is black, the square bodice being bordered with white beads, the over-dress is gold brocade, the sides are open, and fastened together again with gold _agrafes_; the loose sleeves, like the chemisette, are of golden tissue, fastened to the shoulders with _agrafes_. the under-sleeves, which are of peculiar construction, and are visible, are crimson velvet, and reach to the centre of the hand. they are cut out at the wrists, and white puffings of the same material as the chemisette protrude through the openings." in both france and germany a great many strange freaks of fashion appear to have been practised about this time. the tight, harlequin-like dress was adopted by the gentlemen, whilst the long trains again stirred the ire of royalty. we find albert of saxony issuing the following laws:--"no wives or daughters of knights are to wear dresses exceeding one yard and a-half in length, no spangles in their caps, nor high frills round their throats." during the reign of the dauphin in france many changes in dress were effected. the length of the sleeves was much curtailed, and the preposterously long toes of the shoes reduced to a convenient standard. the ladies appear to have for some time resisted the innovation, but one poulaine, an ingenious parisian shoemaker, happening to devise a very attractive shoe with a heel fitted to it, the ladies hailed joyfully the new favourite, and the old snake-toed shoe passed away. still, it was no uncommon thing to see some fop of the period with one shoe white and the other black, or one boot and one shoe. [illustration: lady of the court of queen catherine de medici.] [illustration: full court dress as worn in france, 1515.] [illustration] chapter iv. the _bonnet à canon_ and sugarloaf headdress--headdress of the women of normandy at the present day--odd dress of king louis xi.--return of charles viii. from naples--a golden time for tailors and milliners--general change of fashion--costumes of the time of francis i. of france and maximilian of germany--general use of pins in france and england--masks worn in france--establishment of the empire of fashion in france--the puffed or _bouffant_ sleeves of the reign of henry ii.--the bernaise dress--costume of the unfortunate marie stuart--rich dresses and long slender waists of the period--the tight-lacing of henry iii. of france--the emperor joseph of austria, his edict forbidding the use of stays, and how the ladies regarded it--queen catherine de medici and queen elizabeth of england--the severe form of corsets worn in both france and england--the _corps_--steel corset covers of the period--royal standard of fashionable slenderness--the lawn ruffs of queen bess--the art of starching--voluminous nether-garments worn by the gentlemen of the period--fashions of the ladies of venice--philip stubs on the ruff--queen elizabeth's collection of false hair--stubs furious at the fashions of ladies--king james and his fondness for dress and fashion--restrictions and sumptuary laws regarding dress--side-arms of the period. from about 1380 to some time afterwards headdresses of most singular form of construction were in general wear in fashionable circles. one of these, the _bonnet à canon_, was introduced by isabel of bavaria. the "_sugarloaf_" headdress was also in high esteem, and considered especially becoming and attractive. the accompanying illustration faithfully represents both of these. the latter in a modified form is still worn by the women of normandy. throughout the reign of louis xi. dress continued to be most sumptuous in its character. velvet was profusely worn, with costly precious stones encircling the trimmings. sumptuary laws were issued right and left, with a view to the correction of so much extravagance, whilst the king himself wore a battered, shabby old felt cap, with a bordering of leaden figures of the virgin mary round it. the rest of his attire was plain and simple to a degree. [illustration: ladies of fashion in the costume of 1380.] [illustration: norman headdress of the present day.] next we see his successor, charles viii., returning as a conqueror from naples, dressed in the first style of italian fashion. then came a period of intense activity on the part of milliners and tailors, and a short time sufficed to completely metamorphose the reigning belles of the nation. smaller, much more becoming and coquettish headdresses were introduced, and a general change of style brought about. germany participated in the same sudden change of fashion, which lasted until the reign of francis i. accompanying illustrations represent a lady of the court of maximilian i. of germany, and a lady of the court of francis i. of france. during his reign pins came into general use both in france and england, although their use had been known to the most ancient races, numerous specimens having been discovered in the excavations of thebes and other old world cities. ladies' masks or visors were also introduced in france at this period, but they did not become general in england until the reign of queen elizabeth. it was about this time that france commenced the establishment of her own fashions and invented for herself, and that the ladies of that nation became celebrated for the taste and elegance of their raiment. on henry ii. succeeding charles this taste was steadily on the increase. the _bouffant_, or puffed form of sleeve, was introduced, and a very pretty and becoming style of headdress known as the _bernaise_. the illustration shows a lady wearing this, the feather being a mark of distinction. the dress is made of rich brocade, and the waist exceedingly long (period, 1547.) the right-hand figure represents the unfortunate marie stuart arrayed in a court dress of the period, 1559. on the head is a gold coronet; her under-dress is gold brocade, with gold arabesque work over it; the over-dress is velvet, trimmed with ermine; the girdle consisted of costly strings of pearls; the sleeves are of gold-coloured silk, and the puffings are separated from each other by an arrangement of precious stones; the front of the dress is also profusely ornamented in the same manner; the frill or ruff was made from costly lace from venice or genoa, and was invented by this very charming but unfortunate lady; the form of the waist is, as will be seen on reference to this illustration, long, and shows by its contour the full influence of the tightly-laced corset beneath the dress, which fits the figure with extraordinary accuracy. at this time fashion held such despotic sway throughout the continent of europe, that the emperor joseph of austria, following out his extraordinary penchant for the passing of edicts, and becoming alarmed at the formidable lures laid out for the capture of mankind by the fair sex, passed a law rigorously forbidding the use of the corset in all nunneries and places where young females were educated; and no less a threat than that of excommunication, and the loss of all the indulgences the church was capable of affording, hung over the heads of all those evil-disposed damsels who persisted in a treasonable manner in the practice of confining their waists with such evil instruments as stays. royal command, like an electric shock, startled the college of physicians into activity and zeal, and learned dissertations on the crying sin of tight lacing were scattered broadcast amongst the ranks of the benighted and tight-laced ladies of the time, much as the advertisements of cheap furnishing ironmongers are hurled into the west-end omnibuses of our own day. it is proverbial that gratuitous advice is rarely followed by the recipient. open defiance was in a very short time bid to the edicts of the emperor and the erudite dissertations of the doctors. the corsets were, if possible, laced tighter than ever, and without anything very particular happening to the world at large in consequence. [illustration: lady of the court of charles viii., 1560.] [illustration: lady of the court of maximilian of germany and francis of france.] [illustration: corset-cover of steel worn in the time of catherine de medici.] [illustration: corset-cover of steel worn in the reign of queen elizabeth (open).] [illustration: the bernaise headdress, and costume of marie stuart.] on queen catherine de medici, who, it will be seen, was a contemporary of queen elizabeth of england, assuming the position of power which she so long maintained at the court of france, costume and fashion became her study, and at no period of the world's history were its laws more tremendously exacting, and the ladies of her court, as well as those in distinguished circles, were compelled to obey them. with her a thick waist was an abomination, and extraordinary tenuity was insisted on, thirteen inches waist measure being the standard of fashionable elegance, and in order that this extreme slenderness might be arrived at she herself invented or introduced an extremely severe and powerful form of the corset, known as the _corps_. it is thus described by a talented french writer:--"this formidable corset was hardened and stiffened in every imaginable way; it descended in a long hard point, and rose stiff and tight to the throat, making the wearers look as if they were imprisoned in a closely-fitting fortress." and in this rigid contrivance the form of the fair wearer was incased, when a system of gradual and determined constriction was followed out until the waist arrived at the required degree of slenderness, as shown in the annexed illustration. several writers have mentioned the "_steel corsets_" of this period, and assumed that they were used for the purpose of forcibly reducing the size of the waist. in this opinion they were incorrect, as the steel framework in question was simply used to wear over the corset after the waist had been reduced by lacing to the required standard, in order that the dress over it might fit with inflexible and unerring exactness, and that not even a fold might be seen in the faultless stomacher then worn. these corsets (or, more correctly, corset-covers) were constructed of very thin steel plate, which was cut out and wrought into a species of open-work pattern, with a view to giving lightness to them. numbers of holes were drilled through the flat surfaces between the hollows of the pattern, through which the needle and thread were passed in covering them accurately with velvet, silk, or other rich materials. during the reign of queen catherine de medici, to whom is attributed the invention of these contrivances, they became great favourites, and were much worn, not only at her court, but throughout the greater part of the continent. they were made in two pieces, opened longitudinally by hinges, and were secured when closed by a sort of _hasp and pin_, much like an ordinary box fastening. at both the front and back of the corsage a long rod or bar of steel projected in a curved direction downwards, and on these bars mainly depended the adjustment of the long peaked body of the dress, and the set of the skirt behind. the illustration at page 71 gives a view of one of those ancient dress-improvers. [illustration: corset-cover of steel worn in the reign of queen elizabeth (closed).] [illustration: henry iii. of france and the princess margaret of lorraine.] [illustration: lady of the court of queen elizabeth.] the votaries of fashion of queen elizabeth's court were not slow in imitating in a rough manner the new continental invention, and the illustrations at pages 72 and 76, taken from photographs, will show that, although not precisely alike, the steel corset-covers of england were much in principle like those of france, and the accompanying illustration represents a court lady in one of them. we have no evidence, however, that their use ever became very general in this country, and we find a most powerful and unyielding form of the corset constructed of very stout materials and closely ribbed with whalebone superseding them. this was the _corps_ before mentioned, and its use was by no means confined to the ladies of the time, for we find the gentlemen laced in garments of this kind to no ordinary degree of tightness. that this custom prevailed for some very considerable time will be shown by the accompanying illustration, which represents queen catherine's son, henry iii. (who was much addicted to the practice of tight lacing), and the princess margaret of lorraine, who was just the style of figure to please his taste, which was ladylike in the extreme. eardrops in his ears, delicate kid gloves on his hands; hair dyed to the fashionable tint, brushed back under a coquettish little velvet cap, in which waved a white ostrich's feather; hips bolstered and padded out, waist laced in the very tightest and most unyielding of corsets, and feet incased in embroidered satin shoes, henry was a true son of his fashionable mother, only lacking her strong will and powerful understanding. england under elizabeth's reign followed close on the heels of france in the prevailing style of dress. from about the middle of her reign the upper classes of both sexes carried out the custom of tight lacing to an extreme which knew scarcely any bounds. the corsets were so thickly quilted with whalebone, so long and rigid when laced to the figure, that the long pointed stomachers then worn fitted faultlessly well, without a wrinkle, just as did the dresses of the french court over the steel framework before described. the following lines by an old author will give some idea of their unbending character:- "these privie coats, by art made strong, with bones, with paste, with such-like ware, whereby their back and sides grow long, and now they harnest gallants are; were they for use against the foe our dames for amazons might go." on examining the accompanying illustration representing a lady of the court of queen elizabeth, it will be observed that the farthingale, or verdingale, as it is sometimes written, and from which the modern crinoline petticoat is borrowed, serves to give the hips extraordinary width, which, coupled with the frill round the bottom of the stomacher, gave the waist the appearance of remarkable slenderness as well as length. the great size of the frills or ruffs also lent their aid in producing the same effect. it was in the reign of elizabeth that the wearing of lawn and cambric commenced in this country; previously even royal personages had been contented with fine holland as a material for their ruffs. when queen bess had her first lawn ruffs there was no one in england who could starch them, and she procured some dutch women to perform the operation. it is said that her first starcher was the wife of her coachman, guillan. some years later one mistress dinghen vauden plasse, the wife of a flemish knight, established herself in london as a professed starcher. she also gave lessons in the art, and many ladies sent their daughters and kinswomen to learn of her. her terms were five pounds for the starching and twenty shillings additional for learning to "seeth" the starch. saffron was used with it to impart to it a yellow colour which was much admired. the gentlemen of the period indulged in nether garments so puffed out and voluminous that the legislature was compelled to take the matter in hand. we read of "a man who, having been brought before the judges for infringing the law made against these extensive articles of clothing, pleaded the convenience of his pockets as an excuse for his misdemeanour. they appeared, indeed, to have answered to him the purposes both of wardrobe and linen cupboard, for from their ample recesses he drew forth the following articles--viz., a pair of sheets, two tablecloths, ten napkins, four shirts, a brush, a glass, a comb, besides nightcaps and other useful things; his defence being--'your worship may understand that because i have no safer storehouse these pockets do serve me for a roome to lay up my goodes in; and though it be a strait prison, yet it is big enough for them.'" his discharge was granted, and his clever defence well laughed at. [illustration: a venetian lady of fashion, 1560.] [illustration: queen elizabeth.] the venetian ladies appear to have been fully aware of the reducing effect of frills and ruffs on the apparent size of waist of the wearer, and they were, as the annexed illustration will show, worn of extraordinary dimensions; but the front of the figure was, of course, only displayed, and on this all the decoration and ornamentation that extravagant taste could lavish was bestowed. the elizabethan ruff, large as it was, bore no comparison with this, and was worn as shown in the accompanying portrait of the "virgin queen," who indulged in numerous artifices for heightening her personal attractions. the ruffs and frills of the period so excited the ire of philip stubs, a citizen of london, that in his work, dated 1585, he thus launches out against them in the quaint language of the time:-"the women there vse great ruffes and neckerchers of holland, laune, cameruke, and such clothe as the greatest threed shall not be so big as the least haire that is, and lest they should fall downe they are smeared and starched in the devil's liquor, i mean starche; after that dried with great diligence, streaked, patted, and rubbed very nicely, and so applied to their goodly necks, and withal vnderpropped with supportasses (as i told you before), the stately arches of pride; beyond all this they have a further fetche, nothing inferiour to the rest, as namely--three or four degrees of minor ruffes placed _gradation_, one beneath another, and al under the mayster deuilruffe. the skirtes, then, of these great ruffes are long and wide, every way pleated and crested full curiously, god wot! then, last of all, they are either clogged with gold, silver, or silk lace of stately price, wrought all over with needleworke, speckeled and sparkeled here and there with the sunne, the mone, the starres, and many other antiques strange to beholde. some are wrought with open worke downe to the midst of the ruffe, and further, some with close worke, some wyth purled lace so cloied, and other gewgaws so pestered, as the ruffe is the least parte of itselfe. sometimes they are pinned upp to their eares, sometimes they are suffered to hange over theyr shoulders, like windemill sailes fluttering in the winde; and thus every one pleaseth her selfe in her foolish devises." in the matter of false hair her majesty queen elizabeth was a perfect connoisseur, having, so it is said, eighty changes of various kinds always on hand. the fashionable ladies, too, turned their attention to artificial adornment of that kind with no ordinary energy, and poor old stubs appears almost beside himself with indignation on the subject, and thus writes about it:--"the hair must of force be curled, frisled, and crisped, laid out in wreaths and borders from one ear to another. and, lest it should fall down, it is underpropped with forks, wires, and i cannot tell what, rather like grim, stern monsters than chaste christian matrons. at their hair thus wreathed and crested are hanged bugles, ouches, rings, gold and silver glasses, and such like childish gewgaws." the fashion of painting the face also calls down his furious condemnation, and the dresses come in for a fair share of his vituperation, and their length is evidently a source of excessive exasperation. we give his opinions in his own odd, scolding words:-"their gownes be no less famous than the rest, for some are of silke, some velvet, some of grograine, some of taffatie, some of scarlet, and some of fine cloth of x., xx., or xl. shillings a yarde. but if the whole gowne be not silke or velvet, then the same shall be layd with lace two or three fingers broade all over the gowne, or els the most parte, or if not so (as lace is not fine enough sometimes), then it must bee garded with great gardes of velvet, every yard fower or sixe fingers broad at the least, and edged with costly lace, and as these gownes be of divers and sundry colours, so are they of divers fashions--chaunging with the moone--for some be of new fashion, some of the olde, some of thys fashion, and some of that; some with sleeves hanging downe to their skirtes, trailing on the ground, and cast over their shoulders like cows' tailes; some have sleeves muche shorter, cut vp the arme and poincted with silke ribbons, very gallantly tied with true love's knottes (for so they call them); some have capes reachyng downe to the midest of their backes, faced with velvet, or els with some wrought silke taffatie at the least, and fringed about very bravely (and to shut vp all in a worde), some are peerled and rinsled downe the backe wonderfully, with more knackes than i can declare. then have they petticoates of the beste clothe that can be bought, and of the fayrest dye that can be made. and sometimes they are not of clothe neither, for that is thought too base, but of scarlet grograine, taffatie, silke, and such like, fringed about the skirtes with silke fringe of chaungeable colour, but whiche is more vayne, of whatsoever their petticoates be yet must they have kirtles (for so they call them), either of silke, velvett, grogaraine, taffatie, satten, or scarlet, bordered with gardes, lace, fringe, and i cannot tell what besides." history fails to enlighten us as to whether the irascible stubs was blessed with a stylish wife and a large family of fashionable daughters, but we rather incline to the belief that he must have been a confirmed old bachelor, as we cannot find that he was ever placed in a lunatic asylum, a fate which would inevitably have befallen him if the fashions of the time had been brought within the sphere of his own dwelling. it is somewhat singular that, writing, as he did, in the most violent manner against almost every article of personal adornment, and every artifice of fashionable life, the then universal and extreme use of the corset should have escaped censure at his hands. king james, who succeeded elizabeth, manifested an inordinate fondness for dress. we read that--"not only his courtiers, but all the youthful portion of his subjects, were infected in a like manner, and the attire of a fashionable gentleman in those days could scarcely have been exceeded in fantastic device and profuse decoration. the hair was long and flowing, falling upon the shoulders; the hat, made of silk, velvet, or beaver (the latter being most esteemed), was high-crowned, narrow-brimmed, and steeple-shaped. it was occasionally covered with gold and silver embroidery, a lofty plume of feathers, and a hatband sparkling with gems being frequently worn with it. it was customary to dye the beard of various colours, according to the fancy of the wearer, and its shape also differed with his profession. the most effeminate fashion at this time was that of wearing jewelled rings in the ears, which was common among the upper and middle ranks. gems were also suspended to ribbons round the neck, while the long 'lovelock' of hair so carefully cherished under the left ear was adorned with roses of ribbons, and even real flowers. the ruff had already been reduced by order of queen elizabeth, who enacted that when reaching beyond 'a nayle of a yeard in depth' it should be clipped. in the early part of her reign the doublet and hose had attained a preposterous size, especially the nether garments, which were stuffed and bolstered with wool and hair to such an extent that strutt tells us, on the authority of one of the harleian manuscripts, that a scaffold was erected round the interior of the parliament house for the accommodation of such members as wore them! this was taken down in the eighth year of elizabeth's reign, when this ridiculous fashion was laid aside. the doublet was afterwards reduced in size, but still so hard-quilted that the wearer could not stoop to the ground, and was incased as in a coat of mail. in shape it was like a waistcoat, with a large cape, and either close or very wide sleeves. these latter were termed _danish_. a cloak of the richest materials, embroidered in gold or silver, and faced with foxskin, lambskin, or sable, was buttoned over the left shoulder. none, however, under the rank of an earl were permitted to indulge in sable facings. the hose were either of woven silk, velvet, or damask; the garters were worn externally below the knee, made of gold, silver, or velvet, and trimmed with a deep gold fringe. red silk stockings, parti-coloured gaiters, and even 'cross gartering' to represent the scotch tartan, were frequently seen. the shoes of this period were cork-soled, and elevated their wearers at least two or three inches from the ground. they were composed of velvet of various colours, worked in the precious metals, and if fastened with strings, immense roses of ribbon were attached to them, variously ornamented, and frequently of great value, as may be seen in howe's continuation of stowe's chronicle, where he tells us 'men of rank wear garters and shoe-roses of more than five pounds price.' the dress of a gentleman was not considered perfect without a dagger and rapier. the former was worn at the back, and was highly ornamented. the latter having superseded, about the middle of elizabeth's reign, the heavy two-handed sword, previously used in england, was, indeed, chiefly worn as an ornament, the hilt and scabbard being always profusely decorated." [illustration] chapter v. strange freaks of louise de lorraine--one of her adventures--her dress at a royal _fête_--marie de medici--the distended dresses of her time--hair-powder--costume _à la enfant_--escapade of the young louis--low dresses of the period--the court of louis xiv. of france--high heels, slender waists, and fancy costumes--the siamese dress--charles i. of england--patches introduced--elaborate costumes of the period--puritanism, its effect on the fashions--fashions in cromwell's time, and the general prevalence of the practice of tight-lacing--the ladies of augsburg described by hoechstetterus. little change appears to have taken place in the prevailing fashions of england for some considerable time after this period. in france two opposing influences sprang up. henry iii., as we have seen, was the slave of fashion, and mainly occupied his time in devising some new and extravagant article of raiment. his wife, louise de lorraine, on the other hand, although exceedingly handsome, was of a gloomy, stern, and ascetic disposition, dressing more like a nun than the wife of so gay a husband. she caused numerous sumptuary laws to be framed, in order to, if possible, reduce the style of ladies' dress to a standard nearer her own; and the following anecdote will serve to show the petty spirit in which her powers were sought to be exercised. [illustration: court dress during the boyhood of louis xiii.] [illustration: marie de medici.] a writer on her life says, "she was accustomed to go out on foot with but a single attendant, both habited plainly in some woollen fabric, and one day, on entering a mercer's shop in the rue st. denis, she encountered the wife of a president tricked out superbly in the latest fashions of the day. the subject did not recognise the sovereign, who inquired her name, and received for answer that she was called 'la présidente de m.,' the information being given curtly, and with the additional remark, 'to satisfy your curiosity.' to this the queen replied, 'but, madame la présidente, you are very smart for a person of your condition.' still the interrogator was not recognised, and madame la présidente, with that pertness so characteristic of ordinary womankind, replied, 'at any rate, you did not pay for my smartness.' scarcely was this retort completed when it dawned upon the speaker that it was the queen who had been putting these posing questions, and then a scene followed of contrite apology on the one hand, and remonstrance on the frivolity of smart attire on the other, both very easy to imagine." with all this pretended simplicity and humility, queen louise, on certain occasions, indulged in the most lavish display of her personal attractions. it is related of her that on the marriage of her sister margaret, she attended a magnificent _fête_ given at the hôtel de bourbon, and made her appearance in the saloon or grand ball-room as the leader of twelve beautiful young ladies, arrayed as naiads. the queen wore a dress of silver cloth, with a tunic of flesh-coloured and silver _crêpes_ over it; on her head she wore a splendid ornament, composed of triangles of diamonds, rubies, and various other gems and precious stones. still the king was the acknowledged leader of fashion, which the queen did all in her power to suppress, except when it suited her royal caprice to astonish the world with her own elegance. henry iv. appears to have had no especial inclination for matters relating to fashion, and the world wagged much as it pleased so far as he was concerned. on his marrying, however, his second wife, marie de medici, another ardent supporter of all that was splendid, sumptuous, and magnificent was found. his first wife, indeed, marguerite de valois, had strong fashionable proclivities, but she was utterly eclipsed by the new star, whose portrait is the subject of the accompanying illustration, in which it will be seen that the wide hips and distended form of dress accompany the long and narrow waist. this style of costume remained popular, as did hair-powder, which was introduced in consequence of the grey locks of henry iv., until the boy-king louis xiii., who was placed under the control and regency of his mother, caused by his juvenile appearance a marked change in the fashions of the time. the men shaved off their whiskers and beards, and the ladies brushed back their hair _à l'enfant_, and as about this time marie showed strong indications of a tendency towards portliness, the hoops were discarded; and short waists, laced to an extreme degree of tightness, long trailing skirts, and very high-heeled shoes were introduced. the dresses of this period of sudden change were worn excessively low, and it is said of young louis that he was so alarmed, enraged, and astonished at the sight of the white shoulders of a lady of high position that he threw a glass of wine over them, and precipitately quitted the scene of his discomfiture. the annexed illustration shows the style of dress after the changes above referred to. the next noteworthy changes we shall see taking place during the reign of charles i. in england and louis xiv. of france. the court of the _grand monarque_ was one of extraordinary pomp and magnificence; flowing ringlets, shoes with heels of extraordinary height, and waists of extreme slenderness were the rage. fancy costumes were also much affected. the accompanying illustration represents a lady and gentleman of the period equipped for the _chase_, but of what it would be difficult to say, unless butterflies were considered in the category of game. the so-called siamese dress, which became so generally popular, was worn first during the reign of louis xiv. many of these dresses were extremely rich and elegant; one is described as having the tunic or upper-skirt composed of scarlet silk with brocaded gold flowers. the under-skirt was of green and gold, with frills of exquisite work from the elbow to the wrist. the accompanying illustration represents a court lady dressed in this style, and that which follows it a fancy dress of the same period. it was in this reign that the coloured and ornamented clocks to ladies' stockings first made their appearance. patches for the face were first worn in england during the reign of charles, although they continued in use for a great number of years, and the following satirical lines were written by an old author regarding them and one of their wearers:- "your homely face, flippanta, you disguise with patches numerous as argus' eyes; i own that patching's requisite for you, for more we're pleased the less your face we view; yet i advise, since my advice you ask, wear but one patch, and be that patch a mask." [illustration: fancy costumes of the time of louis xiv.] [illustration: siamese dress worn at the court of louis xiv.] the fashions set by the court of louis were eagerly seized on by the whole of europe. the flowing curls, lace cuffs, and profuse embroidery in use at the court of charles of england were all borrowed from france, but the general licence and laxity of the period for some short time showed itself in the dress of the ladies, whilst fickleness and love of change, accompanied by thoughtless luxury and profusion, prevailed. the following complaint of a lady's serving-man, dated 1631, will show that the puritans were not without reason in condemning the extravagances of the time:-"here is a catalogue as tedious as a taylor's bill of all the devices which i am commanded to provide (_videlicet_):- "chains, coronets, pendants, bracelets, and earrings, pins, girdles, spangles, embroidaries, and rings, shadomes, rebatacs, ribbands, ruffs, cuffs, falls, scarfs, feathers, fans, maskes, muffes, laces, cauls, thin tiffanies, cobweb lawn, and fardingales, sweet sals, vyles, wimples, glasses, crumping pins, pots of ointment, combs, with poking-sticks, and bodkins, coyfes, gorgets, fringes, rowels, fillets, and hair laces, silks, damasks, velvets, tinsels, cloth of gold, of tissues with colours a hundredfold, but in her tyres so new-fangled is she that which doth with her humour now agree, to-morrow she dislikes; now doth she swear that a losse body is the neatest weare, but ere an hour be gone she will protest a strait gown graces her proportion best. "now calls she for a boisterous fardingale, then to her hips she'll have her garments fall. now doth she praise a sleeve that's long and wide, yet by and by that fashion doth deride; sometimes she applauds a pavement-sweeping train, and presently dispraiseth it again; now she commands a shallow band so small that it may seem scarce any band at all; but now a new fancy doth she reele, and calls for one as big as a coach-wheele; she'll weare a flowry coronet to-day, the symbol of her beauty's sad decay; to-morrow she a waving plume will try, the emblem of all female levitie; now in her hat, then in her hair is drest, now of all fashions she thinks change the best." on puritanism becoming general the style of dress adopted by the so-called "roundheads," as a contrast to that of the hated "cavaliers," was stiff, prim, and formal to a degree; and during cromwell's sway as protector, small waists, stiff corsets, and very tight lacing again became the fashion; and bulwer, who writes in 1653, in speaking of the young ladies of his day, says, "they strive all they possibly can by streight lacing themselves to attain unto a wand-like smallness of waist, never thinking themselves fine enough until they can span their waists." the annexed illustration, adapted by us from his work, _the artificial changeling_, represents a young lady who has achieved the desired tenuity. he also quotes from hoechstetterus, who in his description of "_auspurge_, the metropolis of _swevia_," 1653 (meaning augsburg, the capital of _suabia_), "they are," saith he, describing the virgins of auspurge, "slender, streight laced, with '_demisse_' (sloping) shoulders, lest being grosse and well made they should be thought to have too athletique bodies." so throughout the length and breadth of europe the use of tightly-laced corsets remained general. [illustration: young english lady of fashion, 1653.] [illustration: fancy dress worn in the reign of louis xv.] chapter vi. fashion during the reign of louis xv.--costumes _à la_ watteau--an army of barbers--the fashions of england during the reign of queen anne--the diminutive waist and enormous hoop of her day--the farthingale: letters in the _guardian_ protesting against its use--fashion in 1713--low dresses, tight stays, and short skirts: letters relating to--correspondence touching the fashions of that period from the _guardian_--accomplishments of a lady's-maid--writings of gay and ben jonson--their remarks on the "_bodice_" and "_stays_." at the death of louis xiv. and the accession of his successor, louis xv., in 1715, fashions ran into wonderful extremes and caprices. hoops became the rage, as did patches, paint, and marvellously high-heeled shoes. the artistic skill of watteau in depicting costume and devising the attributes of the favourite fancy dresses of the time, led to their adoption among the votaries of fashion. shepherds who owned no sheep were tricked out in satins, laces, and ribbons, and tripped it daintily hand in hand with the exquisitely-dressed, slender-waisted shepherdesses we see reproduced in dresden china and the accompanying illustration. guitars tinkled beneath the trees of many a grove in the pleasure-grounds of the fine old châteaux of france; fruit strewed on the ground, costly wines in massive flagons, groups of gay gallants and charming belles, such as the accompanying illustration represents, engaged in love-making, music and flirtation, make up the scene on which watteau loved most to dwell, and which king louis' gay subjects were not slow in performing to the life, and the happy age of the poet appeared all but realised:- "there was once a golden time when the world was in its prime- when every day was holiday, and every shepherd learned to love." to carry out the everyday life of this dream world, no small amount of sacrifice and labour was needed, and we are informed that over twelve hundred hairdressers were in full occupation in paris alone, frizzing, curling, and arranging in a thousand and one fantastical ways, hours being needed to perfect the head-gear of a lady of _ton_. for the prevailing fashions of england we must step back a few years, and glance at the latter portion of the reign of queen anne, at which time we find the diminutive size of the waist in marked contrast to the enormous dimensions of the hoop or farthingale, which reached such a formidable size that numerous remonstrances appeared in the journals of the day relative to it. the following letter complaining of the grievance appeared in the _guardian_ of july 22, 1713:- "mr. guardian,--your predecessor, the _spectator_, endeavoured, but in vain, to improve the charms of the fair sex by exposing their dress whenever it launched into extremities. amongst the rest the great petticoat came under his consideration, but in contradiction to whatever he has said, they still resolutely persist in this fashion. the form of their bottom is not, i confess, altogether the same, for whereas before it was one of an orbicular make, they now look as if they were pressed so that they seem to deny access to any part but the middle. many are the inconveniences that accrue to her majesty's loving subjects from the said petticoats, as hurting men's shins, sweeping down the ware of industrious females in the street, &c. i saw a young lady fall down the other day, and, believe me, sir, she very much resembled an overturned bell without a clapper. many other disasters i could tell you of that befall themselves as well as others by means of this unwieldy garment. i wish, mr. guardian, you would join with me in showing your dislike of such a monstrous fashion, and i hope, when the ladies see this, the opinion of two of the wisest men in england, they will be convinced of their folly. "i am, sir, your daily reader and admirer, "tom pain." [illustration: costumes after watteau.] [illustration: crinoline in 1713.] the accompanying illustration will show that these remonstrances were not without cause. the fashion of wearing extremely low dresses, with particularly short skirts, also led to much correspondence and many strong remarks, which are duly commented on by the editor of the _guardian_, assisted by his "_good old lady_," as he calls her, "the lady lizard." thus he writes on the subject under discussion:- "_editorial letter._ "guardian, _july 16, 1713_. "i am very well pleased with this approbation of my good sisters. i must confess i have always looked on the 'tucker' to be the _decus et tutamen_, the ornament and defence of the female neck. my good old lady, the lady lizard, condemned this fashion from the beginning, and has observed to me, with some concern, that her sex at the same time they are letting down their stays are tucking up their petticoats, which grow shorter and shorter every day. the leg discovers itself in proportion with the neck, but i may possibly take another occasion of handling this extremity, it being my design to keep a watchful eye over every part of the female sex, and to regulate them from head to foot. in the meantime i shall fill up my paper with a letter which comes to me from another of my obliged correspondents." that these very low dresses were not alone worn in the house and at assemblies, but were also occasionally seen on the promenades, is shown by the following satirical appeal to the editor of the journal from which we have just been quoting, and the accompanying illustration represents the too-fascinating style of costume which caused its writer so much concern:- "_wednesday, august 12, 1713._ "notwithstanding your grave advice to the fair sex not to lay the beauties of their necks so open, i find they mind you so little that we young men are as much in danger as ever. yesterday, about seven in the evening, i took a walk with a gentleman, just come to town, in a public walk. we had not walked above two rounds when the spark on a sudden pretended weariness, and as i importuned him to stay longer he turned short, and, pointing out a celebrated beauty, 'what,' said he, 'do you think i am made of, that i could bear the sight of such snowy beauties? she is intolerably handsome.' upon this we parted, and i resolved to take a little more air in the garden, yet avoid the danger, by casting my eyes downwards; but, to my unspeakable surprise, discovered in the same fair creature the finest ankle and prettiest foot that ever fancy imagined. if the petticoats as well as the stays thus diminish, what shall we do, dear mentor? it is neither safe to look at the head nor the feet of the charmer. whither shall we direct our eyes? i need not trouble you with my description of her, but i beg you would consider that your wards are frail and mortal. "your most obedient servant, "epernectises." [illustration: low bodies and curtailed crinoline.] there is no source, perhaps, from which a clearer view of the fashions of this period, and mode of thought then entertained concerning them, could be obtained than the antiquated journal we have just quoted from. the opinions therein expressed, and the system of reasoning adopted by some of the contributors to its columns, are so singularly quaint that we cannot resist giving the reader the benefit of them. the happy vein of philosophy possessed by the writer of the following letter must have made the world a mere pleasure-garden, through which he wandered at his own sweet will, "king of the universe:"- "guardian, _friday, may 8th, 1713_. "when i walk the streets i use the foregoing natural maxim (viz., that he is the true possessor of a thing who enjoys it, and not he that owns it without the enjoyment of it) to convince myself that i have a property in the gay part of all the gilt chariots that i meet, which i regard as amusements designed to delight the eye and the imagination of those kind people who sit in them gaily attired only to please me. i have a real and they only an imaginary pleasure from their exterior embellishments. upon the same principle i have discovered that i am the natural proprietor of all the diamond necklaces, the crosses and stars, brocades and embroidered cloths which i see at a play or birthnight, as giving more natural delight to the spectator than to those who wear them; and i look on the beaux and ladies as so many paroquets in an aviary, or tulips in a garden, designed purely for my diversion. a gallery of pictures, a cabinet, or library that i have free access to, i think my own. in a word, all that i desire is the use of things, let who will have the keeping of them. by which maxim i am growing one of the richest men in great britain, with this difference, that i am not a prey to my own cares or the envy of others." the reply to the foregoing letter by a lady of fashion, written with a strong dash of satire, is equally curious in its way, as it shows the great importance attached to a pleasing and attractive exterior:- "_to the editor of the_ guardian. "_tuesday, may 19th, 1713._ "sir,--i am a lady of birth and fortune, but never knew till last thursday that the splendour of my equipage was so beneficial to my country. i will not deny that i have dressed for some years out of the pride of my heart, but am very glad that you have so far settled my conscience in that particular that now i can look upon my vanities as so many virtues, since i am satisfied that my person and garb give pleasure to my fellow-creatures. i shall not think the three hours' business i usually devote to my toilette below the dignity of a rational soul. i am content to suffer great torment from my stays that my shape may appear graceful to the eyes of others, and often mortify myself with fasting rather than my fatness should give distaste to any man in england. i am making up a rich brocade for the benefit of mankind, and design in a little time to treat the town with a thousand pounds' worth of jewellery. i have ordered my chariot to be newly painted for your use and the world's, and have prevailed upon my husband to present you with a pair of flanders mares, by driving them every evening round the ring. gay pendants for my ears, a costly cross for my neck, a diamond of the best water for my finger shall be purchased, at any rate, to enrich you, and i am resolved to be a patriot in every limb. my husband will not scruple to oblige me in these trifles, since i have persuaded him, from your scheme, that pin-money is only so much money set for charitable uses. you see, sir, how expensive you are to me, and i hope you will esteem me accordingly, especially when i assure you that i am, as far as you can see me, "entirely yours, "cleora." the tight lacing and tremendously stiff corsets of the time were also the subjects of satirical remark in some quarters, and were upheld in others, as the two following letters, copied from the _guardian_ of 1713, will show:- "_thursday, june 18th, 1713._ "sir,--don't know at what nice point you fix the bloom of a young lady, but i am one who can just look back on fifteen. my father dying three years ago left me under the care and direction of my mother, with a fortune not profusely great, yet such as might demand a very handsome settlement if ever proposals of marriage should be offered. my mother, after the usual time of retired mourning was over, was so affectionately indulgent to me as to take me along with her in all her visits, but still, not thinking she gratified my youth enough, permitted me further to go with my relatives to all the publick cheerful but innocent entertainments, where she was too reserved to appear herself. the two first years of my teens were easy, gay, and delightful; every one caressed me, the old ladies told me how finely i grew, and the young ones were proud of my company; but when the third year had a little advanced, my relations used to tell my mother that pretty miss clarey was shot up into a woman. the gentlemen began now not to let their eyes glance over me, and in most places i found myself distinguished, but observed the more i grew into the esteem of their sex, the more i lost the favour of my own; some of those whom i had been familiar with grew cold and indifferent; others mistook by design my meaning, made me speak what i never thought, and so, by degrees, took occasion to break off acquaintance. there were several little insignificant reflections cast upon me, as being a lady of a great many acquaintances, and such like, which i seemed not to take notice of. but my mother coming home about a week ago, told me there was a scandal spread about town by my enemies that would at once ruin me for ever for a beauty. i earnestly intreated her to know it; she refused me, but yesterday it discovered itself. being in an assembly of gentlemen and ladies, one of the gentlemen, who had been very facetious to several of the ladies, at last turned to me. 'and as for you, madam. prior has already given us your character:- "'that air and harmony of shape express, fine by degrees and beautifully less.' "i perceived immediately a malignant smile display itself in the countenance of some of the ladies, which they seconded with a scornful flutter of the fan, till one of them, unable any longer to contain herself, asked the gentleman if he did not remember what congreve said about aurelia, for she thought it mighty pretty. he made no answer, but instantly repeated the verses- "'the mulcibers who in the minories sweat, and massive bars on stubborn anvils beat, deformed themselves, yet forge those stays of steel, which arm aurelia with a shape to kill.' "this was no sooner over but it was easily discernable what an ill-natured satisfaction most of the company took, and the more pleasure they showed by dwelling upon the two last lines, the more they increased my trouble and confusion. and now, sir, after this tedious account, what would you advise me to? is there no way to be cleared of these malicious calumnies? what is beauty worth that makes the possessed thus unhappy? why was nature so lavish of her gifts to me as to make her kindness prove a cruelty? they tell me my shape is delicate, my eyes sparkling, my lips i know not what, my cheeks, forsooth, adorned with a just mixture of the rose and lillie; but i wish this face was barely not disagreeable, this voice harsh and unharmonious, these limbs only not deformed, and then perhaps i might live easie and unmolested, and neither raise love and admiration in the men, nor scandal and hatred in the women. "your very humble servant, "clarina." "_editor's reply to letter of thursday, june 18th, 1713._ "the best answer i can make my fair correspondent is, that she ought to comfort herself with this consideration, that those who talk thus of her know it is false, but wish to make others believe it is true. 'tis not they think you deformed, but are vexed that they themselves were not so nicely framed. if you will take an old man's advice, laugh and not be concerned at them; they have attained what they endeavoured if they make you uneasie, for it is envy that has made them. i would not have you with your shape one fiftieth part of an inch disproportioned, nor desire your face might be impoverished with the ruin of half a feature, though numbers of remaining beauties might make the loss insensible; but take courage, go into the brightest assemblies, and the world will quickly confess it to be scandal. thus plato, hearing it was asserted by some persons that he was a very bad man--'i shall take care,' said he, 'to live so that nobody will believe them.'" the milliners and lady's-maids of the time were expected to fully understand all matters relating to the training of the figure. a writer of this period, in speaking of the requisite accomplishments of a mantua-maker, says--"she must know how to hide all the defects in the proportions of the body, and must be able to mould the shape by the stays so as to preserve the intestines, that while she corrects the body she may not interfere with the pleasures of the palate." some difference of opinion has existed as to the period at which the word "stays" was first used to indicate an article of dress of the nature of the corset or bodice. it is evident that the term must have been perfectly familiar long anterior to 1713, as constant use is made of it in the letters we have just given. gay, who wrote about 1720, also avails himself of it in _the toilette_- "i own her taper form is made to please, yet if you saw her unconfined by _stays_!" the word "boddice," or "bodice," was not unfrequently spelt _bodies_ by old authors, amongst whom may be mentioned ben jonson, who wrote about 1600, and mentions "the whalebone man that quilts the _bodies_ i have leave to span." [illustration] chapter vii. general use of the word "stays" after 1600 in england--costume of the court of louis xvi.--dress in 1776--the formidable stays and severe constriction then had recourse to--the stays drawn by hogarth--dress during the french revolutionary period--short waists and long trains--writings of buchan--_jumpers_ and "_garibaldis_"--return to the old practice of tight-lacing--training of figures: backboards and stocks--medical evidence in favour of stays--fashion in the reign of george iii.--stays worn habitually by gentlemen--general use of corsets for boys on the continent--the officers of gustavus adolphus--the use of the corset for youths: a letter from a gentleman on the subject of--evidence regarding the wearing of corsets by gentlemen of the present day--remarks on the changes of fashion--the term "crinoline" not new--crinoline among the south sea islanders--remarks of madame la sante on crinoline and slender waists--abstinence from food as an assistance to the corset--anecdote from the _traditions of edinburgh_--the custom of wearing corsets during sleep, its growing prevalence in schools and private families: letters relating to--the belles of the united states and their "_illusion waists_"--medical evidence in favour of moderately tight lacing--letters from ladies who have been subjected to tight-lacing. for some considerable period of time we find stays much more frequently spoken of than corsets in the writings of english authors, but their use continued to be as general and their form of construction just as unyielding as ever, both at home and abroad. the costume worn at the court of louis xvi., of which the following illustration will give an idea, depended mainly for its completeness on the form of the stays, over which the elaborately-finished body of the dress was made to fit without fold or crease, forming a sort of bodice, which in many instances was sewn on to the figure of the wearer after the stays had been laced to their extreme limit. the towering headdress and immensely wide and distended skirt gave to the figure an additional appearance of tenuity, as we have seen when describing similar contrivances in former times. most costly laces were used for the sleeves, and the dress itself was often sumptuously brocaded and ornamented with worked wreaths and flowers. high-heeled shoes were not wanting to complete the rather astounding toilet of 1776. for many years before this time, and, in fact, from the commencement of the eighteenth century, it had been the custom for staymakers, in the absence of any other material strong and unyielding enough to stand the wear and tension brought to bear on their wares, to employ a species of leather known as "_bend_," which was not unlike that used for shoe-soles, and measured very nearly a quarter of an inch in thickness. the stays made from this were very long-waisted, forming a narrow conical case, in the most circumscribed portion of which the waist was closely laced, so that the figure was made upright to a degree. many of hogarth's figures, who wear the stays of his time (1730), are erect and remarkably slender-waisted. such stays as he has drawn are perfectly straight in cut, and are filled with stiffening and bone. [illustration: court dress of the reign of louis xvi.] [illustration: classic costume of the french revolutionary period.] in 1760 we find a strong disposition manifested to adopt the so-called classic style of costume. during the french revolutionary movement and in the reign of the first napoleon, the ladies endeavoured to copy the costume of ancient greece, and in 1797 were about as successful in their endeavours as young ladies at fancy dress balls usually are in personating mermaids or fairy queens. the annexed illustration represents the classic style of that period. for several years the ladies of england adopted much the same style of costume, and resorted to loose bodies--if bodies they might be called--long trains, and waists so short that they began and ended immediately under the armpits. the following illustration represents a lady of 1806. buchan, in writing during this short-waisted, long-trained period, congratulates himself and society at large on the fact of "the old strait waistcoats of whalebone," as he styles them, falling into disuse. not long after this the laws of fashion became unsettled, as they periodically have done for ages, and the lines written by an author who wrote not long after might have been justly applied to the changeable tastes of this transition period:- "now a shape in neat stays, now a slattern in jumps," these "jumps" being merely loose short jackets, very much like those worn under the name of "_jumpers_" at the present day by shipwrights and some other artificers. the form of the modern "garibaldi" appears to have been borrowed from this. the reign of relaxation seems to have been of a comparatively short duration indeed, as we see by the remark made by buchan's son, who edited a new edition of his father's work, _advice to mothers_, and an appendix to it:--"small" (says he) "is the confidence to be placed in the permanent effects of fashion. had the author lived till the present year (1810), he would have witnessed the fashion of tight lacing revived with a degree of fury and prevailing to an extent which he could form no conception of, and which posterity will not credit. stays are now composed, not of whalebone, indeed, or hardened leather, but of bars of iron and steel from three to four inches broad, and many of them not less than eighteen in length." the same author informs us that it was by no means uncommon to see "a mother lay her daughter down upon the carpet, and, placing her foot on her back, break half-a-dozen laces in tightening her stays." those who advocate the use of the corset as being indispensable to the female toilet have much reason on their side when they insist that these temporary freaks of fancy for loose and careless attire only call for infinitely more rigid and severe constriction after they (as they invariably have done) pass away, than if the regular training of the figure had been systematically carried out by the aid of corsets of ordinary power. in a period certainly not much over thirty years, the old-established standard of elegance, "the span," was again established for waist measurement. strutt, whose work was published in 1796, informs us that in his own time he remembers it to have been said of young women, in proof of the excellence of their shape, that you might _span their waists_, and he also speaks of having seen a singing girl at the italian opera whose waist was laced to such an excessive degree of smallness that it was painful to look at her. [illustration: lady of fashion, 1806.] pope, in the _challenge_, in speaking of the improved charms of a beauty of the court of george ii., clearly shows in what high esteem a slender figure was held. as a bit of acceptable news, he says- "tell pickenbourg how _slim_ she's grown." there is abundant evidence to show that no ordinary amount of management and training was had recourse to then, as now, for reducing the waists of those whose figures had been neglected to the required standard of fashionable perfection, and that those who understood the art were somewhat chary in conferring the benefit of it. in a poem entitled the _bassit table_, attributed to lady m. w. montagu, similinda, in exposing the ingratitude of a rival beauty, exclaims- "she owes to me the very charms she wears- an awkward thing when first she came to town, _her shape unfashioned_ and her face unknown; i introduced her to the park and plays, and by my interest _cozens made her stays_." a favour in those days no doubt well worthy of gratitude and due consideration. about this time it was the custom of some fashionable staymakers to sew a narrow, stiff, curved bar of steel along the upper edge of the stays, which, extending back to the shoulders on each side, effectually kept them back, and rendered the use of shoulder-straps superfluous. the slightest tendency to stoop was at once corrected by the use of the backboard, which was strapped flat against the back of the waist and shoulders, extending up the back of the neck, where a steel ring covered with leather projected to the front and encircled the throat. the young lady of fashion undergoing the then system of boarding-school training enjoyed no bed of roses, especially if unblessed on the score of slenderness. a hard time indeed must an awkward, careless girl have had of it, incased in stiff, tightly-laced stays, backboard on back, and feet in stocks. she simply had to improve or suffer, and probably did both. it is singular and noteworthy that although so many of the older authors give stays the credit of constantly producing spinal curvature, an able writer on the subject of the present day should make this unqualified assertion:--"to some, stays may have been injurious; fewer evils, so far as my experience goes, have arisen from them than from other causes." it is well known that ladies of the eighteenth century did not suffer from spinal disease in the proportion of those of the nineteenth, which might arise in some degree from the system of education; but some highly-educated women of that period were elegant and graceful figures, and it is well known they generally wore stiff stays, though their make, it must be admitted, was less calculated to injure the figure than many of those of the present day. the author we have just quoted goes on to say--"mr. walker, in ridiculing the practice of wearing stays, has chosen a very homely and not very correct illustration of the human figure. 'the uppermost pair of ribs,' says he, 'which lie just at the bottom of the neck, are very short. the next pair are rather longer, the third longer still, and thus they go on increasing in length to the seventh pair, or last true ribs, after which the length diminishes, but without materially contracting the size of the cavity, because the false ribs only go round a part of the body. hence the chest has a sort of conical shape, or it may be compared to a common beehive, the narrow pointed end being next the neck, and the broad end undermost; the natural form of the chest, in short, is just the reverse of the fashionable shape of the waist; the latter is narrow below and wide above, the former is narrow above and wide below.' surely, when the idea struck him, he must have been gazing on a living skeleton, uncovered with muscle. after reading his observations, i took the measure of a well-formed little girl, seven years of age, who had never worn stays, and found the circumference of the bust just below the shoulders one inch and a-half larger than at the lower part of the waist." the views of the author just quoted seem to be borne out by the researches of a french physician of high standing who has paid much attention to the subject. he positively asserts that "_corsets cannot be charged with causing deviation of the vertebral column_." after the period referred to by buchan's son, when tight-lacing was so rigorously revived, we see no diminution of it, and towards the end of george iii.'s reign, gentlemen, as well as ladies, availed themselves of the assistance of the corset-maker. advertising tailors of the time freely advertised their "codrington corsets" and "petersham stiffners" for gentlemen of fashion, much as the "alexandra corset," or "the empress's own stay," is brought to the notice of the public at the present day. soemmering informs us that as long ago as 1760, "it was the fashion in berlin, and also in holland a few years before, to apply corsets to children, and many families might be named in which parental fondness selected the handsomest of several boys to put in corsets." in france, russia, austria, and germany, this practice has been decidedly on the increase since that time, and lads intended for the army are treated much after the manner of young ladies, and are almost as tightly laced. it is related of prince de ligne and prince kaunitz that they were invariably incased in most expensively-made satin corsets, the former wearing black and the latter white. dr. doran, in writing of the officers of the far-famed "lion of the north," gustavus adolphus, says, "they were the tightest-laced exquisites of suffering humanity." the worthy doctor, like many others who have written on the subject, inseparably associates the habitual wearing of corsets with extreme suffering; but the gentlemen who, like the ladies, have been subjected to the full discipline of the corset, not only emphatically deny that it has caused them any injury, and, beyond the inconvenience experienced on adopting any new article of attire, little uneasiness, but, on the contrary, maintain that the sensations associated with the confirmed practice of tight-lacing are so agreeable that those who are once addicted to it rarely abandon the practice. the following letter to the _englishwoman's magazine_ of november, 1867, from a gentleman who was educated in vienna, will show this:- "madam,--may i be permitted for once to ask admission to your 'conversazione,' and to plead as excuse for my intrusion that i am really anxious to indorse your fair correspondent's (belle's) assertion that it is those who know nothing practically of the corset who are most vociferous in condemning it? strong-minded women who have never worn a pair of stays, and gentlemen blinded by hastily-formed prejudice, alike anathematise an article of dress of the good qualities of which they are utterly ignorant, and which consequently they cannot appreciate. on a subject of so much importance as regards comfort (to say nothing of the question of elegance, scarcely less important on a point of feminine costume), no amount of theory will ever weigh very heavily when opposed to practical experience. "the proof of the pudding is a proverb too true not to be acted on in such a case. to put the matter to actual test, can any of the opponents of the corset honestly state that they have given up stays after having fairly tried them, except in compliance with the persuasions or commands of friends or medical advisers, who seek in the much-abused corset a convenient first cause for an ailment that baffles their skill? 'the young lady herself' (a former correspondent) does not complain of either illness or pain, even after the first few months; while, on the other hand, staylace, nora, and belle bring ample testimony, both of themselves and their schoolfellows, as to the comfort and pleasure of tight-lacing. to carry out my first statement as to the truth of belle's remark, those of the opposite sex who, either from choice or necessity, have adopted this article of attire, are unanimous in its praise; while even among an assemblage of opponents a young lady's elegant figure is universally admired while the cause is denounced. from personal experience, i beg to express a decided and unqualified approval of corsets. i was early sent to school in austria, where lacing is not considered ridiculous in a gentleman as in england, and i objected in a thoroughly english way when the doctor's wife required me to be laced. i was not allowed any choice, however. a sturdy _mädchen_ was stoically deaf to my remonstrances, and speedily laced me up tightly in a fashionable viennese corset. i presume my impressions were not very different from those of your lady correspondents. i felt ill at ease and awkward, and the daily lacing tighter and tighter produced inconvenience and absolute pain. in a few months, however, i was as anxious as any of my ten or twelve companions to have my corsets laced as tightly as a pair of strong arms could draw them. it is from no feeling of vanity that i have ever since continued to wear them, for, not caring to incur ridicule, i take good care that my dress shall not betray me, but i am practically convinced of the comfort and pleasantness of tight-lacing, and thoroughly agree with staylace that the sensation of being tightly laced in an elegant, well-made, tightly-fitting pair of corsets is superb. there is no other word for it. i have dared this avowal because i am thoroughly ashamed of the idle nonsense that is being constantly uttered on this subject in england. the terrors of hysteria, neuralgia, and, above all, consumption, are fearlessly promised to our fair sisters if they dare to disregard preconceived opinions, while, on the other hand, some medical men are beginning slowly to admit that they cannot conscientiously support the extravagant assertions of former days. '_stay torture_,' '_whalebone vices_,' and 'corset screws' are very terrible and horrifying things upon paper, but when translated into _coutil_ or satin they wear a different appearance in the eyes of those most competent to give an opinion. that much perfectly unnecessary discomfort and inconvenience is incurred by the purchasers of ready-made corsets is doubtless true. the waist measure being right, the chest, where undue constriction will naturally produce evil effects, is very generally left to chance. if, then, the wearer suffers, who is to blame but herself? "the remark echoed by nearly all your correspondents, that ladies have the remedy in their own hands by having their stays made to measure, is too self-evident for me to wish to enlarge upon it; but i do wish to assert and insist that, if a corset allows sufficient room in the chest, the waist may be laced as tightly as the wearer desires without fear of evil consequences; and, further, that the ladies themselves who have given tight-lacing a fair trial, and myself and schoolfellows converted against our will, are the only jury entitled to pronounce authoritatively on the subject, and that the comfortable support and enjoyment afforded by a well-laced corset quite overbalances the theoretical evils that are so confidently prophesied by outsiders. "walter." since it has become a custom to send lads from england to the continent for education, many of them adhere to the use of the corset on their return, and of the use of this article of attire among the rising generation of the gentlemen of this country there can be no doubt; we are informed by one of the leading corset-makers in london that it is by no means unusual to receive the orders of gentlemen, not for the manufacture of the belts so commonly used in horse-exercise, but veritable corsets, strongly boned, steeled, and made to lace behind in the usual way--not, as the corset-maker assured us, from any feeling of vanity on the part of the wearers, who so arranged their dresses that no one would even suspect that they wore corsets beneath them, but simply because they had become accustomed to tight-lacing, and were fond of it. so it will be seen that the fair sex are not the only corset-wearers. [illustration: fashionable dress in 1824.] [illustration: lady of fashion, 1827.] during 1824, it will be seen by the accompanying illustration that fashion demanded the contour of the figure should be fully defined, and the absence of any approach to fullness about the skirt below the waist led to the use of very tight stays, in order that there might be some contrast in the outline of the figure. this style of dress, with slight modifications, remained in fashion for several years. in 1827, the dress, as will be seen on reference to the annexed illustration, had changed but little; but three years, or thereabouts, worked a considerable change, and we see, in 1830, sleeves of the most formidable size, hats to match, short skirts, and long slender waists the rage again. a few years later the skirts had assumed a much wider spread; the sleeves of puffed-out pattern were discarded. the waist took its natural position, and was displayed to the best advantage by the expansion of drapery below it, as will be seen on reference to the annexed cut. the term "crinoline" is by no means a new one, and long before the hooped petticoats with which the fashions of the last few years have made us so familiar, the horsehair cloth, so much used for distending the skirts of dresses, was commonly known by that name. it is not our intention here to enter on a description of the almost endless forms which from time to time this adjunct to ladies' dress has assumed. whether the idea of its construction was first borrowed from certain savage tribes it is difficult to determine. that a very marked and unmistakable form of it existed amongst the natives of certain of the south sea islands at their discovery by the early navigators, the curious cut, representing a native belle, will show, and there is no doubt that, although the dress of the savage is somewhat different in its arrangement from that of the european lady of fashion, the object sought by the use of a wide-spread base to the form is the same. madame la sante, in writing on the subject, says--"every one must allow that the expanding skirts of a dress, springing out immediately below the waist, materially assist by contrast in making the waist look small and slender. it is, therefore, to be hoped that now that crinoline no longer assumes absurd dimensions, it will long continue to hold its ground." the same author, in speaking of the prevailing taste for slender waists, thus writes:--"we have seen that for many hundred years a slender figure has been considered a most attractive female charm, and there is nothing to lead us to suppose that a taste which appears to be implanted in man's very nature will ever cease to render the acquisition of a small waist an object of anxious solicitude with those who have the care of the young." for several years this solicitude has been decidedly on the increase, and many expedients which were had recourse to in ancient days for reducing the waist to exceeding slenderness, are, we shall see as we proceed, in full operation. a very sparing diet has, as we have already seen, from the days of terentius, been one great aid to the operation of the corset. there is a very quaint account to be found in the _traditions of edinburgh_ bearing on this dieting system. an elderly lady of fashion, who appears to have lived in scotland during the early part of the last century, was engaged on the formation of the figures of her daughters, stinted meals and tight corsets worn day and night being some of the means made use of; but it is related that a certain cunning and evil-minded cook, whose coarse mind only ran on the pleasure of the appetite, used to creep stealthily in the dead of night to the chamber in which the young ladies slept, unlace their stays, and let them feed heartily on the strictly-prohibited dainties of the pantry; grown rash by impunity, she one night ventured to attempt running the blockade with hot roast goose, but three fatal circumstances combined against the success of the dangerous undertaking. in the first place, the savoury perfume arising from hot roast goose was penetrating to an alarming degree; in the second, the old lady, as ill-luck would have it, happened to be awake, and, worse than all, had no snuff, so smelt goose. the scene which followed the capture of the illicit cargo and the detection of the culprit cook can be much more easily imagined than described. [illustration: lady of fashion, 1830.] [illustration: lady of fashion, 1837.] the custom of wearing the corset by night as well as by day, above referred to, although partially discontinued for some time, is becoming general again. about the commencement of the last century the custom was much advocated and followed in france, and it is said to reduce and form the figure much more rapidly than any system of lacing by day only could bring about. a french author of the period referred to says--"many mothers who have an eye to the main chance, through an excess of zeal, or rather from a strange fear, condemn their daughters to wear corsets night and day, lest the interruption of their use should hinder their project of procuring for them fine waists." that ladies are fully aware of the potent influences of the practice, the following letter to the _englishwoman's domestic magazine_ will show:- "as several of your correspondents have remarked, the personal experience of those who have for a number of years worn tight-fitting corsets can alone enable a clear and fair judgment to be pronounced upon their use. happening to have had what i believe you will admit to be an unusual experience of tight-lacing, i trust you will allow me to tell the story of my younger days. owing to the absence of my parents in india, i was allowed to attain the age of fourteen before any care was bestowed upon my figure; but their return home fortunately saved me from growing into a clumsy, inelegant girl; for my mamma was so shocked at my appearance that she took the unusual plan of making me sleep in my corset. for the first few weeks i occasionally felt considerable discomfort, owing, in a great measure, to not having worn stays before, and also to their extreme tightness and stiffness. yet, though i was never allowed to slacken them before retiring to rest, they did not in the least interfere with my sleep, nor produce any ill effects whatever. i may mention that my mamma, fearing that, at so late an age, i should have great difficulty in securing a presentable figure, considered ordinary means insufficient, and consequently had my corsets filled with whalebone and furnished with shoulder-straps, to cure the habit of stooping which i had contracted. the busk, which was nearly inflexible, was not front-fastening, and the lace being secured in a hard knot behind and at the top, effectually prevented any attempt on my part to unloose my stays. though i have read lately of this plan having been tried with advantage, i believe it is as yet an unusual one, and as the testimony of one who has undergone it without the least injury to health cannot fail to be of value in proving that the much less severe system usually adopted must be even less likely to do harm, i am sure you will do me and your numerous readers the favour of inserting this letter in your most entertaining and valuable magazine. i am delighted to see the friends of the corset muster so strong at the 'englishwoman's conversazione.' what is most required, however, are the personal experiences of the ladies themselves, and not mere treatises on tight-lacing by those who, like your correspondent brisbane, have never tried it. "mignonette." another correspondent to the same journal (signing herself "débutante") writes in the number for november, 1867, as follows:-"mignonette's case is not an '_unusual_' one. she has just finished her education at a 'west-end school' where the system was strictly enforced. as she entered as a pupil at the age of thirteen and was very slender, she was fitted on her arrival with a corset, which could be drawn close without the extreme tightness found necessary in mignonette's case. they did not open in front, and were fastened by the under-governess in such a manner that any attempt to unlace them during the night would be immediately detected at the morning's inspection. after the first week or two she felt no discomfort or pain of any kind, though, as she was still growing, her stays became proportionately tighter, but owing to her figure never being allowed to enlarge during the nine or ten hours of sleep, as is usually the case, this was almost imperceptible." [illustration: the crinoline of a south sea islander.] madame la sante also refers to the custom as being much more general than is commonly supposed. she says--"several instances of this system in private families have lately come to my own knowledge, and i am acquainted with more than one fashionable school in the neighbourhood of london where the practice is made a rule of the establishment. such a method is doubtlessly resorted to from a sense of duty, and those girls who have been subjected to this discipline, and with whom i have had an opportunity of conversing, say that for the first few months the uneasiness by the continued compression was very considerable, but that after a time they became so accustomed to it that they felt reluctant to discontinue the practice." in the united states of america the ladies often possess figures of remarkable slenderness and elegance, and the term "_illusion_" is not unfrequently applied to a waist of more than ordinary taperness. in a great number of instances the custom above referred to would be found to have mainly contributed to its original formation. the way in which doctors disagree on matters relating to the corset question is most remarkable. the older writers, as we have seen, launched out in the most sweeping and condemnatory manner against almost every article of becoming or attractive attire. corsets were most furiously denounced, and had the qualities which were gravely attributed to them been one-thousandth part as deadly as they were represented, the civilised world would long ere this have been utterly depopulated. when we find such diseases and ailments as the following attributed by authors of supposed talent to the use of the corset, we are no longer surprised at remarks and strictures emanating from similar sources meeting with ridicule and derision: "hooping-cough, obliquity of vision, polypus, apoplexy, stoppage of the nose, pains in the eyes, and earache" are all laid at the door of the stays. we are rather surprised that large ears and wooden legs were not added to the category, as they might have been with an equal show of reason. medical writers of the present day are beginning to take a totally different view of the matter, as the following letter from a surgeon of much experience will show:- "my attention has just been directed to an interesting and important discussion in your magazine on the subject of corsets, and i have been urged as a medical man to give my opinion regarding them. under these circumstances i trust you will allow me to attend the 'englishwoman's conversazione' for once, as medical men are supposed to be the great opponents of the corset. it is no doubt true that those medical men who studied for their profession some thirty or forty years ago are still prejudiced against this elegant article of female dress, for stays were very different things even then to what they are now. the medical works, too, which they studied were written years before, and spoke against the buckram and iron stays of the last century. the name 'stays,' however, being still used at the present time, the same odium still attaches to them in the minds of physicians of the old school. but the rising generation of doctors are free from these prejudices, and fairly judge the light and elegant corsets of the present day on their own merits. in short, it is now generally admitted, and i, for one, freely allow, that moderate compression of the waist by well-made corsets is far from being injurious. it is really absurdly illogical for the opponents of the corset to bring forward quotations from medical writers of the last century, for the animadversions of soemmering are still quoted. let us, however, merely look at facts as they at present stand; statistics prove that there are several thousand more women than men in the united kingdom. a statement in the registrar-general's report of a few years since has been brought forward to prove that corsets produce an enormous mortality from consumption, but these would-be benefactors of the fair sex omit to state how many males die from that disease. if there be any preponderance of deaths among women from consumption, the cause may easily be found in the low dress, the thin shoes, and the sedentary occupations in close rooms, without attributing the blame to the corset. dr. walshe, in his well-known work on diseases of the lungs, distinctly asserts that corsets cannot be accused of causing consumption. with regard to spinal curvature, a disease which has been connected by some writers with the use of stays, an eminent french physician, speaking of corsets, says--'they cannot be charged with causing deviations of the vertebral column.' let us, then, hear no more nonsense about the terrible consequences of wearing corsets, at all events till the ladies return to the buckram and iron of our great-grandmothers. your fair readers may rest assured that what is said against stays at the present day is merely the lingering echo of prejudice, and is quite inapplicable now-a-days to the light and elegant production of the scientific _corsetière_. as a medical man (and not one of the old school) i feel perfectly justified in saying that ladies who are content with a moderate application of the corset may secure that most elegant female charm, a slender waist", without fear of injury to health. "medicus." a great number of ladies who, by the systematic use of the corset, have had their waists reduced to the fashionable standard, are to be constantly met in society. the great majority declare that they have in no way suffered in health from the treatment they had been subjected to. _vide_ the following letter from the _queen_ of july 18, 1863:- "madam,--as i have for a long time been a constant reader of the _lady's journal_, i venture to ask you if you, or any of your valuable correspondents, will kindly tell me if it is true that small waists are again coming into fashion generally? i am aware that they cannot be said to have gone out of fashion altogether, for one often sees very slender figures; but i think during the last few years they have been less thought of than formerly. i have heard, however, from several sources, and by the public prints, that they are again to be _la mode_. now i fortunately possess a figure which will, i hope, satisfy the demand of fashion in this respect. what is the smallest-sized waist that one can have? mine is sixteen and a-half inches, and, i have heard, is considered small. i do not believe what is said against the corset, though i admit that if a girl is an invalid, or has a very tender constitution, too sudden a reduction of the waist may be injurious. with a waist which is, i believe, considered small, i can truly say i have good health. if all that was said against the corset were true, how is it so many ladies live to an advanced age? a friend of mine has lately died at the age of eighty-six, who has frequently told me anecdotes of how in her young days she was laced cruelly tight, and at the age of seventeen had a waist fifteen inches. yet she was eighty-six when she died. i know that it has been so long the habit of public journals to take their example from medical men (who, i contend, are not the best judges in the matter) in running down the corset, and the very legitimate, and, if properly employed, harmless mode of giving a graceful slenderness to the figure, that i can hardly expect that at present you will have courage to take the part of the ladies. but i beg you to be so kind as to tell me what you know of the state of the fashion as regards the length and size of the waist, and whether my waist would be considered small. also what is the smallest-sized waist known among ladies of fashion. by doing this in an early number you will very much oblige, "yours, &c., "constance." the foregoing letter was followed on the 25th of the same month by one from another correspondent to the same paper, fully bearing out the truth of the view therein contained, and at the same time showing the system adopted in many of the french finishing schools:- "madam,--as a constant reader of your highly-interesting and valuable paper, i have ventured to reply to a letter under the above heading from your correspondent constance, contained in your last week's impression. in reply to her first question, there is little doubt, i think, that slender and long waists will ere long be _la mode_. ladies of fashion here who are fortunate enough to possess such enviable and graceful attractions, take most especial care by the arrangement of their toilets to show them off to the very best advantage. a waist of sixteen and a-half-inches would, i am of opinion, be considered, for a lady of fair average size and stature, small enough to satisfy even the most exacting of fashion's votaries. the question as to how small one's waist can be is rather hard to answer, and i am not aware that any standard has yet been laid down on the subject, but an application to any of our fashionable corset-makers for the waist measurement of the smallest sizes made would go far to clear the point up. many of the corsets worn at our late brilliant assemblies were about the size of your correspondent's, and some few, i have been informed, even less. i beg to testify most fully to the truth of the remarks made by constance as to the absurdly-exaggerated statements (evidently made by persons utterly ignorant of the whole matter) touching the dreadfully injurious effects of the corset on the female constitution. my own, and a wide range of other experiences, leads me to a totally different conclusion, and i fully believe that, except in cases of confirmed disease or bad constitution, a well-made and nicely-fitting corset inflicts no more injury than a tight pair of gloves. up to the age of fifteen i was educated at a small provincial school, was suffered to run as nearly wild as could well be, and grew stout, indifferent and careless as to personal appearance, dress, manners, or any of their belongings. family circumstances and change of fortune at this time led my relatives to the conclusion that my education required a continental finish. advantage was therefore taken of the protection offered by some friends about to travel, and i was, with well-filled trunks and a great deal of good advice, packed off to a highly-genteel and fashionable establishment for young ladies, situated in the suburbs of paris. the morning after my arrival i was aroused by the clang of the 'morning bell.' i was in the act of commencing a hurried and by no means an elaborate toilet, when the under-governess, accompanied by a brisk, trim little woman, the bearer of a long cardboard case, made their appearance; corsets of various patterns, as well as silk laces of most portentous length, were at once produced, and a very short time was allowed to elapse before my experiences in the art and mystery of tight-lacing may be fairly said to have commenced. my dresses were all removed, in order that the waists should be taken in and the make altered; a frock was borrowed for me for the day, and from that hour i was subjected to the strict and rigid system of lacing in force through the whole establishment, no relaxation of its discipline being allowed during the day on any pretence whatever. for the period (nearly three years) i remained as a pupil, i may say that my health was excellent, as was that of the great majority of my young companions in 'bondage,' and on taking my departure i had grown from a clumsy girl to a very smart young lady, and my waist was exactly seven inches less than on the day of my arrival. from paris i proceeded at once to join my relatives in the island of mauritius, and on my arrival in the isle sacred to the memories of paul and virginia, i found the reign of 'queen corset' most arbitrary and absolute, but without in any way that i could discover interfering with either the health or vivacity of her exceedingly attractive and pretty subjects. before concluding, and whilst on the subject, a few words on the 'front-fastening corset,' now so generally worn, may not come amiss. after a thorough trial i have finally abandoned its use, as being imperfect and faulty in every way, excepting the very doubtful advantage of being a little more quickly put on and off. split up and open at the front as they are, and only fastening here and there, the whole of the compactness and stability so highly important in this part, of all others, of a corset is all but lost, whilst the ordinary steel busk secures these conditions, to the wearing out of the material of which the corset is composed. the long double-looped round lace used is, i consider, by no means either as neat, secure, or durable as a flat plaited silk lace of good quality. trusting these remarks and replies may prove such as required by constance, i beg to subscribe myself, "fanny." another lady writing to the _queen_ on the same subject in the month of august has a waist under sixteen inches in circumference, as will be seen by the annexed letter, and yet she declares her health to be uninjured:- "dear madam,--i have read with interest the letters of constance and fanny on the subject of slender waists. it is so much the fashion among medical men to cry down tight-lacing that advocates are very daring who venture to uphold the practice. it has ever been in vogue among our sex, and will, i maintain, always continue so long as elegant figures are admired, for the wearing of corsets produces a grace and slenderness which nature never gives, and if the corset is discontinued or relaxed, the figure at once becomes stout and loose. the dress fits better over a close-laced corset, and the fullness of the skirts, and ease of its folds, are greatly enhanced by the slenderness of the waist. my own waist is under sixteen inches. i have always enjoyed good health. why, then, if the practice of tight-lacing is not prejudicial to the constitution of all its votaries, should we be debarred from the means of improving our appearance and attaining an elegant and graceful figure? i quite agree with fanny respecting the front-fastening corset. i consider it objectionable. the figure can never be so neat or slender as in an ordinary well-laced corset. may i inquire what has become of your correspondent mary blackbraid? her partialities for gloves and wigs brought upon her severe remarks from your numerous correspondents. i agree with her in the glove question, and always wear them as much as possible in the house. i find they keep the hands cooler, and in my opinion there is no such finish to the appearance as a well-gloved hand. where i am now staying the ladies invariably wear them, and i have heard gentlemen express their admiration of the practice. i have worn them to sleep in for some years, and never found any inconvenience. pardon me trespassing so much on your space, but your interesting paper is the only one open to our defence from the strictures of the over-particular. "eliza." the following letter from the columns of the _queen_ contains much matter bearing immediately on the subject, and will no doubt be of interest to the reader:- "madam,--i am sure your numerous readers will thank you for your kindness in publishing so impartially the correspondence you have received on the subject of the corset, and as the question is one of great importance, and moreover one on which much difference of opinion seems to exist, i trust you will continue to give us the benefit of your correspondents' remarks. "when i read the very _àpropos_ letter of constance, and the excellent letter of fanny in reply, i was quite prepared to see in your last number some strong expressions of opinion against this most becoming fashion; but i think that they, as well as eliza, need not be discouraged by the formidable opposition they have met with, and i beg you will afford me space for a few lines, in order to refute the arguments of the anti-corset party, in your valuable journal. "much as i, in common with all your readers, delight in reading mr. frank buckland's articles, i really cannot agree with him in his view of the subject. in the first place, i really must question his authority in the matter, for i am convinced that it is only those who have experienced the comfortable support afforded by a well-made corset who are entitled to pronounce their opinion. what can mr. buckland, or any one not of the corset-wearing sex, know of the practical operation of this indispensable article of female attire? i will not attempt so arduous a task as that of disproving all that mr. combe and his professional brethren have written against tight-lacing; i am even willing to admit that there may be persons so constituted that the attainment of a graceful slenderness would be injurious; but these are the exceptions, not the rule. the remarks of the faculty are founded principally on theory, backed up by an occasional case which might very often be referred to some other cause with equal justice. but who does not know that practice often belies theory, or that theory is frequently at fault? slender waists have been in fashion for several hundred years, and for the purposes of my argument i will refer to a period thirty or forty years ago. no one then thought of questioning the absolute necessity of attaining a slender figure by the instrumentality of the corset. if, let me ask mr. buckland and your other correspondents, theory be true that torture and death are the result, how does it happen not only that there are millions of healthy middle-aged ladies among us now, but that the female population actually exceeds the male? by what wonderful means have they continued to exist and enjoy such perfect health, while such a terrible engine of destruction as the corset was at work upon their frames? if all that theory said against the corset were true, not a thousand women would now be left alive. "i cannot avoid troubling you a little further while i descend more into details. spinal curvature, it is said, is caused by wearing stays. but what kind of stays were they which produced this result, and were no other causes discernible? i think that in every instance it would be found that the stays have been badly made, that they have not been properly laced, or that the busk and materials have not been sufficiently firm. "in addition to this, girls are too often compelled to maintain an erect position on a form or a music-stool for too long a time during school hours. if the corset is properly made, a young lady may be allowed to lean back in her chair without danger of acquiring lounging habits or injuring her figure. it is to this over-tiring of the muscles that all spinal curvature is attributable, and not to the stays, which, if properly employed, would act as a sure preventative. again, let me ask any one of the opposite sex who, at any rate at the present day, do not wear stays, whether they have never experienced 'palpitation or flushings,' headaches, and red noses? what right has any one to make these special attendants on small-waisted ladies? there is no more danger of incurring these evils than by a gentleman wearing a hat. well may the old lady have 'forgotten' these little items in her anecdotes. the comparison between the human frame and a watch is correct in some respects, but it is particularly unhappy in relation to the present subject. the works of a watch are hard and unyielding, and not being possessed of life and power of growing, cannot adapt themselves to their outer case. if you squeeze in the case the works will be broken and put out of order; far different is it with the supple and growing frame of a young girl. if the various organs are prevented from taking a certain form or direction, they will accommodate themselves to any other with perfect ease. nothing is broken or interfered with in its action. i will, of course, allow that if a fully-grown woman were to attempt to reduce her waist suddenly, respiration and digestion would be stopped; but it is rarely, if ever, that a lady arrives at maturity before she has imbibed sufficient notions of elegance and propriety to induce her to conform to this becoming fashion to some extent. happy indeed those who are blessed with mothers who are wise enough to educate their daughters' figures with an eye to their future comfort. the constant discomfort felt by those whose clumsy waists and exuberant forms are a perpetual bugbear to their happiness and advancement should warn mothers of the necessity of looking to the future, and by directing their figures successfully while young, avoid the unsuccessful attempts to force them at an advanced age. one word more on the question. is a small waist admired by the gentlemen? mr. buckland, it seems, has become so imbued with mr. combe's ideas against tight-lacing, that he looks upon a slender waist with feelings evidently far from admiration. but is this any reason or authority for concluding that every gentleman of taste is of a like opinion? on the contrary, i think it goes far to prove that it is other than the younger class of gentlemen (for whom, of course, the ladies lay their attractions) who run down the corset. many times in fashionable assemblies have i heard gentlemen criticising the young ladies in such terms as these;--'what a clumsy figure miss---is! it completely spoils her.' 'what a pity miss---has not a neater figure!' and so on, and i believe there is not one young man in a thousand who does not admire a graceful slenderness of the waist. what young man cares to dance with girls who resemble casks in form? i have invariably noticed that the girls with the smallest waists are the queens of the ball-room. i have not space to enter into the discussion as to whether the artificial waist is more beautiful than that of the venus de medici; on such matters every one forms their own opinions. the waist of the venus is beautiful for the venus, but would cease to be so if clothed. i maintain that the comparison is not a good one, as the circumstances are not equal. in other respects, let the ladies, then, not be led to make themselves ungraceful and unattractive by listening to theories which are contradicted by practice, promulgated by persons ignorant, as far as their personal experience goes, of the operation and effect of corsets, and taken up by ladies and gentlemen, not of the youngest, who, like your country subscriber, are past the age when the pleasantest excitements of life form topics of interest. is it not natural that a young lady should be anxious to present a sylph-like form instead of appearing matronly? there are some to whom the words 'tight lacing' suggest immediately what they are pleased to term 'torture,' 'misery,' &c., but who have never taken the trouble to inquire into the subject, preferring the far easier way of taking for granted that all that has been said against it is true. when such would-be benefactors to the fair sex hear of a sudden death, or see a lady faint at a ball or a theatre, they immediately raise the cry of 'tight-lacing!' an instance occurred not long ago in which, in a public journal, the sudden death of a young lady was ascribed to this cause, but in a few days afterwards was expressly contradicted in a paragraph of the same paper. do we never hear of men dying suddenly, or fainting away from overheat? that small waists are the fashion admits of no doubt, for i have myself applied to several fashionable corset-makers in london and the principal fashionable resorts to ascertain whether it be the case. i gather from their information that small waists are most unmistakably the fashion; that there are more corsets made to order under eighteen inches than over that measurement; that the smallest size is usually fifteen inches, though few possess so elegantly small a waist, the majority being about seventeen or eighteen inches; that the ladies are now beginning to see that the front-fastening busk is not so good as the old-fashioned kind, and have their daughters' corsets well boned. many also prefer shoulder-straps for the stays of growing girls, which keep the chest expanded, and prevent their leaning too much on the busk. if these are not too tight they are very advantageous to the figure, and the upper part of the corset should just fit, but not be tight. a corset made on these principles will cause no injury to health, unless the girl is naturally of a consumptive constitution, in which case no one would think of lacing at all tightly. "i must apologise for this long letter, but i felt bound to take advantage of the opportunity you afford to discuss this really important question. "i remain, madam, yours, "admirer." chapter viii. the elegant figure of the empress of austria--slender waists the fashion in vienna--the small size of corsets frequently made in london--letter from the _queen_ on small waists--remarks on the portrait of the empress of austria in the exhibition--diminutive waist of lady morton--general remarks on the figure--remarks on figure-training by the use of stays--mode of constructing corsets for growing girls--tight-lacing abolished by the early use of well-constructed corsets--boarding-school discipline and extreme tight-lacing--letter in praise of tight corsets--letter in praise of crinoline and corsets--another letter on boarding-school discipline and figure-training--the waist of fashion contrasted with that of the venus de medici--a fashionably-dressed statue--clumsy figures a serious drawback to young ladies--letter from a lady, who habitually laces with extreme tightness, in praise of the corset--opinions of a young baronet on slender waists; letter from a family man on the same subject. as most of our readers will be aware, the much-admired empress of austria has been long celebrated for possessing a waist of sixteen inches in circumference, and a friend of ours, who has recently had unusual opportunities afforded for judging of the fashionable world of vienna, assures us that waists of equal slenderness are by no means uncommon. we are also informed by one of the first west-end corset-makers that sixteen inches is a size not unfrequently made in london. much valuable and interesting information can be gathered from the following letter from a talented correspondent of the _queen_ a few months ago:- "corsets and small waists. "i am a constant reader of the _queen_, and look forward with anxiety for more of the very interesting letters on the corset question which you are so obliging as to insert in your paper. i know many who take as much pleasure in reading them as myself, for the subject is one on which both health and beauty greatly depend. all who visited the picture-gallery in the exhibition of 1862 must have seen an exquisitely-painted portrait of the beautiful empress of austria, and though it did not show the waist in the most favourable position, some idea may be formed of its elegant slenderness and easy grace. many were the remarks made upon it by all classes of critics while i seated myself opposite the picture for a few minutes. i should like any one who maintains that small waists are not generally admired to have taken up the position which i did for half-an-hour, and i am sure she would soon find her opinion unsupported by facts; your correspondents, however, are at fault in supposing that sixteen inches is the smallest waist that the world has almost ever known. lady babbage, in her _collection of curiosities_, tells us that in a portrait of lady morton, in the possession of lord dillon, the waist cannot exceed ten or twelve inches in circumference, and at the largest part immediately beneath the armpits not more than twenty-four, and the immense length of the figure seems to give it the appearance of even greater slenderness. catherine de medici considered the standard of perfection to be thirteen inches. it is scarcely to be supposed that any lady of the present day possesses such an absurdly small waist as thirteen inches, but i am certain that not a few could be found whose waistband does not exceed fifteen inches and three-quarters or sixteen inches. much depends on the height and width of the shoulders; narrow shoulders generally admit of a small waist, and many tall women are naturally so slender as to be able to show a small waist with very little lacing. it is needless to remark how much depends on the corset. your correspondent, a. h. turnour, says that the long corsets, if well pulled in at the waist, compress one cruelly all the way up, and cause the shoulders to deport themselves awkwardly and stiffly. now, no corset will be able to do this if constructed as it should be. i believe the great fault to be that when the corset is laced on it is very generally open an inch or so from top to bottom. the consequence of this is, that when the wearer is sitting down, and the pressure on the waist the greatest, the tendency is to pull the less tightly drawn lace at the top of the corset tighter; on changing the posture this does not right itself, and consequently an unnecessary and injurious compression round the chest is experienced. now, if the corset, when fitted, were so made that it should meet all the way, or at any rate _above_ and _below_ the waist, when laced on, this evil would be entirely avoided, and absence of compression round the upper part of the chest would give an increased appearance of slenderness to the waist and allow the lungs as much play as the waistbands. there seems to be an idea that when the corset is made to meet it gives a stiffness to the figure. in the days of buckram this might be the case, but no such effect need be feared from the light and flexible stays of the present day, and the fault which frequently leads to the fear of wearing corsets which do not meet is, that the formation of the waist is not begun early enough. the consequence of this is, that the waist has to be _compressed_ into a slender shape after it has been allowed to swell, and the stays are therefore made so as to allow of being laced tighter and tighter. now i am persuaded that much inconvenience is caused by this practice, which might be entirely avoided by the following simple plan, which i have myself tried with my own daughters, and have found to answer admirably. at the age of seven i had them fitted with stays without much bone and a flexible busk, and these were made to meet from top to bottom when laced, and so as not to exercise the least pressure round the chest and beneath the waist, and only a very _slight_ pressure at the waist, just enough to show off the figure and give it a roundness. to prevent the stays from slipping, easy shoulder-straps were added. in front, extending from the top more than half way to the waist, were two sets of lace-holes, by which the stays could be enlarged round the upper part. as my daughters grew, these permitted of my always preventing any undue pressure, but i always laced the stays so as to meet behind. when new ones were required they were made exactly the same size at the waist, but as large round the upper part as the gradual enlargement had made the former pair. they were also of course made a little longer, and the position of the shoulder-straps slightly altered; by these means their figures were directed instead of forced into a slender shape; no inconvenience was felt, and my daughters, i am happy to say, are straight, and enjoy perfect health, while the waist of the eldest is eighteen inches, and that of the youngest seventeen. i am convinced that my plan is the most reasonable one that can be adopted. by this means '_tight-lacing_' will be abolished, for no tight-lacing or compression is required, and the child, being accustomed to the stays from an early age, does not experience any of the inconveniences which are sometimes felt by those who do not adopt them till twelve or fourteen. "a former correspondent (edinburgh)." the advisability of training instead of forcing the figure into slenderness is now becoming almost universally admitted by those who have paid any attention to the subject; yet it appears from the following letters, which appeared in the _englishwoman's domestic magazine_ of january and february, 1868, that the corset, even when employed at a comparatively late period of life, is capable of reducing the size of the waist in an extraordinary manner, without causing the serious consequences which it has so long been the custom to associate with the practice of tight-lacing. a tight-lacer expresses herself to the following effect:--"most of your correspondents advocate the early use of the corset as the best means to secure a slender waist. no doubt this is the best and most easy mode, but still i think there are many young ladies who have never worn tight stays who might have small waists even now if they would only give themselves the trouble. i did not commence to lace tightly until i was married, nor should i have done so then had not my husband been so particularly fond of a small waist; but i was determined not to lose one atom of his affection for the sake of a little trouble. i could not bear to think of him liking any one else's figure better than mine, consequently, although my waist measured twenty-three inches, i went and ordered a pair of stays, made very strong and filled with stiff bone, measuring only fourteen inches round the waist. these, with the assistance of my maid, i put on, and managed the first day to lace my waist in to eighteen inches. at night i slept in my corset without loosing the lace in the least. the next day my maid got my waist to seventeen inches, and so on, an inch smaller every day, until she got them to meet. i wore them regularly without ever taking them off, having them tightened afresh every day, as the laces might stretch a little. they did not open in front, so that i could not undo them if i had wanted. for the first few days the pain was very great, but as soon as the stays were laced close, and i had worn them so for a few days, i began to care nothing about it, and in a month or so i would not have taken them off on any account, for i quite enjoyed the sensation, and when i let my husband see me with a dress to fit i was amply repaid for my trouble; and although i am now grown older, and the fresh bloom of youth is gone from my cheek, still my figure remains the same, which is a charm age will not rob me of. i have never had cause to regret the step i took." another lady says--"a correspondent in the october number of your magazine states that her waist is only thirteen inches round, but she does not state her height. my waist is only twelve inches round; but then, although i am eighteen years old, i am only four feet five inches in height, so that my waist is never noticed as small; while my elder sister (whose height is five feet eight inches) is considered to have a very nice figure, though her waist is twenty-three inches round. i am glad to have an opportunity of expressing my opinions on the subject of tight-lacing. i quite agree with those who think it perfectly necessary with the present style of dress (which style i hope is likely to continue). i believe every one admires the effect of tight-lacing, though they may not approve in theory. my father always used to declaim loudly against stays of any kind, so my sister and i were suffered to grow up without any attention being paid to our figures, and with all our clothes made perfectly loose, till my sister was eighteen and i fifteen years old, when papa, after accompanying us to some party, made some remarks on the clumsiness of our figures, and the ill-fitting make of our dresses. fortunately, it was not too late. mamma immediately had well-fitting corsets made for us, and as we were both anxious to have small waists we tightened each other's laces four and five times a day for more than a year; now we only tighten them (after the morning) when we are going to a party." as it has been most justly remarked, no description of evidence can be so conclusive as that of those whose daily and hourly experience brings them in contact with the matter under discussion, and we append here a letter from a correspondent to the _englishwoman's domestic magazine_ of may, 1867, giving her boarding-school experience in the matter of extreme tight-lacing:-nora says--"i venture to trouble you with a few particulars on the subject of 'tight-lacing,' having seen a letter in your march number inviting correspondence on the matter. i was placed at the age of fifteen at a fashionable school in london, and there it was the custom for the waists of the pupils to be reduced one inch per month until they were what the lady principal considered small enough. when i left school at seventeen, my waist measured only thirteen inches, it having been formerly twenty-three inches in circumference. every morning one of the maids used to come to assist us to dress, and a governess superintended to see that our corsets were drawn as tight as possible. after the first few minutes every morning i felt no pain, and the only ill effects apparently were occasional headaches and loss of appetite. i should be glad if you will inform me if it is possible for girls to have a waist of fashionable size and yet preserve their health. very few of my fellow-pupils appeared to suffer, except the pain caused by the extreme tightness of the stays. in one case where the girl was stout and largely built, two strong maids were obliged to use their utmost force to make her waist the size ordered by the lady principal--viz., seventeen inches--and though she fainted twice while the stays were being made to meet, she wore them without seeming injury to her health, and before she left school she had a waist measuring only fourteen inches, yet she never suffered a day's illness. generally all the blame is laid by parents on the principal of the school, but it is often a subject of the greatest rivalry among the girls to see which can get the smallest waist, and often while the servant was drawing in the waist of my friend to the utmost of her strength, the young lady, though being tightened till she had hardly breath to speak, would urge the maid to pull the stays yet closer, and tell her not to let the lace slip in the least. i think this is a subject which is not sufficiently understood. though i have always heard tight-lacing condemned, i have never suffered any ill effects myself, and, as a rule, our school was singularly free from illness. by publishing this side of the question in the _englishwoman's domestic magazine_ you will greatly oblige." cases like the foregoing are most important and remarkable, as they show most indisputably that loss of health is not so inseparably associated with even the most unflinching application of the corset as the world has been led to suppose. it rather appears that although a very considerable amount of inconvenience and uneasiness is experienced by those who are unaccustomed to the reducing and restraining influences of the corset, when adopted at rather a late period of growth, they not only in a short time cease to suffer, but of their own free will continue the practice and become partial to it. thus writes an edinburgh lady, who incloses her card, to the _englishwoman's domestic magazine_ of march, 1867:- "i have been abroad for the last four years, during which i left my daughter at a large and fashionable boarding-school near london. i sent for her home directly i arrived, and, having had no bad accounts of her health during my absence, i expected to see a fresh rosy girl of seventeen come bounding to welcome me. what, then, was my surprise to see a tall, pale young lady glide slowly in with measured gait and languidly embrace me; when she had removed her mantle i understood at once what had been mainly instrumental in metamorphosing my merry romping girl to a pale fashionable belle. her waist had, during the four years she had been at school, been reduced to such absurdly small dimensions that i could easily have clasped it with my two hands. 'how could you be so foolish,' i exclaimed, 'as to sacrifice your health for the sake of a fashionable figure?' 'please don't blame me, mamma,' she replied, 'i assure you i would not have voluntarily submitted to the torture i have suffered for all the admiration in the world.' she then told me how the most merciless system of tight-lacing was the rule of the establishment, and how she and her forty or fifty fellow-pupils had been daily imprisoned in vices of whalebone drawn tight by the muscular arms of sturdy waiting-maids, till the fashionable standard of tenuity was attained. the torture at first was, she declared, often intolerable; but all entreaties were vain, as no relaxation of the cruel laces was allowed during the day under any pretext except decided illness. 'but why did you not complain to me at first?' i inquired. 'as soon as i found to what a system of torture i was condemned,' she replied, 'i wrote a long letter to you describing my sufferings, and praying you to take me away. but the lady principal made it a rule to revise all letters sent by, or received by, the pupils, and when she saw mine she not only refused to let it pass, but punished me severely for rebelling against the discipline of the school.' 'at least you will now obtain relief from your sufferings,' i exclaimed, 'for you shall not go back to that school any more.' on attempting to discontinue the tight-lacing, however, my daughter found that she had been so weakened by the severe pressure of the last four years that her muscles were powerless to support her, and she has therefore been compelled to lace as tight as ever, or nearly so. she says, however, that she does not suffer much inconvenience now, or, indeed, after the first two years--so wonderful is the power of nature to accommodate herself to circumstances. the mischief is done; her muscles have been, so to speak, murdered, and she must submit for life to be incased in a stiff panoply of whalebone and steel, and all this torture and misery for what?--merely to attract admiration for her small waist. i called on the lady principal of the establishment the next day, and was told that very few ladies objected to their daughters having their figures improved, that small waists were just now as fashionable as ever, and that no young lady could go into good society with a coarse, clumsy waist like a rustic, that she had always given great satisfaction by her system, which she assured me required unremitting perseverance and strictness, owing to the obstinacy of young girls, and the difficulty of making them understand the importance of a good figure. finding that i could not touch the heart of this female inquisitor, who was so blinded by fashion, i determined to write to you and inform your readers of the system adopted in fashionable boarding-schools, so that if they do not wish their daughters tortured into wasp-waisted invalids they may avoid sending them to schools where the corset-screw is an institution of the establishment." and on the appearance of her letter it was replied to by another lady, who writes as follows:- "in reply to the invitation from the lady from edinburgh to a discussion on the popular system amongst our sex of compression of the waist, when requisite to attain elegance of figure, i beg to say that i am inclined, from the tone of her letter, to consider her an advocate of the system she at first sight appears to condemn. this conviction of mine may arise from my own partiality to the practice of tight-lacing, but the manner in which she puts the question almost inclines me to believe that she is, as a corset-maker, financially interested in the general adoption of the corset-screw. her account of the whole affair seems so artificial, so made up for a purpose, so to speak, that i, for one, am inclined to totally discredit it. a waist 'easily clasped with two hands.' ye powers! what perfection! how delightful! i declare that ever since i read that i have worn a pair of stays that i had rejected for being too small for me, as they did not quite meet behind (and i can't bear a pair that i cannot closely lace), and have submitted to an extra amount of muscular exertion from my maid in order to approach, if ever so distantly, the delightful dimensions of two handsful. then, again, how charmingly she insinuates that if we will only persevere, only submit to a short probationary period of torture, the hated compression (but desired attenuation) will have become a second nature to us, that not only will it not inconvenience us, but possibly we shall be obliged, for comfort's sake itself, to continue the practice. now, madam, as a part of the present whole of modern dress, every one must admit that a slender waist is a great acquisition, and from my own experience and the experience of several young lady friends similarly addicted to guide me, i beg to pronounce the so-called evils of tight-lacing to be a mere bugbear and so much cant. every woman has the remedy in her own hands. if she feels the practice to be an injury to her, she can but discontinue it at any time. to me the sensation of being tightly laced in a pair of elegant, well-made, tightly-fitting corsets is superb, and i have never felt any evil to arise therefrom. i rejoice in quite a collection of these much-abused objects--in silk, satin, and coutil of every style and colour--and never feel prouder or happier, so far as matters of the toilette are concerned, than when i survey in myself the fascinating undulations of outline. "staylace." then follows a letter rather calculated to cast doubt on the subject of the sufferings of the young lady whose case has been described, from a lady who, although possessing a small waist, knows nothing of them. thus she writes:- "please let me join in the all-absorbing discussion you have introduced at the englishwoman's monthly conversazione, and let me first thank staylace for her capital letter. i quite agree with her in suspecting the story of the young lady at the boarding-school to be overdrawn a little. would the young lady herself oblige us with a description of her 'tortures,' as i and several of my friends who follow the present fashion of small waists are curious to know something of them, having never experienced these terrible sufferings, though my waistband measures only eighteen inches? the truth is, there are always a number of fussy middle-aged people who (with the best intentions, no doubt) are always abusing some article of female dress. the best of it is, these benevolent individuals are usually of that sex whose costume precludes them from making a personal trial of the articles they condemn. now it is the crinoline which draws forth their indignant outcries, now the corset, and now the chignon. they know not from their own experience how the crinoline relieves us from the weight of many under-skirts, and prevents them from clinging to us while walking, and they have never felt the comfortable support of a well-made corset. yet they decry the use of the first as unaccountable, and of the second as suicidal. let me tell them, however, that the ladies themselves judge from practice and not from theory, and if the opponents of the corset require proof of this, let me remind them that compression of the waist has been more or less universal throughout the civilised world for three or four centuries, in spite of reams of paper and gallons of printing-ink. i may add that, for my own part, i have always laced tightly, and have always enjoyed good health. allow me to recommend ladies to have their corsets made to measure, and if they do not feel they suffer any inconvenience, they may certainly take the example of your clever correspondent staylace, and look upon the outcry as a 'bugbear and so much cant.' "belle." thus called on, the young lady herself writes and confirms, as it will be seen, the statements of others, that the late use of the corset is the main source of pain on its first adoption; and the statement she makes that her waist is so much admired that she sometimes forgets the pain passed through in attaining it, coupled with the confession that she is not in ill-health, gives her letter strong significance. here it is in its integrity:- "in last month's number of your valuable magazine you were kind enough to publish a letter from my mamma on the subject of tight-lacing, and as your correspondent staylace says she is inclined to think the whole story made up for a purpose, mamma has requested me to write and confirm what she stated in her letter. it seems wonderful to me how your correspondent can lace so tightly and never feel any inconvenience. it may be, very likely, owing to her having begun very young. in my case i can only say i suffered sometimes perfect torture from my stays, especially after dinner, not that i ate heartily, for that i found impossible, even if we had been allowed to do so by our schoolmistress, who considered it unladylike. the great difference between your correspondent staylace and myself seems to be that she was incased in corsets at an early age, and thus became gradually accustomed to tight-lacing, while i did not wear them till i went to school at fourteen, and i did not wear them voluntarily. of course it is impossible to say whether i underwent greater pressure than she has. i think i must have done so, for my waist had grown large before it was subjected to the lacing, and had to be reduced to its present tenuity, whereas, if she began stays earlier, that would have prevented her figure from growing so large. perhaps staylace will be so kind as to say whether she began stays early, or at any rate before fourteen, and what is the size of her waist and her height? one reason why she does not feel any inconvenience from tight corsets may be that, when she feels disposed, she may loosen them, and thus prevent any pain from coming on. but when i was at school i was not allowed to loosen them in the least, however much they distressed me, so that what was in the morning merely a feeling of irksome pressure, became towards the end of the day a regular torture. i quite admit that slender waists are beautiful--in fact, my own waist is so much admired that i sometimes forget the pain i underwent in attaining it. i am also quite ready to confess i am not in ill-health, though i often feel languid and disinclined for walking out. nor do i think a girl whose constitution is sound would suffer any injury to her health from moderate lacing, but i must beg that you will allow me to declare that when stays are not worn till fourteen years of age, very tight lacing causes absolute torture for the first few months, and it was principally to deter ladies from subjecting their daughters to this pain in similar cases that mamma wrote to you. i am sure any young lady who has (like myself) begun tight-lacing rather late will corroborate what i have said, and i hope some will come forward and do so, now you so kindly give the opportunity." much ill-deserved blame has been from time to time cast on the lady principals of fashionable schools for insisting on the strict use of the corset by the young ladies in their charge. the following letter from a schoolmistress of great experience, and another from a young lady who has finished her education at a fashionable boarding-school, will at once serve to show that the measures adopted by the heads of these establishments for the obtainment of elegant figures are in the end fully appreciated by those who have been fortunate enough to profit by them. a schoolmistress correspondent says--"as a regular subscriber to your valuable magazine, i see you have invited your numerous readers to discuss the subject brought forward by a correspondent in edinburgh, and as the principal of a large ladies' school in that city, i feel sure you will kindly allow me space to say a few words in reply to her letter. in the first place it must be apparent that your correspondent committed a great mistake in placing her daughter at a fashionable school if she did not wish her to become a fashionable belle, or she should at least have given instructions that her daughter should not have her figure trained in what every one knows is the fashionable style. for my own part i have always paid particular attention to the figures of the young ladies intrusted to my care, and being fully convinced that if the general health is properly attended to, corsets are far from being the dreadfully hurtful things some people imagine. i have never hesitated to employ this most important and elegant article of dress, except in one case where the pupil was of a consumptive tendency, and i was specially requested not to allow her to dress at all tightly. all my pupils enjoy good health, my great secret being regular exercise, a point which is almost always disregarded. it appears from your correspondent's letter that the young lady did not experience any inconvenience after the first two years she was at the school, nor does her mother say her health was affected. she only complains that she is no longer a 'romping girl.' now, no young lady of eighteen who expects to move in fashionable society would wish to be thought a romping schoolgirl. with regard to the slight pain in the muscles which the young lady described as 'torture,' this was no doubt caused by her not having been accustomed by degrees to a close-fitting dress before she went to the school. i find that girls who have commenced the use of stays at an early age, and become gradually used to them, do not experience any uneasiness when they are worn tighter at fourteen or fifteen. there can be no doubt that a slender figure is as much admired as ever, and always will be so. the present fashion of short waists is admitted on all hands to be very ugly, and will soon go out. those girls, then, who have not had their figures properly attended to while growing will be unable to reduce their waists when the fashion changes, whereas, by proper care now, they will be able to adopt the fashion of longer waists without any inconvenience. i trust you will allow us schoolmistresses fair play in this important matter, and insert this, or part of it, in your magazine." mignon says--"dear mrs. englishwoman,--i beg--i pray--that you will not close your delightful conversazione to the tight-lacing question: it is an absorbing one; hundreds, thousands of your young lady readers are deeply interested in this matter, and the subscribers to your excellent magazine are increasing daily, to my own knowledge, by reason of this interesting controversy; pray wait a little, and you will see how the tight-lacers and their gentlemen admirers will rally round the banner that has been unfurled. there is an attempt being made to introduce the hideous fashion of the 'empire,' as it is called. why should we, who have been disciplined at home and at school, and laced tighter and tighter month after month, until our waists have become 'small by degrees and beautifully less,' be expected to hide our figures (which we know are admired) under such atrocious drapery? my stay and dress maker both tell me that it is only the ill-formed and waistless ones that have taken to the fashion; such, of course, are well pleased, and will have no objection to have their waistbands as high as their armpits. angular and rigid figures have always pretended to sneer at tight-lacers, but any one of them would give half, nay, their whole fortune to attain to such small dimensions as some of your correspondents describe. i shall keep my waist where nature has placed it, and where art has improved it, for my own comfort, and because a certain friend has said that he never could survive if it were any larger or shorter. my waist remains just as it was a year and a-half ago, when i left school, where in the course of three years it was by imperceptible degrees laced from twenty to fifteen inches, not only without injury to health but with great satisfaction and comfort to myself." it has been much the fashion amongst those who have written in condemnation of the use of the corset to contrast the figure of the venus de medici with that of a fashionably-dressed lady of the present day; but the comparison is anything but a happy one, as it would be quite as reasonable to insist that because the sandalled and stockingless foot of the lady of ancient greece was statuesque in contour when forming a portion of a statue, it should be substituted for the fashionable boot or slipper and silk stocking of the present day. that perfection itself in the sculptor's art when draped in fashionable attire would become supremely grotesque and ridiculous was not long since fully proved by actual experiment. a former contributor to the columns of the _queen_, who at one time followed the medical profession, felt so convinced of the claims to admiration possessed by the classic order of form, that he obtained a copy of the greek slave, and had it draped by a first-rate milliner, who made use of all the modern appliances of the toilet, corset and crinoline included. the result was that dress made a perfect fright of her, and the disappointed experimentalist candidly confessed that he did not like her half as well as he had done. the waist was disproportionately thick, and the whole _tout ensemble_ dowdy in the extreme. no fallacy can be greater than to apply the rules of ancient art to modern costume. thus writes an artist in the _englishwoman's domestic magazine_ of september, 1867:- "i do not for a moment deny the truth of your artist correspondent's assertions, for i consider, as every one must, that the proportions of the human body are the most beautiful in creation (where all is beautiful and correct), but the great mistake which so many make is this. in civilised countries the body is always clothed; and that clothing, especially of the ladies of european nations, completely hides the contour of the body. the effect of this is to give great clumsiness to the waist when that part of the person is of its natural size. let any one make a fair and unprejudiced trial, such as this: let him get a statuette of some celebrated antique, the venus de medici or the greek slave, and have it dressed in an ordinary dress of the present day, and see what the effect really is. until fashion, in its ever-changing round, returns to the costume of ancient greece or rome, we can never expect to persuade ladies not to compress their waists merely on the score of beauty; and as several of your correspondents have shown that a moderate compression is not so injurious as some supposed, there is no chance of the corset becoming an obsolete article of female dress. it has been in use for seven or eight hundred years, and now that its form and construction are so much modified and improved, there need be no longer an outcry against it; indeed, outcry has for centuries failed to affect it, though other articles of dress have become in their turn obsolete, a clear proof that there is something more than mere arbitrary fashion in its hold upon the fair sex." another gentleman, not an artist, but whose sisters now suffer from all the annoyances consequent on clumsy, ill-trained figures, thus writes to the _englishwoman's domestic magazine_ of september, 1867:- "though the subject on which i propose to address to you a few observations hardly concerns a man, i hope you will allow me a little space in your excellent journal to express my views upon it. i have been much interested by reading the correspondence on the subject of slender waists, and the means used for attaining them. now, there can be no doubt that gentlemen admire those figures the most which have attained the greatest slenderness. i think there is no more deplorable sight than a large and clumsy waist; and as nature, without assistance from art, seldom produces a really small waist, i think those mothers and schoolmistresses who insist upon their daughters or pupils between the ages of ten and seventeen wearing well-made corsets, and having them tightly laced, confer upon the young ladies a great benefit, which, though they may not appreciate at the time, they will when they go out into society. certainly some of your correspondents seem to have fallen into the hands of schoolmistresses thoroughly aware of the advantages of a good figure--a waist that two hands can easily clasp is certainly a marvel. i never had the good fortune to see such a one, yet one of your correspondents assures us that her daughter's was no larger than that. nora, too, says that her waist only measured thirteen inches when she left school; this seems to me to be miraculously small. most gentlemen do not think much about the means used for attaining a fashionable figure, and i should not have done so either if i had not heard it a good deal discussed in my family, where my sisters were never allowed to lace at all tightly, the consequence of which is, that now that they are grown up they have very clumsy figures, much to their regret; but it is too late to alter them now. as doctors seem to think that the dangers of tight-lacing have been much exaggerated, and as i know many ladies with very slender waists enjoying quite as good health as their more strongly built sisters, i would urge upon all who wish to have good figures not to be deterred by alarmists from endeavouring gradually to attain an elegant shape." it is most remarkable that, notwithstanding the number of letters which have been published casting condemnation and ridicule on those who wear corsets, not one can we discover containing the personal experiences of those who have been anything but temporary sufferers from even their extreme use, whilst such letters as the following, which appeared in the _englishwoman's domestic magazine_ of august, 1867, are of a nature to lead to the conclusion that unless the germs of disease of some kind are rooted in the system, a well-made and perfectly-fitting corset may be worn with impunity, even when habitually laced with considerable tightness. the lady thus gives her own experiences and those of her daughters:- "from the absence of any correspondence on the all-important topic of tight-lacing in your august number, i very much fear that the subject has come to an end. if so, many other subscribers besides myself will be very sorry for it. i cannot tell you what pleasure it gave me to see the sentiments that were expressed by so many who, like myself, are addicted to the practice of tight-lacing, and as for many years i have been in the habit of lacing extremely tight, i trust that you will allow me, by inserting this or part of it, to make known that i have never suffered any pain or illness from it. in the days when i was a schoolgirl, stays were worn much stiffer and higher than the flimsy things now used, and were, besides, provided with shoulder-straps, so that to be very tightly incased in them was a much more serious affair than at the present day.[3] but, nevertheless, i remember our governess would insist on the greatest possible amount of constriction being used, and always twice a day our stays were tightened still more. a great amount of exercise was inculcated, which perhaps did away with any ill effects this extreme tight-lacing might have occasioned, but while at school i imbibed a liking for the practice, and have ever since insisted on my maid lacing me as tightly as she possibly can. i quite agree with staylace in saying that to be tightly laced in a pair of tight-fitting stays is a most superb sensation. my two daughters, aged respectively sixteen and eighteen, are brought up in the same way, and would not consider themselves properly dressed unless their stays were drawn together. they can bear me out in my favourable opinion of tight-lacing, and their good health speaks volumes in its praise. i hope, madam, you will kindly insert this letter in your valuable and largely-circulated magazine." [3] fairholt remarks, in speaking of the discipline observed in schools during the reign of george iii.--"it was the fashion to educate girls in stiffness of manner at all public schools, and particularly to cultivate a fall of the shoulders and an upright set of the bust. the top of the steel stay busk had a long stocking-needle attached to it to prevent girls from spoiling their shape by stooping too much over their needlework. this i have heard from a lady since dead who had often felt these gentle hints and lamented their disuse." many opponents to the use of the corset have strongly urged the somewhat weak argument, that ladies with slender waists are not generally admired by the gentlemen. that question has been ably dealt with in one or two of the preceding letters from ladies, and it is but fair to them that the opinions of both the young and old of the male sex (candidly communicated to the columns of the _englishwoman's domestic magazine_) should be added to the weight of evidence in favour of almost universal admiration for a slender and well-rounded waist. thus writes a young baronet in the number for october, 1867:-"as you have given your readers the benefit of another correspondent's excellent letter will you kindly allow another member of the sterner sex to give his opinion on the subject of small waists? those who have endeavoured to abolish this most becoming fashion have not hesitated to declare that gentlemen do not care for a slender figure, but that, on the contrary, their only feeling on beholding a waist of eighteen inches is one of pity and contempt. now so far from this being the case, there is not one gentleman in a thousand who is not charmed with the sight. elderly gentlemen, no doubt, may be found who look upon such things as 'vanity and vexation of spirit;' but is it for these that young ladies usually cultivate their charms? there is one suggestion i should be glad to make if you will permit me, and that is that all those ladies who possess that most elegant attraction, a slender waist, should not hide it so completely by shawls or loose paletots when on the promenade or in the street. when by good-luck i chance to meet a lady who has the good taste, i may say the kindness, to show her tapering waist by wearing a close-fitting paletot, i not unfrequently turn to admire, and so far from thinking of the means used to obtain the result, i am held spellbound by the beauty of the figure." that elderly gentlemen are by no means as indifferent to the attractions of elegant slenderness as our young correspondent supposes, will be best shown by a letter from a family man on the subject, communicated to the above journal, november, 1867. he says-"i have read with much interest the correspondence on the above subject in the englishwoman's conversazione for several months past, having accidentally met with one of the numbers of your magazine in a friend's house, and have since regularly taken it, although not previously a subscriber. as an ardent admirer of small waists in ladies, i wish to record for the satisfaction of those who possess them the fact, which is sometimes disputed, that the pains bestowed in attaining a slender figure are _not_ in vain so far as we gentlemen are concerned, and some of us are positively absurd in our excessive admiration of this particular female beauty. poets and novelists are perpetually introducing heroines with tiny waists and impossible feet, and if they are to portray female loveliness in all its attributes, they could not well omit two _such essential_ points, and i take it their ideal is not an unfair criterion of the taste of the public at large. i am delighted to learn from very clear evidence put forward by your many correspondents that 'small waists' are attainable by most ladies at little or no inconvenience, and that those of the clumsier build are willing to suffer a certain amount of pain if necessary in reducing their bulky figures to graceful proportions, and, above all, that this can be done without injury to health, for after all it would be a dearly-purchased charm if health were sacrificed. some fifteen or twenty years ago, i recollect the word '_stays_' was uttered as though a certain amount of disgrace attached to the wearer, and '_tight-lacing_' was looked on as a crime; but i am glad to see that a reaction is setting in, and that ladies are not afraid to state openly that 'they lace _very_ tightly,' and many of them declare the sensation of being laced as tightly as possible as positively a _pleasurable one_. i may say that personally i feel that every lady of my acquaintance, or with whom i may come in contact, who does so places me under a direct obligation. i will go further than your correspondent, a young baronet, and say that whenever i meet a young lady who possesses the charm of a small waist, and has the good taste to wear the tight-fitting dress now fashionable for the promenade, i make it a point to see her pretty figure more than once, and have often gone considerably out of my way to do so. although married years and years ago, i am still a slave to a '_little waist_,' and i am proud to say my wife humours my whim, and her waist is decidedly a small one. i will, therefore, add my experience to that of others (more competent to give an opinion, having experienced tight-lacing in their own proper persons), and state that she never enjoyed better health than when her waist was the smallest, and i shall be much disappointed if her daughters, when they '_come out_' do not emulate their mother's slender figure. by keeping your conversazione open to the advocates of tight-lacing, and thoroughly ventilating the subject, you will, in my opinion, confer a benefit on the rising generation of young ladies, whose mammas, in too many instances, are so _prejudiced_ against the use of the corset that they permit their daughters to grow up into clumsy, awkward young women, to their own disgust and great detriment in the matrimonial market. "i am, madam, your obedient servant, "benedict." [illustration] [illustration: the fashion of 1865.] chapter ix. the elegance of dress mainly dependent on the corset--fashion and dress of 1865--the short-waisted dresses and trains of 1867--tight corsets needed for short waists--letter on the figure--description of a peculiar form of corset worn by some ladies of fashion in france--proportions of the figure and size of the waist considered--the point at which the waist should be formed--remarks of the older writers on stays--corsets and high-heeled shoes denounced--alarming diseases said to be produced by wearing high-heeled shoes--mortality amongst the female sex not on the increase--extraordinary statistics of the corset trade--the corset of the present day contrasted with that of the olden time. we could very easily add letters enough to occupy the remaining portion of this work, all incontestably proving that slender waists _are_, notwithstanding that which some few writers have urged to the contrary, held in high esteem by the great majority of the sterner sex. without the aid of the corset, it has been very fairly argued, no dress of the present day could be worn, unless its fair possessor was willing to submit to the withering contempt of merciless society. the annexed illustration represents a lady dressed in the fashion of the close of 1865, and there are few who would be unwilling to admit its elegance and good taste. one glance at the contour of the figure is sufficient to show the full influence of the modern form of corset on the adjustment of this style of costume, and it would be a waste of both time and space to represent the figure in its uncultivated form similarly arrayed. in 1867, we find a strong tendency towards the short waists, low dresses, and long trailing trains of old times, and we are forcibly reminded, when contemplating the passing caprice, of the lines from a parody on the "banks of banna"- "shepherds, i have lost my waist. have you seen my body?" still the waist is by no means suffered to remain _perdu_, but, as in 1827, has to be laced with very considerable tightness to compensate the eye for its loss of taperness and length. the annexed illustration represents a lady of fashion of 1867, and it would be a perfect work of supererogation to ask our readers how a lady so dressed would look "unlaced and unconfined." the ladies themselves are by far the best judges of the matter, and the following letter from the _englishwoman's domestic magazine_ will show that the corset has to play an important part in the now-existing style of dress. thus writes a lady who signs herself edina:-"allow me to occupy a small portion of your valuable space with the subject of stays. i quite agree with a young baronet that all those ladies who possess that most elegant attraction, a slender waist, should not hide it so completely by shawls whenever they promenade. excuse my offering a few remarks to facilitate that desirable object, a handsome figure. ladies, when dressing for the afternoon walk or ride, or the evening display, when putting on their stays at first, should not lace them quite tight; in about a quarter of an hour they might again tighten them, and in the course of half-an-hour or so lace them to the requisite tightness. they may fancy in this way there is no sudden compression of the waist, and the figure gets more easily accustomed to tight-lacing. occasionally, in france, ladies who are very particular about their figures have their corsets made in three pieces, laced down the sides as well as behind, and cut away over the hips; the holes for the laces are very numerous and close together. this form of corset offers great facilities for the most perfect adjustment to the figure, as well as power of tight-lacing when required, and perfect ease in walking or dancing. i may add that, in order to insure a good fit and to keep it properly in its place, the busk in front, and the whalebones behind, are made somewhat longer than the present fashion. perhaps the lady in your september number, who signs herself an inveterate tight-lacer, might find a trial of a corset made in this form a great boon as well as a comfort in tight-lacing." practical hints such as these will not fail to be of interest to the reader. numerous inquiries, as will be seen on reference to the foregoing correspondence, have been made as to what circumference the waist should be to meet the requirements of elegance. [illustration: the fashion of 1867] it must be borne in mind, when dealing with this question, that height and breadth of shoulder have much to do with proportionate slenderness of waist. a lady who is tall and wide-shouldered would appear very neatly shaped with a waist laced to twenty or twenty-one inches, whilst with a slight, narrow form of figure that size would carry the appearance of much clumsiness with it. madame la sante says--"a waist may vary in circumference from seventeen to twenty-three inches, according to the general proportions of the figure, and yet appear in all cases slender and elegant." we have abundant evidence before us, however, that seventeen inches is by no means the lowest standard of waist-measure to be met with in the fashionable circles of either london, new york, paris, or vienna. numbers of corsets sixteen inches at the waist, and even less, are made in each of these cities every day. in the large provincial towns, both at home and abroad, corset-makers follow out the rules laid down by fashion. we are disposed to think, therefore, dealing with the evidence before us, that a lady of medium stature and average breadth of shoulder would be subscribing to the laws of fashionable taste if the circumference of her waist was not more than from seventeen to nineteen inches, measuring outside the dress. fashion has indulged in some strange freaks regarding the length and position of the waist, as a reference to many of the illustrations will show, but its true position can be laid down so clearly that no doubt need remain on the matter. a line drawn midway between the hip and the lowest rib gives the exact point from which the tapering form of the waist should spring, and by keeping this rule in view it appears the statement made by so many ladies (that provided ample space is allowed for the chest the waist may be laced to an extreme of smallness without injury) has much truth to support it. the contributors to works of popular instruction even in our own day are very lavish in their denunciations of the practice of wearing corsets, and, following in the track of the ancient writers on the same subject, muster such a deadly and tremendously formidable array of ailments, failings, and diseases as inseparably associated with the wearing of that particular article of attire, that the very persons for whom these terrors are invoked, seeing from their own daily experience how overdrawn they are and how little knowledge their authors show about the subject, laugh the whole matter to scorn and follow the fashion. we have now before us a very talented and well-conducted journal, in which there are some sweeping blows at the use of both corsets and high-heeled boots or shoes, and, as an instance of the frightfully severe way in which the ladies of the time (1842) laced themselves, the writer assures us that he had actually seen a young lady's waist-belt which measured exactly "_twenty-two_ inches," "showing that the _chest_ to which it was applied had been reduced to a diameter (allowing for clothes) of little more than seven inches." the chest is thus shown as being about one inch less than the waist. now, in 1842 it must have been a very eccentric lady indeed who formed her waist round her _chest_, and as to the twenty-two-inch waistband, we cannot help thinking that the majority of our readers would seek one of considerably smaller size as an indication of the practice of tight-lacing in the owner. and now on the score of high-heeled boots and slippers, we are, like the immortal boy in _pickwick_, "going to make your flesh creep." in writing of these terrible engines of destruction our mentor says--"from the uneasiness and constraint experienced in the feet sympathetic affections of a dangerous kind often assail the stomach and chest, as hæmorrhage, apoplexy, and consumption. low-heeled shoes, with sufficient room for the toes, would completely prevent all such consequences." how the shareholders of life assurance companies must quake in their shoes as the smart and becoming footgear of the period meets their distracted vision at every turn! and what between the fatal high heels and waists of deadly taperness, it is a wonder that female existence can continue, and that all the policies do not fall due in less than a week, all the undertakers sink into hopeless idiocy in a day from an overwhelming press of business, and all the gentlemen engage in sanguinary encounter for the possession of the "_last woman_," who has survived the common fate by reason of her barefooted habits and of her early abandonment of stays. we do not find, as a matter of fact, that the registrar-general has his duties materially increased, or that the bills of female mortality are by any means alarming, although on a moderate calculation there are considerably over twelve million corsets in the united kingdom alone, laced with as many laces round as many waists every day in the week, with, in many instances, a little extra tension for sundays. we learn from the columns of _once a week_ that the total value of stays made for british consumption annually, cannot be less than £1,000,000 sterling, to produce which about 36,000,000 yards of material are required. the stay trade of london employs more than 10,000 in town and country, whilst the provincial firms employ about 25,000 more; of these, about 8,000 reside in london, and there is about one male to every twenty-five women. returns show that we receive every year from france and germany about 2,000,000 corsets. one corset-manufacturer in the neighbourhood of stuttgard has, we are informed, over 1,300 persons in constant employment, and turns out annually about 300,000 finished corsets. messrs. thomson and co., the manufacturers of the glove-fitting corset, turn out incredible numbers from their immense manufactories in england, america, and on the continent. it will be readily conceived that the colonial demand and consumption is proportionately great. the quantity of steel annually made use of for the manufacture of stay-busks and crinolines is perfectly enormous. of the importance of the whale fishery, and the great value of whalebone, it will be needless to speak here, further than to inform our readers that more than half the whalebone which finds its way into the market is consumed by the corset-makers. silk, cotton, and wool, in very large quantities, are either spun up into laces or used in the sewing or manufacture of the corset itself. no inconsiderable quantity of timber is made use of for working up into busks. oxhorn, ebonite, gutta-percha, and hardened brass are all occasionally used for the same purpose, whilst the brass eyelet-holes, of which we shall have to say more by-and-by, are turned out in such vast and incalculable quantities, that any attempt at computing their number would be useless. it will be seen by these statistics and remarks that, unlike certain other articles of raiment which have reigned in popular esteem for a time, and then passed away, the corset has not only become an established institution throughout the whole civilised world, but is of immense commercial importance, and in rapidly-increasing demand and esteem. we shall now have to remark on some of the most noteworthy forms of the corset worn at the present day, contrasting them with those of the olden time. the steel corset-_covers_ we have already figured and described. on these contrivances being found heavy and too unbending in their construction, a form of corset was, as we have before said, contrived, which needed no cover to preserve its perfect smoothness of surface and rigidity of form; the front was therefore enriched with gold and silver tissue, and ornamented with embroidery, performing the part of both corset and stomacher, whilst the back was made of a heavier material, because the dress of the period often concealed it. [illustration: corset, forming both corset and stomacher (front).] [illustration: corset, forming both corset and stomacher (back).] the annexed illustrations are carefully sketched from a very excellent specimen of this form of corset or bodice, kindly lent us for the purpose by messrs. simmons, the well-known costumiers of tavistock-street, covent garden, by whom it has been preserved as a great curiosity. the materials used in its construction are very strong, whilst every part the least liable to be put out of form is literally plated with whalebone, making its weight considerable. the lace-holes are worked with blue silk, and are very numerous and close together. [illustration] chapter x. remarks on front-fastening stays--thomson's glove-fitting corsets--plan for adding stability to the front-fastening corset--de la garde's french corset--system of self-measurement--the redresseur corset of vienna and its influence on the figures of young persons--remarks on the flimsy materials used in the manufacture of corsets--hints as to proper materials--the "minet back" corset described--elastic corsets condemned--the narrow bands used as substitutes for corsets injurious to the figure--remarks on the proper application of the corset with the view to the production of a graceful figure--thomson's zephyrina crinoline--costume of the present season--the claims of nature and art considered--the belle of damara land. [illustration: common cheap stay, fastened.] [illustration: common cheap stay, open.] [illustration: the glove-fitting corset (thomson and co.)] it would be difficult to find a much more marked contrast to the style of bodice referred to in our last chapter than is to be found in the ordinary cheap front-fastening corset commonly sold by drapers. the accompanying illustrations accurately represent it, and those who have written on the subject have much reason on their side when they insist that it neither aids in the formation of a good figure nor helps to maintain the proportions of one when formed. corsets such as these have neither beauty of contour nor compactness of construction. the two narrow busks through which the holes are drilled for the reception of the _studs_ or _catches_ are too often formed of steel so low in quality that fracture at these weak points is a common occurrence, when some danger of injury from the broken ends is to be apprehended. it will also be found that when these bars or plates are deficient in width and insufficient in stiffness the corset will no longer support the figure, or form a foundation for the dress to be neatly adjusted over. on the introduction of the front-fastening system it was at once seen that much saving of time and trouble was gained by the great facility with which corsets constructed according to it could be put on and off but the objections before referred to were soon manifest, and the ingenuity of inventors was called into action to remedy and overcome them, and it was during this _transition_ stage in the history of the corset that the front-fastening principle met with much condemnation at the hands of those who made the formation of the figure a study. from thomson and co., of new york, we have received a pattern of their "_glove-fitting corset_," the subject of the accompanying illustration, in the formation of which the old evils have been most successfully dealt with. the steels are of the highest class of quality and of the requisite degree of substance to insure both safety and sustaining power. accidental unfastening of the front, so common, and, to say the least of it, inconvenient, in the old form of attachment, is rendered impossible by the introduction of a very ingenious but simple spring _latch_, which is opened or closed in an instant at the pleasure of the wearer. this corset is decidedly the best form on the front-fastening plan we have seen. its mode of construction is excellent; it is so cut as to admit of its adapting itself to every undulation of the figure with extraordinary facility. we have suggested to the firm the advisability of furnishing to the public corsets combining their excellent method of cutting, great strength of material, and admirable finish, with the single steel busk and hind-lacing arrangement of the ordinary stay. the requirements of all would be then met, for although numbers of ladies prefer the front-fastening corset, it will be observed that a great number of those who have written on the subject, and make the formation and maintenance of the figure a study, positively declare from experience that the waist never looks so small or neatly proportioned as when evenly and well laced in the hind-lacing and close-fronted form of corset. it has of late become the custom to remedy the want of firmness and stability found to exist in many of the common front-fastening corsets by sewing a kind of sheath or case on the inside of the front immediately behind the two steels on which the studs and slots are fixed; into this a rather wide steel busk is passed, so that the division or opening has the centre line of the _extra_ busk immediately behind it. that this plan answers in some measure the desired end there is no doubt, but in such a corset as that of thomson and co. no such expedient is needed. [illustration: corset of messrs. de la garde, paris (front).] [illustration: corset of messrs. de la garde, paris (back).] the accompanying illustrations are from sketches made expressly for this work from a corset made by de la garde and co., of paris, and our readers will form their own opinion as to the contour of the figure from which these drawings were made, which is that of a lady who has for many years worn corsets made by the above-mentioned firm. the waist-measure is eighteen inches. the remarks as to the advisability of having corsets made to measure are scarcely borne out by her experiences. she informs us that it has always been her custom to forward to messrs. de la garde and co.'s agent the measure taken round the chest below the arms, from beneath the arm to the hip, the circumference of the hips, and the waist-measure, when the fit is a matter of certainty. by adopting this system ladies residing in the country can, she assures us, always provide themselves with corsets made by the first manufacturers in europe without the trouble and inconvenience of being attended for the purpose of measurement. in ordering the "_glove-fitting corset_," the waist measure only need be given. from m. weiss, of vienna, we have received a pattern and photographs from which our other illustrations are taken. here we have represented the so-called "_redresseur_" corset, devised mainly with a view to the formation of the figure in young persons, or where careless and awkward habits of posture have been contracted. it will be seen on examination that the front of the chest is left entirely free for expansion, the waist only being confined at the point where restraint is most called for. the back is supported and kept upright by the system of boning adopted with that view, and the shoulder-straps, after passing completely round the point of the shoulder, are hooked together behind, thus bringing the shoulders in their proper position and keeping them there. as a corrective and improver to the figure there can be no doubt that the _redresseur_ corset is a safe and most efficient contrivance. we have had an opportunity of seeing it worn, and can testify to the marked and obvious improvement which was at once brought about by its application. [illustration: the "redresseur" corset of vienna (weiss).] we have heard many complaints lately of the flimsy manner in which corsets of comparatively high price are turned out by their makers, the stitching being so weak that re-sewing is not unfrequently needed after a few days' wear. the edges of the whalebones, too, instead of being rounded off and rendered smooth, are often, we find, left as sharp as a knife, causing the coutil or other material to be cut through in a very few days. the eyelet-holes are also made so small and narrow at the flanges that no hold on the material is afforded, and even the most moderate kind of lacing causes them to break from their hold, fall out, and leave a hole in the material of which the corset is made, which if not immediately repaired by working round in the old-fashioned way rapidly enlarges, frays out, and runs into an unsightly hole. corset-makers should see that the circle of metal beyond the orifice through which the lace passes is sufficiently wide to close down perfectly on the fabric, and retain a firm hold of it; if they do not do so, the old worked eyelet-hole is preferable to the stud, notwithstanding the neat appearance of the stud and the apparent advantage it has over the old plan. a form of corset made without lacing-holes, known as the "_minet back_," with which many of our readers will no doubt be familiar, and which was extensively worn in france some few years ago, is still to be obtained of some few makers in england. this has a row of short strong loops sewn just beyond each back whalebone. through these pass from top to bottom, on each side of the back, a long round bar of strong whalebone, which is secured in its place by a string passing through a hole made in its top to the upper loop of each row. the lace (a flat silk one) was passed through the spaces between the loops, and was tightened over the smooth round whalebone, thus enabling the wearer not only to lace with extreme tightness without danger to the corset, but admitting of its almost instant removal by slightly slackening the lace and then drawing out one of the bars, which immediately sets the interlacing free from end to end. we are rather surprised that more of these corsets are not worn, as there are numerous advantages attendant on them. our space will not admit of our more than glancing _en passant_ at the various inventions which have from time to time been brought to the notice of the public. by some inventors the use of elastic webbing or woven indiarubber cloth was taken advantage of, and great stress was laid on the resilient qualities of the corsets to which it was applied. but it must never be lost sight of that all materials of an elastic nature, when fitted tightly to the figure, not only have the power of expanding on the application of force, but are unceasingly exercising their own extensive powers of contraction. thus, no amount of custom could ever adapt the waist to the space allotted to it, as with the elastic corset it is changing every second, and always exercising constriction even when loosely laced. the narrow bands hollowed out over the hips may be, as some writers on the subject have stated, adapted for the possessors of very slight figures who ride much on horseback; but many ladies of great experience in the matter strongly condemn them as being inefficient and calculated to lead to much detriment to the figure. thus writes a correspondent to the _englishwoman's domestic magazine_:- "as one of your correspondents recommends the waistbands in lieu of corsets, i have during the last three weeks made a trial of them, and shall be glad if you will allow me to express my opinion that they are not only disadvantageous but positively dangerous to the figure. your correspondent says that ordinary corsets, if drawn in well at the waist, hurt a woman cruelly all the way up. i can only say that if she finds such to be the case the remedy is in her own hands. if ladies would only take the trouble to have their stays made to measure for them, and have plenty of room allowed round the chest, not only would the waist look smaller, but no discomfort would be felt such as h. w. describes. young girls should always be accurately fitted, but it is, i have found, a mistake to have their corsets too flimsy or elastic. i quite agree that they should be commenced early--indeed, they usually are so, and thus extreme compression being unnecessary, the instances brought forward by the lady who commenced the discussion and by nora must, i think, be looked upon as exceptional cases. "effie margetson." another lady writing in the same journal says--"no one will grudge 'the young lady herself' any sympathy she may claim for the torture she has submitted to, but so far from her case being condemnatory of stays it is the reverse, for she candidly admits that she does not suffer ill-health. now such a case as hers is an exception, and the stout young lady spoken of by nora is also an exception, for it is seldom that girls are allowed to attain the age of fourteen or fifteen before commencing stays. the great secret is to begin their use as early as possible, and no such severe compression will be requisite. it seems absurd to allow the waist to grow large and clumsy, and then to reduce it again to more elegant proportions by means which must at first be more or less productive of inconvenience. there is no article of civilised dress which, when first begun to be worn, does not feel uncomfortable for a time to those who have never worn it before. the barefooted highland lassie carries her shoes to the town, puts them on on her arrival, and discards them again directly she leaves the centre of civilisation. a hat or a coat would be at first insupportable to the men of many nations, and we all know how soon the african belle threw aside the crinoline she had been induced to purchase. but surely no one would argue against these necessary articles of dress merely on the ground of inconvenience to the wearer, for, however uncomfortable they may be at first, it is astonishing how soon that feeling goes off and how indispensable they become. my opinion is that stays should always be made to order, and not be of too flimsy a construction. i think h. w.'s suggestions regarding the waistbands only applicable to middle-aged ladies or invalids, as they do not give sufficient support to growing girls, and are likely to make the figure look too much like a sack tied round the middle instead of gradually tapering to the waist. brisbane's letter shows how those who have never tried tight-lacing are prejudiced against it, and that merely from being shown a print in an old medical work, while nora's letter is infinitely more valuable, as showing how even the most extreme lacing can be employed without injury to health. "l. thompson." such a work as this would be incomplete without some remarks touching the best means to be applied for the achievement of the desired end, and hence a letter from a lady of great experience, who has paid much attention to the subject, contributed to the _englishwoman's domestic magazine_, enables us to give the very best possible kind of information--viz., that gathered by personal observation. thus she writes:- "in the numerous communications on the subject of tight-lacing which have appeared in the _englishwoman's domestic magazine_, but little has been said on the best mode of applying the corset in order to produce elegance of figure. it seems to me that nearly all those who suffer from tight-lacing do so from an _injudicious_ use of the corset, and in such cases the unfortunate corset generally gets all the blame, and not the wearer who makes an improper use of it. i can easily understand that a girl who is full grown, or nearly so, and who has been unaccustomed to wear tight stays, should find it difficult and painful to lace in her waist to a fashionable size; but if the corset be worn at an early age and the figure gradually moulded by it, i know of no terrible consequences that need be apprehended. i would therefore recommend the early use of a corset that fits the figure nicely and no more. now, simply wearing stays that only _fit_, will, when a girl is growing, in a great measure prevent the waist from becoming clumsy. if, however, on her reaching the age of fourteen or fifteen, her waist be still considered too large, a smaller corset may be worn with advantage, which should be _gradually_ tightened till the requisite slimness is achieved. i know of so many instances in which, under this system, girls have, when full grown, possessed both a good figure and good health, that i can recommend it with confidence to those parents who wish their children to grow up into elegant and healthy women. as to whether compression of the waist by symmetrical corsets injures the health in any way, opinion seems to be divided. the personal experiences of tight-lacers, as your correspondent belle has observed, will do more to solve this knotty question than any amount of theory. but whatever conclusion we may come to on this point, there is no denying the fact that very many of the strongest and healthiest women one sees in society habitually practise tight-lacing, and apparently do so with impunity. "an old subscriber." as we have before stated, the remarks and observations contained in the above letter are the result of careful study and a thorough acquaintance with the subject, and not of hasty conclusion, prejudice, or theory. a letter in the earlier portion of this work, from an old edinburgh correspondent to the _queen_, than whom few are more competent to direct and advise on this important subject, will be found precisely to the same end, and we feel sure, in laying before the reader such united experiences, that much will be done towards the establishment of such a system of management as will lead to the almost certain achievement of grace and elegance of figure without the sacrifice of health. that these are most important and desirable objects for attainment few would be puritanical and headstrong enough to deny, and there can be no question that, however superb or simple a lady's costume may be, it is mainly dependent for its elegance of adjustment and distinctiveness of style to the corset and crinoline beneath it. we have seen how mrs. selby's invention influenced the world of fashion in her day, and a glance at the illustration at page 114 will be sufficient to prove how inferior, in point of grace and elegance, the costume of that period was to that of our own time. some idea may be formed of the wide-spread and almost universal attention which mrs. selby's wondrous "_crinoline conception_" met at the hands of the fashionable world by a perusal of the following lines, which were written at bath concerning it in the year 1711, and are entitled, _the farthingale reviewed; or, more work for the cooper. a paneygerick on the late but most admirable invention of the hooped petticoat._ "there's scarce a bard that writ in former time had e'er so great, so bright a theme for rhyme; the _mantua_ swain, if living, would confess ours more surprising than his tyrian dress, and ovid's mistress, in her loose attire, would cease to charm his eyes or fan love's fire. were he at _bath_, and had these coats in view, he'd write his _metamorphosis_ anew, "delia, fresh hooped, would o'er his heart prevail, to leave corinna and her tawdry veil. hear, great apollo! and my genius guide, to sing this glorious miracle of pride, nor yet disdain the subject for its name, since meaner things have oft been sung to fame; even boots and spurs have graced heroic verse, butler his knight's whole suit did well rehearse; king harry's costume stands upon record, and every age will precedents afford. then on, my muse, and sing in epic strain the petticoat--thou shalt not sing in vain, the petticoat will sure reward thy pain; with all thy skill its secret virtues tell- a petticoat should still be handled well. "oh garment heavenly wide! thy spacious round do's my astonished thoughts almost confound; my fancy cannot grasp thee at a view, none at first sight e'er such a picture drew. the daring artist that describes thee true, must change his sides as modern statesmen do, or like the painter, when some church he draws, following his own, and not the builder's laws, at once shows but the prospect to the sight, for north and south together can't be right. "hence, ye profane! nor think i shall reveal the happy wonders which these vests conceal; hence your unhallow'd eyes and ears remove, 'tis _cupid's_ circle, 'tis the orb of love. let it suffice you see th' unwieldy fair sail through the streets with gales of swelling air; nor think (like fools) the ladies, would they try, arm'd with their furbelows and these, could fly. that's all romantick, for these garments show their thoughts are with their petticoats below. "nor must we blame them whilst they stretch their art in rich adornment and being wondrous smart; for that, perhaps, may stand 'em more in stead than loads of ribbons fluttering on the head. and, let philosophers say what they will, there's something surer than their eyes do's kill; we tell the nymph that we her face adore, but plain she sees we glance at something more. "in vain the ladies spend their morning hours erecting on their heads stupendous towers; a battery from thence might scare the foe, but certain victory is gained below. let _damon_ then the adverse champion be- topknots for him, and petticoats for me; nor must he urge it spoils the ladies' shape, tho' (as the multitude at monsters gape) the world appears all lost in wild amaze, as on these new, these strange machines they gaze; for if the queen the poets tell us of, from paphos came, attired as we are told by antique fame, thus would they wonder at the heavenly dame. "i own the female world is much estranged from what it was, and top and bottom changed. the head was once their darling constant care, but women's heads can't heavy burdens bear- as much, i mean, as they can do elsewhere; so wisely they transferred the mode of dress, and furnished t'other end with the excess. what tho' like spires or pyramids they show, sharp at the top, and vast of bulk below? it is a sign they stand the more secure: a maypole will not like a church endure, and ships at sea, when stormy winds prevail, are safer in their ballast than their sail. "hail, happy coat! for modern damsels fit, product of ladies' and of taylors' wit; child of invention rather than of pride, what wonders dost thou show, what wonders hide! within the shelter of thy useful shade, thin _galatea's_ shrivelled limbs appear as plump and charming as they did last year; whilst tall _miranda_ her lank shape improves, and, graced by thee, in some proportion moves. ev'n those who are diminutively short may please themselves and make their neighbours sport, when, to their armpits harnessed up in thee, nothing but head and petticoats we see. but, oh! what a figure fat _sempronia_ makes! at her gigantick form the pavement quakes; by thy addition she's so much enlarged, where'er she comes, the sextons now are charged that all church doors and pews be wider made- a vast advantage to a joiner's trade. "ye airy nymphs, that do these garments wear, forgive my want of skill, not want of care; forgive me if i have not well displayed a coat for such important uses made. if aught i have forgot, it was to prove how fit they are, how _apropos_ for love, how in their circles cooling zephyrs play, just as a tall ship's sails are filled on some bright summer day. but there my muse must halt--she dares no more than hope the pardon which she ask'd before." [illustration: the fashion of 1868.] fashions have altered, times have changed, hooped petticoats have been in turn honoured and banished, just as the fickle goddess of the mirror has decreed. still, as an arrow shot in the air returns in time to earth, so surely does the hooped jupon return to power after a temporary estrangement from the world of gaiety. the illustration on page 223 represents the last new form of crinoline, and there can be no doubt that its open form of front is a most important and noteworthy improvement. preceding this engraving, we have an illustration representing two ladies in the costume of the present season arranged over "the glove-fitting corset" and "zephyrina jupon," for patterns of both of which we are indebted to the courtesy of messrs. thomson and co., the inventors and manufacturers. [illustration: the zephyrina jupon.] it is the custom with some authors to uphold the claims of _nature_ in matters relating to human elegance, and we admit that nature in her own way is particularly charming, so long as the accessories and surroundings are in unison. but in the human heart everywhere dwells an innate love of adornment, and untaught savages, in their toilet appliances and tastes, closely resemble the belles of highly-civilised communities. we have already referred to the crinoline petticoats worn by the tahitian girls when they were first seen by the early navigators. the frilled ruff which so long remained a high court favourite during the elizabethan period (and which, if we mistake not, will again have its day) was as well known to the dusky beauties of the palm-clad, wave-lashed islands of the pacific, when cook first sailed forth to discover new lands, as it was to the stately and proud dames of venice. beneath, we place side by side types of savage elegance and refined taste. where the one begins and the other ends, who shall say? [illustration: tahitian dancing girl. venetian lady.] index. adventure, an, of louise de lorraine, 92, 97. alarming diseases said to be produced by wearing high-heeled shoes, 194, 195. ancient inhabitants of polenqui, reduction of the waist by, 10. an italian duchess, the costume of, 54. antiquities of egypt, researches among, 25-27. augsburg, the ladies of, by hoechstetterus, 104. austria, empress of, elegant figure of, 165. backboards and stocks, 134. bands (narrow), used as substitutes for corsets injurious, 213, 214. barbers, an army of, 110. beauties of circassia, 13, 14. beauty, hindoo ideas regarding, 19, 20. belles of india, 19, 20. belt (ornamented) of the indians, 9. bernaise dress, 65. blanche, daughter of edward iii., dress of, 49. boarding-school discipline, letter on, 170, 171. boddice, bodice, or bodies, 123. bonnet à canon, the, 60. bouffant sleeves of the reign of henry ii., 65. bridal dress of an israelitish lady, 28. buchan, writings of, 130. ceylon, figure-training in, 13. chaucer's writings, his admiration of small waists, 50. chinese gentleman, letter from a, 20. cleopatra and her jewels, 37. clumsy figures great drawbacks to young ladies, 182. conquest of the roman empire, 38. corps, the, 72, 75. corset, a peculiar form of, worn by some ladies of fashion in france, 190. corset in use among the israelitish ladies, 28, 29. corset, general use of the, on the continent for boys, 136-138. corset, origin of, 9. corset, use of by the inhabitants of the eastern archipelago, 10. corset-covers (steel), 75. corsets and high-heeled shoes denounced, 194, 195. corsets, custom of wearing during sleep, 150, 153. corsets for growing girls, remarks on, 167, 168. corsets of the present day contrasted with those of the olden time, 196. corsets, remarks on the proper application of, 214-216. corsets, severe form of, worn in the elizabethan period, 75, 76. corsets, the small size of, made in london, 165. corsets, their use for youths, 138. corsets worn by gentlemen in 1265, 46. corsets worn by gentlemen of the present time, 138. costume à l'enfant, 98. costume à la watteau, 109. costume of the court of louis xvi., 124. costumes of the ladies of israel, 27-29. cottes hardies, 41. crim tartary, beautiful princesses of, 14, 19. crinoline among the south sea islanders, 143. crinoline and slender waists, remarks of madame la sante on, 143, 144. crinoline not a new term, 143. cromwell's time, tight-lacing in, 104. de la garde's french corsets, 209, 210. demon of fashion, a monkish satire, 42. determined tailor, a, 55. dress in 1776, 129. dress, its elegance dependent on the corset, 189. dresses (low) of 1713, 115. dunbar's thistle and rose, 50. earth-eating in java, 13. eastern archipelago, use of the corset in, 10. edict of the emperor joseph of austria forbidding the use of stays, 66. edinburgh, traditions of, anecdote from, 144. egyptian fashions and costumes, 25-27. elastic corsets condemned, 213. eleanor, countess of leicester, entry in household register of, 45, 46. elegance of figure highly esteemed by the persians, 20. elegant costumes of the ancient jewish ladies, 27-29. empress of austria, the, portrait of, 166. escapade of young louis of france, 98. extravagance of the roman ladies, 36. families, medici, este, and visconti, 54. family man, letter from a, 184, 185. farthingale, the, protest against, 110. fashionable promenades of ancient rome, 35. fashion and dress in 1865, 189. fashion in the reign of king pepin, 41. fashion in 1713, 115. fashions in ancient egypt, 27-29. figure, general remarks on the, 182. figure, letter on the, 190-193. figure, reduction of, by the ancient inhabitants of polenqui, 10. figure-training, 133, 167. food, abstinence from, an assistance to the corset, 144, 149. freaks of fashion in france and germany, 54. french revolutionary period, dress during, 129. front-fastening stays, remarks concerning, 202-204. gay, the writings of, 123. guardian, the, correspondence from, relating to the fashions of 1713, 110, 115, 116, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123. guardian, the, letters from, relating to low dresses and tight stays, 120-123. gustavus adolphus, the officers of, 135. hair powder, its introduction, 97. henry iii. of france a wearer of corsets, 76, 81. hindoo belles, 19, 20. hindoo standards of beauty, 19, 20. hogarth, stays drawn by, 129. homer speaks of the corset, 30. improvements in corsets brought about by the advance of civilisation, 10. indian hunting-belt, 9, 10. israelitish ladies, 27-29. jane shore, penance of, 46-49. java, earth-eating in, 13. jonson (ben), his remarks on stays, 123. jumpers and garibaldis, 130. king charles i. of england, fashions of the court of, 103. king george iii., fashion in the reign of, 135. king james and his fondness for dress, 89, 90. king louis xv. of france, fashion in the reign of, 109. kirtle, the, 46. ladies of old france, 41. lady morton, diminutive waist of, 166. lady triamore, daughter of the king of the fairies, 45. lady's-maid, accomplishments of a, 123. launfal, poem of, 45. lawn ruffs of queen bess, 82, 87. laws, sumptuary, relating to dress, 90. letter from a lady, who habitually laces with extreme tightness, in praise of the practice, 182-184. letters from ladies who have been subjected to tight-lacing, 155-164. louis xiv. of france, court of, 98. louis xiv. of france, the court of, high-heeled shoes, slender waists, and fancy costumes, fashionable at, 98. louise de lorraine, fête dress of, 97. louise de lorraine, strange freaks of, 92, 97. marie d'anjou, costume of, 54. marie de medici and the costumes of her time, 97. marie stuart, costume of, 159. medical evidence in favour of stays, 134, 135. medical man, letter from, in favour of moderately tight lacing, 154, 155. minet back corset described, 213. mitra used by the grecian ladies, 33. mode of adding stability to the front-fastening corset, 209. mortality among the female sex not on the increase, 195. old authors, their remarks on stays, 194. peplus, the, 33. proportions of the figure and size of waist considered, 193. puritanism, its effect on fashion, 104. queen anne, fashions during the reign of, 110. queen catherine de medici and queen elizabeth of england, 72, 75. queen elizabeth's collection of false hair, 87, 88. queen newspaper, letter from, on small waists, 165-168. redresseur corset of vienna, 210. remarks on the changes of fashion, 143. remarks on the flimsy materials used in making some modern corsets, 210. revival of the taste for small waists in old france, 41. roman baths, 34, 35. royal standard of fashionable slenderness, 72. scotland, small waists admired in, in olden times, 50. scriptural references, 29. selby, mrs., the invention of, reviewed, 217. self-measurement, remarks concerning, 209. short waists and long trains, 129. siamese dress, the, 98. side-arms of the elizabethan period, 91. snake-toed shoes, long sleeves, and high-heeled slippers, 59. starching, the art of, 82. statistics, extraordinary, of the corset trade, 195. statue, a fashionably dressed, 180. stays, formidable kind of, in use in 1776, 129. stays, the general use of the word after 1600 in england, 124. stays worn habitually by gentlemen, 135. strophium, the use of, by the ladies of rome, 33. stubs, philip, on the ruff, 87-89. stubs, his indignation, 88, 89. taper waists and figure-training in ancient rome, 38. terentius, strictures and remarks of, 30. thirteenth century, the small waists of, 42. thomson's glove-fitting corsets, 204, 205. tight corsets, letter in praise of, 182, 183. tight corsets needed for short waists, 190. tight-lacing revived, 130. toilet of a roman lady of fashion, 34-36. united states of america, belles of the, 153. venice, fashions of the ladies of, 82, 87. venus de medici, waist of, contrasted with the waist of fashion, 180. venus, the cestus of, 30. vienna, slender waists the fashion in, 165. voluminous nether-garments of the gentlemen of the elizabethan period, 82. waist, the point at which it should be formed, 193, 194· young baronet, letter from, 184. zephyrina jupon of thomson and co., 221. transcriber's note: original spelling/hyphenation/punctuation has been retained, but typographical errors have been corrected. note: project gutenberg also has an html version of this file which includes the numerous original illustrations, many of which are in full color. see 33020-h.htm or 33020-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/33020/33020-h/33020-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.org/files/33020/33020-h.zip) english costume painted & described by dion clayton calthrop published by adam & charles black london · mcmvii [illustration: {scissors}] published in four volumes during 1906. published in one volume, april, 1907. agents america the macmillan company 64 & 66 fifth avenue, new york canada the macmillan company of canada, ltd. 70 bond street, toronto india macmillan & company, ltd. macmillan building, bombay 309 bow bazaar street, calcutta [illustration: a man of the time of george iv. (1820-1830) here you see the coat which we now wear, slightly altered, in our evening dress. it came into fashion, with this form of top-boots, in 1799, and was called a jean-de-bry. notice the commencement of the whisker fashion.] introduction the world, if we choose to see it so, is a complicated picture of people dressing and undressing. the history of the world is composed of the chat of a little band of tailors seated cross-legged on their boards; they gossip across the centuries, feeling, as they should, very busy and important. someone made the coat of many colours for joseph, another cut into material for elijah's mantle. baldwin, from his stall on the site of the great battle, has only to stretch his neck round to nod to the tailor who made the toga for julius cæsar; has only to lean forward to smile to pasquino, the wittiest of tailors. john pepys, the tailor, gossips with his neighbour who cut that jackanapes coat with silver buttons so proudly worn by samuel pepys, his son. mr. schweitzer, who cut beau brummell's coat, talks to mr. meyer, who shaped his pantaloons. our world is full of the sound of scissors, the clipping of which, with the gossiping tongues, drown the grander voices of history. as you will see, i have devoted myself entirely to civil costume--that is, the clothes a man or a woman would wear from choice, and not by reason of an appointment to some ecclesiastical post, or to a military calling, or to the bar, or the bench. such clothes are but symbols of their trades and professions, and have been dealt with by persons who specialize in those professions. i have taken the date of the conquest as my starting-point, and from that date--a very simple period of clothes--i have followed the changes of the garments reign by reign, fold by fold, button by button, until we arrive quite smoothly at beau brummell, the inventor of modern clothes, the prophet of cleanliness. i have taken considerable pains to trace the influence of one garment upon its successor, to reduce the wardrobe for each reign down to its simplest cuts and folds, so that the reader may follow quite easily the passage of the coat from its birth to its ripe age, and by this means may not only know the clothes of one time, but the reasons for those garments. to the best of my knowledge, such a thing has never been done before; most works on dress try to include the world from adam to charles dickens, lump a century into a page, and dismiss the ancient egyptians in a couple of colour plates. so many young gentlemen have blown away their patrimony on feathers and tobacco that it is necessary for us to confine ourselves to certain gentlemen and ladies in our own country. a knowledge of history is essential to the study of mankind, and a knowledge of history is never perfect without a knowledge of the clothes with which to dress it. a man, in a sense, belongs to his clothes; they are so much a part of him that, to take him seriously, one must know how he walked about, in what habit, with what air. i am compelled to speak strongly of my own work because i believe in it, and i feel that the series of paintings in these volumes are really a valuable addition to english history. to be modest is often to be excessively vain, and, having made an exhaustive study of my subject from my own point of view, i do not feel called upon to hide my knowledge under a bushel. of course, i do not suggest that the ordinary cultured man should acquire the same amount of knowledge as a painter, or a writer of historical subjects, or an actor, but he should understand the clothes of his own people, and be able to visualize any date in which he may be interested. one half of the people who talk glibly of beau brummell have but half an idea when he lived, and no idea that, for example, he wore whiskers. hamlet they can conjure up, but would have some difficulty in recognising shakespeare, because most portraits of him are but head and shoulders. napoleon has stamped himself on men's minds very largely through the medium of a certain form of hat, a lock of hair, and a gray coat. in future years an orchid will be remembered as an emblem. i have arranged, as far as it is possible, that each plate shall show the emblem or distinguishing mark of the reign it illustrates, so that the continuity of costume shall be remembered by the arresting notes. as the fig-leaf identifies adam, so may the chaperon twisted into a cockscomb mark richard ii. as the curled and scented hair of alcibiades occurs to our mind, so shall beau nash manage his clouded cane. elizabeth shall be helped to the memory by her piccadilly ruff; square henry viii. by his broad-toed shoes and his little flat cap; anne boleyn by her black satin nightdress; james be called up as padded trucks; maximilian as puffs and slashes; d'orsay by the curve of his hat; tennyson as a dingy brigand; gladstone as a collar; and even more recent examples, as the whistlerian lock and the burns blue suit. and what romantic incidents may we not hang upon our clothes-line! the cloak of samuel pepys ('dapper dick,' as he signed himself to a certain lady) sheltering four ladies from the rain; sir walter raleigh spreading his cloak over the mud to protect the shoes of that great humorist elizabeth (i never think of her apart from the saying, 'ginger for pluck'); mary, queen of scots, ordering false attires of hair during her captivity--all these scenes clinched into reality by the knowledge of the dress proper to them. and what are we doing to help modern history--the picture of our own times--that it may look beautiful in the ages to come? i cannot answer you that. some chapters of this work have appeared in the _connoisseur_, and i have to thank the editor for his courtesy in allowing me to reproduce them. i must also thank mr. pownall for his help in the early stages of my labours. one thing more i must add: i do not wish this book to go forth and be received with that frigid politeness which usually welcomes a history to the shelves of the bookcase, there to remain unread. the book is intended to be read, and is not wrapped up in grandiose phrases and a great wind about nothing; i would wish to be thought more friendly than the antiquarian and more truthful than the historian, and so have endeavoured to show, in addition to the body of the clothes, some little of their soul. dion clayton calthrop. contents page william the first 1 william the second 10 henry the first 21 stephen 29 henry the second 46 richard the first 55 john 62 henry the third 67 edward the first 81 edward the second 92 edward the third 102 richard the second 122 the end of the fourteenth century 141 henry the fourth 152 henry the fifth 161 henry the sixth 176 edward the fourth 198 edward the fifth 213 richard the third 213 henry the seventh 223 henry the eighth 247 edward the sixth 274 mary 283 elizabeth 291 james the first 325 charles the first 341 the cromwells 359 charles the second 365 james the second 378 william and mary 383 queen anne 395 george the first 406 george the second 414 george the third 432 george the fourth 440 illustrations in colour 1. a man of the time of george iv. 1820-1830 _frontispiece_ facing page 2. a man of the time of william i. 1066-1087 2 3. a woman of the time of william i. " 8 4. a man of the time of william ii. 1087-1100 10 5. a woman of the time of william ii. " 16 6. a man of the time of henry i. 1100-1135 22 7. a child of the time of henry i. " 24 8. a woman of the time of henry i. " 26 9. a man of the time of stephen 1135-1154 30 10. a woman of the time of stephen " 38 11. a man of the time of henry ii. 1154-1189 46 12. a woman of the time of henry ii. " 52 13. a man of the time of richard i. 1189-1199 56 14. a woman of the time of richard i. " 60 15. a man of the time of john 1199-1216 62 16. a woman of the time of john " 66 17. a man of the time of henry iii. 1216-1272 68 18. a woman of the time of henry iii. " 74 19. a peasant of early england 78 20. a man and woman of the time of edward i. 1272-1307 88 21. a man and woman of the time of edward ii. 1307-1327 96 22. a man of the time of edward iii. 1327-1377 112 23. a woman of the time of edward iii. " 120 24. a man of the time of richard ii. 1377-1399 128 25. a woman of the time of richard ii. " 136 26. a man and woman of the time of henry iv. 1399-1413 152 27. a man of the time of henry v. 1413-1422 164 28. a woman of the time of henry v. " 172 29. a man of the time of henry vi. 1422-1461 180 30. a woman of the time of henry vi. " 192 31. a man of the time of edward iv. 1461-1483 200 32. a woman of the time of edward iv. " 208 33. a man of the time of richard iii. 1483-1485 216 34. a woman of the time of richard iii. " 220 35. a man of the time of henry vii. 1485-1509 226 36. a woman of the time of henry vii. " 242 37. a man of the time of henry viii. 1509-1547 250 38. a man of the time of henry viii. " 256 39. a woman of the time of henry viii. " 258 40. a woman of the time of henry viii. " 266 41. a man and woman of the time of edward vi. 1547-1553 278 42. a man of the time of mary 1553-1558 286 43. a woman of the time of mary " 290 44. a man of the time of elizabeth 1558-1603 298 45. a woman of the time of elizabeth " 306 46. a woman of the time of elizabeth " 314 47. a man of the time of james i. 1603-1625 330 48. a woman of the time of james i. " 338 49. a man of the time of charles i. 1625-1649 346 50. a woman of the time of charles i. " 354 51. a cromwellian man 1649-1660 360 52. a woman of the time of the cromwells " 362 53. a woman of the time of the cromwells " 364 54. a man of the time of charles ii. 1660-1685 366 55. a man of the time of charles ii. " 368 56. a woman of the time of charles ii. " 372 57. a man of the time of james ii. 1685-1689 378 58. a woman of the time of james ii. " 380 59. a man of the time of william and mary 1689-1702 384 60. a woman of the time of william and mary " 392 61. a man of the time of queen anne 1702-1714 396 62. a woman of the time of queen anne " 400 63. a man of the time of george i. 1714-1727 408 64. a woman of the time of george i. 1714-1727 412 65. a man of the time of george ii. 1727-1760 416 66. a woman of the time of george ii. " 424 67. a man of the time of george iii. 1760-1820 432 68. a woman of the time of george iii. " 434 69. a man of the time of george iii. 1760-1820 436 70. a woman of the time of george iii. " 438 illustrations in black and white facing page a series of thirty-two half-tone reproductions of engravings by hollar 358 a series of sixty half-tone reproductions of wash drawings by the dightons--father and son--and by the author 440 numerous line drawings by the author throughout the text. william the first reigned twenty-one years: 1066-1087. born 1027. married, 1053, matilda of flanders. the men [illustration: {a man of the time of william i.; a shoe}] why france should always give the lead in the matter of dress is a nice point in sartorial morality--a morality which holds that it takes nine tailors to make a man and but one milliner to break him, a code, in fact, with which this book will often have to deal. sartorially, then, we commence with the 14th of october, 1066, upon which day, fatal to the fashions of the country, the flag of king harold, sumptuously woven and embroidered in gold, bearing the figure of a man fighting, studded with precious stones, was captured. william, of norse blood and pirate traditions, landed in england, and brought with him bloodshed, devastation, new laws, new customs, and new fashions. principal among these last was the method of shaving the hair at the back of the head, which fashion speedily died out by reason of the parlous times and the haste of war, besides the utter absurdity of the idea. fashion, however, has no sense of the ridiculous, and soon replaced the one folly by some other extravagance. william i. found the saxons very plainly dressed, and he did little to alter the masculine mode. he found the saxon ladies to be as excellent at embroidery as were their norman sisters, and in such times the spindle side was content to sit patiently at home weaving while the men were abroad ravaging the country. william was not of the stuff of dandies. no man could draw his bow; he helped with his own hands to clear the snowdrift on the march to chester. stark and fierce he was, loving the solitudes of the woods and the sight of hart and hind. [illustration: a man of the time of william i. (1066-1087) cloak buckled at the shoulder. leather thongs crossed on his legs. shoes of leather. tunic fitting to his body like a jersey.] when some kind of order was restored in england, many of the saxons who had fled the country and gone to constantinople came back, bringing with them the oriental idea of dress. the jews came with eastern merchandise into england, and brought rich-coloured stuffs, and as these spread through the country by slow degrees, there came a gradual change in colour and material, and finer stuffs replaced the old homespun garments. the jews were at this time very eminent as silk manufacturers and makers of purple cloth. the britons had been very famous for their dyed woollen stuffs. boadicea is said to have worn a tunic of chequered stuff, which was in all probability rather of the nature of scotch plaids. the tunics worn by the men of this time were, roughly speaking, of two kinds: those that fitted close to the body, and those that hung loose, being gathered into the waist by a band. the close-fitting tunic was in the form of a knitted jersey, with skirts reaching to the knee; it was open on either side to the hips, and fell from the hips in loose folds. the neck was slit open four or five inches, and had an edging of embroidery, and the sleeves were wide, and reached just below the elbows. these also had an edging of embroidery, or a band different in colour to the rest of the tunic. [illustration: {a man of the time of william i.}] the other form of tunic was made exactly in shape like the modern shirt, except that the neck opening was smaller. it was loose and easy, with wide sleeves to the elbow, and was gathered in at the waist by a band of stuff or leather. the skirts of the tunics were cut square or v-shaped in front and behind. there were also tunics similar in shape to either of those mentioned, except that the skirts were very short, and were tucked into wide, short breeches which reached to the knee, or into the trousers which men wore. under this tunic was a plain shirt, loosely fitting, the sleeves tight and wrinkled over the wrist, the neck showing above the opening of the tunic. this shirt was generally white, and the opening at the neck was sometimes stitched with coloured or black wool. upon the legs they wore neat-fitting drawers of wool or cloth, dyed or of natural colour, or loose trousers of the same materials, sometimes worn loose, but more generally bound round just above the knee and at the ankle. [illustration: {a man of the time of william i.}] they wore woollen socks, and for footgear they wore shoes of skin and leather, and boots of soft leather shaped naturally to the foot and strapped or buckled across the instep. the tops of the boots were sometimes ornamented with coloured bands. the cloak worn was semicircular in shape, with or without a small semicircle cut out at the neck. it was fastened over the right shoulder or in the centre by means of a large round or square brooch, or it was held in place by means of a metal ring or a stuff loop through which the cloak was pushed; or it was tied by two cords sewn on to the right side of the cloak, which cords took a bunch of the stuff into a knot and so held it, the ends of the cords having tags of metal or plain ornaments. one may see the very same make and fashion of tunic as the normans wore under their armour being worn to-day by the dervishes in lower egypt--a coarse wool tunic, well padded, made in the form of tunic and short drawers in one piece, the wide sleeves reaching just below the elbow. [illustration: {a man of the time of william i.}] the hats and caps of these men were of the most simple form--plain round-topped skull-caps, flat caps close to the head without a brim, and a hat with a peak like the helmet. hoods, of course, were worn during the winter, made very close to the head, and they were also worn under the helmets. thus in such a guise may we picture the norman lord at home, eating his meat with his fingers, his feet in loose skin shoes tied with thongs, his legs in loose trousers bound with crossed garters, his tunic open at the neck showing the white edge of his shirt, his face clean-shaven, and his hair neatly cropped. the women [illustration: {a woman of the time of william i.}] nothing could be plainer or more homely than the dress of a norman lady. her loose gown was made with ample skirts reaching well on to the ground, and it was gathered in at the waist by a belt of wool, cloth, silk, or cloth of gold web. the gown fitted easily across the shoulders, but fell from there in loose folds. the neck opening was cut as the man's, about five inches down the front, and the border ornamented with some fine needlework, as also were the borders of the wide sleeves, which came just below the elbows. often the gown was made short, so that when it was girded up the border of it fell only to the knees, and showed the long chemise below. the girdle was, perhaps, the richest portion of their attire, and was sometimes of silk diapered with gold thread, but such a girdle would be very costly. more often it would be plain wool, and be tied simply round the waist with short ends, which did not show. the chemise was a plain white garment, with tight sleeves which wrinkled at the wrists; that is to say, they were really too long for the arm, and so were caught in small folds at the wrist. the gown, opening at the neck in the same way as did the men's tunics, showed the white of the chemise, the opening being held together sometimes by a brooch. [illustration: {a woman of the time of william i.; a type of neckline}] towards the end of the reign the upper part of the gown--that is, from the neck to the waist--was worn close and fitted more closely to the figure, but not over-tightly--much as a tight jersey would fit. over all was a cloak of the semicircular shape, very voluminous--about three feet in diameter--which was brooched in the centre or on the shoulder. [illustration: a woman of the time of william i. (1066-1087) a twist of wool holds the gown at the waist. under the gown the chemise shows. the neck of the gown is embroidered.] on the head, where the hair was closely coiled with a few curls at the forehead, a wimple was worn, which was wound about the head and thrown over the shoulder, not allowing the hair to show. these wimples were sometimes very broad, and were almost like a mantle, so that they fell over the shoulders below the breast. tied round the wimple they sometimes had a snood, or band of silk. the shoes were like those worn by the men. these ladies were all housewives, cooking, preparing simples, doing embroidery and weaving. they were their own milliners and dressmakers, and generally made their husbands' clothes, although some garments might be made by the town tailors; but, as a rule, they weaved, cut, sewed, and fitted for their families, and then, after the garments were finished to satisfaction, they would begin upon strips of embroidery to decorate them. in such occupation we may picture them, and imagine them sitting by the windows with their ladies, busily sewing, looking up from their work to see hedged fields in lambing-time, while shepherds in rough sheepskin clothes drove the sheep into a neat enclosure, and saw to it that they lay on warm straw against the cold february night. william the second reigned thirteen years: 1087-1100. born _c._ 1060. the men [illustration: {a man of the time of william ii.}] about this time there came to england a norman, who settled near by the abbey of battle--baldwin the tailor by name, whom one might call the father of english tailoring. baldwin the tailor sat contentedly cross-legged on his bench and plied his needle and thread, and snipped, and cut, and sewed, watching the birds pick worms and insects from the turf of the battleground. [illustration: a man of the time of william ii. (1087-1100) shows the wide drawers with an embroidered hem. under them can be seen the long woollen drawers bound with leather thongs.] england is getting a little more settled. the reign opens picturesquely enough with william rufus hastening to england with his father's ring, and ends with the tragedy of the new forest and a blood-stained tunic. clothes begin to play an important part. rich fur-lined cloaks and gowns trail on the ground, and sweep the daisies so lately pressed by mailed feet and sopped with blood where the saxons fell. [illustration: the cloak pushed through a ring.] times have changed since baldwin was at the coronation at westminster on christmas day twenty years ago. flemish weavers and farmers arrive from overseas, and are established by william ii. in the north to teach the people pacific arts, causing in time a stream of flemish merchandise to flow into the country, chiefly of rich fabrics and fine cloths. the men adopt longer tunics, made after the same pattern as before--split up either side and loose in the sleeve--but in many cases the skirts reach to the ground in heavy folds, and the sleeves hang over the hands by quite a yard. the necks of these tunics are ornamented as before, with coloured bands or stiff embroidery. the cuffs have the embroidery both inside and out, so that when the long sleeve is turned back over the hand the embroidery will show. the fashion in cloaks is still the same--of a semicircular pattern. the shoes are the same as in the previous reign--that is, of the shape of the foot, except in rare cases of dandyism, when the shoes were made with long, narrow toes, and these, being stuffed with moss or wool, were so stiffened and curled up at the ends that they presented what was supposed to be a delightfully extravagant appearance. they wore a sort of ankle garter of soft leather or cloth, which came over the top of the boot and just above the ankle. the hair, beard, and moustaches were worn long and carefully combed--in fact, the length of the beard caused the priests to rail at them under such terms as 'filthy goats.' but they had hardly the right to censorship, since they themselves had to be severely reprimanded by their bishops for their extravagance in dress. many gentlemen, and especially the welsh, wore long loose trousers as far as the ankle, leaving these garments free from any cross gartering. these were secured about the waist by a girdle of stuff or leather. [illustration: {two men of the time of william ii.}] the ultra-fashionable dress was an elongation of every part of the simple dress of the previous reign. given these few details, it is easy for anyone who wishes to go further to do so, in which case he must keep to the main outline very carefully; but as to the actual length of sleeve or shoe, or the very measurements of a cloak, they varied with the individual folly of the owner. so a man might have long sleeves and a short tunic, or a tunic which trailed upon the ground, the sleeves of which reached only to the elbow. i have noticed that it is the general custom of writers upon the dress of this early time to dwell lovingly upon the colours of the various parts of the dress as they were painted in the illuminated manuscripts. this is a foolish waste of time, insomuch as the colours were made the means of displays of pure design on the part of the very early illuminators; and if one were to go upon such evidence as this, by the exactness of such drawings alone, then every norman had a face the colour of which nearly resembled wet biscuit, and hair picked out in brown lines round each wave and curl. these woollen clothes--cap, tunic, semicircular cloak, and leg coverings--have all been actually found in the tomb of a briton of the bronze age. so little did the clothes alter in shape, that the early briton and the late norman were dressed nearly exactly alike. when the tomb of william ii. was opened in 1868, it was found, as had been suspected, that the grave had been opened and looted of what valuables it might have contained; but there were found among the dust which filled the bottom of the tomb fragments of red cloth, of gold cloth, a turquoise, a serpent's head in ivory, and a wooden spear shaft, perhaps the very spear that william carried on that fatal day in the new forest. also with the dust and bones of the dead king some nutshells were discovered, and examination showed that mice had been able to get into the tomb. so, if you please, you may hit upon a pretty moral. the women [illustration: {a woman of the time of william ii.}] and so the lady began to lace.... a moralist, a denouncer of the fair sex, a satirist, would have his fling at this. what thundering epithets and avalanche of words should burst out at such a momentous point in english history! however, the lady pleased herself. not that the lacing was very tight, but it commenced the habit, and the habit begat the harm, and the thing grew until it arrived finally at that buckram, square-built, cardboard-and-tissue figure which titters and totters through the elizabethan era. our male eyes, trained from infancy upwards to avoid gazing into certain shop windows, nevertheless retain a vivid impression of an awesome affair therein, which we understood by hints and signs confined our mothers' figures in its deadly grip. that the lady did not lace herself overtight is proved by the many informations we have of her household duties; that she laced tight enough for unkind comment is shown by the fact that some old monk pictured the devil in a neat-laced gown. it was, at any rate, a distinct departure from the loosely-clothed lady of 1066 towards the neater figure of 1135. the lacing was more to draw the wrinkles of the close-woven bodice of the gown smooth than to form a false waist and accentuated hips, the beauty of which malformation i must leave to the writers in ladies' journals and the condemnation to health faddists. however, the lacing was not the only matter of note. a change was coming over all feminine apparel--a change towards richness, which made itself felt in this reign more in the fabric than in the actual make of the garment. [illustration: a woman of the time of william ii. (1087-1100) this shows the gown, which is laced behind, fitting more closely to the figure. the sleeves are wider above the wrist.] the gown was open at the neck in the usual manner, was full in the skirt and longer than heretofore, was laced at the back, and was loose in the sleeve. the sleeve as worn by the men--that is, the over-long sleeve hanging down over the hand--was also worn by the women, and hung down or was turned back, according to the freak of the wearer. not only this, but a new idea began, which was to cut a hole in the long sleeve where the hand came, and, pushing the hand through, to let the rest of the sleeve droop down. this developed, as we shall see later. [illustration: {a woman of the time of william ii.}] then the cloak, which had before been fastened by a brooch on the shoulder or in the centre of the breast, was now held more tightly over the shoulders by a set of laces or bands which ran round the back from underneath the brooch where they were fastened, thus giving more definition to the shoulders. you must remember that such fashions as the hole in the sleeve and the laced cloak were not any more universal than is any modern fashion, and that the good dame in the country was about a century behind the times with her loose gown and heavy cloak. there were still the short gowns, which, being tucked in at the waist by the girdle, showed the thick wool chemise below and the unlaced gown, fitting like a jersey. the large wimple was still worn wrapped about the head, and the hair was still carefully hidden. [illustration: {a woman of the time of william ii.}] shall we imagine that it is night, and that the lady is going to bed? she is in her long white chemise, standing at the window looking down upon the market square of a small town. the moon picks out every detail of carving on the church, and throws the porch into a dense gloom. not a soul is about, not a light is to be seen, not a sound is to be heard. the lady is about to leave the window, when she hears a sound in the street below. she peers down, and sees a man running towards the church; he goes in and out of the shadows. from her open window she can hear his heavy breathing. now he darts into the shadow of the porch, and then out of the gloom comes a furious knocking, and a voice crying, 'sanctuary!' the lady at her window knows that cry well. soon the monks in the belfry will awake and ring the galilee-bell. the galilee-bell tolls, and the knocking ceases. a few curious citizens look out. a dog barks. then a door opens and closes with a bang. there is silence in the square again, but the lady still stands at her window, and she follows the man in her thoughts. now he is admitted by the monks, and goes at once to the altar of the patron-saint of the church, where he kneels and asks for a coroner. the coroner, an aged monk, comes to him and confesses him. he tells his crime, and renounces his rights in the kingdom; and then, in that dark church, he strips to his shirt and offers his clothes to the sacrist for his fee. ragged, mud-stained clothes, torn cloak, all fall from him in a heap upon the floor of the church. now the sacrist gives him a large cloak with a cross upon the shoulder, and, having fed him, gives him into the charge of the under-sheriff, who will next day pass him from constable to constable towards the coast, where he will be seen on board a ship, and so pass away, an exile for ever. the night is cold. the lady pulls a curtain across the window, and then, stripping herself of her chemise, she gets into bed. henry the first reigned thirty-five years: 1100-1135. born 1068. married to matilda of scotland, 1100; to adela of louvain, 1121. the men [illustration: {a man of the time of henry i.; two types of shoe}] the father of popular literature, gerald of wales, says: 'it is better to be dumb than not to be understood. new times require new fashions, and so i have thrown utterly aside the old and dry methods of some authors, and aimed at adopting the fashion of speech which is actually in vogue to-day.' vainly, perhaps, i have endeavoured to follow this precept laid down by father gerald, trying by slight pictures of the times to make the dry bones live, to make the clothes stir up and puff themselves into the shapes of men. it is almost a necessity that one who would describe, paint, stage, or understand the costume of this reign should know the state of england at the time. for there is in this reign a distinction without a difference in clothes; the shapes are almost identical to the shapes and patterns of the previous reigns, but everybody is a little better dressed. the mantles worn by the few in the time of william the red are worn now by most of the nobility, fur-lined and very full. one may see on the sides of the west door of rochester cathedral henry and his first wife, and notice that the mantle he wears is very full; one may see that he wears a supertunic, which is gathered round his waist. this tunic is the usual norman tunic reaching to the knee, but now it is worn over an under-tunic which reaches to the ground in heavy folds. one may notice that the king's hair is long and elegantly twisted into pipes or ringlets, and that it hangs over his shoulders. [illustration: a man of the time of henry i. (1100-1135) his hair is curled in ringlets; he wears a long cloak. the shirt shows at the neck of the tunic. the small design in the corner is from a sanctuary door-knocker.] no longer is the priestly abuse of 'filthy goat' applicable, for henry's beard is neatly trimmed and cut round his face. these two things are the only practical difference between the two dates--the end of the eleventh century and the beginning of the twelfth. the under-tunic was made as a perfectly plain gown with tight sleeves ending at the wrist; it hung loose and full upon the figure. over this was worn the short tunic with wide sleeves ending at the elbow. both tunics would have broad borders of embroidered work or bands of coloured material. the supertunic would be brooched by one of those circular norman brooches which was an ornamental circle of open gold-work in which stones and jewels were set. the brooch was fastened by a central pin. the extravagances of the previous reign were in some measure done away with; even the very long hair was not fashionable in the latter half of this reign, and the ultra-long sleeve was not so usual. so we may give as a list of clothes for men in this reign: a white linen shirt. a long tunic, open at the neck, falling to the ground, with tight sleeves to the wrist. a short tunic reaching only to the knees, more open at the neck than the long tunic, generally fastened by a brooch. tight, well-fitting drawers or loose trousers. bandages or garters crossed from the ankle to the knee to confine the loose trousers or ornament the tights. boots of soft leather which had an ornamental band at the top. socks with an embroidered top. shoes of cloth and leather with an embroidered band down the centre and round the top. shoes of skin tied with leather thongs. caps of skin or cloth of a very plain shape and without a brim. belts of leather or cloth or silk. semicircular cloaks fastened as previously described, and often lined with fur. the clothes of every colour, but with little or no pattern; the patterns principally confined to irregular groups of dots. and to think that in the year in which henry died nizami visited the grave of omar al khayyám in the hira cemetery at nishapur! [illustration: a child of the time of henry i. it is only in quite recent years that there have been quite distinct dresses for children, fashions indeed which began with the ideas for the improvement in hygiene. for many centuries children were dressed, with slight modifications, after the manner of their parents, looking like little men and women, until in the end they arrived at the grotesque infants of hogarth's day, powdered and patched, with little stiff skirted suits and stiff brocade gowns, with little swords and little fans and, no doubt, many pretty airs and graces. one thing i have never seen until the early sixteenth century, and that is girls wearing any of the massive head-gear of their parents; in all other particulars they were the same.] the women [illustration: {a woman of the time of henry i.}] the greatest change in the appearance of the women was in the arrangement of the hair. after a hundred years or more of headcloths and hidden hair suddenly appears a head of hair. until now a lady might have been bald for all the notice she took of her hair; now she must needs borrow hair to add to her own, so that her plaits shall be thick and long. it is easy to see how this came about. the hair, for convenience, had always been plaited in two plaits and coiled round the head, where it lay concealed by the wimple. one day some fine lady decides to discard her close and uncomfortable head-covering. she lets her plaits hang over her shoulders, and so appears in public. contempt of other ladies who have fine heads of hair for the thinness of her plaits; competition in thick and long hair; anger of ladies whose hair is not thick and long; enormous demand for artificial hair; failure of the supply to meet the ever-increasing demand; invention of silken cases filled with a substitute for hair, these cases attached to the end of the plaits to elongate them--in this manner do many fashions arrive and flourish, until such time as the common people find means of copying them, and then my lady wonders how she could ever have worn such a common affair. the gowns of these ladies remained much the same, except that the loose gown, without any show of the figure, was in great favour; this gown was confined by a long girdle. the girdle was a long rope of silk or wool, which was placed simply round the waist and loosely knotted; or it was wound round above the waist once, crossed behind, and then knotted in front, and the ends allowed to hang down. the ends of the girdle had tassels and knots depending from them. the silk cases into which the hair was placed were often made of silk of variegated colours, and these cases had metal ends or tassels. the girdles sometimes were broad bands of silk diapered with gold thread, of which manufacture specimens remain to us. [illustration: a woman of the time of henry i. (1100-1135) this shows the pendant sleeve with an embroidered hem. the long plaits of hair ended with metal, or silk, tags. at the neck and wrists the white chemise shows.] the sleeves of the gowns had now altered in shape, and had acquired a sort of pendulent cuff, which hung down about two hands' breadth from the wrist. the border was, as usual, richly ornamented. [illustration: {a woman of the time of henry i.}] then we have a new invention, the pelisse. it is a loose silk coat, which is brooched at the waist, or buttoned into a silk loop. the sleeves are long--that is, they gradually increase in size from the underarm to the wrist, and sometimes are knotted at the ends, and so are unlike the other gown sleeves, which grow suddenly long near to the wrist. this pelisse reaches to the knees, and is well open in front. the idea was evidently brought back from the east after the knights arrived back from the first crusade, as it is in shape exactly like the coats worn by persian ladies. we may conceive a nice picture of countess constance, the wife of hugh lufus, earl of chester, as she appeared in her dairy fresh from milking the cows, which were her pride. no doubt she did help to milk them; and in her long under-gown, with her plaits once more confined in the folds of her wimple, she made cheeses--such good cheeses that anselm, archbishop of canterbury, rejoiced in a present of some of them. what a change it must have been to matilda, free of the veil that she hated, from the black nuns of romsey, and the taunts and blows of her aunt christina, to become the wife of king henry, and to disport herself in fine garments and long plaited hair--matilda the very royal, the daughter of a king, the sister to three kings, the wife of a king, the mother of an empress! stephen reigned nineteen years: 1135-1154. born 1094. married, 1124, to matilda of boulogne. the men [illustration: {a man of the time of stephen}] when one regards the mass of material in existence showing costume of the tenth and eleventh centuries, it appears curious that so little fabric remains of this particular period. the few pieces of fabric in existence are so worn and bare that they tell little, whereas pieces of earlier date of english or norman material are perfect, although thin and delicate. there are few illuminated manuscripts of the twelfth century, or of the first half of it, and to the few there are all previous historians of costume have gone, so that one is left without choice but to go also to these same books. the possibilities, however, of the manuscripts referred to have not been exhausted, and too much attention has been paid to the queer drawing of the illuminators; so that where they utilized to the full the artistic license, others have sought to pin it down as accurate delineation of the costume of the time. in this i have left out all the supereccentric costumes, fearing that such existed merely in the imagination of the artist, and i have applied myself to the more ordinary and understandable. as there are such excellent works on armour, i have not touched at all upon the subject, so that we are left but the few simple garments that men wore when they put off their armour, or that the peasant and the merchant habitually wore. ladies occupied their leisure in embroidery and other fine sewing, in consequence of which the borders of tunics, of cloaks, the edgings of sleeves, and bands upon the shoes, were elegantly patterned. the more important the man, the finer his shoes. [illustration: a man of the time of stephen (1135-1154) he is wearing a cloak with hood attached; it is of skin, the smooth leather inside. he has an ankle gaiter covering the top of his shoes. on the arm over which the cloak hangs can be seen the white sleeve of the shirt.] as will be seen from the drawings, the man wore his hair long, smoothly parted in the centre, with a lock drawn down the parting from the back of his head. as a rule, the hair curled back naturally, and hung on the shoulders, but sometimes the older fashion of the past reign remained, and the hair was carefully curled in locks and tied with coloured ribbon. besides the hood as covering for the head, men wore one or other of the simple caps shown, made of cloth or of fur, or of cloth fur-lined. [illustration: {a man of the time of stephen; two types of shoe; a boot}] [illustration: {two types of tunic; two types of cloak; four types of sleeve showing cuff variations}] next to his skin the man of every class wore a shirt of the pattern shown--the selfsame shirt that we wear to day, excepting that the sleeves were made very long and tight-fitting, and were pushed back over the wrist, giving those wrinkles which we notice on all the bayeux tapestry sleeves, and which we see for many centuries in drawings of the undergarment. the shape has always remained the same; the modes of fastening the shirt differ very slightly--so little, in fact, that a shirt of the fourth century which still remains in existence shows the same button and loop that we notice of the shirts of the twelfth century. the richer man had his shirt embroidered round the neck and sometimes at the cuffs. over this garment the man wore his tunic--of wool, or cloth, or (rarely) of silk; the drawing explains the exact making of it. the tunic, as will be seen, was embroidered at the neck, the cuffs, and round the border. one drawing shows the most usual of these tunics, while the other drawings will explain the variations from it--either a tight sleeve made long and rolled back, a sleeve made very wide at the cuff and allowed to hang, or a sleeve made so that it fell some way over the hand. it was embroidered inside and out at the cuff, and was turned back to allow free use of the hand. over the tunic was worn the cloak, a very simple garment, being a piece of cloth cut in the shape of a semicircle, embroidered on the border or not, according to the purse and position of the owner. sometimes a piece was cut out to fit the neck. another form of cloak was worn with a hood. this was generally used for travelling, or worn by such people as shepherds. it was made for the richer folk of fine cloth, fur-lined, or entirely of fur, and for the poorer people of skin or wool. the cloak was fastened by a brooch, and was pinned in the centre or on either shoulder, most generally on the right; or it was pushed through a ring sewn on to the right side of the neck of the cloak. the brooches were practically the same as those worn in the earlier reigns, or were occasionally of a pure roman design. as will be seen in the small diagrams of men wearing the clothes of the day, the tunic, the shirt, and the cloak were worn according to the season, and many drawings in the mss. of the date show men wearing the shirt alone. on their legs men wore trousers of leather for riding, bound round with leather thongs, and trousers of wool also, bound with coloured straps of wool or cloth. [illustration: {a man of the time of stephen; an alternative hat for a man}] stockings of wool were worn, and cloth stockings also, and socks. there was a sock without a foot, jewelled or embroidered round the top, which was worn over the stocking and over the top of the boot in the manner of ankle gaiters. the country man wore twists of straw round his calf and ankle. for the feet there were several varieties of boots and shoes made of leather and stout cloth, now and again with wooden soles. as has been said before, the important people rejoiced in elegant footgear of all colours. all the shoes buttoned with one button above the outside ankle. the boots were sometimes tall, reaching to the bottom of the calf of the leg, and were rolled over, showing a coloured lining. sometimes they were loose and wrinkled over the ankle. they were both, boot and shoe, made to fit the foot; for in this reign nearly all the extravagances of the previous reign had died out, and it is rare to find drawings or mention of long shoes stuffed with tow or wool. during the reign of stephen the nation was too occupied in wars and battles to indulge in excessive finery, and few arts flourished, although useful improvements occurred in the crafts. there is in the british museum a fine enamelled plate of this date which is a representation of henry of blois, stephen's brother, who was the bishop of winchester. part of the inscription, translated by mr. franks, says that 'art is above gold and gems,' and that 'henry, while living, gives gifts of brass to god.' champlevé enamel was very finely made in the twelfth century, and many beautiful examples remain, notably a plaque which was placed on the column at the foot of which geoffrey plantagenet was buried. it is a portrait of him, and shows the byzantine influence still over the french style. this may appear to be rather apart from costume, but it leads one to suppose that the ornaments of the time may have been frequently executed in enamel or in brass--such ornaments as rings and brooches. it is hard to say anything definite about the colours of the dresses at this time. all that we can say is that the poorer classes were clothed principally in self-coloured garments, and that the dyes used for the clothes of the nobles were of very brilliant hues. but a street scene would be more occupied by the colour of armour. one would have seen a knight and men-at-arms--the knight in his plain armour and the men in leather and steel; a few merchants in coloured cloaks, and the common crowd in brownish-yellow clothes with occasional bands of colour encircling their waists. the more simply the people are represented, the more truthful will be the picture or presentation. few pictures of this exact time are painted, and few stories are written about it, but this will give all the information necessary to produce any picture or stage-play, or to illustrate any story. the garments are perfectly easy to cut out and make. in order to prove this i have had them made from the bare outlines given here, without any trouble. the women [illustration: {a woman of the time of stephen}] though many parts of england were at this time being harassed by wars, still the domestic element grew and flourished. the homes of the english from being bare and rude began to know the delights of embroidery and weaving. the workroom of the ladies was the most civilized part of the castle, and the effect of the norman invasion of foreign fashions was beginning to be felt. as the knights were away to their fighting, so were the knights' ladies engaged in sewing sleeve embroideries, placing of pearls upon shoes, making silk cases for their hair, and otherwise stitching, cutting, and contriving against the return of their lords. [illustration: {a woman of the time of stephen}] it is recorded that matilda escaped from oxford by a postern in a white dress, and no doubt her women sympathizers made much of white for dresses. the ladies wore a simple undergarment of thin material called a sherte or camise; this was bordered with some slight embroidery, and had tightish long sleeves pushed back over the wrist. the garment fell well on to the ground. this camise was worn by all classes. the upper garment was one of three kinds: made from the neck to below the breast, including the sleeves of soft material; from the breast to the hips it was made of some elastic material, as knitted wool or thin cloth, stiffened by criss-cross bands of cloth, and was fitted to the figure and laced up the back; the lower part was made of the same material as the sleeves and bust. [illustration: a woman of the time of stephen (1135-1154) her dress fits to her figure by lacing at the back. her long sleeves are tied up to keep them from trailing upon the ground. her hair is fastened at the end into silken cases. she has a wimple in her hands which she may wind about her head.] the second was made tight-fitting in the body and bust, all of one elastic material, and the skirt of loose thin stuff. the third was a loose tunic reaching half-way between the knees and feet, showing the camise, and tied about the waist and hips by a long girdle. the sleeves of these garments showed as many variations as those of the men, but with the poor folk they were short and useful, and with the rich they went to extreme length, and were often knotted to prevent them from trailing on the ground. the collar and the borders of the sleeves were enriched with embroidery in simple designs. in the case of the loose upper garment the border was also embroidered. in winter a cloak of the same shape as was worn by the men was used--_i.e._, cut exactly semicircular, with embroidered edges. the shoes of the ladies were fitted to the foot in no extravagant shape, and were sewn with bands of pearls or embroidery. the poorer folk went about barefoot. the hair was a matter of great moment and most carefully treated; it was parted in the centre and then plaited, sometimes intertwined with coloured ribbands or twists of thin coloured material; it was added to in length by artificial hair, and was tied up in a number of ways. either it was placed in a tight silk case, like an umbrella case, which came about half-way up the plait from the bottom, and had little tassels depending from it, or the hair was added to till it reached nearly to the feet, and was bound round with ribbands, the ends having little gold or silver pendants. the hair hung, as a rule, down the front on either side of the face, or occasionally behind down the back, as was the case when the wimple was worn. when the ladies went travelling or out riding they rode astride like men, and wore the ordinary common-hooded cloak. brooches for the tunic and rings for the fingers were common among the wealthy. the plait was introduced into the architecture of the time, as is shown by a norman moulding at durham. compared with the saxon ladies, these ladies of stephen's time were elegantly attired; compared with the plantagenet ladies, they were dressed in the simplest of costumes. no doubt there were, as in all ages, women who gave all their body and soul to clothes, who wore sleeves twice the length of anyone else, who had more elaborate plaits and more highly ornamented shoes; but, taking the period as a whole, the clothes of both sexes were plainer than in any other period of english history. one must remember that when the normans came into the country the gentlemen among the saxons had already borrowed the fashions prevalent in france, but that the ladies still kept in the main to simple clothes; indeed, it was the man who strutted to woo clad in all the fopperies of his time--to win the simple woman who toiled and span to deck her lord in extravagant embroideries. [illustration: {a woman of the time of stephen}] the learning of the country was shared by the ladies and the clergy, and the influence of osburgha, the mother of alfred, and editha, the wife of edward the confessor, was paramount among the noble ladies of the country. the energy of the clergy in this reign was more directed to building and the branches of architecture than to the more studious and sedentary works of illumination and writing, so that the sources from which we gather information with regard to the costume in england are few, and also peculiar, as the drawing of this date was, although careful, extremely archaic. picture the market-town on a market day when the serfs were waiting to buy at the stalls until the buyers from the abbey and the castle had had their pick of the fish and the meat. the lady's steward and the father-procurator bought carefully for their establishments, talking meanwhile of the annual catch of eels for the abbey. picture robese, the mother of thomas, the son of gilbert becket, weighing the boy thomas each year on his birthday, and giving his weight in money, clothes, and provisions to the poor. she was a type of the devout housewife of her day, and the wife of a wealthy trader. the barons were fortifying their castles, and the duties of their ladies were homely and domestic. they provided the food for men-at-arms, the followers, and for their husbands; saw that simples were ready with bandages against wounds and sickness; looked, no doubt, to provisions in case of siege; sewed with their maidens in a vestiary or workroom, and dressed as best they could for their position. what they must have heard and seen was enough to turn them from the altar of fashion to works of compassion. their houses contained dreadful prisons and dungeons, where men were put upon rachentegs, and fastened to these beams so that they were unable to sit, lie, or sleep, but must starve. from their windows in the towers the ladies could see men dragged, prisoners, up to the castle walls, through the hall, up the staircase, and cast, perhaps past their very eyes, from the tower to the moat below. such times and sights were not likely to foster proud millinery or dainty ways, despite of which innate vanity ran to ribbands in the hair, monstrous sleeves, jewelled shoes, and tight waists. the tiring women were not overworked until a later period, when the hair would take hours to dress, and the dresses months to embroider. in the town about the castle the merchants' wives wore simple homespun clothes of the same form as their ladies. the serfs wore plain smocks loose over the camise and tied about the waist, and in the bitter cold weather skins of sheep and wolves unlined and but roughly dressed. [illustration: cases for the hair.] in 1154 the treaty of wallingford brought many of the evils to an end, and stephen was officially recognised as king, making henry his heir. before the year was out stephen died. i have not touched on ecclesiastical costume because there are so many excellent and complete works upon such dress, but i may say that it was above all civil dress most rich and magnificent. i have given this slight picture of the time in order to show a reason for the simplicity of the dress, and to show how, enclosed in their walls, the clergy were increasing in riches and in learning; how, despite the disorders of war, the internal peace of the towns and hamlets was growing, with craft gilds and merchant gilds. the lords and barons fighting their battles knew little of the bond of strength that was growing up in these primitive labour unions; but the lady in her bower, in closer touch with the people, receiving visits from foreign merchants and pedlars with rare goods to sell or barter, saw how, underlying the miseries of bloodshed and disaster, the land began to bloom and prosper, to grow out of the rough place it had been into the fair place of market-town and garden it was to be. meanwhile london's thirteen conventual establishments were added to by another, the priory of st. bartholomew, raised by rahere, the king's minstrel. henry the second reigned thirty-five years: 1154-1189. born 1133. married, 1152, to eleanor of guienne. the men [illustration: {a man of the time of henry ii.}] the king himself is described as being careless of dress, chatty, outspoken. his hair was close-cropped, his neck was thick, and his eyes were prominent; his cheek-bones were high, and his lips coarse. the costume of this reign was very plain in design, but rich in stuffs. gilt spurs were attached to the boots by red leather straps, gloves were worn with jewels in the backs of them, and the mantles seem to have been ornamented with designs. [illustration: a man of the time of henry ii. (1154-1189) he wears the short cloak, and his long tunic is held by a brooch at the neck and is girdled by a long-tongued belt. there are gloves on his hands.] the time of patterns upon clothes began. the patterns were simple, as crescents, lozenges, stars. william de magna villa had come back from the holy land with a new fabric, a precious silk called 'imperial,' which was made in a workshop patronized by the byzantine emperors. the long tunic and the short supertunic were still worn, but these were not so frequently split up at the side. high boots reaching to the calf of the leg were in common use. that part of the hood which fell upon the shoulders was now cut in a neat pattern round the edge. silks, into which gold thread was sewn or woven, made fine clothes, and cloth cloaks lined with expensive furs, even to the cost of a thousand pounds of our money, were worn. the loose trouser was going out altogether, and in its stead the hose were made to fit more closely to the leg, and were all of gay colours; they were gartered with gold bands crossed, the ends of which had tassels, which hung down when the garter was crossed and tied about the knee. henry, despite his own careless appearance, was nicknamed court manteau, or short mantle, on account of a short cloak or mantle he is supposed to have brought into fashion. the shirts of the men, which showed at the opening of the tunic, were buttoned with small gold buttons or studs of gold sewn into the linen. the initial difference in this reign was the more usual occurrence of patterns in diaper upon the clothes. the length of a yard was fixed by the length of the king's arm. with the few exceptions mentioned, the costume is the same as in the time of stephen. it is curious to note what scraps of pleasant gossip come to us from these early times: st. thomas à becket dining off a pheasant the day before his martyrdom; the angry king calling to his knights, 'how a fellow that hath eaten my bread, a beggar that first came to my court on a lame horse, dares to insult his king and the royal family, and tread upon my whole kingdom, and not one of the cowards i nourish at my table, not one will deliver me of this turbulent priest!'--the veins no doubt swelling on his bull-like neck, the prominent eyes bloodshot with temper, the result of that angry speech, to end in the king's public penance before the martyr's tomb. picture the scene at canterbury on august 23, 1179, when louis vii., king of france, dressed in the manner and habit of a pilgrim, came to the shrine and offered there his cup of gold and a royal precious stone, and vowed a gift of a hundred hogsheads of wine as a yearly rental to the convent. a common sight in london streets at this time was a tin medal of st. thomas hung about the necks of the pilgrims. and here i cannot help but give another picture. henry ii., passing through wales on his way to ireland in 1172, hears the exploits of king arthur which are sung to him by the welsh bards. in this song the bards mention the place of king arthur's burial, at glastonbury abbey in the churchyard. when henry comes back from ireland he visits the abbot of glastonbury, and repeats to him the story of king arthur's tomb. one can picture the search: the king talking eagerly to the abbot; the monks or lay-brothers digging in the place indicated by the words of the song; the knights in armour, their mantles wrapped about them, standing by. then, as the monks search 7 feet below the surface, a spade rings upon stone. picture the interest, the excitement of these antiquarians. it is a broad stone which is uncovered, and upon it is a thin leaden plate in the form of a corpse, bearing the inscription: 'hic jacet sepultus inclytus rex arturius in insula avalonia.' they draw up this great stone, and with greedy eyes read the inscription. the monks continue to dig. presently, at the depth of 16 feet, they find the trunk of a tree, and in its hollowed shape lie arthur and his queen--arthur and guinevere, two names which to us now are part of england, part of ourselves, as much as our patron st. george. here they lie upon the turf, and all the party gaze on their remains. the skull of arthur is covered with wounds; his bones are enormous. the queen's body is in a good state of preservation, and her hair is neatly plaited, and is of the colour of gold. suddenly she falls to dust. they bury them again with great care. so lay our national hero since he died at the battle of camlan in cornwall in the year 542, and after death was conveyed by sea to glastonbury, and all traces of his burial-place lost except in the songs of the people until such day as henry found him and his queen. the women [illustration: {a woman of the time of henry ii.; a circular pin}] about this time came the fashion of the chin-band, and again the glory of the hair was hidden under the wimple. to dress a lady's hair for this time the hair must be brushed out, and then divided into two parts: these are to be plaited, and then brought round the crown of the head and fastened in front above the forehead. the front pieces of hair are to be neatly pushed back from the forehead, to show a high brow. now a cloth of linen is taken, folded under the chin, and brought over the top of the head, and there pinned. then another thin band of linen is placed round the head and fastened neatly at the back; and over all a piece of fine linen is draped, and so arranged that it shall just cover the forehead-band and fall on to the shoulders. this last piece of linen is fastened to the chin-band and the forehead-strap by pins. [illustration: {four steps to dress a woman's hair}] this fashion gave rise in later times to a linen cap; the forehead-strap was increased in height and stiffened so that it rose slightly above the crown of the head, and the wimple, instead of hanging over it, was sewn down inside it, and fell over the top of the cap. later the cap was sewn in pleats. the gown of this time was quite loose, with a deep band round the neck and round the hem of the skirts, which were very full. so far as one can tell, it was put on over the head, having no other opening but at the neck, and was held at the waist by an ornamental girdle. the chemise showed above the neck of the gown, which was fastened by the usual round brooch. [illustration: a woman of the time of henry ii. (1154-1189) there is a chin-band to be seen passing under the wimple; this band is pinned to hold it round the head.] the sleeves were well fitting, rather loose at the elbow, and fell shaped over the wrist, where there was a deep border of embroidery. it is quite possible that the cuffs and hem may have been made of fur. the shoes were, as usual to the last two reigns, rather blunt at the toe, and generally fitting without buckle, button, or strap round the ankle, where they were rolled back. above the waist the tied girdle was still worn, but this was being supplanted by a broad belt of silk or ornamented leather, which fastened by means of a buckle. the tongue of the belt was made very long, and when buckled hung down below the knee. the cloaks, from the light way in which they are held, appear to have been made of silk or some such fine material as fine cloth. they are held on to the shoulders by a running band of stuff or a silk cord, the ends of which pass through two fasteners sewn on to the cloak, and these are knotted or have some projecting ornament which prevents the cord from slipping out of the fastener. in this way one sees the cloak hanging from the shoulders behind, and the cord stretched tight across the breast, or the cord knotted in a second place, and so bringing the cloak more over the shoulders. the effigy of the queen at fontevraud shows her dress covered with diagonal bars of gold, in the triangles of which there are gold crescents placed from point to point, and no doubt other ladies of her time had their emblems or badges embroidered into their gowns. richard the first reigned ten years: 1189-1199. born 1157. married, 1191, to berengaria of navarre. the men [illustration: {a man of the time of richard i.; a hood; a shoe}] the king had but little influence over dress in his time, seeing that he left england as soon as he was made king, and only came back for two months in 1194 to raise money and to be crowned again. the general costume was then as plain as it had ever been, with long tunics and broad belts fastened by a big buckle. the difference in costume between this short reign and that of henry ii. is almost imperceptible; if any difference may be noted, it is in the tinge of orientalism in the garments. there is more of the long and flowing robe, more of the capacious mantle, the wider sleeve. no doubt the many who came from the crusades made a good deal of difference to english homes, and actual dresses and tunics from the east, of gorgeous colours and eastern designs, were, one must suppose, to be seen in england. cloth of gold and cloth of gold and silks--that is, warf of silk and weft of gold--were much prized, and were called by various names from the persian, as 'ciclatoun,' 'siglaton.' such stuff, when of great thickness and value--so thick that six threads of silk or hemp were in the warf--was called 'samite.' later, when the cloth of gold was more in use, and the name had changed from 'ciclatoun' to 'bundekin,' and from that to 'tissue,' to keep such fine cloth from fraying or tarnishing, they put very thin sheets of paper away between the folds of the garments; so to this day we call such paper tissue-paper. leaf-gold was used sometimes over silk to give pattern and richness to it. [illustration: a man of the time of richard i. (1189-1199)] a curious survival of this time, which has a connection with costume, was the case of abraham thornton in 1818. abraham thornton was accused of having drowned mary ashford, but he was acquitted by the jury. this acquittal did not satisfy popular feeling, and the brother of mary ashford appealed. now thornton was well advised as to his next proceeding, and, following the still existent law of this early time of which i write, he went to westminster hall, where he threw down, as a gage of battle, an antique gauntlet without fingers or thumb, of white tanned skin ornamented with silk fringes and sewn work, crossed by a narrow band of leather, the fastenings of leather tags and thongs. this done, he declared himself ready to defend himself in a fight, and so to uphold his innocence, saying that he was within his rights, and that no judge could compel him to come before a jury. this was held to be good and within the law, so abraham thornton won his case, as the brother refused to pick up the gauntlet. the scandal of this procedure caused the abolishment of the trial by battle, which had remained in the country's laws from the time of henry ii. until 1819. it was a time of foreign war and improvement in military armour and arms. richard i. favoured the cross-bow, and brought it into general use in england to be used in conjunction with the old 4-foot bow and the great bow 6 feet long with the cloth-yard arrow--a bow which could send a shaft through a 4-inch door. for some time this military movement, together with the influence of the east, kept england from any advance or great change in costume; indeed, the orientalism reached a pitch in the age of henry iii. which, so far as costume is concerned, may be called the age of draperies. to recall such a time in pictures, one must then see visions of loose-tuniced men, with heavy cloaks; of men in short tunics with sleeves tight or loose at the wrists; of hoods with capes to them, the cape-edge sometimes cut in a round design; of soft leather boots and shoes, the boots reaching to the calf of the leg. to see in the streets bright oriental colours and cloaks edged with broad bands of pattern; to see hooded heads and bared heads on which the hair was long; to see many long-bearded men; to see old men leaning on tan-handled sticks; the sailor in a cap or coif tied under his chin; the builder, stonemason, and skilled workman in the same coif; to see, as a whole, a brilliant shifting colour scheme in which armour gleamed and leather tunics supplied a dull, fine background. among these one might see, at a town, by the shore, a thief of a sailor being carried through the streets with his head shaven, tarred and feathered. the women [illustration: {a woman of the time of richard i.; a pouch}] it is difficult to describe an influence in clothes. it is difficult nowadays to say in millinery where paris begins and london accepts. the hint of paris in a gown suggests taste; the whole of paris in a gown savours of servile imitation. no well-dressed englishwoman should, or does, look french, but she may have a subtle cachet of france if she choose. the perfection of art is to conceal the means to the end; the perfection of dress is to hide the milliner in the millinery. the ladies of richard i.'s time did not wear oriental clothes, but they had a flavour of orientalism pervading their dress--rather masculine orientalism than feminine. the long cloak with the cord that held it over the shoulders; the long, loose gown of fine colours and simple designs; the soft, low, heelless shoes; the long, unbound hair, or the hair held up and concealed under an untied wimple--these gave a touch of something foreign to the dress. away in the country there was little to dress for, and what clothes they had were made in the house. stuffs brought home from cyprus, from palestine, from asia minor, were laboriously conveyed to the house, and there made up into gowns. local smiths and silver-workers made them buckles and brooches and ornamental studs for their long belts, or clasps for their purses. a wreck would break up on the shore near by, and the news would arrive, perhaps, that some bales of stuff were washed ashore and were to be sold. [illustration: a woman of the time of richard i. (1189-1199) her very full cloak is kept in place by the cord which passes through loops. a large buckle holds the neck of the gown well together. the gown is ornamented with a simple diaper pattern; the hem and neck are deeply embroidered.] the female anchorites of these days were busy gossips, and from their hermitage or shelter by a bridge on the road would see the world go by, and pick up friends by means of gifts of bandages or purses made by them, despite the fact that this traffic was forbidden to them. so the lady in the country might get news of her lord abroad, and hear that certain silks and stuffs were on their way home. the gowns they wore were long, flowing and loose; they were girded about the middle with leathern or silk belts, which drew the gown loosely together. the end of the belt, after being buckled, hung down to about the knee. these gowns were close at the neck, and there fastened by a brooch; the sleeves were wide until they came to the wrist, over which they fitted closely. the cloaks were ample, and were held on by brooches or laces across the bosom. the shoes were the shape of the foot, sewn, embroidered, elaborate. the wimples were pieces of silk or white linen held to the hair in front by pins, and allowed to flow over the head at the back. there were still remaining at this date women who wore the tight-fitting gown laced at the back, and who tied their chins up in gorgets. john reigned seventeen years: 1199-1216. born 1167. married, in 1189, to hadwisa, of gloucester, whom he divorced; married, in 1200, to isabella of angoulême. the men there was a garment in this reign which was the keynote of costume at the time, and this was the surcoat. it had been worn over the armour for some time, but in this reign it began to be an initial part of dress. take a piece of stuff about 9 or 10 yards in length and about 22 inches wide; cut a hole in the centre of this wide enough to admit of a man's head passing through, and you have a surcoat. [illustration: {a simple surcoat pattern}] [illustration: a man of the time of john (1199-1216)] under this garment the men wore a flowing gown, the sleeves of which were so wide that they reached at the base from the shoulder to the waist, and narrowed off to a tight band at the wrist. these two garments were held together by a leather belt buckled about the middle, with the tongue of the belt hanging down. broad borders of design edged the gowns at the foot and at the neck, and heraldic devices were sewn upon the surcoats. king john himself, the quick, social, humorous man, dressed very finely. he loved the company of ladies and their love, but in spite of his love for them, he starved and tortured them, starved and beat children, was insolent, selfish, and wholly indifferent to the truth. he laughed aloud during the mass, but for all that was superstitious to the degree of hanging relics about his neck; and he was buried in a monk's cowl, which was strapped under his chin. silk was becoming more common in england, and the cultivation of the silkworm was in some measure gaining hold. in 1213 the abbot of cirencester, alexander of neckham, wrote upon the habits of the silkworm. irish cloth of red colour was largely in favour, presumably for cloaks and hoods. the general costume of this reign was very much the same as that of henry ii. and richard i.--the long loose gown, the heavy cloak, the long hair cut at the neck, the fashion of beards, the shoes, belts, hoods, and heavy fur cloaks, all much the same as before, the only real difference being in the general use of the surcoat and the very convenient looseness of the sleeves under the arms. [illustration: {a man of the time of john; an alternative cuff}] there is an inclination in writing of a costume one can visualize mentally to leave out much that might be useful to the student who knows little or nothing of the period of dress in which one is writing; so perhaps it will be better to now dress a man completely. first, long hair and a neatly-trimmed beard; over this a hood and cape or a circular cap, with a slight projection on the top of it. second, a shirt of white, like a modern soft shirt. third, tights of cloth or wool. fourth, shoes strapped over the instep or tied with thongs, or fitting at the ankle like a slipper, or boots of soft leather turned over a little at the top, at the base of the calf of the leg. [illustration: {a man of the time of john}] fifth, a gown, loosely fitting, buckled at the neck, with sleeves wide at the top and tight at the wrist, or quite loose and coming to just below the elbow, or a tunic reaching only to the knees, both gown and tunic fastened with a belt. sixth, a surcoat sometimes, at others a cloak held together by a brooch, or made for travelling with a hood. this completes an ordinary wardrobe of the time. the women as may be seen from the plate, no change in costume took place. the hair plaited and bound round the head or allowed to flow loose upon the shoulders. over the hair a gorget binding up the neck and chin. over all a wimple pinned to the gorget. a long loose gown with brooch at the neck. sleeves tight at the wrist. the whole gown held in at the waist by a belt, with one long end hanging down. shoes made to fit the shape of the foot, and very elaborately embroidered and sewn. a long cloak with buckle or lace fastening. in this reign there were thirty english towns which had carried on a trade in dyed cloths for fifty years. [illustration: a woman of the time of john (1199-1216) one may just see the purse beneath the cloak, where it hangs from the belt. the cloak itself is of fine diaper-patterned material.] henry the third reigned fifty-six years: 1216-1272. born 1207. married, 1236, to eleanor of provence. the men [illustration: {a man of the time of henry iii.}] despite the fact that historians allude to the extravagance of this reign, there is little in the actual form of the costume to bear out the idea. extravagant it was in a large way, and costly for one who would appear well dressed; but the fopperies lay more in the stuffs than in the cut of the garments worn. it was an age of draperies. this age must call up pictures of bewrapped people swathed in heavy cloaks of cloth of flanders dyed with the famous flemish madder dye; of people in silk cloaks and gowns from italy; of people in loose tunics made of english cloth. this long reign of over fifty years is a transitional period in the history of clothes, as in its course the draped man developed very slowly towards the coated man, and the loose-hung clothes very gradually began to shape themselves to the body. the transition from tunic and cloak and oriental draperies is so slow and so little marked by definite change that to the ordinary observer the edwardian cotehardie seems to have sprung from nowhere: man seems to have, on a sudden, dropped his stately wraps and mantles and discarded his chrysalis form to appear in tight lines following the figure--a form infinitely more gay and alluring to the eye than the ponderous figure that walks through the end of the thirteenth century. up to and through the time from the conquest until the end of henry iii.'s reign the clothes of england appear--that is, they appear to me--to be lordly, rich, fine, but never courtier-like and elegant. [illustration: a man of the time of henry iii. (1216-1272) heavy cloak and fulness of dress characteristic of this time.] if one may take fashion as a person, one may say: fashion arrived in 1066 in swaddling-clothes, and so remained enveloped in rich cloaks and flowing draperies until 1240, when the boy began to show a more active interest in life; this interest grew until, in 1270, it developed into a distaste for heavy clothes; but the boy knew of no way as yet in which to rid himself of the trailings of his mother cloak. then, in about 1272, he invented a cloak more like a strange, long tunic, through which he might thrust his arms for freedom; on this cloak he caused his hood to be fastened, and so made himself three garments in one, and gave himself greater ease. then dawned the fourteenth century--the youth of clothes--and our fashion boy shot up, dropped his mantles and heaviness, and came out from thence slim and youthful in a cotehardie. of such a time as this it is not easy to say the right and helpful thing, because, given a flowing gown and a capacious mantle, imagination does the rest. cut does not enter into the arena. imagine a stage picture of this time: a mass of wonderful, brilliant colours--a crowd of men in long, loose gowns or surcoats; a crowd of ladies in long, loose gowns; both men and women hung with cloaks or mantles of good stuffs and gay colours. a background of humbler persons in homespun tunics with cloth or frieze hoods over their heads. here and there a fop--out of his date, a quarter-century before his time--in a loose coat with pocket-holes in front and a buttoned neck to his coat, his shoes very pointed and laced at the sides, his hair long, curled, and bound by a fillet or encompassed with a cap with an upturned brim. [illustration: {two men of the time of henry iii.}] the beginning of the coat was this: the surcoat, which up till now was split at both sides from the shoulder to the hem, was now sewn up, leaving only a wide armhole from the base of the ribs to the shoulder. this surcoat was loose and easy, and was held in at the waist by a belt. in due time a surcoat appeared which was slightly shaped to the figure, was split up in front instead of at the sides, and in which the armholes were smaller and the neck tighter, and fastened by two or three buttons. in front of this surcoat two pocket-holes showed. this surcoat was also fastened by a belt at the waist. in common with the general feeling towards more elaborate clothes, the shoes grew beyond their normal shape, and now, no longer conforming to the shape of the foot, they became elongated at the toes, and stuck out in a sharp point; this point was loose and soft, waiting for a future day when men should make it still longer and stuff it with tow and moss. of all the shapes of nature, no shape has been so marvellously maltreated as the human foot. it has suffered as no other portion of the body has suffered: it has endured exceeding length and exceeding narrowness; it has been swelled into broad, club-like shapes; it has been artificially raised from the ground, ended off square, pressed into tight points, curved under, and finally, as to-day, placed in hard, shining, tight leather boxes. all this has been done to one of the most beautiful parts of the human anatomy by the votaries of fashion, who have in turn been delighted to expose the curves of their bodies, the round swelling of their hips, the beauties of their nether limbs, the whiteness of their bosoms, the turn of their elbows and arms, and the rotundity of their shoulders, but who have, for some mysterious reasons, been for hundreds of years ashamed of the nakedness of their feet. let me give a wardrobe for a man of this time. a hood with a cape to it; the peak of the hood made full, but about half a hand's breadth longer than necessary to the hood; the cape cut sometimes at the edge into a number of short slits. a cap of soft stuff to fit the head, with or without an upturned brim. a fillet of silk or metal for the hair. a gown made very loose and open at the neck, wide in the body, the sleeves loose or tight to the wrist. the gown long or short, on the ground or to the knee, and almost invariably belted at the waist by a long belt of leather with ornamental studs. a surcoat split from shoulder to hem, or sewn up except for a wide armhole. a coat shaped very slightly to the figure, having pocket-holes in front, small armholes, and a buttoned neck. a great oblong-shaped piece of stuff for a cloak, or a heavy, round cloak with an attached hood. tights of cloth or sewn silk--that is, pieces of silk cut and sewn to the shape of the leg. shoes with long points--about 2 inches beyond the toes--fastened by a strap in front, or laced at the sides, or made to pull on and fit at the ankle, the last sometimes with a v-shaped piece cut away on either side. there was a tendency to beads, and a universal custom of long hair. in all such clothes as are mentioned above every rich stuff of cloth, silk, wool, and frieze may be used, and fur linings and fur hats are constant, as also are furred edges to garments. there was a slight increase of heraldic ornament, and a certain amount of foreign diaper patterning on the clothes. the women now the lady must needs begin to repair the ravages of time and touch the cheek that no longer knows the bloom of youth with--rouge. this in itself shows the change in the age. since the britons--poor, simple souls--had sought to embellish nature by staining themselves blue with woad and yellow with ochre, no paint had touched the faces of the fashionable until this reign. perhaps discreet historians had left that fact veiled, holding the secrets of the lady's toilet too sacred for the black of print; but now the murder came out. the fact in itself is part of the psychology of clothes. paint the face, and you have a hint towards the condition of fashion. again, as in the case of the men, no determined cut shows which will point to this age as one of such and such a garment or such an innovation, but--and this i would leave to your imagination--there was a distinction that was not great enough to be a difference. the gowns were loose and flowing, and were gathered in at the waist by a girdle, or, rather, a belt, the tongue of which hung down in front; but as the end of the reign approached, the gowns were shaped a little more to the figure. a lady might possess such clothes as these: the gowns i have mentioned above, the sleeves of which were tight all the way from the shoulder to the wrist, or were loose and cut short just below the elbow, showing the tight sleeves of the under-gown. shoes very elaborately embroidered and pointed at the toes. a rich cloak made oblong in shape and very ample in cut. a shaped mantle with strings to hold it together over the shoulders. [illustration: a woman of the time of henry iii. (1216-1272) this will show how very slight were the changes in woman's dress; a plain cloak, a plain gown, and a wimple over the head.] for the head a wimple made of white linen or perhaps of silk; this she would put above her head, leaving the neck bare. a long belt for her waist, and, if she were a great lady, a pair of gloves to wear or stick into her belt. the country folk from the conquest to the reign of edward i. [illustration: {a countryman}] until the present day the countryman has dressed in a manner most fitted to his surroundings; now the billycock hat, a devil-derived offspring from a greek source, the sunday suit of shiny black with purple trousers, the satin tie of cambridge blue, and the stiff shirt, have almost robbed the peasant of his poetical appearance. civilization seems to have arrived at our villages with a pocketful of petty religious differences, a bagful of public-houses, a bundle of penny and halfpenny papers full of stories to show the fascination of crime and--these sunday clothes. the week's workdays still show a sense of the picturesque in corduroys and jerseys or blue shirts, but the landscape is blotted with men wearing out old sunday clothes, so that the painter of rural scenes with rural characters must either lie or go abroad. as for the countrywoman, she, i am thankful to say, still retains a sense of duty and beauty, and, except on sunday, remains more or less respectably clad. chivalry prevents one from saying more. [illustration: {a countryman}] in the old days--from the conquest until the end of the thirteenth century--the peasant was dressed in perfect clothes. the villages were self-providing; they grew by then wool and hemp for the spindles. from this was made yarn for materials to be made up into coats and shirts. the homespun frieze that the peasant wore upon his back was hung by the nobleman upon his walls. the village bootmaker made, besides skin sandals to be tied with thongs upon the feet, leather trousers and belts. the mole-catcher provided skin for hats. hoods of a plain shape were made from the hides of sheep or wolves, the wool or hair being left on the hood. cloaks lined with sheepskin served to keep away the winter cold. to protect their legs from thorns the men wore bandages of twisted straw wrapped round their trousers, or leather thongs cross-gartered to the knee. the fleece of the sheep was woven in the summer into clothes of wool for the winter. gloves were made, at the beginning of the thirteenth century, of wool and soft leather; these were shaped like the modern baby's glove, a pouch for the hand and fingers and a place for the thumb. a coarse shirt was worn, over which a tunic, very loosely made, was placed, and belted at the waist. the tunic hardly varied in shape from the conquest to the time of elizabeth, being but a sack-like garment with wide sleeves reaching a little below the elbow. the hood was ample and the cloak wide. the women wore gowns of a like material to the men--loose gowns which reached to the ankles and gave scope for easy movement. they wore their hair tied up in a wimple of coarse linen. [illustration: a peasant of early england (william i.-henry iii.) his hood is made from sheepskin, the wool outside, the hem trimmed into points. his legs are bound up with garters of plaited straw. his shoes are of the roughest make of coarse leather. he has the shepherd's horn slung over his shoulder.] the people of the north were more ruggedly clothed than the southerners, and until the monks founded the sheep-farming industry in yorkshire the people of those parts had no doubt to depend for their supply of wool upon the more cultivated peoples. [illustration: {two countrymen}] picture these people, then, in very simple natural wool-coloured dresses going about their ordinary country life, attending their bees, their pigs, sheep, and cattle, eating their kele soup, made of colewort and other herbs. see them ragged and hungry, being fed by remigius, bishop of lincoln, after all the misery caused by the conquest; or despairing during the great frost of 1205, which began on st. hilary's day, january 11, and lasted until march 22, and was so severe that the land was like iron, and could not be dug or tilled. when better days arrived, and farming was taken more seriously by the great lords, when grosseteste, the bishop of lincoln, wrote his book on farming and estate management for margaret, the dowager-countess of lincoln, then clothes and stuffs manufactured in the towns became cheaper and more easy to obtain, and the very rough skin clothes and undressed hides began to vanish from among the clothes of the country, and the rough gartered trouser gave way before cloth cut to fit the leg. on lord and peasant alike the sun of this early age sets, and with the sunset comes the warning bell--the _couvre-feu_--so, on their beds of straw-covered floors, let them sleep.... edward the first reigned thirty-five years: 1272-1307. born 1239. married, 1254, eleanor of castile; 1299, margaret of france. men and women until the performance of the sherborne pageant, i had never had the opportunity of seeing a mass of people, under proper, open-air conditions, dressed in the peasant costume of early england. for once traditional stage notions of costume were cast aside, and an attempt was made, which was perfectly successful, to dress people in the colours of their time. the mass of simple colours--bright reds, blues, and greens--was a perfect expression of the date, giving, as nothing else could give, an appearance of an illuminated book come to life. one might imagine that such a primary-coloured crowd would have appeared un-english, and too oriental or italian; but with the background of trees and stone walls, the english summer sky distressed with clouds, the moving cloud shadows and the velvet grass, these fierce hard colours looked distinctly english, undoubtedly of their date, and gave the spirit of the ages, from a clothes point of view, as no other colours could have done. in doing this they attested to the historical truth of the play. it seemed natural to see an english crowd one blazing jewel-work of colour, and, by the excellent taste and knowledge of the designer, the jewel-like hardness of colour was consistently kept. it was interesting to see the difference made to this crowd by the advent of a number of monks in uniform black or brown, and to see the setting in which these jewel-like peasants shone--the play of brilliant hues amid the more sombre browns and blacks, the shifting of the blues and reds, the strong notes of emerald green--all, like the symmetrical accidents of the kaleidoscope, settling into their places in perfect harmony. the entire scene bore the impress of the spirit of historical truth, and it is by such pageants that we can imagine coloured pictures of an england of the past. again, we could observe the effect of the light-reflecting armour, cold, shimmering steel, coming in a play of colour against the background of peasants, and thereby one could note the exact appearance of an ordinary english day of such a date as this of which i now write, the end of the thirteenth century. the mournful procession bearing the body of queen eleanor of castile, resting at waltham, would show a picture in the same colours as the early part of the sherborne pageant. colour in england changed very little from the conquest to the end of the reign of edward i.; the predominant steel and leather, the gay, simple colours of the crowds, the groups of one colour, as of monks and men-at-arms, gave an effect of constantly changing but ever uniform colours and designs of colour, exactly, as i said before, like the shifting patterns of the kaleidoscope. it was not until the reign of edward ii. that the effect of colour changed and became pied, and later, with the advent of stamped velvets, heavily designed brocades, and the shining of satins, we get that general effect best recalled to us by memories of italian pictures; we get, as it were, a varnish of golden-brown over the crude beauties of the earlier times. it is intensely important to a knowledge of costume to remember the larger changes in the aspect of crowds from the colour point of view. a knowledge of history--by which i do not mean a parrot-like acquirement of dates and acts of parliament, but an insight into history as a living thing--is largely transmitted to us by pictures; and, as pictures practically begin for us with the tudors, we must judge of coloured england from illuminated books. in these you will go from white, green, red, and purple, to such colours as i have just described: more vivid blues, reds, and greens, varied with brown, black, and the colour of steel, into the chequered pages of pied people and striped dresses, into rich-coloured people, people in black; and as you close the book and arrive at the wall-picture, back to the rich-coloured people again. [illustration: {three men of the time of edward i.}] the men of this time, it must be remembered, were more adapted to the arts of war than to those of peace; and the knight who was up betimes and into his armour, and to bed early, was not a man of so much leisure that he could stroll about in gay clothes of an inconvenient make. his principal care was to relieve himself of his steel burden and get into a loose gown, belted at the waist, over which, if the weather was inclement, he would wear a loose coat. this coat was made with a hood attached to it, very loose and easy about the neck and very wide about the body; its length was a matter of choice, but it was usual to wear it not much below the knees. the sleeves were also wide and long, having at a convenient place a hole cut, through which the arms could be placed. the men wore their hair long and brushed out about the ears--long, that is, to the nape of the neck. they also were most commonly bearded, with or without a moustache. upon their heads they wore soft, small hats, with a slight projection at the top, the brim of the hat turned up, and scooped away in front. fillets of metal were worn about the hair with some gold-work upon them to represent flowers; or they wore, now and again, real chaplets of flowers. there was an increase of heraldic ornament in this age, and the surcoats were often covered with a large device. these surcoats, as in the previous reign, were split from shoulder to bottom hem, or were sewn up below the waist; for these, thin silk, thick silk (called samite), and sendal, or thick stuff, was used, as also for the gowns. the shoes were peaked, and had long toes, but nothing extravagant, and they were laced on the outside of the foot. the boots came in a peak up to the knee. the peasant was still very norman in appearance, hooded, cloaked, with ill-fitting tights and clumsy shoes; his dress was often of bright colours on festivals, as was the gown and head-handkerchief of his wife. thus you see that, for ordinary purposes, a man dressed in some gown which was long, loose, and comfortable, the sleeves of it generally tight for freedom, so that they did not hang about his arm, and his shoes, hat, cloak, everything, was as soft and free as he could get them. the woman also followed in the lines of comfort: her under-gown was full and slack at the waist, the sleeves were tight, and were made to unbutton from wrist to elbow; they stopped short at the wrist with a cuff. her upper gown had short, wide sleeves, was fastened at the back, and was cut but roughly to the figure. the train of this gown was very long. they sought for comfort in every particular but one: for though i think the gorget very becoming, i think that it must have been most distressing to wear. this gorget was a piece of white linen wrapped about the throat, and pinned into its place; the ends were brought up to meet a wad of hair over the ears and there fastened, in this way half framing the face. [illustration: {four types of hairstyle and head-dresses for women}] the hair was parted in the middle, and rolled over pads by the ears, so as to make a cushion on which to pin the gorget. this was the general fashion. now, the earlier form of head-dress gave rise to another fashion. the band which had been tied round the head to keep the wimple in place was enlarged and stiffened with more material, and so became a round linen cap, wider at the top than at the bottom. sometimes this cap was hollow-crowned, so that it was possible to bring the wimple under the chin, fasten it into place with the cap, and allow it to fall over the top of the cap in folds; sometimes the cap was solidly crowned, and was pleated; sometimes the cap met the gorget, and no hair showed between them. [illustration: a man and woman of the time of edward i. (1272-1307) the sleeves of the man's overcoat through which he has thrust his arms are complete sleeves, and could be worn in the ordinary manner but that they are too long to be convenient; hence the opening.] what we know as 'the true lovers' knot' was sometimes used as an ornament sewn on to dresses or gowns. you may know the effigy of queen eleanor in westminster abbey, and if you do, you will see an example of the very plainest dress of the time. she has a shaped mantle over her shoulders, which she is holding together by a strap; the long mantle or robe is over a plain, loosely-pleated gown, which fits only at the shoulders; her hair is unbound, and she wears a trefoil crown upon her head. [illustration: {two women of the time of edward i.}] the changes in england can best be seen by such monuments as edward caused to be erected in memory of his beloved wife. the arts of peace were indeed magnificent, and though the knight was the man of war, he knew how to choose his servant in the great arts. picture such a man as alexander de abyngdon, 'le imaginator,' who with william de ireland carved the statues of the queen for five marks each--such a man, with his gown hitched up into his belt, his hood back on his shoulders, watching his statue put into place on the cross at charing. he is standing by roger de crundale, the architect of that cross, and he is directing the workmen who are fixing the statue.... a little apart you may picture master william tousell, goldsmith, of london, a very important person, who is making a metal statue of the queen and one of her father-in-law, henry iii., for westminster abbey. at the back men and women in hoods and wimples, in short tunics and loose gowns. a very brightly-coloured picture, though the dyes of the dresses be faded by rain and sun--they are the finer colours for that: master tousell, no doubt, in a short tunic for riding, with his loose coat on him, the heavy hood back, a little cap on his head; the workmen with their tunics off, a twist of coloured stuff about their waists, their heads bare. it is a beautiful love-story this, of fierce edward, the terror of scotland, for eleanor, whom he 'cherished tenderly,' and 'whom dead we do not cease to love.' the same man, who could love so tenderly and well, who found a fantastic order of chivalry in the round table of kenilworth, could there swear on the body of a swan the death of comyn, regent of scotland, and could place the countess of buchan, who set the crown upon the head of bruce, in a cage outside one of the towers of berwick. despite the plain cut of the garments of this time, and the absence of superficial trimmings, it must have been a fine sight to witness one hundred lords and ladies, all clothed in silk, seated about the round table of kenilworth. edward the second reigned twenty years: 1307-1327. born 1284. married, 1308, isabella of france. men and women whether the changes in costume that took place in this reign were due to enterprising tailors, or to an exceptionally hot summer, or to the fancy of the king, or to the sprightliness of piers gaveston, it is not possible to say. each theory is arguable, and, no doubt, in some measure each theory is right, for, although men followed the new mode, ladies adhered to their earlier fashions. take the enterprising tailor--call him an artist. the old loose robe was easy of cut; it afforded no outlet for his craft; it cut into a lot of material, was easily made at home--it was, in fact, a baggy affair that fitted nowhere. now, is it not possible that some tailor-artist, working upon the vanity of a lordling who was proud of his figure, showed how he could present this figure to its best advantage in a body-tight garment which should reach only to his hips? [illustration: {a man of the time of edward ii.}] take the hot summer. you may or may not know that a hot summer some years ago suddenly transformed the city of london from a place of top-hats and black coats into a place of flannel jackets and hats of straw, so that it is now possible for a man to arrive at his city office clad according to the thermometer, without incurring the severe displeasure of the fathers of the city. it seems that somewhere midway between 1307 and 1327 men suddenly dropped their long robes, loosely tied at the waist, and appeared in what looked uncommonly like vests, and went by the name of 'cotehardies.' it must have been surprising to men who remembered england clothed in long and decorous robes to see in their stead these gay, debonair, tight vests of pied cloth or parti-coloured silk. piers gaveston, the gay, the graceless but graceful favourite, clever at the tournament, warlike and vain, may have instituted this complete revolution in clothes with the aid of the weak king. [illustration: {two types of cotehardie}] [illustration: {two types of tunic; two types of collar}] sufficient, perhaps, to say that, although long robes continued to be worn, cotehardies were all the fashion. there was a general tendency to exaggeration. the hood was attacked by the dandies, and, instead of its modest peak, they caused to be added a long pipe of the material, which they called a 'liripipe.' every quaint thought and invention for tying up this liripipe was used: they wound it about their heads, and tucked the end into the coil; they put it about their necks, and left the end dangling; they rolled it on to the top of their heads. [illustration: {four types of shoe; two types of hat}] the countryman, not behindhand in quaint ideas, copied the form of a bishop's hood, and appeared with his cloth hood divided into two peaks, one on either side of his head. [illustration: {four types of hood}] this new cotehardie was cut in several ways. strictly speaking, it was a cloth or silk vest, tight to the body, and close over the hips; the length was determined by the fancy of the wearer. it also had influence on the long robes still worn, which, although full below the waist to the feet, now more closely fitted the body and shoulders. the fashionable sleeves were tight to the elbow, and from there hanging and narrow, showing a sleeve belonging to an undergarment. the cloak also varied in shape. the heavy travelling-cloak, with the hood attached, was of the old pattern, long, shapeless, with or without hanging sleeves, loose at the neck, or tightly buttoned. then there was a hooded cloak, with short sleeves, or with the sleeves cut right away, a sort of hooded surcoat. then there were two distinct forms of cape: one a plain, circular cape, not very deep, which had a plain, round, narrow collar of fur or cloth, and two or three buttons at the neck; and there was the round cape, without a collar, but with turned back lapels of fur. this form of cape is often to be seen. the boots and shoes were longer at the toes, and were sometimes buttoned at the sides. the same form of hats remain, but these were now treated with fur brims. round the waist there was always a belt, generally of plain black leather; from it depended a triangular pouch, through which a dagger was sometimes stuck. [illustration: a man and woman of the time of edward ii. (1307-1327) notice the great length of liripipe on the man's hood, also his short tunic of rayed cloth, his hanging sleeve and his under-sleeve. the woman has her hair dressed in two side-plaits, to which the gorget or neckcloth is pinned.] the time of parti-coloured clothes was just beginning, and the cotehardie was often made from two coloured materials, dividing the body in two parts by the colour difference; it was the commencement of the age which ran its course during the next reign, when men were striped diagonally, vertically, and in angular bars; when one leg was blue and the other red. [illustration: {a woman of the time of edward ii.; a cap}] [illustration: {a woman of the time of edward ii.}] you will note that all work was improving in this reign when you hear that the king paid the wife of john de bureford 100 marks for an embroidered cope, and that a great green hanging was procured for king's hall, london, for solemn feasts--a hanging of wool, worked with figures of kings and beasts. the ladies made little practical change in their dress, except to wear an excess of clothes against the lack of draperies indulged in by the men. it is possible to see three garments, or portions of them, in many dresses. first, there was a stuff gown, with tight sleeves buttoned to the elbow from the wrist; this sometimes showed one or two buttons under the gorget in front, and was fitted, but not tightly, to the figure. it fell in pleated folds to the feet, and had a long train; this was worn alone, we may suppose, in summer. second, there was a gown to go over this other, which had short, wide sleeves, and was full in the skirts. one or other of these gowns had a train, but if the upper gown had a train the under one had not, and _vice versâ_. third, there was a surcoat like to a man's, not over-long or full, with the sleeve-holes cut out wide; this went over both or either of the other gowns. [illustration: {two women of the time of edward ii.; a wimple with fillet and gorget}] upon the head they wore the wimple, the fillet, and about the throat the gorget. the arrangement of the wimple and fillet were new, for the hair was now plaited in two tails, and these brought down straight on either side of the face; the fillet was bound over the wimple in order to show the plait, and the gorget met the wimple behind the plait instead of over it. the older fashion of hair-dressing remained, and the gorget was pinned to the wads of hair over the ears, without the covering of the wimple. sometimes the fillet was very wide, and placed low on the head over a wimple tied like a gorget; in this way the two side-plaits showed only in front and appeared covered at side-face, while the wimple and broad fillet hid all the top hair of the head. very rarely a tall, steeple head-dress was worn over the wimple, with a hanging veil; but this was not common, and, indeed, it is not a mark of the time, but belongs more properly to a later date. however, i have seen such a head-dress drawn at or about this time, so must include it. the semicircular mantle was still in use, held over the breast by means of a silk cord. it may seem that i describe these garments in too simple a way, and the rigid antiquarian would have made comment on courtepys, on gamboised garments, on cloth of gaunt, or cloth of dunster. i may tell you that a gambeson was the quilted tunic worn under armour, and, for the sake of those whose tastes run into the arid fields of such research, that you may call it wambasium, gobison, wambeys, gambiex, gaubeson, or half a dozen other names; but, to my mind, you will get no further with such knowledge. falding is an irish frieze; cyclas is a gown; courtepy is a short gown; kirtle--again, if we know too much we cannot be accurate--kirtle may be a loose gown, or an apron, or a jacket, or a riding-cloak. the tabard was an embroidered surcoat--that is, a surcoat on which was displayed the heraldic device of the owner. let us close this reign with its mournful end, when piers gaveston feels the teeth of the black dog of warwick, and is beheaded on blacklow hill; when hugh le despenser is hanged on a gibbet; when the queen lands at orwell, conspiring against her husband, and the king is a prisoner at kenilworth. here at kenilworth the king hears himself deposed. 'edward, once king of england,' is hereafter accounted 'a private person, without any manner of royal dignity.' here edward, in a plain black gown, sees the steward of his household, sir thomas blount, break his staff of office, done only when a king is dead, and discharge all persons engaged in the royal service. parliament decided to take this strong measure in january; in the following september edward was murdered in cold blood at berkeley castle. edward the third reigned fifty years: 1327-1377. born 1312. married, 1328, philippa of hainault. the men kings were kings in those days; they managed england as a nobleman managed his estates. edward i., during the year 1299, changed his abode on an average three times a fortnight, visiting in one year seventy-five towns and castles. edward ii. increased his travelling retinue until, in the fourth year of the reign of edward iii., the crowd who accompanied that king had grown to such proportions that he was forced to introduce a law forbidding knights and soldiers to bring their wives and families with them. edward iii., with his gay company, would not be stopped as he rode out of one of the gates of london to pay toll of a penny a cart and a farthing a horse, nor would any of his train. this toll, which included threepence a week on gravel and sand carts going in or out of the city, was raised to help pay for street repairs, the streets and roads of that time being in a continual state of slush, mud, and pits of water. let us imagine edward iii. and his retinue passing over wakefield bridge before he reduced his enormous company. the two priests, william kaye and william bull, stand waiting for the king outside the new saint mary's chapel. first come the guard of four-and-twenty archers in the king's livery; then a marshal and his servants (the other king's marshal has ridden by some twenty-four hours ago); then comes the chancellor and his clerks, and with them a good horse carrying the rolls (this was stopped in the fourth year of edward's reign); then they see the chamberlain, who will look to it that the king's rooms are decent and in order, furnished with benches and carpets; next comes the wardrobe master, who keeps the king's accounts; and, riding beside the king, the first personal officer of the kingdom, the seneschal; after that a gay company of knights and their ladies, merchants, monks dressed as ordinary laymen for travelling, soldiers of fortune, women, beggars, minstrels--a motley gang of brightly-clothed people, splashed with the mud and dust of the cavalcade. [illustration: {two men of the time of edward iii.}] remembering the condition of the day, the rough travelling, the estates far apart, the dirty inns, one must not imagine this company spick and span. the ladies are riding astride, the gentlemen are in civil garments or half armour. let us suppose that it is summer, and but an hour or so after a heavy shower. the heat is oppressive: the men have slung their hats at their belts, and have pushed their hoods from their heads; their heavy cloaks, which they donned hastily against the rain, are off now, and hanging across their saddles. these cloaks vary considerably in shape. here we may see a circular cloak, split down the right side from the neck, it buttons on the shoulder. here is another circular cloak, jagged at the edge; this buttons at the neck. one man is riding in a cloak, parti-coloured, which is more like a gown, as it has a hood attached to it, and reaches down to his feet. [illustration: {a man of the time of edward iii.; two types of hood}] nearly every man is alike in one respect--clean-shaven, with long hair to his neck, curled at the ears and on the forehead. [illustration: {a man of the time of edward iii.}] most men wear the cotehardie, the well-fitting garment buttoned down the front, and ending over the hips. there is every variety of cotehardie--the long one, coming nearly to the knees; the short one, half-way up the thigh. some are buttoned all the way down the front, and others only with two or three buttons at the neck. round the hips of every man is a leather belt, from which hangs a pouch or purse. some of these purses are beautiful with stitched arabesque designs; some have silver and enamel clasps; some are plain black cloth or natural-coloured leather; nearly all, however, are black. the hoods over the men's heads vary in a number of ways: some are very full in the cape, which is jagged at the hem; some are close about the neck and are plain; some have long liripipes falling from the peak of the hood, and others have a liripipe of medium length. there are two or three kinds of hat worn, and felt and fur caps of the usual shape--round, with a rolled-up brim and a little peak on the top. some of the hats are tall-crowned, round hats with a close, thick brim--these have strings through the brim so that the hat may be strung on the belt when it is not in use; other hats are of the long, peaked shape, and now and again one may see a feather stuck into them; a third variety shows the brim of a high-crowned hat, castellated. among the knights you will notice the general tendency to parti-coloured clothes, not only divided completely into halves of two colours, but striped diagonally, vertically, and horizontally, so giving a very diverse appearance to the mass of colour. here and there a man is riding in his silk surcoat, which is embroidered with his coat of arms or powdered with his badge. here are cloth, velvet, silk, and woollen stuffs, all of fine dyes, and here is some fine silk cotehardie with patterns upon it gilt in gold leaf, and there is a magnificent piece of stuff, rich in design, from the looms of palermo. among the merchants we shall see some more sober colours and quieter cut of clothes; the archers in front are in leather tunics, and these quiet colours in front, and the respectable merchants behind, enclose the brilliant blaze of colour round the king. behind all come the peasants, minstrels, mummers, and wandering troupes of acrobats; here is a bearward in worn leather cloak and hood, his legs strapped at the ankle, his shoes tied on with thongs; here is a woman in a hood, open at the neck and short at the back: she wears a smocked apron; here is a beggar with a hood of black stuff over his head--a hood with two peaks, one on either side of his head; and again, here is a minstrel with a patched round cloak, and a mummer with a two-peaked hood, the peaks stuffed out stiff, with bells jangling on the points of them. again, among this last group, we must notice the old-fashioned loose tunics, the coif over the head, tied under the chin, wooden-soled shoes and pouch-gloves. [illustration: {three men of the time of edward iii.}] there are some norfolk merchants and some merchants from flanders among the crowd, and they talk as best they can in a sort of french-latin-english jargon among themselves; they speak of england as the great wool-producing country, the tax on which produced £30,000 in one year; they talk of the tax, its uses and abuses, and how norfolk was proved the richest county in wool by the tax of 1341. the people of england little thought to hear artillery used in a field of battle so soon as 1346, when on august 26 it was used for the first time, nor did they realize the horrors that were to come in 1349, when the great plague was to sweep over england and kill half the population. [illustration: {a man of the time of edward iii.}] there is one man in this crowd who has been marked by everybody. he is a courtier, dressed in the height of fashion. his cotehardie fits him very well: the sleeves are tight from elbow to wrist, as are the sleeves of most of his fellows--some, however, still wear the hanging sleeve and show an under-sleeve--and his sleeve is buttoned from wrist to elbow. he wears the newest fashion upon his arm, the tippet, a piece of silk which is made like a detachable cuff with a long streamer hanging from it; his cotehardie is of medium length, jagged at the bottom, and it is of the finest sicilian silk, figured with a fine pattern; round his hips he wears a jewelled belt. his hood is parti-coloured and jagged at the edge and round his face, and his liripipe is very long. his tights are parti-coloured, and his shoes, buttoned up the front, are long-toed and are made of red-and-white chequered leather. by him rides a knight, also in the height of fashion, but less noticeable: he has his cotehardie skirt split up in front and turned back; he has not any buttons on his sleeves, and his belt about his waist holds a large square pouch; his shoes are a little above his ankles, and are buckled over the instep. his hair is shorter than is usual, and it is not curled. [illustration: {a man of the time of edward iii.; three types of head-gear}] as we observe these knights, a party of armed knights come riding down the road towards the cavalcade; they have come to greet the king. these men have ridden through the rain, and now, as they come closer, one can see that their armour is already red with rust. [illustration: {a hat}] so the picture should remain on your mind, as i have imagined it for you: the knights in armour and surcoats covered with their heraldic device; the archers; the gay crowd of knights in parti-coloured clothes; the king, in his cotehardie of plain black velvet and his black beaver hat, just as he looked after calais in later years; the merchants; the servants in parti-coloured liveries of their masters' colours; the tattered crowd behind; and, with the aid of the drawings, you should be able to visualize the picture. meanwhile edward will arrive at his destination, and to soothe him before sleep, he will read out of the book of romances, illustrated by isabella, the nun of aumbresbury, for which he had paid £66 13s. 4d., which sum was heavy for those days, when £6 would buy twenty-four swans. £66 13s. 4d. is about £800 of our money to-day. the women 'i looked on my left half as the lady taught me, and was aware of a woman worthily clothed, trimmed with fur, the finest on earth, crowned with a crown, the king had none better. handsomely her fingers were fretted with gold wire, and thereon red rubies, as red as any hot coal, and diamonds of dearest price, and double manner of sapphires, orientals and green beryls.... her robe was full rich, of red scarlet fast dyed, with bands of red gold and of rich stones; her array ravished me, such richness saw i never.' _piers the plowman._ there are two manuscripts in existence the illuminations in which give the most wonderfully pictorial idea of this time; they are the manuscript marked ms. bodl., misc. 264, in the bodleian library at oxford, and the loutrell psalter in the british museum. the loutrell psalter is, indeed, one of the most notable books in the world; it is an example of illumination at the height of that art; it has for illustrator a person, not only of a high order of intelligence, but a person possessed of the very spirit of gothic humour, who saw rural england, not only with the eyes of an artist, but with the eyes of a gossiping philosopher. [illustration: a man of the time of edward iii. (1327-1377) round his arms you will see the curious tippet, the jagged ends of which hang down; these are the remains of the pendant sleeves. his shoes are buttoned in front.] both this book and the book in the bodleian library were illustrated by persons who were charged to the brim with the spirit of their age; they were chaucerian in their gay good-humour and in their quaint observation, and they have that moral knowledge and outspoken manner which characterize william langland, whose 'piers the plowman' i have quoted above. with chaucer, langland, and these illuminators we have a complete exhibition of english life of these times. the pulse of rural england is felt by them in a most remarkable way; the religion, language, thought, politics, the whole trend of rural, provincial, and court life may be gathered from their books. the drawings in the loutrell psalter were completed before the year 1340, and they give us all that wonderful charm, that intimate knowledge, which we enjoy in the 'canterbury pilgrims' and the 'vision of piers plowman.' there seems to be something in road-travelling which levels all humanity; there is no road in england which does not throb with history; there is no poem or story written about roads in england which does not in some way move the englishness in us. chaucer and langland make comrades of us as they move along the highway, and with them we meet, on terms of intimacy, all the characters of the fourteenth century. with these illuminators of the loutrell psalter and the bodleian ms. we see actually the stream of english life along a crowded thoroughfare. in these books we may see drawings of every form of agricultural life and manorial existence: we see the country sports, the bear-baiting, and the cock-fighting; we see the harvesters with straw hats, scythes, and reaping-hooks; we see carters, carriers, and great carriages, all depicted in a manner which we can only compare, in later years, to the broad humour of hogarth; and, as we turn the priceless pages over, the whole fourteenth-century world passes before our eyes--japers and jugglers; disours and jesters; monk, priest, pilgrim, and pardoner; spendthrift and wench; hermits, good and evil; lords, ladies, and kings. i have written of the men and their dress--how they were often--very often--dirty, dusty, and travel-stained--of the red-rusted armour and the striped and chequered clothes, and now i must write of the women and the manner of their dress. of the time, you must remember that it was the time of chivalry, when there was a round table of knights at windsor, founded in 1345; when the order of the garter was founded; when tiltings and all manner of tournaments were at their height; and you listen to the minstrels of king edward's household playing upon the trumpet, the cytole, the pipe, the taberet, the clarion, and the fiddle. st. george, the primate of egypt in the fourth century, had now risen to public esteem and notice, so that he became in this time not only the patron saint of chivalry, but the tutelar saint of england. boys were taken from the care of the ladies of the household at the age of seven, when they became pages to knights, and were sworn to devote themselves to the graces and favours of some girl. at fourteen the boy became a squire, and at twenty-one, if he were possessed of a rental of £20 a year in land, he made his fast and vigil, and was afterward dubbed knight and given his spurs. [illustration: {twelve hair arrangements for women}] the noteworthy point about a woman of this reign was her hair. the queen herself wore an elaborate mode of coiffure for that time; she wore a metal fillet round her head, to which was attached two cases, circular in shape, of gold fretwork, ornamented with precious stones. she wore her hair unplaited, and brought in two parts from the back of her head, and as far as one can see, pushed into the jewelled cases. [illustration: {five sleeve types for women}] the most general form of hair-dressing was an excess on the mode of the previous reign, a richness of jewel-work, an abundance of gold wire. it was usual to divide the hair into two plaits, and arrange these on either side of the face, holding them in their place by means of a fillet; they might be worn folded straight up by the face, or at an angle, but they were never left hanging; if hair was left loose it was not plaited, but flowing. the gorget, or throat cloth, was still in general use, and it was attached to the hair by very elaborate-headed pins. sometimes the hair, dressed with the gorget, was divided into four plaits, two on either side of the face, and fastened horizontally. the wimple of silk or linen was very generally worn. a caul of gold net came into fashion, but not until the end of the reign. the ladies were great upon hunting and hawking, and this must have been a convenient fashion to keep the hair in order. some wore a white silk or linen cap, so shaped as to include and cover the two side-plaits and combine a gorget and wimple in one. pointed frontals of pearls were worn across the forehead, and fillets of silk or linen were so tied that long ends hung down the back. [illustration: {four women of the time of edward iii.}] yellow hair was much esteemed, and ladies who were not favoured by nature, brought saffron to their aid, and by such efforts brought nature into line with art. there was the general custom of wearing the surcoat in imitation of the men, a garment i have described frequently--a slightly-fitting garment without sleeves--you will see how this grew later into a gorgeous affair. these surcoats were sometimes of fine cloth of gold covered with an intricate, delicate pattern in which beasts, birds, and foliage mingled in arabesque. under this surcoat was a plainer, better-fitting garment, made sometimes of the barred and rayed material so common to the men, or of velvet, cloth, or silk, in plain colours, green and red being then very favourite; ermines and many other furs were used to border these gowns. sometimes you may see that this gown had sleeves short at the elbow, exposing a different coloured under-sleeve, buttoned from elbow to wrist; at other times--in fact, among all fashionable persons--the curious fashion of the tippet, or long streamer, was worn. i have carefully described this fashion in the previous chapter. [illustration: {a woman of the time of edward iii.}] the plain gown with tight sleeves was most in use, and the skirts of this gown were very voluminous, and had either pockets or holes in the front of them; the holes enabled the wearer to reach the purse hanging from a girdle which encircled the waist of the under-dress. these gowns were generally buttoned in front, from neck to waist, or they were laced. they also wore a heavier gown which reached just below the knee, showing the skirts of the under-gown; the heavy gowns were often fur-lined, and had loose wide sleeves to the elbow. there was at this time a curious fur or cloth cape in use, longer behind than in front--in fact, it varied with the taste of the owner. it was cut in even scallops all round; i say even to show that they were sewn-edged, not jagged and rough-edged. any pair of these scallops might be longer than any other pair. ladies wore these capes for hunting, and ornamented the ends with bells. the shoes of the women were not very exaggerated in length, but, as a rule, fitted well to the foot and came out in a slight point. you may use for this reign shoes buckled across the instep, laced at the side, or buttoned up the front. for riding and sport the ladies wore the hood, and sometimes a broad round hat over it, or the peaked hat. the countrywoman wore an ill-fitting gown with tight sleeves, an apron, and an open hood. [illustration: a woman of the time of edward iii. (1327-1377) you will notice that the woman also wears the tippet on her arm. the gorget is high about her neck, and is held up by pins to her plaited hair.] imagine london in the year of the third great pestilence, 1369. it is october, and the worst of the pestilence is over; john chichester, the mayor, is riding through the streets about some great affairs; many knights and ladies pass by. it is raining hard after the long drought of the summer, but, despite the rain, many citizens are abroad to see the doings in the city, and one may see the bright parti-coloured clothes of the lords and ladies, and here and there, as a cloak is blown back, a glimpse of rich-patterned cloth of gold. perhaps will langland--long will--a gaunt man of thirty-seven, is brushing past a young man of twenty-nine, chaucer, going to his work. silk dresses and frieze gowns, velvet and homespun, hurry along as the rain falls more heavily, and after a while the street becomes quite deserted. then nothing but the dreary monotony of the rain falling from the gables will come to the room of the knight's lady as she lies sick of small-pox. john de gaddesden, the king's doctor, has prescribed for her that she must lie clothed in scarlet red in a room of that colour, with bed-hangings of that same colour, and so she must lie, without much comfort, while the raindrops, falling down the wide chimney, drip on the logs in the fire and make them hiss. richard the second reigned twenty-two years: 1377-1399. born 1366. married, 1381, anne of bohemia; 1395, isabella of france. the men the king himself was a leader of fashion; he had by grace of nature the form, face, and manner which go to make a dandy. the nobles followed the king; the merchants followed the nobles after their kind; the peasants were still clothed in the simplest of garments, having retained the norman tunic with the sleeves pushed back over the wrist, kept the loose boots and straw gaiters, and showed the improvement in their class by the innovation of gloves made as a thumb with a pouch for the fingers, and pouches for money of cloth and leather hung on a leather belt. this proved the peasant to be a man of some substance by need of his wallet. everyone wore the chaperon--a cap and cape combined. we have now arrived at the reign which made such a difference to the labourer and workman--such as the blacksmith and miller--and in consequence altered and improved the character of his clothes. the poll-tax of 1380 brought the labourer into individual notice for the first time, and thus arose the free labourer in england and the first labour pamphlets. we have two word-pictures of the times of the greatest value, for they show both sides of the coin: the one by the courtly and comfortable chaucer, the other by long will--william langland, or piers the plowman. picture the two along the strand--long will singing his dirges for hire, and chaucer, his hand full of parchments, bustling past. one must remember that, as always, many people dressed out of the fashion; that many men still wore the cotehardie, a well-fitting garment reaching half-way down the thigh, with tight sleeves coming over the hand, decorated with buttons under the sleeve from the elbow to the little finger. this garment had a belt, which was placed round the hips; and this was adorned in many ways: principally it was composed of square pieces of metal joined together, either of silver, or enamel in copper, or of gold set with precious stones. [illustration: {a cotehardie; hose}] [illustration: {three types of footwear; a coat}] the cotehardie was generally made of a pied cloth in horizontal or diagonal bars, in silk or other rich fabric. with this garment the chaperon (to be more fully described) was worn as a hood; the legs were in tights, and the feet in pointed shoes a little longer than the foot. a pouch or wallet depended from the belt, and a sheath containing two daggers, an anelace, and a misericorde. the pouch was a very rich affair, often of stamped gilded leather or sewn velvet--ornamented, in fact, according to the purse of the wearer. in winter such a man as he of the cotehardie would wear an overcoat with an attached hood. this coat was made in various forms: one form with wide sleeves the same width all the way down, under which were slits in the coat to enable the wearer to place his hands inside, as in the modern raglan coat-pocket. another form was made very loose and without sleeves, but with the same slits at the side; it was buckled round the waist on occasion by a broad leather belt, very plain. the common heavy travelling-coat was made in this way, and it was only the very fashionable who wore the houppelande for riding or travelling. sometimes such a man would wear in winter about the town a cloak fastened over the right shoulder with three or four buttons, leaving the right arm free; such a cloak is seen in the brass of robert attelathe, mayor of lynn. [illustration: {a draped cloak and simple pattern for it}] in travelling, our gentleman would wear, often in addition to his chaperon, a peaked hat of cloth, high in the crown, with a brim turned up all round, ending in a long peak in front--the same hat that we always associate with dick whittington. his gloves would be of leather, often ornamented with designs on the back, or, if he were a knight, with his badge. on this occasion he would wear his sword in a baldric, a long belt over his right shoulder and under his left arm, from which hung also his daggers. although i am not dealing even with personal arms, one must remember, in representing these people, that daggers were almost as necessary a part of dress as boots or shoes, and that personal comfort often depended upon a skilful use of that natty weapon; the misericorde was used to give the _coup de grâce_. the farmer in harvest-time wore, if he did not wear a hood, a peaked hat or a round, large-brimmed straw hat. [illustration: the houppelande or peliçon.] we may now arrive at the fashionable man, whose eccentricities in clothes were the object of much comment. how the houppelande or peliçon actually was originated i do not know, but it came about that men suddenly began to clothe themselves in this voluminous and awkward garment. it was a long loose-fitting robe, made to fit on the shoulders only, having very long loose sleeves, varying according to the whim of the owner. these sleeves were cut at the edges into the forms of leaves or other designs, and were lined, as the houppelande, with fur or silk. it will be seen that such a garment to suit all weathers and temperatures must be made of various materials and lined accordingly. these materials were almost invariably powdered with badges or some other device, sometimes with a flowing pattern embracing an heraldic design or motto. the sleeves turned back disclosed the sleeve of a cotehardie underneath, with the little buttons running from the elbow to the first knuckle of the little finger. the houppelande had a very high collar, coming well up to the middle of the back of the head; it was buttoned up to the chin in front, and the collar was often turned down half-way, the two top buttons being left undone. it was fastened about the middle by a thin leather belt, very long; this was buckled, and the long end turned under and brought over to hang down; the end was ornamented with many devices--figures of saints, heraldic figures, or other ornaments. sometimes the entire belt was sewn with small devices in precious metal or enamels. now, to be in the height of fashion, one either wore the houppelande extremely long in the skirt or extremely short--so short, in fact, as to leave but a frill of it remaining below the waist--leaving the sleeves still their abnormal length. pretty fads, as tying a dagger round the neck, or allowing it to hang low between the legs, or placing it in the small of the back, were much in vogue. [illustration: {two types of long shoe}] every form of beard or moustache was used, and the hair was worn long to the nape of the neck. by the dandy it was elaborately pressed and curled at the ends. bands of real or artificial flowers encircled the heads of the dandies, the artificial flowers made in enamels or gold. rings were worn of great size on thumb and finger; long staffs with elaborate heads were carried. under the houppelande was the skirt and the cotehardie of thin material, and on the legs hose, pied or powdered, made of silk or cloth cut to the form and sewn. [illustration: a man of the time of richard ii. (1377-1399) his chaperon, or hood, is twisted and tied about his head with the liripipe, the elongated peak of his hood, thrown over his shoulders.] the shoes were of great length, with long points; rarely we find examples of the absurd fashion of wearing the points so long that they were tied back to the knees, but often they were so long that the points came out 6 inches beyond the toe. they were made of every material, sewn with pearls on cloth or velvet, stamped with gold on leather, or the leather raised. the toes were sometimes stuffed hard, sometimes allowed to hang limp. for walking in the streets high clogs of wood were used, made with long pointed ends to support the shoes. i may add that the hose were gartered below the knee to hold them taut with rich garters, but if a man were a garter knight he wore but the garter of his order. [illustration: {evolution of the hood to the chaperon}] much in favour with this court of gallants were rich chains about the neck, having for pendant their badge or some saint's figure in gold or silver. [illustration: {five types of head-wear}] now we come to the most interesting and universal fashion of wearing the chaperon, which i am anxious to show in its various stages. it began with a cape and a hood worn separately; these were joined for convenience so that a man might put on both at once. this fashion held for many years, and then the fashionable man in search of novelty caused the peak of the hood to be lengthened until it grew to reach to his feet. then he cast about for a fresh mode for his head-wear, and so he twisted the whole affair about his head, leaving the end of the cape, which was jagged at the edge, protruding like a cockscomb. time went on, and he avoided the trouble of tying this himself, so he had the hat made up all ready tied, much in the manner of a turban. finally, the chaperon grew into disuse, and it remains to-day a curious reminder in the cockade worn by coachmen (it is almost a replica in miniature, with the round twist and the jagged edge sticking up above the hat) and on the cloaks of the knights of the garter, where it is carefully made, and forms a cape on the right shoulder, and in the present head-dress of the french lawyer, a relic of the middle ages. the chains worn about the neck remain as badges of office in mayors and judges and in various orders. the button worn by the members of the legion of honour and other foreign orders is, i believe, an idea resulting from the cockade, which, of course, was at the beginning the chaperon in the colours of the servant's lord. [illustration: {a houppelande showing the leg opening}] when one knows a custom so well, one is apt to leave out many things in describing it. for example, the houppelande was open from the bottom of the skirt to the knee in front or at the side, and this opening was often cut or jagged into shapes; also it was open all the way up the side of the leg, and from the neck to the breast, and buttoned over. i have not remarked on the jester, a member of many households, who wore an exaggeration of the prevalent costume, to which bells were attached at all points. so was much good cloth wasted in vanity, and much excellent time spent upon superfluities, to the harm of the people; perhaps useful enough to please the eye, which must have been regaled with all these men in wonderful colours, strutting peacockwise. [illustration: {simpler clothing, hat and hood, and bags of peasants}] the poor peasant, who found cloth becoming very dear, cared not one jot or tittle for the feast of the eye, feeling a certain unreasonable hunger elsewhere. and so over the wardrobe of dandy richard stepped henry, backed by the people. the women if ever women were led by the nose by the demon of fashion it was at this time. not only were their clothes ill-suited to them, but they abused that crowning glory, their hair. no doubt a charming woman is always charming, be she dressed by woad or worth; but to be captivating with your eyebrows plucked out, and with the hair that grows so prettily low on the back of the neck shaved away--was it possible? i expect it was. [illustration: {two types of head-dress for women, showing different views and a detail}] the days of high hennins was yet to come; the day of simple hair-dressing was nearly dead, and in the interval were all the arts of the cunning devoted to the guimpe, the gorgières, the mentonnières, the voluminous escoffions. [illustration: {two types of head-dress for women, showing different views and a detail}] at this time the lady wore her hair long and hanging freely over her shoulders; her brows were encircled by a chaplet, or chapel of flowers, real or artificial, or by a crown or plain circlet of gold; or she tucked all her hair away under a tight caul, a bag of gold net enriched with precious stones. to dress hair in this manner it was first necessary to plait it in tight plaits and bind them round the head, then to cover this with a wimple, which fell over the back of the neck, and over this to place the caul, or, as it was sometimes called, the dorelet. now and again the caul was worn without the wimple, and this left the back of the neck exposed; from this all the hair was plucked. [illustration: {three types of head-dress for women}] for outdoor exercises the lady would wear the chaperon (explained in the previous chapter), and upon this the peaked hat. the poorer woman wore always the hood, the wimple tied under the chin, or plain plaited hair. one must remember always that the advance of costume only affected the upper classes in the towns, and that the knight's lady in the country was often fifty years behind the times in her gowns. as an instance of this i give the fur tippet hung with bells, used when hawking. [illustration: {a woman of the time of richard ii.}] in the early part of the reign the cotehardie was the universal woman's garment. it was made in two ways: the one a simple, well-fitting garment, skirts and bodice in one, buttoned in front, with neck well open, the skirts ample and long, the sleeves over the hands to the first joints of the fingers, and ornamented with buttons from the elbow to the little finger--this was the general form of the garment for all degrees of rank. the lady enriched this with a belt like a man's, narrow in width round the waist with hanging end, or broad round the hips and richly ornamented. the other form of cotehardie was exactly as the man's, ending short below the hips, under which was worn the petticoat. [illustration: {three types of dress for women}] the winter addition to these was the surcoat (as usually worn by a knight over his armour); this was often lined with fur. the surcoat was a long garment without sleeves, and with a split down the sides from the shoulder to the top of the thigh; through this split was seen the cotehardie and the hip-belt. the edges were trimmed with fur, and very frequently ornamental buttons were worn down the front. over the shoulders was the cloak, left open in front, and fastened by means of a cord of rich substance passing through two loops in the backs of large ornamental studs; this cord was, as a rule, knotted at the waist, the ends hanging down as tassels. [illustration: {two types of dress for women}] later in the reign, when the second queen of richard had brought over many rich fashions, the ladies adopted the houppelande, with its heavy collar and wide, hanging sleeves. every lady and most women carried a purse in the hand or on the girdle, ornamented according to their station. the merchant's wife wore, in common with her maids, a white apron. the child who was spinning a peg-top in the street was simply dressed in a short-skirted cotehardie. [illustration: a woman of the time of richard ii. (1377-1399) her loose surcoat is cut away to show her under-dress. her hair is completely hidden by her jewelled caul.] for riding and sport the woman was dressed almost exactly as a man--with houppelande or heavy cloak buttoned on the right shoulder, hawking-glove on her left hand with a bell or metal ball depending from it. she wore boots laced up at the side, or long boots of soft leather fastened with hook and eye; shoes like a man's, but not so pointed and extreme. sometimes for riding a big round hat was worn over a hood. in many cases the dresses were powdered with the monogram of the blessed virgin, with badges of the family or some small device, or they were ornamented with a simple flowing pattern, or were plain. all the fripperies of fashion lay in pins for the wimple, the head made as a figure of a patron saint; or girdles rich with precious stones; or mirror-cases on whose ivory fronts were carved the castle of love, or hunting scenes, or calvary. the clasps of purses were rich in design, and rings of every kind were worn on every finger and upon the thumb. charms against evil were hung about the neck or sewn into the clothes. no matter who wrote, passed, and practised the many sumptuary laws, still, one may know it to have been frequent for persons owning less than £20 a year to wear gold and silver ornaments, although expressly forbidden, and ladies of a lower estate than wives of knights-banneret wore cloth of gold and velvet, and gowns that reached and trailed upon the ground, while their husbands braved it in ermine and marten-lined sleeves which swept the road. the custom of wearing crowns was common to all people of rank, as heraldic distinction of crowns did not commence until the sixteenth century. what a magnificent time for colour was this reign!--the rich houppelandes, the furs, the long-piked shoes with pearls and gold upon them, the massive chains about men's necks; ladies whose heads shone with rich caps and cauls of pearl-embroidered gold, the rich-sheathed baselard stuck in the girdle or hanging from it on a silver chain. even the poor begging friar was touched by all this finery, and, forgetful of the rules of saint francis, he made great haste to convert his alms into a furred cote 'cutted to the knee and quaintly buttoned, hose in hard weather fastened at the ankle, and buckled shoes.' imagine that amazing woman the wife of bath, in her great hat and pound-weight kerchief; the carpenter's wife in her gored apron, at her girdle a purse of leather hanging, decorated with silk tassels and buttons of metal. it is almost impossible to describe clearly the head-dresses--the great gold net bags which encased the hair--for they were ornamented in such different ways, always, or nearly always, following some pattern in diaper in contrast to the patterns which came later when the design followed such lines as are formed by wire-netting, while later still the connecting-thread of the patterns was done away with and the inside decoration alone remained. well, richard the king no longer can whistle to matthew, his favourite greyhound, and anne the queen lies stately in the abbey at westminster without solace of her little lap-dog; but we are not all modern in our ways, and ladies hang charms about them, from scarabs to queer evil eye coral hands, from silver shoes to month-stones. crowns of flowers have been worn and crowns of jewels too, just as men and women wore them then, except on fridays and the eves of fêtes. these things we do, and other ancient things beside, but let us hope that fashion has lost her cruel mood, and deems it wise to leave our ladies' eyebrows where they be, nor schemes to inspire her faithful devotees with mad desires to hide their hair and shave their napes. the crinoline is threatened--let it come; sandals are here, with short hair and the simple life, but leave me, i pray thee, royal dame, an eyebrow on my lady, if only to give occupation to the love-lorn sonneteer. the end of the fourteenth century [illustration: chaucer.] in the last year of the fourteenth century there were still living two men whose voices have made the century live for us. one of them--chaucer--remains to-day the father of english poetry, the forerunner of shakespeare; the other--gower--less known to most of us, was the author of three long poems--'speculum meditantis,' in french; 'vox clamantis,' in latin; 'confessio amantis,' in english. boccaccio had written his 'decameron,' and it was this method of writing a series of poems or stories by means of connecting-links of narrative that should run through the series, that inspired the form of the 'confessio amantis' and the 'canterbury tales'; indeed, many stories in both of these works are retold out of the 'decameron.' gower wrote of his age as a man giving advice, philosophically; he did not attempt character studies, but framed his poems as narratives with morals fit for application to his times. chaucer drew his characters clearly--so clearly that they have become as living as have uncle toby or mrs. gamp--symbolic people, embracing a type of national character. a third writer--langland--pictured his age from the poor man's point of view, and the three writers, together with the artist of the loutrell psalter, bring the age most vividly to our eyes. of course, in these days of hasty work, it seems hardly feasible to suggest that artists who would illustrate these times should read the works of these three men, and go to the british museum to look at the psalter; but any writer must do this, and can do this, considering that the works of the poets are cheap to obtain and the british museum is free to all. anyone wishing to picture these times will find that chaucer has written very carefully of the costume of his pilgrims. they will find the pith of the costume in this book of mine; but since no book is complete in every sense, they should see for themselves how men of the day drew the costume they saw about them. it will give them a sense of the spirit of the age which so many modern drawings lack. i give you gower's picture of an exquisite; no words of mine could show so well the manner of the man: 'and therof thenketh he but a lite, for all his lust is to delite in newé thingés, proude and veine, als ferforth as he may atteine. i trowe, if that he mighté make his body newe, he woldé take a newé form and leve his olde. for what thing that he may behold the which to common use is straunge, anone his oldé guisé chaunge he woll, and fallé therupon lich unto the camelion, whiche upon every sondry hewe that he beholt he moté newe his coloun; and thus unavised full ofté time he stand desguised. more jolif than the brid in maie, he maketh him ever fressh and gaie and doth all his array desguise, so that of him the newé guise of lusty folke all other take.' now, if i have described the costume of these times clearly--and i think i have done so--these lines should conjure up a gay fellow, with his many changes of dress. if the vision fails, then allow me to say that you are at fault, and have taken no pains with the description. because the coloured drawing to the chapter of richard ii. shows a long houppelande and a chaperon tied in a certain way, you will very possibly forget that this dandy would have also a short houppelande, differently jagged sleeves, more ruffle about the twisting of his chaperon, more curve to the points of his shoes. you may see the image of gower for yourself in st. mary overies church, now called st. saviour's, on the southwark side of london bridge. he is dressed in his sober black, his head resting upon his three books. in 1397 gower retired from active life, and resigned his rectory of great braxted, essex; he was seventy years of age, and at that age he married agnes groundolf in a chapel of his own under the rooms where he lived in the priory of st. mary overies. in 1400 his friend chaucer died and gower went blind. he died in 1408. chaucer, whose eyes saw england in her greatness after the battle of crecy in 1346, and in her pitiful state at the downfall of richard ii., saw such a pageant of clothes pass before him that, in describing those wonderful national types, his canterbury pilgrims, he marks each one with some hint of array that we may know what manner of habit was proper to them. here, then, is a list of the clothes he pictured them as wearing: [illustration {the knight}] the knight wears a fustian doublet, all rust-stained by his coat of mail. it is interesting to note how old-fashioned is the character of this 'verray parfit gentil knight,' for he belongs more rightly to the chivalrous time of the first half of edward iii.'s reign rather than to the less gentle time of richard. [illustration: {the squire}] the squire. his locks were curled, 'as they were leyed in presse.' his short gown with wide sleeves was covered with embroidery of red and white flowers. the yeoman is in a coat and hood of green. he has a sheaf of peacock arrows in his belt; across his shoulder is a green baldrick to carry a horn. there is a figure of st. christopher in silver hanging on his breast. the prioress is in a handsome cloak; she wears coral beads gauded with green, and a brooch of gold- 'on which was first write a-crowned a, and after, "amor vincit omnia."' the monk wears his gown, but has his sleeves trimmed with gray squirrel. to fasten his hood he has a curious gold pin, wrought at the greater end with a love-knot. the friar has his cape stuck full of knives and pins 'for to yeven faire wyves.' the merchant is in a motley of colours--parti-coloured. his beard is forked; upon his head is a flaunderish beaver hat. his boots are elegantly clasped. the clerk wears a threadbare tunic. [illustration: {the man of law}] the man of law is in a coat of parti-colours, his belt of silk with small metal bars on it. the frankeleyn or country gentleman has a white silk purse and a two-edged dagger, or akelace, at his girdle. 'then come the haberdasher, the carpenter, the weaver, the dyer, and the tapestry worker, all in the livery of their companies. they all carry pouches, girdles, and knives, mounted in silver.' the shipman is in a gown of falding (a coarse cloth), reaching to his knees. a dagger is under his arm, on a lace hanging round his neck. the doctor wears a gown of red and blue (pers was a blue cloth) lined with taffeta and sendal. [illustration: {the wife of bath}] the wife of bath. her wimples of fine linen- 'i dorste swere they weyeden ten pound that on a sonday were upon hir heed.' her hose was of fine scarlet red; her shoes were moist and new. her hat was as broad as a buckler, and she wore a foot-mantle about her hips. the ploughman wears a tabard, a loose smock without sleeves. the reve or steward wears a long surcoat of blue cloth (pers). the somnour (an officer who summoned persons before the ecclesiastical courts) wears on his head a garland--'as greet as it were for an ale-stake.' [illustration: {the pardoner}] the pardoner has long yellow hair falling about his shoulders; his hood is turned back, and he wears a tall cap, on which is sewn a vernicle. this is the handkerchief of st. veronica on which there was an impression of our lord's face. this completes the list of pilgrims, but it will be useful to give a few more descriptions of dress as described by chaucer. the carpenter's wife in the miller's tale is described: 'fair was this yonge wyf, and ther-with-al as any wesele hir body gent (slim) and small. a ceynt (belt) she werede barred al of silk, a barneclooth (apron) eek as whyt as morne milk upon hir lendes (loins), ful of many a gore. whyt was hir smok and brouded al before and eek behinde, on hir coler aboute, of col-blak silk, within and eek withoute. the tapes of his whyte voluper (a cap) were of the same suyte--of hir coler; hir filet broad of silk, and set ful hye. * * * * * and by hir girdel heeng a purs of lether tasseld with silk and perked with latoun (a compound of copper and zinc). * * * * * a brooch she bare upon hir lowe coler, as broad as is the bos of a buckler. her shoes were laced on hir legges hye.' here also, from the parson's tale, is a sermon against the vain clothing of his time, that will serve to show how you may best paint this age, and to what excess of imagination you may run. i have reduced the wording into more modern english: 'as to the first sin, that is in superfluitee of clothing, which that maketh it so dere, to the harm of the people; not only the cost of embroidering, the elaborate endenting or barring, ornamenting with waved lines, paling, winding, or bending, and semblable waste of cloth in vanity; but there is also costly furring in their gowns, so muche pounching of chisels to make holes, so much dagging of shears; forthwith the superfluity in the length of the foresaid gowns, trailing in the dung and the mire, on horse and eek on foot, as well of man as of woman, that all this trailing is verily as in effect wasted, consumed, threadbare, and rotten with dung, rather than it is given to the poor; to great damage of the aforesaid poor folk. 'upon the other side, to speak of the horrible disordinate scantiness of clothing, as be this cutted sloppes or hainselins (short jackets), that through their shortness do not cover the shameful members of man, to wicked intent.' after this, the good parson, rising to a magnificent torrent of wrathful words, makes use of such homely expressions that should move the hearts of his hearers--words which, in our day, are not seemly to our artificial and refined palates. further, chaucer remarks upon the devices of love-knots upon clothes, which he calls 'amorettes'; on trimmed clothes, as being 'apyked'; on nearly all the fads and fashions of his time. it is to chaucer, and such pictures as he presents, that our minds turn when we think vaguely of the middle ages, and it is worth our careful study, if we wish to appreciate the times to the full, to read, no matter the hard spelling, the 'vision of piers the plowman,' by langland. i have drawn a few of the pilgrims, in order to show that they may be reconstructed by reading the chapters on the fourteenth century. henry the fourth reigned fourteen years: 1399-1413. born 1366. married, 1380, mary de bohun; 1403, joan of navarre. the men and women the reign opens sombrely enough--richard in prison, and twenty-five suits of cloth of gold left, among other of his butterfly raiment, in haverford castle. we are still in the age of the houppelande, the time of cut edges, jagging, big sleeves and trailing gowns. our fine gentlemen take the air in the long loose gown, or the short edition of the same with the skirts cut from it. they have invented, or the tailor has invented, or necessity has contrived, a new sleeve. it is a bag sleeve, very full and fine, enormous at the elbow, tight at the wrist, where it may fall over the hand in a wide cuff with dagged edges, or it may end in a plain band. [illustration: a man and woman of the time of henry iv. (1399-1413) very little change in dress; the man in the loose gown called the houppelande. the woman also in a houppelande.] let us take six gentlemen met together to learn the old thirteenth-century part-song, the round entitled 'sumer is icumen in.' [illustration: {two men of the time of henry iv.}] the first, maybe, is in the high-collared houppelande with the long skirts; his sleeves are of a different colour to his gown, and are fastened to it under cut epaulettes at his shoulders; he wears a baldrick, hung with bells, over his shoulder; his houppelande is split on one side to show his parti-coloured hose beyond his knee; his shoes are long and very pointed; his hair is cut short, and he wears a twisted roll of stuff round his head. the second is in the latest mode; he wears the voluminous sleeves which end in a plain band at his wrist, and these sleeves are of a different colour to his houppelande, the skirts of which are cut short at the knee, and then are cut into neat dags. this garment is not so full as that of the first gentleman, which is gathered in at the waist by a long-tongued belt, but is buttoned down the front to the waist and is full in the skirt; also it has no collar. this man wears his hair long and curled at the nape of his neck. [illustration: {a man of the time of henry iv.}] a third of these gentlemen, a big burly man, is in a very short tunic with wide sleeves; his tights are of two colours, his left leg red, his right blue. over his tunic he wears a quilted waistcoat, the collar and armholes of which are trimmed with fur. [illustration {a man of the time of henry iv.}] a fourth wears a loose houppelande, one half of which is blue and the other half black; it is buttoned from throat to foot; the sleeves are wide. his hair is long, and his beard is brushed into two points. [illustration: {four men of the time of henry iv.; five types of hat; a pouch}] [illustration: {two men of the time of henry iv.}] the fifth gentleman wears a houppelande of middle length, with a very high collar buttoned up the neck, the two top buttons being undone; the top of the collar rolls over. he has the epaulette, but instead of showing the very full bag sleeves he shows a little loose sleeve to the elbow, and a tight sleeve from the elbow to the hand, where it forms a cuff. he wears a very new-fashioned cap like a stiff sugar-bag, with the top lopping over. [illustration: {a man of the time of henry iv.}] the sixth and last of this group is wearing an unbound houppelande--that is, he wears no belt. he wears a plain hood which is over his head, and a soft, loose, peaked hat. 'sumer is icumen in,' the six sing out, and the shepherd, who can hear them from outside, is considering whether he can play the air upon his pipe. he is dressed in a loose tunic, a hood, and a wide-brimmed straw hat; his pipe is stuck in his belt. let us suppose that the wives of the six gentlemen are seated listening to the manly voices of their lords. the first wears a dress of blue, which is laced from the opening to the waist, where the laces are tied in a neat bow and hang down. her dress is cut fairly low; it has tight sleeves which come over her hands to the knuckles in tight cuffs. there is a wide border, about a foot and a half, of ermine on the skirt of her dress. she wears a mantle over her shoulders. her hair is enclosed in a stiff square caul of gold wire over cloth of gold. [illustration: {a woman of the time of henry iv.}] the second lady is wearing a houppelande with wide, hanging sleeves all cut at the edge; the cut of this gown is loose, except that it fits across her shoulders; she also wears a caul, from the back of which emerges a linen wimple. the third lady is in surcoat and cotehardie; the surcoat has a pleated skirt, and the borders of it are edged thickly with fur; it is cut low enough at the sides to show a belt over the hips. the cotehardie, of a different colour to the surcoat, has tight sleeves with buttons from elbow to little finger. this lady has her hair cut short at the nape of her neck, and bound about the brows with a golden circlet. [illustration: {three women of the time of henry iv.}] a fourth wears a very loose houppelande, encircled about the waist with a broad belt, the tongue of which hangs down and has an ornamented end. this houppelande falls in great folds from the neck to the feet, and is gathered into the neck; it has loose, but not wide, sleeves, falling just below the elbow. the gown is worn over a cotehardie, the sleeves of which show through the other sleeves, and the skirt of which shows when the gown skirt is gathered up. [illustration: {two women of the time of henry iv.}] the fifth lady also wears a cotehardie with a skirt to it; she wears over it a circular mantle, buttoned by three buttons on the right shoulder, and split from there to the edge on both sides, showing the dress; the front semicircle of the cloak is held to the waist by a belt so that the back hangs loose. her hair is in a caul. the sixth is in a very plain dress, tight-fitting, buttoned in front, with full skirts. she wears a white linen hood which shows the shape of the caul in which her hair is imprisoned. so is this queer old round sung, 'sumer is icumen in.' afterwards, perhaps one of these ladies, wishing to get some spite against one of the gentlemen, will ride away in a heavy riding-cloak, the hood over her head and a peaked hat on that, and she will call upon a witch. the witch will answer the rapping at her humble door, and will come out, dressed in a country dress--just an ill-fitting gown and hood, with some attempt at classical ornament on the gown, or a cloak sewn with the sacred initials thrown over her back. these two will bargain awhile for the price of a leaden image to be made in the likeness of the ill-fated gentleman, or, rather, a rough figure, on which his name will be scratched; then the puppet will be cast into the fire and melted while certain evil charms are spoken, and the malicious accident required to befall him will be spoken aloud for the devil's private ear. possibly some woman sought a witch near evesham in the year 1410, and bought certain intentions against a tailor of that place, badby by name; for this much is certain: that the tailor was burnt for lollardy ten years after the first victim for lollard heresy, william sawtre. henry the fifth reigned nine years: 1413-1422. born 1388. married, 1420, katherine of france. the men [illustration: {a man of the time of henry v.}] i think i may call this a transitional period of clothes, for it contains the ragged ends of the time of richard ii. and the old clothes of the time of henry iv., and it contains the germs of a definite fashion, a marked change which came out of the chrysalis stage, and showed itself in the prosperous butterflies of the sixth henry's time. we retain the houppelande, its curtailments, its exaggerations, its high and low collar, its plain or jagged sleeves. we retain the long hair, which 'busheth pleasauntlie,' and the short hair of the previous reign. also we see the new ideas for the priest-cropped hair and the roundlet hat. i speak of the men only. it was as if, in the press of french affairs, man had but time to ransack his grandfather's and his father's chests, and from thence to pull out a garment or two at a venture. if the garment was a little worn in the upper part of the sleeve, he had a slash made there, and embroidered it round. if the baldrick hung with bells was worn out in parts, he cut those pieces away and turned the baldrick into a belt. if the skirts of the houppelande were sadly frayed at the edge, enter scissors again to cut them off short; perhaps the sleeves were good--well, leave them on; perhaps the skirts were good and the sleeves soiled--well, cut out the sleeves and pop in some of his father's bag sleeves. mind you, my honest gentleman had trouble brewing: no sooner had he left the wars in normandy and guienne than the siege of harfleur loomed to his vision, and after that agincourt--agincourt, where unarmoured men prevailed over mailed knights at the odds of six to one; agincourt, where archers beat the great knights of france on open ground! hear them hammer on the french armour with their steel mallets, while the frenchmen, weighed down with their armour, sank knee-deep in the mud--where we lost 100 men, against the french loss of 10,000! [illustration: a belt with bells.] see the port of le havre, with the english army landed there--henry in his full-sleeved gown, his hair cropped close and shaven round his head from his neck to an inch above his ears, buskins on his feet, for he wore buskins in preference to long boots or pointed shoes. the ships in the harbour are painted in gay colours--red, blue, in stripes, in squares; the sails are sewn with armorial bearings or some device. some of our gentlemen are wearing open houppelandes over their armour; some wear the stuffed turban on their heads, with a jewelled brooch stuck in it; some wear the sugar-bag cap, which falls to one side; some are hooded, others wear peaked hats. one hears, 'by halidom!' i wonder if all the many, many people who have hastily written historical novels of this age, and have peppered them with 'by halidoms,' knew that 'by halidom' means 'by the relics of the saints,' and that an 'harlote' means a man who was a buffoon who told ribald stories? [illustration: the turban.] still, among all these gentlemen, clothed, as it were, second-hand, we have the fine fellow, the dandy--he to whom dress is a religion, to whom stuffs are sonnets, cuts are lyrical, and tailors are the poets of their age. such a man will have his tunic neatly pleated, rejecting the chance folds of the easy-fitting houppelande, the folds of which were determined by the buckling of the belt. his folds will be regular and precise, his collar will be very stiff, with a rolled top; his hose will be of two colours, one to each leg, or parti-coloured. his shoes will match his hose, and be of two colours; his turban hat will be cocked at a jaunty angle; his sleeves will be of a monstrous length and width. he will hang a chain about his neck, and load his fingers with rings. a fellow to him, one of his own kidney, will wear the skirt of his tunic a little longer, and will cause it to be cut up the middle; his sleeves will not be pendant, like drooping wings, but will be swollen like full-blown bagpipes. an inner sleeve, very finely embroidered, will peep under the upper cuff. his collar is done away with, but he wears a little hood with cut edges about his neck; his hair is cropped in the new manner, like a priest's without a tonsure; his hat is of the queer sugar-bag shape, and it flops in a drowsy elegance over the stuffed brim. as for his shoes, they are two fingers long beyond his toes. [illustration: a man of the time of henry v. (1413-1422) notice the bag cap with a jewel stuck in it.] we shall see the fashions of the two past reigns hopelessly garbled, cobbled, and stitched together; a sleeve from one, a skirt from another. men-at-arms in short tunics of leather and quilted waistcoats to wear under their half-armour; beggars in fashions dating from the eleventh century; a great mass of people in undistinguishable attire, looking mostly like voluminous cloaks on spindle legs, or mere bundles of drapery; here and there a sober gentleman in a houppelande of the simplest kind, with wide skirts reaching to his feet, and the belt with the long tongue about his middle. the patterns upon the dresses of these people are heraldry contortions--heraldic beasts intertwined in screws and twists of conventional foliage, griffins and black dogs held by floral chains to architectural branches, martlets and salamanders struggling in grotesque bushes, or very elaborate geometrical patterned stuffs. there is a picture of the middle ages which was written by langland in 'piers the plowman'--a picture of an alehouse, where peronelle of flanders and clarice of cockeslane sit with the hangman of tyburn and a dozen others. it is a picture of the fourteenth century, but it holds good until the time of henry viii., when skelton, his tutor, describes just such another tavern on the highroad, where some bring wedding-rings to pay their scot of ale, and 'some bryngeth her husband's hood because the ale is good.' both accounts are gems of description, both full of that rich, happy, gothic flavour, that sense of impressionist portraiture, of broad humour, which distinguishes the drawings in the loutrell psalter. [illustration: the sugar-bag cap.] [illustration: a hood.] i feel now as if i might be accused of being interesting and of overlaying my history with too much side comment, and i am well aware that convention demands that such books as this shall be as dull as possible; then shall the vulgar rejoice, because they have been trained to believe that dullness and knowledge snore in each other's arms. however wholeheartedly you may set about writing a list of clothes attributable to certain dates, there will crop up spirits of the age, who blur the edges of the dates, and give a lifelike semblance to them which carries the facts into the sphere of fiction, and fiction was ever on the side of truth. no story has ever been invented by man but it has been beaten out of time by nature and the police-courts; no romance has been penned so intricate but fact will supply a more surprising twist to life. but, whereas facts are of necessity bald and naked things, fiction, which is the wardrobe of fact, will clothe truth in more accustomed guise. i put before you some true facts of the clothes of this time, clothed in a little coat of facts put fictionally. i write the word 'cloak'; describe to you that such people wore circular cloaks split at one or both sides, on one side to the neck, on the other below the shoulder; of semicircular cloaks, of square cloaks, of oblong cloaks, all of which were worn (i speak of these, and you may cut them out with some thought); but i wish to do more than that--i wish to give you a gleam of the spirit in which the cloaks were worn. a cloak will partake of the very soul and conscience of its owner; become draggle-tailed, flaunting, effeminate, masterful, pompous, or dignified. trousers, i think, of all the garments of men, fail most to show the state of his soul; they merely proclaim the qualities of his purse. cloaks give most the true man, and after that there is much in the cock of a hat and the conduct of a cane. in later days one might tell what manner of man had called to find you away if he chanced to leave his snuff-box behind. this reasoning is not finicky, but very profound; accept it in the right spirit. now, one more picture of the age. the rich man at home, dressed, as i say, in his father's finery, with some vague additions of his own, has acquired a sense of luxury. he prefers to dine alone, in a room with a chimney and a fire in it. he can see through a window in the wall by his side into the hall, where his more patriarchal forebears loved to take their meals. the soiled rushes are being swept away, and fresh herbs and rushes strewn in their place; on these mattresses will in their turn be placed, on which his household presently will lay them down to sleep. the women every time i write the heading 'the women' to such chapters as these, i feel that such threadbare cloak of chivalry as i may pin about my shoulders is in danger of slipping off. should i write 'the ladies'? but although all ladies are women, not all women are ladies, and as it is far finer to be a sweet woman than a great dame, i will adhere to my original heading, 'the women.' however, in the remote ages of which i now write, the ladies were dressed and the women wore clothes, which is a subtle distinction. i dare not bring my reasoning up to the present day. as i said in my last chapter, this was an age of medley--of this and that wardrobe flung open, and old fashions renovated or carried on. fashion, that elusive goddess, changes her moods and modes with such a quiet swiftness that she leaves us breathless and far behind, with a bundle of silks and velvets in our arms. how is a fashion born? who mothers it? who nurses it to fame, and in whose arms does it die? high collar, low collar, short hair, long hair, boot, buskin, shoe--who wore you first? who last condemned you to the world's great rag market of forgotten fads? now this, i have said, was a transitional age, but i cannot begin to say who was the first great dame to crown her head with horns, and who the last to forsake the jewelled caul. it is only on rare occasions that the decisive step can be traced to any one person or group of persons: charles ii. and his frock-coat, brummell and his starched stock, are finger-posts on fashion's highroad, but they are not quite true guides. charles was recommended to the coat, and i think the mist of soap and warm water that enshrines brummell as the apostle of cleanliness blurs also the mirror of truth. it does not much matter. no doubt--and here there will be readers the first to correct me and the last to see my point--there are persons living full of curious knowledge who, diving yet more deeply into the dusty crevices of history, could point a finger at the man who first cut his hair in the early fifteenth-century manner, and could write you the name and the dignities of the lady who first crowned her fair head with horns. for myself, i begin with certainty at adam and the fig-leaf, and after that i plunge into the world's wardrobe in hopes. certain it is that in this reign the close caul grew out of all decent proportions, and swelled into every form of excrescence and protuberance, until in the reign of henry vi. it towered above the heads of the ladies, and dwarfed the stature of the men. this curious head-gear, the caul, after a modest appearance, as a mere close, gold-work cap, in the time of edward iii., grew into a stiffer affair in the time of richard ii., but still was little more than a stiff sponge-bag of gold wire and stuff and a little padding; grew still more in the time of henry iv., and took squarer shapes and stiffer padding; and in the reign of henry v. it became like a great orange, with a hole cut in it for the face--an orange which covered the ears, was cut straight across the forehead, and bound all round with a stiff jewelled band. then came the idea of the horn. whether some superstitious lady thought that the wearing of horns would keep away the evil eye, or whether it was a mere frivol of some vain duchess, i do not know. as this fashion came most vividly into prominence in the following reign, i shall leave a more detailed description of it until that time, letting myself give but a short notice of its more simple forms. we see the caul grow from its circular shape into two box forms on either side of the head; the uppermost points of the boxes are arranged in horns, whose points are of any length from 4 to 14 inches. the top of this head-dress is covered with a wimple, which is sometimes stiffened with wires. [illustration: a woman of the time of henry v. (1413-1422) her surcoat is stiffened in front with fur and shaped with a band of metal. her belt is low on the hips of the under-dress. the horns on her head carry the large linen wimple.] there is also a shape something like a fez or a flower-pot, over which a heavy wimple is hung, attached to this shape; outside the wimple are two horns of silk, linen, or stuff--that is, silk bags stuffed to the likeness of horns. i should say that a true picture of this time would give but few of these very elaborate horn head-dresses, and the mass of women would be wearing the round caul. [illustration: {a woman of the time of henry v.}] the surcoat over the cotehardie is the general wear, but it has more fit about it than formerly; the form of the waist and bust are accentuated by means of a band of heavy gold embroidery, shaped to the figure. the edges of the surcoat are furred somewhat heavily, and the skirt often has a deep border of fur. sometimes a band of metal ornament runs across the top of the breast and down the centre of the surcoat, coming below the fur edging. the belt over the hips of the cotehardie holds the purse, and often a ballade or a rondel. you will see a few of the old houppelandes, with their varieties of sleeve, and in particular that long, loose double sleeve, or, rather, the very long under-sleeve, falling over the hand. this under-sleeve is part of the houppelande. all the dresses have trains, very full trains, which sweep the ground, and those readers who wish to make such garments must remember to be very generous over the material. the women commonly wear the semicircular mantle, which they fasten across them by cords running through ornamental brooches. they wear very rich metal and enamel belts round their hips, the exact ornamentation of which cannot be described here; but it was the ornament of the age, which can easily be discovered. in the country, of course, simpler garments prevail, and plain surcoats and cotehardies are wrapped in cloaks and mantles of homespun material. the hood has not fallen out of use for women, and the peaked hat surmounts it for riding or rough weather. ladies wear wooden clogs or sandals besides their shoes, and they have not yet taken to the horns upon their heads; some few of them, the great dames of the counties whose lords have been to london on king's business, or returned from france with new ideas, have donned the elaborate business of head-boxes and wires and great wimples. as one of the ladies rides in the country lanes, she may pass that augustine convent where dame petronilla is spiritual mother to so many, and may see her in agincourt year keeping her pig-tally with nicholas swon, the swineherd. they may see some of the labourers she hires dressed in the blood-red cloth she has given them, for the dyeing of which she paid 7s. 8d. for 27 ells. the good dame's nuns are very neat; they have an allowance of 6s. 8d. a year for dress. this is in 1415. no doubt next year my lady, riding through the lanes, will meet some sturdy beggar, who will whine for alms, pleading that he is an old soldier lately from the field of agincourt. note as there is so little real change, for drawings of women's dress see the numerous drawings in previous chapter. henry the sixth reigned thirty-nine years: 1422-1461. born 1421. dethroned 1461. died 1471. married, 1446, margaret of anjou. the men [illustration: {a man of the time of henry vi.; two types of sleeve}] what a reign! was history ever better dressed? i never waver between the cardboard figures of the great elizabethan time and this reign as a monument to lavish display, but if any time should beat this for quaintness, colour, and variety, it is the time of henry viii. look at the scenes and characters to be dressed: john, duke of bedford, the protector, joan of arc, jack cade, a hundred other people; crevant, verneuil, orleans, london bridge, ludlow, st. albans, and a hundred other historical backgrounds. yet, in spite of all this, in spite of the fact that joan of arc is one of the world's personalities, it is difficult to pick our people out of the tapestries. now, you may have noticed that in trying to recreate a period in your mind certain things immediately swing into your vision: it is difficult to think of the conquest without the bayeux tapestry; it is difficult to think of the dawn of the sixteenth century without the dreamy, romantic landscapes which back the figures of giorgione; and it is not easy to think of these people of the henry vi. period without placing them against conventional tapestry trees, yellow-white castles with red, pepper-pot roofs, grass luxuriant with needlework flowers, and all the other accessories of the art. [illustration: {a man of the time of henry vi.}] the early times are easily imagined in rough surroundings or in open air; knights in armour ride quite comfortably down modern english lanes. alfred may burn his cakes realistically, and canute rebuke his courtiers on the beach--these one may see in the round. elizabeth rides to tilbury, charles ii. casts his horoscope, and george rings the bell, each in their proper atmosphere, but the dark ages are dark, not only in modes of thought, but in being ages of grotesque, of ornamentation, of anything but realism. one has, i think, a conventional mind's eye for the times from edward i. to richard iii., from 1272 to 1485, and it is really more easy for a chinaman to call up a vision of 604 a.d., when laot-sen, the chinese philosopher, was born. laot-sen, the child-old man, he who was born with white hair, lived till he was eighty-one, and, having had five million followers, went up to heaven on a black buffalo. in china things have changed very little: the costume is much the same, the customs are the same, the attitude towards life has not changed. but here the semicivilized, superstitious, rather dirty, fourteenth and fifteenth century person has gone. scratch a russian, they say, and you will see a tartar; do the same office by an englishman, and you may find a hint of the renaissance under his skin, but no more. the middle ages are dead and dust. we will proceed with that congenial paradox which states that the seat of learning lies in the head, and so discuss the most distinctive costumery of this time, the roundlet. [illustration: {a man of the time of henry vi.; two types of head-gear}] now, the roundlet is one of those things which delight the clothes-hunter or the costume expert. it is the natural result of a long series of fashions for the head, and its pedigree is free from any impediment or hindrance; it is the great-grandson of the hood, which is derived from a fold in a cloak, which is the beginning of all things. i am about to run the risk of displeasure in repeating to some extent what i have already written about the chaperon, the hood, and the other ancestors and descendants of the roundlet. a fashion is born, not made. necessity is the mother of art, and art is the father of invention. a man must cover his head, and if he has a cloak, it is an easy thing in rain or sunshine to pull the folds of the cloak over his head. an ingenious fellow in the east has an idea: he takes his 8 feet--or more--of material; he folds it in half, and at about a foot and a half, or some such convenient length, he puts several neat and strong stitches joining one point of the folded material. when he wraps this garment about him, leaving the sewn point in the centre of his neck at the back, he finds that he has directed the folds of his coat in such a manner as to form a hood, which he may place on or off his head more conveniently than the plain unsewn length of stuff. the morning sun rises on the sands of sahara and lights upon the first burnoose. by a simple process in tailoring, some man, who did not care that the peak of his hood should be attached to his cloak, cut his cloth so that the cloak had a hood, the peak of which was separate and so looser, and yet more easy to pull on or off. now comes a man who was taken by the shape of the hood, but did not require to wear a cloak, so he cut his cloth in such a way that he had a hood and shoulder-cape only. from this to the man who closed the front of the hood from the neck to the edge of the cape is but a quick and quiet step. by now necessity was satisfied and had given birth to art. man, having admired his face in the still waters of a pool, seeing how the oval framed in the hood vastly became him, sought to tickle his vanity and win the approbation of the other sex, so, taking some shears, cut the edge of his cape in scallops and leaves. a more dandified fellow, distressed at the success of his brother's plumage, caused the peak of his hood to be made long. [illustration: a man of the time of henry vi. (1422-1461) his hair is cropped over his ears and has a thick fringe on his forehead. upon the ground is his roundlet, a hat derived from the twisted chaperon of richard ii.'s day. this hat is worn to-day, in miniature, on the shoulder of the garter robes.] need one say more? the long peak grew and grew into the preposterous liripipe which hung down the back from the head to the feet. the dandy spirit of another age, seeing that the liripipe can grow no more, and that the shape of the hood is common and not in the true dandiacal spirit, whips off his hood, and, placing the top of his head where his face was, he twists the liripipe about his head, imprisons part of the cape, and, after a fixing twist, slips the liripipe through part of its twined self and lets the end hang down on one side of his face, while the jagged end of the hood rises or falls like a cockscomb on the other. cockscomb! there's food for discussion in that--fops, beaux, dandies, coxcombs--surely. i shall not go into the matter of the hood with two peaks, which was not, i take it, a true child of fashion in the direct line, but a mere cousin--a junior branch at that. as to the dates on this family tree, the vague, mysterious beginnings b.c.--goodness knows when--in a general way the fall, the flood, and the first crusade, until the time of the first edward; the end of the thirteenth century, when the liripipe budded, the time of the second edward; the first third of the fourteenth century, when the liripipe was in full flower, the time of the third edward; the middle of the fourteenth century, when the liripipe as a liripipe was dying, the time of the second richard; the end of the century, when the chaperon became the twisted cockscomb turban. then, after that, until the twenty-second year of the fifteenth century, when the roundlet was born--those are the dates. [illustration: {a man of the time of henry vi.}] we have arrived by now, quite naturally, at the roundlet. i left you interested at the last phase of the hood, the chaperon so called, twisted up in a fantastical shape on man's head. you must see that the mere process of tying and retying, twisting, coiling and arranging, was tedious in the extreme, especially in stirring times with the trumpets sounding in england and france. now what more likely for the artist of the tied hood than to puzzle his brains in order to reach a means by which he could get at the effect without so much labour! enter invention--enter invention and exit art. with invention, the made-up chaperon sewn so as to look as if it had been tied. there was the twist round the head, the cockscomb, the hanging piece of liripipe. again this was to be simplified: the twist made into a smooth roll, the skull to be covered by an ordinary cap attached to the roll, the cockscomb converted into a plain piece of cloth or silk, the liripipe to become broader. and the end of this, a little round hat with a heavily-rolled and stuffed brim, pleated drapery hanging over one side and streamer of broad stuff over the other; just such a hat did these people wear, on their heads or slung over their shoulder, being held in the left hand by means of the streamer. there the honourable family of hood came to a green old age, and was, at the end of the fifteenth century, allowed to retire from the world of fashion, and was given a pension and a home, in which home you may still see it--on the shoulders of the garter robe. also it has two more places of honourable distinction--the roundlet is on the garter robe; the chaperon, with the cut edge, rests as a cockade in the hats of liveried servants, and the minutest member of the family remains in the foreign buttons of honourable orders. [illustration: {six types of head-gear}] we have the roundlet, then, for principal head-gear in this reign, but we must not forget that the hood is not dead; it is out of the strict realms of fashion, but it is now a practical country garment, or is used for riding in towns. there are also other forms of head-wear--tall, conical hats with tall brims of fur, some brims cut or scooped out in places; again, the hood may have a furred edge showing round the face opening; then we see a cap which fits the head, has a long, loose back falling over the neck, and over this is worn a roll or hoop of twisted stuff. then there is the sugar-loaf hat, like a circus clown's, and there is a broad, flat-brimmed hat with a round top, like noah's hat in the popular representations of the ark. [illustration: {two men of the time of henry vi.}] besides these, we have the jester's three-peaked hood and one-peaked hood, the cape of which came, divided into points, to the knees, and had arms with bell sleeves. let us see what manner of man we have under such hats: almost without exception among the gentlemen we have the priestly hair--that queer, shaved, tonsure-like cut, but without the circular piece cut away from the crown of the head. [illustration: {a man of the time of henry vi.}] the cut of the tunic in the body has little variation; it may be longer or shorter, an inch above or an inch below the knee, but it is on one main principle. it is a loose tunic with a wide neck open in front about a couple or three inches; the skirt is full, and may be cut up on one or both sides; it may be edged with fur or some stuff different to the body of the garment, or it may be jagged, either in regular small scoops or in long fringe-like jags. the tunic is always belted very low, giving an odd appearance to the men of this time, as it made them look very short in the leg. the great desire for variety is displayed in the forms of sleeve for this tunic: you may have the ordinary balloon sleeve ending in a stuff roll or fur edge for cuff, or you may have a half-sleeve, very wide indeed, like shoulder-capes, and terminated in the same manner as the bottom of the tunics--that is, fur-edged tunic, fur-edged sleeve, and so on, as described; under this shows the tight sleeve of an undergarment, the collar of which shows above the tunic collar at the neck. the length of these shoulder-cape sleeves varies according to the owner's taste, from small epaulettes to heavy capes below the elbow. there is also a sleeve tight from wrist to below the elbow, and at that point very big and wide, tapering gradually to the shoulder. you will still see one or two high collars rolled over, and there is a distinct continuance of the fashion for long-pointed shoes. there is an almost new form of overcoat which is really a tunic of the time, unbelted, and with the sleeves cut out; also one with short, but very full, sleeves, the body very loose; and besides the ordinary forms of square, oblong, and round cloak, there is a circular cloak split up the right side to the base of the biceps, with a round hole in the centre, edged with fur, for the passage of the head. [illustration: {two men of the time of henry vi.}] velvet was in common use for gowns, tunics, and even for bed-clothes, in the place of blankets. it was made in all kinds of beautiful designs, diapered, and raised over a ground of gold or silk, or double-piled, one pile on another of the same colour making the pattern known by the relief. the massed effect of well-dressed crowds must have been fine and rich in colour--here and there a very rich lady or a magnificent gentleman in pall (the beautiful gold or crimson web, known also as bandekin), the velvets, the silks of marvellous colours, and none too fresh or new. i think that such a gathering differed most strongly from a gathering of to-day by the fact that one is impressed to-day with the new, almost tinny newness, of the people's clothes, and that these other people were not so extravagant in the number of their dresses as in the quality, so that then one would have seen many old and beautifully-faded velvets and sun-licked silks and rain-improved cloths. among all this crowd would pass, in a plain tunic and short shoes, henry, the ascetic king. the women [illustration: {six types of head-dress for women}] one is almost disappointed to find nothing upon the curious subject of horns in 'sartor resartus.' such a flaunting, jovian spirit, and poetry of abuse as might have been expected from the illustrious and iconoclastic author would have suited me, at this present date, most admirably. i feel the need of a few thundering german words, or a brass band at the end of my pen, or purple ink in my inkwell, or some fantastic and wholly arresting piece of sensationalism by which to convey to you that you have now stepped into the same world as the duchess out of 'alice in wonderland.' [illustration: {a head-dress for a woman}] look out of your window and see upon the flower-enamelled turf a hundred bundles of vanity taking the air. the heads of these ladies are carried very erect, as are all heads bearing weights. the waists of these ladies are apparently under their bosoms; their feet seem to be an ell long. an assembly hour is, after the manner of lydgate's poem, a dream of delicious faces surmounted by minarets, towers, horns, excrescences of every shape--enormous, fat, heart-shaped erections, covered with rich, falling drapery, or snow-white linen, or gold tissue; gold-wire boxes sewn with pearls and blazing with colours; round, flat-topped caps, from under which girls' hair escapes in a river of colour; crown shapes, circular shapes, mitre shapes, turbans, and shovel-shaped linen erections, wired into place. oh, my lady, my lady! how did you ever hear the soft speeches of gallantry? how did the gentle whispers of love ever penetrate those bosses of millinery? [illustration: {two types of head-dress for women}] and the moralists, among whom heaven forbid that i should be found, painted lurid pictures for you of hell and purgatory, in which such head-dresses turned into instruments of torture; you lifted your long-fingered, medieval hand and shook the finger with the toad-stone upon it, as if to dispel the poison of their words. i think it is beyond me to describe in understandable terms the proper contortions of your towered heads, for i have little use for archaic words, for crespine, henk, and jacque, for herygouds with honginde sleeves, for all the blank cartridges of antiquarianism. i cannot convey the triple-curved crown, the ear buttress, the magnet-shaped roll in adequate language, but i can draw them for you. [illustration: {two women of the time of henry vi.}] i will attempt the most popular of the roll head-dresses and the simpler of the stiff-wired box. take a roll, stuffed with hemp or tow, of some rich material and twist it into the form of a heart in front and a v shape behind, where join the ends, or, better, make a circle or hoop of your rolled stuff and bend it in this way. then make a cap that will fit the head and come over the ears, and make it so that this cap shall join the heart-shaped roll at all points and cause it to appear without any open spaces between the head and the roll; the point of the heart in front will be round, and will come over the centre of the face. by joining cap and roll you will have one complete affair; over this you may brooch a linen wimple or a fine piece of jagged silk. in fact, you may twist your circle of stuff in any manner, providing you keep a vague u shape in front and completely cover the hair behind. for the box pattern it is necessary to make a box, let us say of octagonal shape, flat before and behind, or slightly curved; cut away the side under the face, or leave but a thin strip of it to go under the chin. now stuff your box on either side of the face and cut away the central square, except for 3 inches at the top, on the forehead; here, in this cut-away piece, the face shows. you will have made your box of buckram and stuffed the wings of it with tow; now you must fit your box to a head and sew linen between the sides of the head and the tow to hold it firm and make it good to wear. you have now finished the rough shape, and you must ornament it. take a piece of thin gold web and cover your box, then get some gold braid and make a diaper or criss-cross pattern all over the box, leaving fair sized lozenges; in these put, at regular intervals as a plain check, small squares of crimson silk so that they fit across the lozenge and so make a double pattern. now take some gold wire or brass wire and knot it at neat intervals, and then stitch it on to the edges of the gold braid, after which pearl beads may be arranged on the crimson squares and at the cross of the braid; then you will have your box-patterned head-dress complete. it remains for you to enlarge upon this, if you wish, in the following manner: take a stiff piece of wire and curve it into the segment of a circle, so that you may bend the horns as much or as little as you will, fasten the centre of this to the band across the forehead, or on to the side-boxes, and over it place a large wimple with the front edge cut. again, for further enhancement of this delectable piece of goods, you may fix a low gold crown above all--a crown of an elliptical shape--and there you will have as much magnificence as ever graced lady of the fifteenth century. [illustration: a woman of the time of henry vi. (1422-1461) her head-dress is very high, and over it is a coloured and jagged silk wimple, a new innovation, being a change from the centuries of white linen wimples. her waist is high, after a long period of low waists.] september 28, 1443, margaret paston writes to her husband in london 'i would ye were at home, if it were your ease, and your sore might be as well looked to here as it is where ye be now, liefer than a gown though it were of scarlet.' [illustration: {a woman of the time of henry vi.}] my dear diplomatist, i have forgotten if you got both your husband and the gown, or the gown only, but it was a sweetly pretty letter, and worded in such a way as must have caused your good knight to smile, despite his sore. and what had you in your mind's eye when you wrote 'liefer than a gown though it were of scarlet'? it was one of those new gowns with the high waist and the bodice opening very low, the collar quite over your shoulders, and the thick fur edge on your shoulders and tapering into a point at your bosom. you wanted sleeves like wings, and a fur edge to the bottom of the gown, besides the fur upon the edges of the sleeves--those quaint sleeves, thin to your elbows, and then great and wide, like a foresail. i suppose you had an under-gown of some wonderful diapered silk which you thought would go well with scarlet, because, as you knew, the under-gown would show at your neck, and its long train would trail behind you, and its skirt would fall about your feet and show very bravely when you bunched up the short upper gown--all the mode--and so you hinted at scarlet. [illustration: {a woman of the time of henry vi.}] now i come to think of it, the sleeve must have been hard to arrive at, the fashions were so many. to have had them tight would have minimized the use of your undergarment; to have had them of the same width from elbow to wrist would not have given you the newest of the new ideas to show in norfolk; then, for some reason, you rejected the bag sleeve, which was also in the fashion. no doubt you had a cotehardie with well-fitting sleeves and good full skirts, and a surcoat with a wide fur edge, or perhaps, in the latest fashion of these garments, with an entire fur bodice to it. you may have had also one of those rather ugly little jackets, very full, with very full sleeves which came tight at the wrist, long-waisted, with a little skirt an inch or so below the belt. a mantle, with cords to keep it on, i know you had. possibly--i have just thought of it--the sleeves of your under-gown, the tight sleeves, were laced together from elbow to wrist, in place of the old-fashioned buttons. [illustration: {a woman of the time of henry vi.}] i wonder if you ever saw the great metal-worker, william austin, one of the first among english artists to leave a great name behind him--i mean the austin who modelled the effigy of earl richard beauchamp, at warwick. [illustration: {a woman of the time of henry vi.}] you must have heard the leper use his rattle to warn you of his proximity. you, too, may have thought that joan of arc was a sorceress and friar bungay a magician. you may have--i have not your wonderful letter here for reference--heard all about eleanor of cobham, and how she did penance in a shift in the london streets for magic against the king's person. some ladies, i notice, wore the long-tongued belt--buckled it in front, and then pushed it round until the buckle came into the centre of the back and the tongue hung down like a tail; but these ladies were not wearing the high-waisted gown, but a gown with a normal waist, and with no train, but a skirt of even fulness and of the same length all the way round. [illustration: {a woman of the time of henry vi.}] there were striped stuffs, piled velvet, rich-patterned silks, and homespun cloths and wool to choose from. long-peaked shoes, of course, and wooden clogs out of doors. [illustration: {a woman of the time of henry vi.}] the town and country maids, the merchants' wives, and the poor generally, each and all according to purse and pride, dressed in humbler imitation of the cut of the clothes of the high-born, in quite simple dresses, with purse, girdle, and apron, with heads in hoods, or twisted wimples of coarse linen. well, there you lie, ladies, on the tops of cold tombs, stiff and sedate, your hands uplifted in prayer, your noses as often as not knocked off by later-day schoolboys, crop-headed puritans, or henry viii.'s sacrilegious hirelings. lie still in your huge head-dresses and your neat-folded gowns--a moral, in marble or bronze, of the pomps and vanities of this wicked world. edward the fourth reigned twenty-two years: 1461-1483. born 1441. married, 1464, elizabeth woodville. the men [illustration: {a man of the time of edward iv.}] i invite you to call up this reign by a picture of caxton's shop: you may imagine yourself in the almonry at westminster, where, in a small enclosure by the west front of the church, there is a chapel and some almshouses. you will be able to see the rich come to look at mr. caxton's wares and the poor slinking in to receive alms. 'if it please any man, spiritual or temporal, to buy any pyes of two or three commemorations of salisbury use emprynted after the form of this present letter, which be well and truly correct, let him come to westminster into the almonry at the red pale, and he shall have them good cheap.' this was caxton's advertisement. as you watch the people going and coming about the small enclosure, you will notice that the tonsured hair has gone out of fashion, and that whereas the merchants, citizens, and such people wear the roundlet hat, the nobles and fine gentlemen are in black velvet caps, or tall hats with long-peaked brims, or in round high hats with fur brim close to the crown of the hat, or in caps with little rolled brims with a button at the top, over which two laces pass from back to front, and from under the brim there falls the last sign, the dying gasp of the liripipe, now jagged and now with tasselled ends. we have arrived at the generally accepted vague idea of 'medieval costume,' which means really a hazy notion of the dress of this date: a steeple head-dress for ladies, a short waist, and a train; a tall, sugar-loaf hat with a flat top for the men, long hair, very short and very long tunics, long-pointed shoes, and wide sleeves--this, i think, is the amateur's idea of 'costume in the middle ages.' you will notice that all, or nearly all, the passers-by caxton's have long hair; that the dandies have extra-long hair brushed out in a cloud at the back; that the older men wear long, very simple gowns, which they belt in at the waist with a stuff or leather belt, on which is hung a bag-purse; that these plain gowns are laced across the front to the waist over a vest of some coloured stuff other than the gown. [illustration: {two men of the time of edward iv.}] you will see that the poor are in very simple tunics--just a loose, stuff shirt with sleeves about 8 inches wide, and with the skirts reaching to the knees, a belt about their middle--rough, shapeless leather shoes, and woollen tights. you will remember in the early part of the reign, before the heraldic shield with the red pale, caxton's sign, caught your eye, that the fashionable wore very wide sleeves, great swollen bags fitting only at shoulder and wrist, and you may recall the fact that a tailor was fined twenty shillings in 1463 for making such wide sleeves. poulaines, the very long shoes, are now forbidden, except that an esquire and anyone over that rank might wear them 2 inches beyond the toes; but i think the dandies wore the shoes and paid the fine if it were enforced. [illustration: a man of the time of edward iv. (1461-1483) notice the jagged ribbon falling from the brim of his hat; this is the last of the liripipe.] see caxton, in a sober-coloured gown, long, and laced in the front, showing a plain vest under the lacing, talking to some of his great customers. the duchess of somerset has just lent him 'blanchardine and eglantine'; earl rivers, the queen's brother, talks over his own translation of 'the sayings of the philosophers'; and caxton is extolling that worshipful man geoffrey chaucer, and singing praises in reverence 'for that noble poet and great clerke, vergyl.' edward himself has been to the shop and has consented to become patron of an edition of tully--edward, with his very subtle face, his tall, handsome appearance, his cold, elegant manners. he is dressed in a velvet gown edged with fur; the neck of the gown is low, and the silk vest shows above it. across his chest are gold laces tapering to his waist; these are straight across the front of his gown-opening. his hair is straight, and falls to the nape of his neck; he wears a black velvet cap upon his head. the skirts of his gown reach to his knees, and are fur-edged; his sleeves are full at the elbows and tight over his wrists; he is wearing red spanish leather tall boots, turned over at the top. [illustration: {a man of the time of edward iv.; lacing on a cut sleeve}] as he stands talking to caxton, one or two gentlemen, who have also dismounted, stand about him. three of them are in the height of the fashion. the first wears a velvet tunic, with fur edges. the tunic is pleated before and behind, and is full and slightly pursed in front; the sleeves are long, and are cut from shoulder to wrist, where they are sewn together again; cuff and border of the cut or opening are both edged with fur. the neck is high, but there is no collar. the length of the tunic is quite short; it comes well above the knees. his under-sleeves are full, and are of rich silk; his shoes are certainly over the allowed length; his tights are well cut. his peaked hat has gold bands round the crown. the second gentleman is also in a very short tunic, with very wide sleeves; this tunic is pleated into large even folds, and has a belt of its own material. his hair is long, and bushed behind; his tights are in two colours, and he wears an eighteen-penny pair of black leather slops or shoes. his hat is black, tall, but without a peak; a long feather is brooched into one side of it. [illustration: {a man of the time of edward iv.; three types of boot}] the third man is wearing a low black cap, with a little close brim; a jagged piece of stuff, about 3 feet long, hangs from under the brim of his hat. he is wearing long, straight hair. this man is wearing a little short tunic, which is loose at the waist, and comes but an inch or two below it; the sleeves are very loose and wide, and are not fastened at the wrist; the tunic has a little collar. the shortness of his tunic shows the whole of his tights, and also the ribbon-fastened cod-piece in front. his shoes are split at the sides, and come into a peak before and behind. now, our gentlemen of this time, having cut open their baggy sleeves, and made them to hang down and expose all the under-sleeve, must now needs lace them up again very loosely. then, by way of change, the tight sleeve was split at the elbow to show a white shirt. then came the broad shoulders, when the sleeves were swelled out at the top to give an air of great breadth to the shoulders and a more elegant taper to the waist. some men had patterns sewn on one leg of their tights. the gown, or whatever top garment was being worn, was sometimes cut into a low, v shape behind at the neck to show the undergarment, above which showed a piece of white shirt. [illustration: {a man of the time of edward iv.}] a long gown, in shape like a monk's habit, wide sleeves, the same width all the way down, a loose neck--a garment indeed to put on over the head, to slip on for comfort and warmth--was quite a marked fashion in the streets--as marked as the little tunic. [illustration: {twelve types of head-gear for men}] if you are remembering caxton's shop and a crowd of gentlemen, notice one in a big fur hat, which comes over his eyes; and see also a man who has wound a strip of cloth about his neck and over his head, then, letting one end hang down, has clapped his round, steeple-crowned hat over it. you will see high collars, low collars, and absence of collar, long gown open to the waist, long gown without opening, short-skirted tunic, tunic without any skirt, long, short, and medium shoes, and, at the end of the reign, one or two broad-toed shoes. many of these men would be carrying sticks; most of them would have their fingers covered with rings. among the group of gentlemen about edward some merchants have pressed closer to see the king, and a girl or two has stolen into the front row. the king, turning to make a laughing remark to one of his courtiers, will see a roguish, pretty face behind him--the face of a merchant's wife; he will smile at her in a meaning way. the women [illustration: {a head-dress for a woman}] france, at this date, shows us a sartorial savonarola, by name thomas conecte, a preaching friar, who held an anti-hennin crusade, which ended in a bonfire of these steeple head-dresses. the flames of these peculiar hats lit up the inspired devotees, and showed their heads wrapped in plain linen wimples or some little unaffected caps. but the ashes were hardly cold before the gray light of the next day showed the figure of the dreaded preacher small upon the horizon, and lit upon the sewing-maids as they sat making fresh steeples for the adornment of their ladies' heads. joan of arc is dead, and another very different apparition of womankind looms out of the mists of history. whilst joan of arc is hymned and numbered among the happy company of saints triumphant, jane shore is roared in drinking-songs and ballads of a disreputable order, and is held up as an awful example. she has for years been represented upon the boards of west end and surrey-side theatres--in her prime as the mistress of edward iv., in her penance before the church door, and in her poverty and starvation, hounded from house to house in a christian country where bread was denied to her. i myself have seen her through the person of a stout, melancholy, and h-less lady, who, dressed in a sort of burlesque fish-wife costume, has lain dying on the prompt-side of the stage, in a whirl of paper snow, while, to the edification of the twopenny gallery, she has bewailed her evil life, and has been allowed, by a munificent management, to die in the arms of white-clad angels. there is a gleam of truth in the representation, and you may see the real jane shore in a high steeple head-dress, with a thin veil thrown over it, with a frontlet or little loop of black velvet over her forehead; in a high-waisted dress, open in a v shape from shoulder to waist, the opening laced over the square-cut under-gown, the upper gown having a collar of fur or silk, a long train, broad cuffs, perhaps 7 inches long from the base of her fingers, with a broad, coloured band about her waist, a broader trimming of the same colour round the hem of her shirt, and in long peaked shoes. in person of mean stature, her hair dark yellow, her face round and full, her eyes gray, and her countenance as cheerful as herself. the second real picture of her shows you a haggard woman, with her hair unbound and falling about her shoulders, shivering in a shift, which she clutches about her with one hand, while the other holds a dripping candle; and the third picture shows an old woman in dirty wimple and untidy rags. [illustration: {six types of head-dress for women}] there are many ways of making the steeple head-dress. for the most part they are long, black-covered steeples, resting at an angle of forty-five degrees to the head, the broad end having a deep velvet band round it, with hanging sides, which come to the level of the chin; the point end has a long veil attached to it, which floats lightly down, or is carried on to one shoulder. sometimes this steeple hat is worn over a hood, the cape of which is tucked into the dress. some of these hats have a jutting, upturned piece in front, and they are also covered with all manner of coloured stuffs, but not commonly so. all persons having an income of £10 a year and over will have that black velvet loop, the frontlet, sewn into their hats. there is another new shape for hats, varying in height from 8 to 18 inches. it is a cylinder, broader at the top than the bottom, the crown sometimes flat and sometimes rounded into the hat itself; this hat is generally jewelled, and covered with rich material. the veils are attached to these hats in several ways; either they float down behind from the centre of the crown of the hat, or they are sewn on to the base of the hat, and are supported on wires, so as to shade the face, making a roof over it, pointed in front and behind, or flat across the front and bent into a point behind, or circular. take two circles of wire, one the size of the base of your hat and the other larger, and dress your linen or thin silk upon them; then you may pinch the wire into any variations of squares and circles you please. [illustration: a woman of the time of edward iv. (1461-1483) she wears the high hennin from which hangs a wisp of linen. on her forehead is the velvet frontlet, and across her forehead is a veil stretched on wires.] the veil was sometimes worn all over the steeple hat, coming down over the face, but stiff enough to stand away from it. towards the end of the reign the hats were not so high or so erect. remember, also, that the horned head-dress of the previous reign is not by any means extinct. [illustration: {a woman of the time of edward iv.}] there remain two more forms of making the human face hideous: one is the head-dress closely resembling an enormous sponge bag, which for some unknown reason lasted well into the reign of henry vii. as a variety to the fashionable head-gear of that time, and the other is very simple, being a wimple kept on the head by a circular stuffed hoop of material, which showed, plain and severe across the forehead. the simple folk wore a hood of linen, with a liripipe and wide ear-flaps. [illustration: {a woman of the time of edward iv.}] the dresses are plain in cut; they are all short-waisted if at all fashionable. the most of them have a broad waist-belt, and very deep borders to their skirts; they have broad, turned-back cuffs, often of black. these cuffs, on being turned down over the hand, show the same colour as the dress; they are, in fact, the old long cuff over the fingers turned back for comfort. it is by the variety of openings at the necks of the gowns that you may get change. first, let me take the most ordinary--that is, an opening of a v shape from shoulders to waist, the foot of the v at the waist, the points on the top of the shoulders at the join of the arm. across this opening is seen, cut square and coming up to the base of the bosom, the under-gown. you may now proceed to vary this by lacing the v across, but not drawing it together, by having the v fur-edged, or made to turn over in a collar of black upon light material, or its opposite, by showing a vest of stuff other than that of the under-gown, which will then make a variety of colour when the skirt is held up over the arm. or you may have your dress so cut that it is high in front and square cut, and over this you may sew a false v collar wither to or above the waist. i have said that the whole neck-opening may be covered by a gorget of cloth, which was pinned up to the steeple hat, or by a hood of thin stuff or silk, the cape of which was tucked into the dress. [illustration: {a woman of the time of edward iv.}] the lady, i think, is now complete down to her long-pointed shoes, her necklet of stones or gold chain, with cross or heraldic pendant, and it remains to show that the countrywoman dressed very plainly, in a decent-fitting dress, with her waist in its proper place, her skirt full, the sleeves of her dress turned back like my lady's, her head wrapped in a wimple or warmed in a hood, her feet in plain, foot-shaped shoes, and wooden clogs strapped on to them for outdoor use or kitchen work; in fact, she looked much like any old body to-day who has lived in a village, except that the wimple and the hood then worn are out of place to-day, more's the pity! no doubt ladies were just human in those days, and fussed and frittered over an inch or so of hennin, or a yard or two of train. one cut her dress too low to please the others, and another wore her horned head-dress despite the dictates of fashion, which said, 'away with horns, and into steeples.' no doubt the tall hennins, with their floating veils, looked like black masts with silken sails, and the ladies like a crowd of shipping, with velvet trains for waves about their feet; no doubt the steeples swayed and the silks rustled when the heads turned to look at the fine men in the days when hump-shouldered richard was a dandy. edward the fifth reigned two months: april and june, 1487. richard the third reigned two years: 1483-1485. born 1450. married, 1473, anne neville. the men [illustration: {three men of the time of edward v. and richard iii.}] fashion's pulse beat very weak in the spring of 1483. more attune to the pipes of fate were the black cloaks of conspirators and a measured tread of soft-shoed feet than lute and dance of airy millinery. the axe of the executioner soiled many white shirts, and dreadful forebodings fluttered the dovecots of high-hennined ladies. the old order was dying; medievalism, which made a last spluttering flame in the next reign, was now burnt low, and was saving for that last effort. when richard married anne neville, in the same year was raphael born in italy; literature was beginning, thought was beginning; many of the great spirits of the renaissance were alive and working in italy; the very trend of clothes showed something vaguely different, something which shows, however, that the foundations of the world were being shaken--so shaken that men and women, coming out of the gloom of the fourteenth century through the half-light of the fifteenth, saw the first signs of a new day, the first show of spring, and, with a perversity or an eagerness to meet the coming day, they began to change their clothes. it is in this reign of richard iii. that we get, for the men, a hint of the peculiar magnificence of the first years of the sixteenth century; we get the first flush of those wonderful patterns which are used by memline and holbein, those variations of the pine-apple pattern, and of that peculiar convention which is traceable in the outline of the tudor rose. the men, at first sight, do not appear very different to the men of edward iv.'s time; they have the long hair, the general clean-shaven faces, open-breasted tunics, and full-pleated skirts. but, as a rule, the man, peculiar to his time, the clothes-post of his age, has discarded the tall peaked hat, and is almost always dressed in the black velvet, stiff-brimmed hat. the pleated skirt to his tunic has grown longer, and his purse has grown larger; the sleeves are tighter, and the old tunic with the split, hanging sleeves has grown fuller, longer, and has become an overcoat, being now open all the way down. you will see that the neck of the tunic is cut very low, and that you may see above it, above the black velvet with which it is so often bound, the rich colour or fine material of an undergarment, a sort of waistcoat, and yet again above that the straight top of a finely-pleated white shirt. sometimes the sleeves of the tunic will be wide, and when the arm is flung up in gesticulation, the baggy white shirt, tight-buttoned at the wrist, will show. instead of the overcoat with the hanging sleeves, you will find a very plain-cut overcoat, with sleeves comfortably wide, and with little plain lapels to the collar. it is cut wide enough in the back to allow for the spread of the tunic. black velvet is becoming a very fashionable trimming, and will be seen as a border or as under-vest to show between the shirt and the tunic. no clothes of the last reign will be incongruous in this; the very short tunics which expose the cod-piece, the split-sleeve tunic, all the variations, i have described. judges walk about, looking like gentlemen of the time of richard ii.: a judge wears a long loose gown, with wide sleeves, from out of which appear the sleeves of his under-tunic, buttoned from elbow to wrist; he wears a cloak with a hood, the cloak split up the right side, and fastened by three buttons upon the right shoulder. a doctor is in very plain, ample gown, with a cape over his shoulders and a small round cap on his head. his gown is not bound at the waist. [illustration: a man of the time of richard iii. (1483-1485) here one sees the first of the broad-toed shoes and the birth of the tudor costume--the full pleated skirts and the prominence of white shirt.] the blunt shoes have come into fashion, and with this the old long-peaked shoe dies for ever. common-sense will show you that the gentlemen who had leisure to hunt in these times did not wear their most foppish garments, that the tunics were plain, the boots high, the cloaks of strong material. they wore a hunting-hat, with a long peak over the eyes and a little peak over the neck at the back; a broad band passed under the chin, and, buttoning on to either side of the hat, kept it in place. the peasant wore a loose tunic, often open-breasted and laced across; he had a belt about his waist, a hood over his head, and often a broad-brimmed noah's ark hat over the hood; his slops, or loose trousers, were tied below the knee and at the ankles. a shepherd would stick his pipe in his belt, so that he might march before his flock, piping them into the fold. [illustration: {a man of the time of edward v. and richard iii.; a hat}] to sum up, you must picture a man in a dress of edward iv.'s time, modified, or, rather, expanded or expanding into the costume of henry vii.'s time--a reign, in fact, which hardly has a distinct costume to itself--that is, for the men--but has a hand stretched out to two centuries, the fifteenth and the sixteenth; yet, if i have shown the man to you as i myself can see him, he is different from his father in 1461, and will change a great deal before 1500. the women [illustration: {a woman of the time of edward v. and richard iii.}] here we are at the end of an epoch, at the close of a costume period, at one of those curious final dates in a history of clothes which says that within a year or so the women of one time will look hopelessly old-fashioned and queer to the modern woman. except for the peculiar sponge-bag turban, which had a few years of life in it, the woman in henry vii.'s reign would look back at this time and smile, and the young woman would laugh at the old ideas of beauty. the river of time runs under many bridges, and it would seem that the arches were low to the bridge of fashion in 1483, and the steeple hat was lowered to prevent contact with them. the correct angle of forty-five degrees changed into a right angle, the steeple hat, the hennin, came toppling down, and an embroidered bonnet, perched right on the back of the head, came into vogue. it is this bonnet which gives, from our point of view, distinction to the reign. it was a definite fashion, a distinct halt. it had travelled along the years of the fourteenth century, from the wimple and the horns, and the stiff turbans, and the boxes of stiffened cloth of gold; it had languished in the caul and blossomed in the huge wimple-covered horns; it had shot up in the hennin; and now it gave, as its last transformation, this bonnet at the back of the head, with the stiff wimple stretched upon wires. soon was to come the diamond-shaped head-dress, and after that the birth of hair as a beauty. in this case the hair was drawn as tightly as possible away from the forehead, and at the forehead the smaller hairs were plucked away; even eyebrows were a little out of fashion. then this cylindrical bonnet was placed at the back of the head, with its wings of thin linen stiffly sewn or propped on wires. these wires were generally of a v shape, the v point at the forehead. on some occasions two straight wires came out on either side of the face in addition to the v, and so made two wings on either side of the face and two wings over the back of the head. it is more easy to describe through means of the drawings, and the reader will soon see what bend to give to the wires in order that the wings may be properly held out. beyond this head-dress there was very little alteration in the lady's dress since the previous reign. the skirts were full; the waist was high, but not absurdly so; the band round the dress was broad; the sleeves were tight; and the cuffs, often of fur, were folded back to a good depth. the neck opening of the dress varied, as did that of the previous reign, but whereas the most fashionable opening was then from neck to waist, this reign gave more liking to a higher corsage, over the top of which a narrow piece of stuff showed, often of black velvet. we may safely assume that the ladies followed the men in the matter of broad shoes. for a time the old fashion of the long-tongued belt came in, and we see instances of such belts being worn with the tongue reaching nearly to the feet, tipped with a metal ornament. [illustration: a woman of the time of richard iii. (1483-1485) the great erection on her head is made of thin linen stretched upon wires; through this one may see her jewelled cap.] not until night did these ladies discard their winged head erections; not until the streets were dark, and the brass basins swinging from the barbers' poles shone but dimly, and the tailors no longer sat, cross-legged, on the benches in their shop-fronts--then might my lady uncover her head and talk, in company with my lord, over the strange new stories of prester john and of the wandering jew; then, at her proper time, she will go to her rest and sleep soundly beneath her embroidered quilt, under the protection of the saints whose pictures she has sewn into the corners of it. matthew, mark, luke, and john, bless the bed that she lies on. so we come to an end of a second series of dates, from the first edward to the third richard, and we leave them to come to the tudors and their follies and fantastics; we leave an age that is quaint, rich, and yet fairly simple, to come to an age of padded hips and farthingales, monstrous ruffs, knee-breeks, rag-stuffed trunks, and high-heeled shoes. with the drawings and text you should be able to people a vast world of figures, dating from the middle of the thirteenth century, 1272, to nearly the end of the fifteenth, 1485, and if you allow ordinary horse-sense to have play, you will be able to people your world with correctly-dressed figures in the true inspiration of their time. you cannot disassociate the man from his tailor; his clothes must appeal to you, historically and soulfully, as an outward and visible sign to the graces and vices of his age and times. henry the seventh reigned 24 years: 1485-1509. born, 1456. married, 1486, elizabeth of york. the men [illustration: {a man of the time of henry vii.; hose}] everyone has felt that curious faint aroma, that sensation of lifting, which proclaims the first day of spring and the burial of winter. although nothing tangible has taken place, there is in the atmosphere a full-charged suggestion of promise, of green-sickness; there is a quickening of the pulse, a thrumming of the heart, and many an eager, quick glance around for the first buds of the new order of things. england's winter was buried on bosworth field: england's spring, as if by magic, commenced with henry's entry into london. the first picture of the reign shows the mayor, the sheriffs, and the aldermen, clothed in violet, waiting at shoreditch for the coming of the victor. the same day shows henry in st. paul's, hearing a _te deum_; in the cathedral church, packed to its limit, three new banners waved, one bearing a figure of st. george, another a dragon of red on white and green sarcenet, and the third showed a dun cow on yellow tarterne. spring, of course, does not, except in a poetic sense, burst forth in a day, there are long months of preparation, hints, signs in the air, new notes from the throats of birds. the springtime of a country takes more than the preparation of months. nine years before henry came to the throne caxton was learning to print in the little room of collard mansion--he was to print his 'facts of arms,' joyous tales and pleasant histories of chivalry, by especial desire of henry himself. later still, towards the end of the reign, the first book of travel in the west began to go from hand to hand--it was written by amerigo vespucci, cousin to la bella simonetta. great thoughts were abroad, new ideas were constantly under discussion, the arts rose to the occasion and put forth flowers of beauty on many stems long supposed to be dead or dormant and incapable of improvement. it was the great age of individual english expression in every form but that of literature and painting, both these arts being but in their cradles; chaucer and gower and langland had written, but they lay in their graves long before new great minds arose. the clouds of the middle ages were dispersed, and the sun shone. the costume was at once dignified and magnificent--not that one can call the little coats great ideals of dignity, but even they, by their richness and by the splendour of the persons they adorned, come into the category. the long gowns of both men and women were rich beyond words in colour, texture, and design, they were imposing, exact, and gorgeous. upon a fine day the streets must have glittered when a gentleman or lady passed by. the fashions of the time have survived for us in the court cards: take the jacks, knaves, valets--call them as you will, and you will see the costume of this reign but slightly modified into a design, the cards of to-day and the cards of that day are almost identical. some years ago the modification was less noticeable; i can remember playing pope joan with cards printed with full-length figures, just as the illustrations to 'alice in wonderland' are drawn. in the knave you will see the peculiar square hat which came in at this time, and the petti-cote, the long coat, the big sleeve, and the broad-toed shoes. you will see the long hair, undressed and flowing over the shoulders (the professional classes, as the lawyer, cut their hair close, so also did the peasant). over this flowing hair a dandy would wear a little cap with a narrow, rolled-up brim, and over this, on occasions, an enormous hat of felt, ornamented with a prodigious quantity of feathers. [illustration: {a man of the time of henry vii.}] there was, indeed, quite a choice of hats: the berretino--a square hat pinched in at the corners; many round hats, some with a high, tight brim, some with the least brim possible; into these brims, or into a band round the hat, one might stick feathers or pin a brooch. [illustration: a man of the time of henry vii. (1485-1509)] the chaperon, before described, was still worn by garter knights at times, and by official, legal, civic, and college persons. what a choice of coats the gentlemen had, and still might be in the fashion! most common among these was the long coat like a dressing-gown, hanging upon the ground all round, with a wide collar, square behind, and turning back in the front down to the waist--this was the general shape of the collar, and you may vary it on this idea in every way: turn it back and show the stuff to the feet, close it up nearly to the neck, cut it off completely. now for the sleeves of such a coat. i have shown in the illustrations many varieties, the most common was the wide sleeve, narrow at the shoulder, and hanging over the hand in folds. the slashes, which show the white shirt, are usual, and of every order. the shirt itself was often ornamented with fine gathers and fancy stitching, and was gathered about the neck by a ribbon. as the years went on it is easy to see that the shirt was worn nearer to the neck, the gathers became higher and higher, became more ornamented, and finally rose, in all extravagant finery, to behind the ears--and we have the elizabethan ruff. [illustration: coats--hats] next to the shirt a waistcoat, or stomacher, of the most gorgeous patterned stuff, laced across the breast sometimes, more often fastened behind. this reached to the waist where it met long hose of every scheme of colour--striped, dotted, divided in bands--everything--displaying the indelicate but universal pouch in front, tied with coloured ribbons. on the feet, shoes of all materials, from cloth and velvet to leather beautifully worked, and of the most absurd length; these also were slashed with puffs of white stuff. many of these shoes were but a sole and a toe, and were tied on by thongs passing through the sole. of course the long coat would not alone satisfy the dandy, but he must needs cut it off into a short jacket, or petti-cote, and leave it open to better display his marvellous vest. here we have the origin of the use of the word 'petticoat'--now wrongly applied; in scotland, to this day, a woman's skirts are called her 'coats.' about the waists of these coats was a short sash, or a girdle, from which hung a very elaborate purse, or a dagger. stick in hand, jewel in your hat, dandy--extravagant, exquisite dandy! all ages know you, from the day you choose your covering of leaves with care, to the hour of your white duck motoring-suit: a very bird of a man, rejoicing in your plumage, a very human ass, a very narrow individual, you stride, strut, simper through the story of the universe, a perfect monument of the fall of man, a gorgeous symbol of the decay of manhood. in this our henry's reign, your hair busheth pleasantly, and is kembed prettily over the ear, where it glimmers as gold i' the sun--pretty fellow--lord! how your feathered bonnet becomes you, and your satin stomacher is brave over a padded chest. your white hands, freed from any nasty brawls and clean of any form of work, lie in their embroidered gloves. your pride forbids the carriage of a sword, which is borne behind you--much use may it be!--by a mincing fellow in your dainty livery. and if--oh, rare disguise!--your coiffure hides a noble brow, or your little, neat-rimmed coif a clever head, less honour be to you who dress your limbs to imitate the peacock, and hide your mind beneath the weight of scented clothes. [illustration: sleeves] in the illustrations to this chapter and the next, my drawings are collected and redrawn in my scheme from works so beautiful and highly finished that every student should go to see them for himself at the british museum. my drawings, i hope, make it quite clear what was worn in the end of the fifteenth century and the first nine years of the sixteenth, and anyone with a slight knowledge of pictures will be able to supply themselves with a large amount of extra matter. i would recommend ms. roy 16, f. 2; ms. roy 19, c. 8; and especially harleian ms. 4425. of the lower classes, also, these books show quite a number. there are beggars and peasants, whose dress was simply old-fashioned and very plain; they wore the broad shoes and leather belts and short coats, worsted hose, and cloaks of fair cloth. 'poverty,' the old woman with the spoon in her hat, is a good example of the poor of the time. when one knows the wealth of material of the time, and has seen the wonder of the stuffs, one knows that within certain lines imagination may have full scope. stuffs of silk, embroidered with coupled birds and branches, and flowers following out a prescribed line, the embroideries edged and sewn with gold thread; velvet on velvet, short-napped fustian, damasked stuffs and diapered stuffs--what pictures on canvas, or on the stage, may be made; what marvels of colour walked about the streets in those days! it was to the eye an age of elaborate patterns--mostly large--and all this broken colour and glitter of gold thread must have made the streets gay indeed. [illustration: {a man of the time of henry vii.}] imagine, shall we say, corfe castle on a day when a party of ladies and gentlemen assembled to 'course a stagge,' when the huntsmen, in green, gathered in the outer ward, and the grooms, in fine coloured liveries, held the gaily-decked horses; then, from the walls lined with archers, would come the blast of the horn, and out would walk my lord and my lady, with knights, and squires, and ladies, and gallants, over the bridge across the castle ditch, between the round towers. behind them the dungeon tower, and the great gray mass of the keep--all a fitting and impressive background to their bravery. the gentlemen, in long coats of all wonderful colours and devices, with little hats, jewelled and feathered, with boots to the knee of soft leather, turned back in colours at the top; on their left hands the thick hawking glove on which, jessed and hooded, sits the hawk--for some who will not go with the hounds will fly the hawk on the isle of purbeck. [illustration: {a man of the time of henry vii.}] below, in the town over the moat, a crowd is gathered to see them off--merchants in grave colours, and coats turned back with fur, their ink-horns slung at their waists, with pens and dagger and purse; beggars; pilgrims, from over seas, landed at poole harbour, in long gowns, worn with penitence and dusty travels, shells in their hats, staffs in their hands; wide-eyed children in smocks; butchers in blue; men of all guilds and women of all classes. the drawbridge is down, the portcullis up, and the party, gleaming like a bed of flowers in their multi-coloured robes, pass over the bridge, through the town, and into the valley. the sun goes in and leaves the grim castle, gray and solemn, standing out against the green of the hills.... and of henry himself, the great tudor, greater, more farseeing than the eighth henry, a man who so dominates the age, and fills it with his spirit, that no mental picture is complete without him. his fine, humorous face, the quizzical eye, the firm mouth, showing his character. the great lover of art, of english art, soon to be pulverized by pseudo-classic influences; the man who pulled down the chapel at the west end of westminster abbey with the house by it--chaucer's house--to make way for that superb triumph of ornate building, his chapel, beside which the mathematical squares and angles of classic buildings show as would boxes of bricks by a gorgeous flower. the stories against him are, in reality, stories for him, invented by those whom he kept to their work, and whom he despoiled of their ill-gotten gains. he borrowed, but he paid back in full; he came into a disordered, distressed kingdom, ruled it by fear--as had to be done in those days--and left it a kingdom ready for the fruits of his ordered works--to the fleshy beast who so nearly ruined the country. what remained, indeed, was the result of his father's genius. the women take up a pack of cards and look at the queen. you may see the extraordinary head-gear as worn by ladies at the end of the fifteenth century and in the first years of the sixteenth, worn in a modified form all through the next reign, after which that description of head-dress vanished for ever, its place to be taken by caps, hats, and bonnets. the richest of these head-dresses were made of a black silk or some such black material, the top stiffened to the shape of a sloping house-roof, the edges falling by the face on either side--made stiff, so as to stand parallel--these were sewn with gold and pearls on colour or white. the end of the hood hung over the shoulders and down the back; this was surmounted by a stole of stiffened material, also richly sewn with jewels, and the whole pinned on to a close-fitting cap of a different colour, the edge of which showed above the forehead. [illustration: {seven head-dresses for women; side and front view of a shoe}] the more moderate head-dress was of black again, but in shape nearly square, and slit at the sides to enable it to hang more easily over the shoulders. it was placed over a coif, often of white linen or of black material, was turned over from the forehead, folded, and pinned back; often it was edged with gold. on either side of the hood were hanging ornamental metal-tipped tags to tie back the hood from the shoulders, and this became, in time--that is, at the end of the reign--the ordinary manner of wearing them, till they were finally made up so. the ordinary head-dress was of white linen, crimped or embroidered in white, made in a piece to hang over the shoulders and down the back, folded back and stiffened in front to that peculiar triangular shape in fashion; this was worn by the older women over a white hood. the plain coif, or close-fitting linen cap, was the most general wear for the poor and middle classes. the hair was worn long and naturally over the shoulders by young girls, and plainly parted in the centre and dressed close to the head by women wearing the large head-dress. another form of head-dress, less common, was the turban--a loose bag of silk, gold and pearl embroidered, fitting over the hair and forehead tightly, and loose above. the gowns of the women were very simply cut, having either a long train or no train at all, these last cut to show the under-skirt of some fine material, the bodice of which showed above the over gown at the shoulders. the ladies who wore the long gown generally had it lined with some fine fur, and to prevent this dragging in the mud, as also to show the elegance of their furs, they fastened the train to a button or brooch placed at the back of the waistband. this, in time, developed into the looped skirts of elizabethan times. [illustration: {three women of the time of henry vii.}] the bodice of the gown was square cut and not very low, having an ornamental border of fur, embroidery, or other rich coloured material sewn on to it. this border went sometimes round the shoulders and down the front of the dress to below the knees. above the bodice was nearly always seen the v-shaped opening of the under petticoat bodice, and across and above that, the white embroidered or crimped chemise. the sleeves were as the men's--tight all the way down from the shoulder to the wrist, the cuffs coming well over the first joints of the fingers (sometimes these cuffs are turned back to show elaborate linings), or they were made tight at the shoulder and gradually looser until they became very full over the lower arm, edged or lined with fur or soft silk, or loose and baggy all the way from shoulder to hand. [illustration: {a woman of the time of henry vii.}] at this time bruges became world-famed for her silken texture; her satins were used in england for church garments and other clothes. the damask silks were greatly in use, and were nearly always covered with the peculiar semi-spanish pattern, the base of which was some contortion of the pomegranate. some of these patterns were small and wonderfully fine, depending on their wealth of detail for their magnificent appearance, others were huge, so that but few repeats of the design appeared on the dress. block-printed linens were also in use, and the samples in south kensington will show how beautiful and artistic they were, for all their simple design. as bruges supplied us with silks, satins, and velvets, the last also beautifully damasked, yprès sent her linen to us, and the whole of flanders sent us painters and illuminators who worked in england at the last of the great illuminated books, but this art died as printing and illustrating by wood-blocks came in to take its place. nearly every lady had her own common linen, and often other stuffs, woven in her own house, and the long winter evenings were great times for the sewing chambers, where the lady and her maids sat at the looms. to-day one may see in bruges the women at the cottage doors busy over their lace-making, and the english women by the sea making nets--so in those times was every woman at her cottage door making coarse linens and other stuffs to earn her daily bread, while my lady was sitting in her chamber weaving, or embroidering a bearing cloth for her child against her time. however, the years of the wars of the roses had had their effect on every kind of english work, and as the most elegant books were painted and written by flemings, as the finest linen came from yprès, the best silks and velvets from bruges, the great masters of painting from florence, germany, and belgium, so also the elaborate and wonderful embroidery, for which we had been so famous, died away, and english work was but coarse at the best, until, in the early sixteen hundreds, the new style came into use of raising figures some height above the ground-work of the design, and the rich embroidery of the stuart times revived this art. i have shown that this age was the age of fine patterns, as some ages are ages of quaint cut, and some of jewel-laden dresses, and some of dainty needlework. a few ladies wore their gowns open to the waist to show the stomacher, as the men did, and open behind to the waist, laced across, the waist being embraced by a girdle of the shape so long in use, with long ends and metal ornaments; the girdle held the purse of the lady. [illustration: a woman of the time of henry vii. (1485-1509) notice the diamond-shaped head-dress, the wide, fur-edged gown with its full sleeves.] the illustrations given with this chapter show very completely the costume of this time, and, except in cases of royal persons or very gorgeously apparelled ladies, they are complete enough to need no description. the shoes, it will be seen, are very broad at the toes, with thick soles, sometimes made much in the manner of sandals--that is, with only a toecap, the rest flat, to be tied on by strings. as this work is entirely for use, it may be said, that artists who have costumes made for them, and costumiers who make for the stage, hardly ever allow enough material for the gowns worn by men and women in this and other reigns, where the heaviness and richness of the folds was the great keynote. to make a gown, of such a kind as these good ladies wore, one needs, at least, twelve yards of material, fifty-two inches wide, to give the right appearance. it is possible to acquire at many of the best shops nowadays actual copies of embroidered stuffs, velvets, and damask silks of this time, and of stuffs up to early victorian patterns, and this makes it easy for painters to procure what, in other days, they were forced to invent. many artists have their costumes made of bolton sheeting, on to which they stencil the patterns they wish to use--this is not a bad thing to do, as sheeting is not dear and it falls into beautiful folds. the older ladies and widows of this time nearly all dressed in very simple, almost conventual garments, many of them wearing the 'barbe' of pleated linen, which covered the lower part of the face and the chin--a sort of linen beard--it reached to the breast, and is still worn by some religious orders of women. badges were still much in use, and the servants always wore some form of badge on their left sleeve--either merely the colours of their masters, or a small silver, or other metal, shield. thus, the badge worn by the servants of henry vii. would be either a greyhound, a crowned hawthorn bush, a red dragon, a portcullis, or the red and white roses joined together. the last two were used by all the tudors, and the red rose and the portcullis are still used. from these badges we get the signs of many of our inns, either started by servants, who used their master's badge for a device, or because the inn lay on a certain property the lord of which carried chequers, or a red dragon, or a tiger's head. i mentioned the silks of bruges and her velvets without giving enough prominence to the fine velvets of florence, a sample of which, a cope, once used in westminster abbey, is preserved at stonyhurst college; it was left by henry vii. to 'our monastery of westminster,' and is of beautiful design--a gold ground, covered with boughs and leaves raised in soft velvet pile of ruby colour, through which little loops of gold thread appear. i imagine elizabeth of york, queen to henry vii., of the subtle countenance--gentle elizabeth, who died in child-birth--proceeding through london, from the tower to westminster, to her coronation; the streets cleansed and the houses hung with tapestry, arras and gold cloth, the fine-coloured dresses of the crowd, the armoured soldiers, all the rich estate of the company about her, and the fine trappings of the horses. our queen went to her coronation with some italian masts, paper flowers, and some hundreds of thousands of yards of bunting and cheap flags; the people mostly in sombre clothes; the soldiers in ugly red, stiff coats, were the only colour of note passing down whitehall, past the hideous green stuck with frozen members of parliament, to the grand, wonderful abbey, which has seen so many queens crowned. henry the eighth reigned thirty-eight years: 1509-1547. born, 1491. married, 1509, katherine of aragon; 1532, anne boleyn; 1536, jane seymour; 1540, anne of cleves; 1540, katherine howard; 1548, katherine parr. the men verses by henry the eighth in praise of constancy 'as the holy grouth grene with ivie all alone whose flowerys cannot be seen and grene wode levys be gone, now unto my lady, promyse to her i make from all other only to her i me betake. adew myne owne ladye, adew my specyall who hath my hart trewly, be sure, and ever shall.' so, with songs and music of his own composition, comes the richest man in europe to the throne of england. gay, brave, tall, full of conceit in his own strength, henry, a king, a tudor, a handsome man, abounding in excellence of craft and art, the inheritance from his father and mother, figures in our pageant a veritable symbol of the renaissance in england. he had, in common with the marvellous characters of that springtime of history, the quick intelligence and all the personal charm that the age brought forth in abundance. in his reign the accumulated mass of brain all over the world budded and flowered; the time gave to us a succession of the most remarkable people in any historical period, and it is one of the triumphs of false reasoning to prove this, in england, to have been the result of the separation from the catholic church. for centuries the church had organized and prepared the ground in which this tree of the world's knowledge was planted, had pruned, cut back, nursed the tree, until gradually it flowered, its branches spread over christian europe, and when the flowering branch hanging over england gave forth its first-fruits, those men who ate of the fruit and benefited by the shade were the first to quarrel with the gardeners. in these days there lived and died botticelli, leonardo da vinci, raphael, dürer, erasmus, holbein, copernicus, luther, rabelais, and michael angelo, to mention a few men of every shade of thought, and in this goodly time came henry to the english throne, to leave, at his death, instead of the firm progress of order instituted by his father, a bankrupt country with an enormously rich government. you may see for the later pictures of his reign a great bloated mass of corpulence, with running ulcers on his legs and the blood of wives and people on his hands, striding in his well-known attitude over the festering slums his rule had produced in london. harry, _grace à dieu_! the mental picture from our--costume--point of view is widely different from that of the last reign. no longer do we see hoods and cowls, brown, gray, white, and black in the streets, no longer the throngs of fine craftsmen, of church-carvers, gilders, embroiderers, candle-makers, illuminators, missal-makers; all these served but to swell the ranks of the unemployed, and caused a new problem to england, never since solved, of the skilled poor out of work. the hospitals were closed--that should bring a picture to your eyes--where the streets had been thronged with the doctors of the poor and of the rich in their habits, no monks or lay brothers were to be seen. the sick, the blind, the insane had no home but the overhung back alleys where the foulest diseases might accumulate and hot-beds of vice spring up, while in the main streets harry tudor was carried to his bear-baiting, a quivering mass of jewels shaking on his corrupt body, on his thumb that wonderful diamond the regale of france, stolen by him from the desecrated shrine of st. thomas à becket. [illustration: {a man of the time of henry viii.; collar; ruff}] [illustration: a man of the time of henry viii. (1509-1547) he wears the club-toed shoes, the white shirt embroidered in black silk, the padded shoulders, and the flat cap by which this reign is easily remembered.] [illustration: {a man of the time of henry viii.; breeches}] there are two distinct classes of fashion to be seen, the german-swiss fashion and the english fashion, a natural evolution of the national dress. the german fashion is that slashed, extravagant-looking creation which we know so well from the drawings of albert dürer and the more german designs of holbein. the garments which were known as 'blistered' clothes are excessive growths on to the most extravagant designs of the henry vii. date. the shirt cut low in the neck, and sewn with black embroidery; the little waistcoat ending at the waist and cut straight across from shoulder to shoulder, tied with thongs of leather or coloured laces to the breeches, leaving a gap between which showed the shirt; the universal pouch on the breeches often highly decorated and jewelled. from the line drawings you will see that the sleeves and the breeches took every form, were of any odd assortment of colours, were cut, puffed, and splashed all over, so that the shirt might be pushed through the holes, looking indeed 'blistered.' [illustration: {a man of the time of henry viii.}] the shoes were of many shapes, as i have shown, agreeing in one point only--that the toes should be cut very broad, often, indeed, quite square. short or hanging hair, both were the fashion, and little flat caps with the rim cut at intervals, or the large flat hats of the previous reign, covered with feathers and curiously slashed, were worn with these costumes. cloaks, as you may see, were worn over the dress, and also those overcoats shaped much like the modern dressing-gown. it is from these 'blistered,' padded breeches that we derive the trunks of the next reign, the slashings grown into long ribbon-like slits, the hose puffed at the knee. separate pairs of sleeves were worn with the waistcoats, or with the petti-cotes, a favourite sleeve trimming being broad velvet bands. the invention sprang, as usual, from necessity, by vanity to custom. in 1477 the swiss beat and routed the duke of burgundy at nantes, and the soldiers, whose clothes were in rags, cut and tore up his silk tents, his banners, all material they could find, and made themselves clothes of these odd pieces--clothes still so torn and ragged that their shirts puffed out of every hole and rent. the arrival of the victorious army caused all the non-fighters to copy this curious freak in clothes, and the courtiers perpetuated the event by proclaiming blistering as the fashion. the other and more usual fashion springs from the habit of clothes in bygone reigns. let us first take the shirt a. it will be seen how, in this reign, the tendency of the shirt was to come close about the neck. the previous reign showed us, as a rule, a shirt cut very low in the neck, with the hem drawn together with laces; these laces pulled more tightly together, thus rucking the material into closer gathers, caused the cut of the shirt to be altered and made so that the hem frilled out round the neck--a collar, in fact. that this collar took all forms under certain limitations will be noticed, also that thick necked gentlemen--henry himself must have invented this--wore the collar of the shirt turned down and tied with strings of linen. the cuffs of the shirt, when they showed at the wrist, were often, as was the collar, sewn with elaborate designs in black thread or silk. now we take the waistcoat b. as you may see from the drawing showing the german form of dress, this waistcoat was really a petti-cote, a waistcoat with sleeves. this waistcoat was generally of richly ornamented material (henry in purple satin, embroidered with his initials and the tudor rose; henry in brocade covered with posies made in letters of fine gold bullion). the material was slashed and puffed or plain, and dependent for its effect on the richness of its embroidery or design of the fabric. it was worn with or without sleeves; in most cases the sleeves were detachable. [illustration: {two types of sleeve; eight hats for men}] the coat c. this coat was made with bases like a frock, a skirted coat, in fact; the material used was generally plain, of velvet, fine cloth, silk, or satin. the varieties of cut were numerous, and are shown in the drawings--open to the waist, open all the way in front, close to the neck--every way; where the coat was open in front it generally parted to show the bragetto, or jewelled pouch. it was a matter for choice spirits to decide whether or no they should wear sleeves to their coats, or show the sleeves of their waistcoats. no doubt madame fashion saw to it that the changes were rung sufficiently to make hay while the sun shone on extravagant tastes. the coat was held at the waist with a sash of silk tied in a bow with short ends. towards the end of the reign, foreshadowing the elizabethan jerkin or jacket, the custom grew more universal of the coat with sleeves and the high neck, the bases were cut shorter to show the full trunks, and the waistcoat was almost entirely done away with, the collar grew in proportion, and spread, like the tail of an angry turkey, in ruffle and folded pleat round the man's neck. [illustration: a man of the time of henry viii. (1509-1547) this is the extreme german-english fashion. in germany and switzerland this was carried to greater lengths.] the overcoat d is the gown of the previous reign cut, for the dandy, into a shorter affair, reaching not far below the knee; for the grave man it remained long, but, for all, the collar had changed to a wide affair stretching well over the shoulders. it was made, this collar, of such stuff as lined the cloak, maybe it was of fur, or of satin, of silk, or of cloth of gold. the tremendous folds of these overcoats gave to the persons in them a sense of splendour and dignity; the short sleeves of the fashionable overcoats, puffed and swollen, barred with rich _appliqué_ designs or bars of fur, reaching only to the elbow, there to end in a hem of fur or some rich stuff, the collar as wide as these padded shoulders, all told in effect as garments which gave a great air of well-being and richness to their owner. [illustration: {a man of the time of henry viii.}] of course, i suppose one must explain, the sleeves varied in every way: were long, short, full, medium full, according to taste. sometimes the overcoats were sleeveless. beneath these garments the trunks were worn--loose little breeches, which, in the german style, were bagged, puffed, rolled, and slashed in infinite varieties. let it be noticed that the cutting of slashes was hardly ever a straight slit, but in the curve of an elongated s or a double s curve. other slashes were squared top and bottom. [illustration: {three men of the time of henry viii.}] all men wore tight hose, in some cases puffed at the knee; in fact, the bagging, sagging, and slashing of hose suggested the separate breeches or trunks of hose. [illustration: a woman of the time of henry viii. (1509-1547) a plain but rich looking dress. the peculiar head-dress has a pad of silk in front to hold it from the forehead. the half-sleeves are well shown.] the shoes were very broad, and were sometimes stuffed into a mound at the toes, were sewn with precious stones, and, also, were cut and puffed with silk. [illustration: {a man of the time of henry viii.}] the little flat cap will be seen in all its varieties in the drawings. the irish were forbidden by law to wear a shirt, smock, kerchor, bendel, neckerchor, mocket (a handkerchor), or linen cap coloured or dyed with saffron; or to wear in shirts or smocks above seven yards of cloth. to wear black genet you must be royal; to wear sable you must rank above a viscount; to wear marten or velvet trimming you must be worth over two hundred marks a year. short hair came into fashion about 1521. [illustration: {three men of the time of henry viii. (torso only); three types of shoe; two types of boot; a cod-piece}] so well known is the story of sir philip calthrop and john drakes the shoemaker of norwich, who tried to ape the fashion, that i must here allude to this ancestor of mine who was the first of the dandies of note, among persons not of the royal blood. the story itself, retold in every history of costume, is to this effect: drakes, the shoemaker, seeing that the county talked of sir philip's clothes, ordered a gown from the same tailor. this reached the ears of sir philip, who then ordered his gown to be cut as full of slashes as the shears could make it. the ruin of cloth so staggered the shoemaker that he vowed to keep to his own humble fashion in future. no doubt sir philip's slashes were cunningly embroidered round, and the gown made rich and sparkling with the device of seed pearls so much in use. this man's son, also sir philip, married amy, daughter of sir william boleyn, of blickling, norfolk. she was aunt to queen anne boleyn. the women one cannot call to mind pictures of this time without, in the first instance, seeing the form of henry rise up sharply before us followed by his company of wives. the fat, uxorious giant comes straight to the front of the picture, he dominates the age pictorially; and, as a fitting background, one sees the six women who were sacrificed on the political altar to pander to his vanity. katherine of aragon--the fine and noble lady--a tool of political desires, cast off after henry had searched his precious conscience, after eighteen years of married life, to find that he had scruples as to the spirituality of the marriage. anne boleyn, tainted with the life of the court, a pitiful figure in spite of all her odious crimes; how often must a ghost, in a black satin nightdress edged with black velvet, have haunted the royal dreams. and the rest of them, clustered round the vain king, while in the background the great figures of the time loom hugely as they play with the crowned puppets. [illustration: {eight stages in the evolution of the hood}] the note of the time, as we look at it with our eyes keen on the picture, is the final evolution of the hood. bit by bit, inch by inch, the plain fabric has become enriched, each succeeding step in an elaboration of the simple form; the border next to the face is turned back, then the hood is lined with fine stuff and the turnover shows this to advantage; then the sides are split and the back is made more full; then a tag is sewn on to the sides by which means the cut side may be fastened off the shoulders. the front is now stiffened and shaped at an angle, this front is sewn with jewels, and, as the angle forms a gap between the forehead and the point of the hood, a pad is added to fill in the vacant space. at last one arrives at the diamond-shaped head-dress worn in this reign, and, in this reign, elaborated in every way, elaborated, in fact, out of existence. in order to make the head-dress in its 1509 state you must make the white lining with the jewelled turnover as a separate cap. however, i think that the drawings speak for themselves more plainly than i can write. [illustration: {four types of head-dress for women}] every device for crowding jewels together was used, criss-cross, in groups of small numbers, in great masses. pendants were worn, hung upon jewelled chains that wound twice round the neck, once close to the neck, the second loop loose and passed, as a rule, under the lawn shift. large brooches decorated the bodices, brooches with drop ornaments, the body of the brooch of fine gold workmanship, many of them wrought in italy. the shift, delicately embroidered with black silk, had often a band of jewellery upon it, and this shift was square cut, following the shape of the bodice. the bodice of the gown was square cut and much stiffened to a box-like shape. the sleeves of the gown were narrow at the shoulders, and after fitting the arm for about six inches down from the shoulders, they widened gradually until, just below the elbow, they became square and very full; in this way they showed the false under-sleeve. this under-sleeve was generally made of a fine rich-patterned silk or brocade, the same stuff which formed the under-gown; the sleeve was a binding for the very full lawn or cambric sleeve which showed in a ruffle at the wrist and in great puffs under the forearm. the under-sleeve was really more like a gauntlet, as it was generally held together by buttoned tags; it was puffed with other coloured silk, slashed to show the shift, or it might be plain. now the sleeve of the gown was subject to much alteration. it was, as i have described, made very square and full at the elbow, and over this some ladies wore a false sleeve of gold net--you may imagine the length to which net will go, studied with jewels, crossed in many ways, twisted into patterns, sewn on to the sleeve in sloping lines--but, besides this, the sleeve was turned back to form a deep square cuff which was often made of black or coloured velvet, or of fur. [illustration: {a woman of the time of henry viii.; a head-dress}] in all this i am taking no account of the german fashions, which i must describe separately. look at the drawings i have made of the german fashion. i find that they leave me dumb--mere man has but a limited vocabulary when the talk comes to clothes--and these dresses that look like silk pumpkins, blistered and puffed and slashed, sewn in ribs, swollen, and altogether so queer, are beyond the furious dashes that my pen makes at truth and millinery. the costumes of the people of this age have grown up in the minds of most artists as being inseparable from the drawings of holbein and dürer. [illustration: {two women of the time of henry viii.}] surely, i say to myself, most people who will read this will know their holbein and dürer, between whom there lies a vast difference, but who between them show, the one, the estate of england, and the other, those most german fashions which had so powerful an influence upon our own. both these men show the profusion of richness, the extravagant follies of the dress of their time, how, to use the words of pliny: 'we penetrate into the bowels of the earth, digging veins of gold and silver, and ores of brass and lead; we seek also for gems and certain little pebbles. driving galleries into the depths, we draw out the bowels of the earth, that the gems we seek may be worn on the finger. how many hands are wasted in order that a single joint may sparkle! if any hell there were, it had assuredly ere now been disclosed by the borings of avarice and luxury!' [illustration: a woman of the time of henry viii. (1509-1547) notice the wide cuffs covered with gold network, and the rich panel of the under-skirt.] [illustration: {a woman of the time of henry viii.; three types of sleeve}] or in the writings of tertullian, called by sigismund feyerabendt, citizen and printer of frankfort, a 'most strict censor who most severely blames women:' 'come now,' says tertullian, 'if from the first both the milesians sheared sheep, and the chinese spun from the tree, and the tyrians dyed and the phrygians embroidered, and the babylonians inwove; and if pearls shone and rubies flashed, if gold itself, too, came up from the earth with the desire for it; and if now, too, no lying but the mirror's were allowed, eve, i suppose, would have desired these things on her expulsion from paradise, and when spiritually dead.' one sees by the tortured and twisted german fashion that the hair was plaited, and so, in curves and twists, dropped into coarse gold-web nets, thrust into web nets with velvet pouches to them, so that the hair stuck out behind in a great knob, or at the side in two protuberances; over all a cap like to the man's, but that it was infinitely more feathered and jewelled. then, again, they wore those hideous barbes or beard-like linen cloths, over the chin, and an infinite variety of caps of linen upon their heads--caps which showed always the form of the head beneath. [illustration: {a woman of the time of henry viii.; three types of hat for women}] in common with the men, their overcoats and cloaks were voluminous, and needed to be so if those great sleeves had to be stuffed into them; fur collars or silk collars, with facings to match, were rolled over to show little or great expanses of these materials. here, to show what dainty creatures were our lady ancestors, to show from what beef and blood and bone we come, i give you (keep your eye meanwhile upon the wonderful dresses) the daily allowance of a maid of honour. every morning at breakfast one chyne of beef from the kitchen, one chete loaf and one maunchet at the pantry bar, and one gallon of ale at the buttery bar. for dinner a piece of beef, a stroke of roast and a reward from the kitchen. a caste of chete bread from the pantry bar, and a gallon of ale at the buttery bar. afternoon--should they suffer the pangs of hunger--a maunchet of bread from the pantry bar, and a gallon of ale at the buttery bar. supper, a messe of pottage, a piece of mutton and a reward from the kitchen. a caste of chete bread from the pantry bar, and a gallon of ale at the buttery bar. after supper--to insure a good night's rest--a chete loaf and a maunchet from the pantry bar, and half a gallon of ale from the seller bar. four and a half gallons of ale! i wonder did they drink it all themselves? all this, and down in the mornings in velvets and silks, with faces as fresh as primroses. it is the fate of all articles of clothing or adornment, naturally tied or twisted, or folded and pinned by the devotees of fashion, to become, after some little time, made up, ready made, into the shapes which had before some of the owner's mood and personality about them. these hoods worn by the women, these wide sleeves to the gowns, these hanging sleeves to the overcoats, the velvet slip of under-dress, all, in their time, became falsified into ready-made articles. with the hoods you can see for yourselves how they lend themselves by their shape to personal taste; they were made up, all ready sewn; where pins had been used, the folds of velvet at the back were made steadfast, the crimp of the white linen was determined, the angle of the side-flap ruled by some unwritten law of mode. in the end, by a process of evolution, the diamond shape disappeared, and the cap was placed further back on the head, the contour being circular where it had previously been pointed. the velvet hanging-piece remained at the back of the head, but was smaller, in one piece, and was never pinned up, and the entire shape gradually altered towards, and finally into, the well-known mary queen of scots head-dress, with which every reader must be familiar. [illustration: {two women of the time of henry viii.}] it has often occurred to me while writing this book that the absolute history of one such head-dress would be of more help than these isolated remarks, which have to be dropped only to be taken up in another reign, but i have felt that, after all, the arrangement is best as it stands, because we can follow, if we are willing, the complete wardrobe of one reign into the next, without mixing the two up. it is difficult to keep two interests running together, but i myself have felt, when reading other works on the subject, that the way in which the various articles of clothing are mixed up is more disturbing than useful. the wide sleeve to the gown, once part and parcel of the gown, was at last made separate from it--as a cuff more than a sleeve naturally widening--and in the next reign, among the most fashionable, left out altogether. the upper part of the dress, once cut low and square to show the under-dress, or a vest of other stuff, was now made, towards the end of the reign, with a false top of other stuff, so replacing the under-dress. lacing was carried to extremes, so that the body was pinched into the hard roll-like appearance always identified with this time; on the other hand, many, wiser women i should say, were this the place for morals, preferred to lace loose, and show, beneath the lacing, the colour of the under-dress. many were the varieties of girdle and belt, from plain silk sashes with tasselled ends to rich jewelled chain girdles ending in heavy ornaments. for detail one can do no better than go to holbein, the master of detail, and to-day, when photographs of pictures are so cheap, and lives of painters, copiously illustrated, are so easily attainable at low prices, it is the finest education, not only in painting, but in tudor atmosphere and in matters of dress, to go straightway and study the master--that master who touched, without intention, on the moral of his age when he painted a miniature of the blessed thomas more on the back of a playing card. edward the sixth reigned six years: 1547-1553. born, 1537. the men and women [illustration: {a man of the time of edward vi.; a type of hat}] here we have a reign which, from its very shortness, can hardly be expected to yield us much in the way of change, yet it shows, by very slight movements, that form of growth which preludes the great changes to come. i think i may call a halt here, and proceed to tell you why this volume is commenced with henry vii., called the tudor and stuart volume, and ends with the cromwells. it is because, between these reigns, the tunic achieves maturity, becomes a doublet, and dies, practically just in the middle of the reign of charles ii. of pungent memory. the peculiar garment, or rather, this garment peculiar to a certain time, runs through its various degrees of cut. it is, at first, a loose body garment with skirts; the skirts become arranged in precise folds, the folds on the skirt are shortened, the shorter they become the tighter becomes the coat; then we run through with this coat in its periods of puffings, slashings, this, that, and the other sleeve, all coats retaining the small piece of skirt or basque, and so to the straight, severe cromwellian jerkin with the piece of skirt cut into tabs, until the volume ends, and hey presto! there marches into history a persian business--a frock coat, straight, trim, quite a near cousin to our own garment of afternoon ceremony. for a sign of the times it may be mentioned that a boy threw his cap at the host just at the time of the elevation. to queen elizabeth has been given the palm for the wearing of the first silk stockings in england, but it is known that sir thomas gresham gave a pair of silk stockings to edward vi. we now see a more general appearance in the streets of the flat cap upon the heads of citizens. the hood, that eminently practical head-gear, took long to die, and, when at last it went out of fashion, except among the labouring classes, there came in the cap that now remains to us in the cap of the beefeaters at the tower of london. [illustration: {two men of the time of edward vi.}] it is the time of jerkin or jacket, doublet or coat, and hose--generally worn with trunks, which were puffed, short knickerbockers. the flat cap, afterwards the statute cap as ordered by elizabeth, became, as i say, the ordinary head-wear, though some, no doubt, kept hoods upon their heavy travelling cloaks. this cap, which some of the bluecoat boys still wear, was enforced upon the people by elizabeth for the encouragement of the english trade of cappers. 'one cap of wool, knit, thicked, and dressed in england,' was to be worn by all over six years of age, except such persons as had 'twenty marks by year in lands, and their heirs, and such as have borne office of worship.' edward, according to the portraits, always wore a flat cap, the base of the crown ornamented with bands of jewels. the bluecoat boys, and long may they have the sense to keep to their dress, show us exactly the ordinary dress of the citizen, except that the modern knickerbocker has taken the place of the trunks. also, the long skirts of these blue coats were, in edward's time, the mark of the grave man, others wore these same skirts cut to the knee. that peculiar fashion of the previous reign--the enormously broad-shouldered appearance--still held in this reign to some extent, though the collars of the jerkins, or, as one may more easily know them, overcoats or jackets, open garments, were not so wide, and allowed more of the puffed shoulder of the sleeve to show. indeed, the collar became quite small, as in the windsor holbein painting of edward, and the puff in the shoulders not so rotund. the doublet of this reign shows no change, but the collar of the shirt begins to show signs of the ruff of later years. it is no larger, but is generally left untied with the ornamental strings hanging. antiquarian research has, as it often does, muddled us as to the meaning of the word 'partlet.' fairholt, who is very good in many ways, puts down in his glossary, 'partlet: a gorget for women.' then he goes on to say that a partlet may be goodness knows what else. minshein says they are 'part of a man's attire, as the loose collar of a doublet, to be set on or taken off by itself, without the bodies, as the picadillies now a daies, or as mens' bands, or womens' neckerchiefs, which are in some, or at least have been within memorie, called partlets.' sir f. madden says: 'the partlet evidently appears to have been the corset or habit-shirt worn at that period, and which so commonly occurs in the portraits of the time, generally made of velvet and ornamented with precious stones.' [illustration: a man and woman of the time of edward vi. (1547-1553) the change from the dress of the previous reign should be easily noticed, especially in the case of the woman. this dress is, of course, of the plainest in this time.] hall, the author of 'satires,' 1598, speaks of a man, an effeminate dandy, as wearing a partlet strip. it appears to me, who am unwillingly forced into judging between so many learned persons, that, from all i have been able to gather from contemporary records and papers, the partlet is indeed, as minshein says, 'the loose collar of a doublet,' in reality the same thing as a shirt band. [illustration: {two men of the time of edward vi.}] henry viii. wore a band about his neck, the forerunner of the ruff. some of his bands were of silver cloth with ruffs to them, others, as i have shown, were wonderfully embroidered. in this case, then, the partlet is head of the family tree to our own collar, 'to be set on or taken off by itself,' and so by way of ruff, valued at threescore pound price apiece, to plain bands, to falling bands, laced neckcloth, stock--to the nine pennyworth of misery we bolt around our necks. dress, on the whole, is much plainer, sleeves are not so full of cuts and slashes, and they fit more closely to the arm. the materials are rich, but the ornament is not so lavish; the portrait of edward by gwillim stretes is a good example of ornament, rich but simple. shoes are not cut about at the toe quite with the same splendour, but are still broad in the toe. for the women, it may be said that the change towards simplicity is even more marked. the very elaborate head-dress, the folded, diamond-shaped french hood has disappeared almost entirely, and, for the rich, the half hoop, set back from the forehead with a piece of velvet or silk to hang down the back, will best describe the head-gear. from that to the centre-pointed hoop shows the trend of the shape. this latest form of woman's head apparel was born, i think, out of the folds of the linen cap worn in the house, and this, being repeated in the velvet night-caps, became the extreme of fashion. the drawing will show how the square end of the linen cap, falling in the centre of the circular cap-shape, cut the semicircle and overlapped it, thus giving the appearance later to become exaggerated into a form cut especially to that shape. (i try to be as lucid as i can manage, but the difficulties of describing such evolutions in any but tangled language i leave the reader to imagine.) [illustration: {two women of the time of edward vi.; two types of head-dress}] the women are also wearing cloth hoods, rather baggy cap-like hoods, with a hanging-piece behind. the most notable change is the collar of the gown, which suddenly springs into existence. it is a high collar and very open in front, showing a piece of the under-dress. on this collar is sewn--what i shall call--the woman's partlet, as the embroidery is often detachable and answers the same purpose as the man's partlet; this later became a separate article, and was under-propped with wires to hold it out stiffly. the same stiff-bodied appearance holds good, but in more simple dresses the skirts were not quite as voluminous as heretofore. with overcoats in general the hanging sleeve is being worn, the arm of the wearer coming out just below the puffed shoulder-piece. with these remarks we may safely go on to the reign of mary; another reign which does not yield us much in the way of clothes. mary reigned five years: 1553-1558. born, 1516. married, 1554, philip of spain. the men and women i cannot do better than commence this chapter by taking you back to the evening of august 3, 1553. mary, with her half-sister elizabeth, entered london on this date. at aldgate she was met by the mayor of london, who gave her the city sword. from the antiquarian repertory comes this account: 'first, the citizens' children walked before her magnificently dressed; after followed gentlemen habited in velvets of all sorts, some black, others in white, yellow, violet, and carnation; others wore satins or taffety, and some damasks of all colours, having plenty of gold buttons; afterwards followed the mayor, with the city companies, and the chiefs or masters of the several trades; after them, the lords, richly habited, and the most considerable knights; next came the ladies, married and single, in the midst of whom was the queen herself, mounted on a small white ambling nag, the housings of which were fringed with gold thread; about her were six lacqueys, habited in vests of gold. 'the queen herself was dressed in violet velvet, and was then about forty years of age, and rather fresh coloured. 'before her were six lords bareheaded, each carrying in his hand a yellow mace, and some others bearing the arms and crown. behind her followed the archers, as well of the first as the second guard. 'she was followed by her sister, named madame elizabeth, in truth a beautiful princess, who was also accompanied by ladies both married and single.' in the crowds about the city waiting to stare at the new queen as she passed by, one could recognise the various professions by their colours. the trained bands in white doublets with the city arms before and behind; lawyers in black; sheriffs and aldermen in furred gowns with satin sleeves; citizens in brown cloaks and workers in cloth or leather doublets; citizens' servants in blue liveries; gentlemen's servants in very gorgeous liveries of their masters' colours. here is a description of a gentleman's page and his clothes: 'one doublet of yelow million fustian, th'one halfe buttoned with peche-colour buttons, and the other half laced downwards; one payer of peche-colour, laced with smale tawnye lace; a graye hat with a copper edge rounde about it, with a band p'cell of the same hatt; a payer of watchet (blue) stockings. likewise he hath twoe clokes, th'one of vessey colour, garded with twoe yards of black clothe and twisted lace of carnacion colour, and lyned with crymsone bayes; and th'other is a red shipp russet colour, striped about th'cape and down the fore face, twisted with two rows of twisted lace, russet and gold buttons afore and uppon the shoulder, being of the clothe itself, set with the said twisted lace and the buttons of russet silk and gold.' this will give some notion of the elaborate liveries worn, and also it will show how, having understood the forms of the garments and the material which may be used, the rest, ornament and fancy, depend on the sense of the reader. a change has come over the streets, the town is full of spaniards come over with philip, and these bring with them many innovations in dress. the most noticeable is the high-peaked spanish hat, a ve