"'Tis this, 'tis that, 'tis t'other thing, It consisted of a long, close vest, of black cloth or velvet, pinked with white satin; a loose surcoat or tunic over it, of an oriental character; and, instead of shoes and stockings, buskins or brodekins. Evelyn tells us there were bets among the courtiers about his keeping his dress resolution, which, as was expected, lasted but about two years. On the 18th of October this inquisitive diarist says: "The court is full of vests, only one lord not pinked, but plain black; and they say the king says, the pinking on white makes them look too much like magpies, so he hath bespoken one of plain velvet." He also had a collar and ruffles, made from the inner bark of the Largetta Thymalaca; it is a native of Jamaica: they must have been very costly. A Russian ambassador's dress became all the fashion. The vest was a side deep; loose coat, almost to the feet, with short sleeves. The tunic a close-bodied coat, the skirts being down to the knees, with a sash, (the girdle by which the tunic was tied to the body,) so called because it hath a round button and tassel. The vest originated the long square-cut coat which succeeded it; and the tunic the waistcoat, which was nearly as long, and almost concealed the breeches. The sleeves of the coat came no farther than the elbows, where they were turned back and formed a huge cuff, those of the shirt bulging from beneath, ruffled at the wrists and adorned profusely with ribands. Both the coat and waistcoat had buttons and button-holes down the front. The stiff band and falling collar was superseded by a neckcloth of rich Brussels or Flanders lace, tied with ribands under the chin, the ends hanging down square. The broad hat, which had been turned up or cocked behind, was sometimes entirely surrounded with costly feathers, which fell curling and dangling over the glossy brim.* The importance of dress being of such paramount influence to the gallants of the day, the mercers found their account in continually devising new fashions to attract the vain moths who were constantly flickering about their establishments; and the way in which they recommended their wares was frank, dignified, and honest enough. The master or his apprentice (if his figure was more worthy of being made a fancy clothes' * Pepys, 1667. block) had a waistcoat made of the newest and richest silk that had just come from the loom; he then took his station at his shop-door, dressed in a black coat, with the breast thrown quite back, so as to exhibit the new pattern; he also had a pair of white silk stockings, and a light-coloured, well-powdered bobwig. He thus strutted (or rather fretted) his hour, or till he got a bite, exhibiting and recommending his waistcoat, its elegant colours and texture, to the passers-by: the beaux were thus decoyed, like giddy moths are attracted by the glare of a freshsnuffed candle. In this way a 'prentice of Paternoster Row often set the dress to the west end of the town.* Red silk stocking with different-coloured clocks about the ancle, gartered on the outside below the knee, the garterings of silk, representing Scotch plaid, or else of the most expensive articles, were worn; even men of mean rank wore shoe-roses and garters worth £5.† Small shoe-buckles were worn by Charles II. when he assumed his fanciful dress in 1666; but by 1680 they had become very large, and of the richest metals, often inlaid with diamonds, and were universally worn about the reign of Queen Anne. The Shoes and boots with cork soles two inches high, and often higher, of various colours, cut, carved, and stitched, covered with velvet embroidered with gold, were introduced. boot often made of cloth, with tops as wide as a wallet, fringed boot-hose hanging over almost down to the ancle. The Cromwellites could not bear silks or satins; they wore clothes of coarser stuffs, of black and sober colours, and many adhered to the old 'High-crowned hat with a widish brim, "The in preference to the low-crowned Flemish beaver. Puritans occupied the trades of tire-women, (men milliners,) clear starchers, and feather-makers; giving a rare instance of self-denial in those things, though they lived by administering them to others." The dress of the upper classes, both male and female, during the reign of William III., (called the deliverer,) differed but little from that which had become fashionable toward the close of Charles II.: straight-cut coats and waistcoats of equal lengths, reaching to the knee; breeches fastened beneath the knee, but hidden by the silk stockings, which were drawn over them; long neckcloths of Flanders or Spanish pointed lace; the upper leather of the shoes rose considerably above the instep, and * Character of the Beaux, 1696. Continuator of Stowe. Ben Jonson. fastened by a small strap passing over it, and through a buckle; the hat bent up or cocked* all round, and trimmed with feathers; fringed gloves and monstrous periwigs, (which latter it was the fashion to comb publicly,) formed the habits of the beaux. In 1676 calico was made in London, and, when glazed, was used instead of shalloon, to line men's coats. The Bishop of Durham appeared on horseback, at a military review in the king's train, in a lay habit of purple, large jackboots, cocked hat, and black wig tied behind like a military officer. In George Fox's Journal I find that, when he was at Reading in 1655, he says: "George, Bishop of Bristol, came to him with a sword by his side, for he was a military captain." In Queen Anne's reign the hat was smaller, but more regularly cocked on three sides. The wits called them Egham, Staines, and Windsor hats, (these three towns being equi-distant from each other.) The coat-cuffs very large, but nearer the wrists. In 1706 came forth the Ramilies hat and wig, with a plaited tail to it, powdered; some worth £40: dancing-shoes, red topped, for slow minuets, not less than four inches high; pearl-coloured silk stockings, fringed gloves, coats faced with black silk to all colours; the large broad-sword belt discontinued, but the sword-handle was to peep just from under the coat; blue camlet waistcoats, enormous pockets, embroidered with silver lace. Young dandies discontinued swords, but substituted large oak walking-sticks, with enormous grotesque heads, almost as large and as thick as their own, and nearly as long as a pilgrim's staff. POETIC DESCRIPTION OF A BEAU. “Take one of the brights from St. James's or White's,‡ Then take of fine linen 'nough to wrap him in, Right mechlin‡ must twist round his bosom and wrist, In black velvet breeches let him put all his riches, In Professor Silliman's Journal, vol. xvII., it is mentioned that the cocked hat formed part of the dress of the ancient idols of Peru. t Two club-houses. Scented powder. + Lace. And under his arm place his hat as a charm; Then let him learn dancing, and to ride horses prancing, Oh! then with what wonder will he fill the beau-monde here." The dress of the commonalty may be inferred from the following description, given in a scarce track, of the disguise of King Charles after the battle of Worcester, 1651: "He had on a white steeple-crowned hat, without any other lining besides grease, both sides of the brim so doubled up with handling that they looked like two water-spouts; a leather doublet, full of holes and almost black with grease about the sleeves, collar, and waist; an old green woodriff coat, (woodreeve or woodman,) thread-bare and patched in most places, with a pair of breeches in the same condition, the slops hanging down to the middle of the leg; hose and shoes of different parishes; the hose were gray stirrups, much darned, and clouted, especially about the knees, under which he had a pair of flannel stockings of his own, the tops of them cut off; his shoes had been cobbled, being pieced both on the soles and seams, and the upper leather so cut and slashed, to fit them to his feet, that they were quite unfit to befriend him either from the water or dirt. This exotic and deformed dress, added to his short hair, cut off by the ears, his face coloured brown with walnut tree leaves, and a rough crooked thorn stick, had so metamorphosed him that it was hard, even for those who had before been acquainted with his person and conversant with him, to have discovered who he was."-Sir Walter Scott. HAIR, WIGS, AND BEARDS. "Those curious locks, so aptly twined, Whose every hair a soul doth bind, CAREW. THIS writer does not seem to be aware that the whiteness of the hair does not altogether depend upon age, for Petrarch's (not to mention many others) hair changed white before he arrived at his twenty-fifth year. The hair seems always to have been an object of embellishment, both with males and females, from the earliest period. It is often alluded to in the Scriptures. Job shaved his head and rent his mantle when he heard of the destruction of his house.* All the nations of Gothic origin encouraged the growth of their hair and beards. About Anno. 1100 the fashionable men wore their hair very long, and also false curls; they were called effeminates. A reform was effected during the reign of Henry I., by his hearing a sermon preached against it by Serlo, Archbishop of Seez. The clergy in general preached against it, taking for their text the 14th ver. 11th chap. of 1st Book of Corinthians. "During the height of chivalry one of the ceremonies in dubbing a knight was, cutting a lock of hair. Parting with hair was always regarded in the church as a symbol of servitude to God."+ "In St. James's church, Garlick Hithe, London, Richard Lions, a wine merchant and lapidary, who was beheaded in Cheapside by Wat Tyler's rebels in 1381, (reign of Richard II.,) lies buried there. He is represented with his hair rounded at the ears, and curled, and a little forked beard."‡ Shaving in some countries was a mark of mourning, as with the Romans; but in some countries it was the contrary. As a matter of taste, much may be said upon this subject: the expressive eye is undoubtedly made more expressive by a full beard; but the mouth, the most expressive feature, loses by one in young persons, while in the old, when lankness begins to take place, it keeps up the fulness of that part of the countenance. The glossy appearance of the hair is a strong indication of health wholesome nourishing food tends to make the hair and beard soft, while a poor miserable diet has the contrary effect. White (on the Regular Gradations) mentions an Italian female whose hair trailed on the ground when she stood upwright. The same observation may be made on the Greek women. A Prussian soldier had it long enough to reach the ground; and on an English lady it was six feet long.§ The custom of shaving came into use time of Louis XIII. of France, who ascended the throne clean shaved. Seume, a German author, writes in his journal: "To-day I threw my powder apparatus out of the window; when will come the blessed day that I shall send the shaving apparatus after it?" In the early part of the seventeenth century Brende writes: "They weare long nayles, which they never cut, and long hair, that was never clipped." George Fox, founder of the Society of Friends, when on his *The hair of a mummy has been found in fine preservation and braided in the fashion of the present day, although no doubt 3000 years old."... Entomological Society. + Mills. Godwin's Churches. Dr. Good. |