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THE
BOOK OF COSTUME:
OR,
ANNALS OF FASHION,
FROM THE EARLIEST PERIOD TO THE PRESENT TIME.
BY A LADY OF RANK.
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?!
On
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ILLUSTRATED WITH UPWARDS OF TWO HUNDRED
Engrabings on Mood,
BY THE MOST EMINENT ARTISTS.
NEW EDITION.
LONDON:
HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER,
GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET.
1847.
LONDON:
GEORGE BARCLAY, CASTLE STREET, LEICESTER SQUARE.
ADVERTISEMENT.
1
The Book of Costume! Though the philosopher
and the politician may, perhaps, at the first glance,
be disposed to regard with some degree of disdain
the subject of which the writer has ventured to treat
in this volume, yet a little reflection will be sufficient
to convince them that, after all, it is not so frivolous
as they may have imagined.
Costume, comprehending all that relates to Dress
and Fashion, furnishing a standard of civilization, in-
volving the interests of the arts and of commerce, is, in
fact, an important element in the prosperity of States.
The study of its changes, their causes, and their
consequences, cannot, therefore, be unworthy the at-
tention of the scholar or the statesman of the man
of business, or the man of pleasure; while there are
few readers of the gentler sex to whom it can fail
to prove a theme of exciting interest.
389889
iv
ADVERTISEMENT.
To exhibit the various phases of Costume during
the succession of ages, whether induced by climate or
locality, by political revolutions, or the capricious
decrees of Fashion, among the various nations of the
world, in their progress from barbarism to the highest
refinement of civilized life, is the aim of the work
here submitted to the public.
It will easily be perceived that it has required
a wide range of reading to collect the scattered traits
necessary for composing this picture, historical and
graphic, of the costumes of both sexes, from the earliest
times to the present day. Though preferring little
claim to the merits of extensive erudition or deep
antiquarian research, still the writer presumes to hope
that it will be found a useful and pleasing record of all
that is most desirable to be known on the subject of
dress: a subject of universal interest to the human
family, and which must continue to excite attention
while our race endures.
CONTENTS,
AND
ILLUSTRATIONS
FROM DESIGNS BY EMINENT ARTISTS.
1. THE INTRODUCTION
Page
1
.
COSTUME IN ENGLAND.
39
45
47
52
17
54
58
59
97
60
2. Ancient Briton.
3. King Harold
4. Lady in the Reign of Henry I. .
5.
III.
6.
Edward II.
7.
III. 321-
1327-13.j.
8. Gentleman in the Reign of Edward III.
9-10. Shoes of Edward III. and of his Son
11. Male. Costume in the Reign of Richard II.
12. Lady's Head-Dress in the Reign of Henry IV.
13.
V.
14. A Gentleman in the Reign of Henry VI.
15-16. Coiffures of the same Period
17. Male Costume in the time of Edward IV.
18–19. Laplies' Coiffures of the same Period
20. Lady in the Reign of Henry VII.
21. Henry VIII.
64
68
70
72
74
76
77
79
82
13.08.13
.
vi
CONTENTS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
Page
22. Anne Boleyn
83
23. Male Head-Dress in the Reign of Edward VI.' is 47-1553 92
24. Female
ib.
25. A French Hood
100
26. Queen Elizabeth
10.1
27. A Fan presented to her
109
28. Sir Walter Raleigh .
111
29. A Gentleman of the time of James I.
118
30.
Charles I.
120
31. Another example of Costume during the Reign of Charles I. 127
32. Lady of the Reign of Charles II.
129
33. Lady's Head-Dress in the year 1700
144
34. Feather Head-Dress in the year 1715
145
35. Gentleman of the time of Queen Mary
157
36. Hoop-Dress
158
37. Cap worn in 1753
160
38–39. Ladies' Head-Dresses
162
40-44. Head-Dresses of the middle of the Eighteenth Century 166
45-47. Coiffures of 1766
171
48–49. Remarkable Styles of Bonnet
172
50. Another Fashion
175
COSTUME IN SCOTLAND.
51. A Highlander.
52. A Highland Lady
176
181
COSTUME IN IRELAND.
53. Ancient Dress of the Irish
54. Costume in the Twelfth Century
55. Female of the Lower Class
186
187
189
COSTUME IN WALES.
56. Ancient Dress of the Welsh
190
COSTUME IN FRANCE.
57. King Clovis
58. Clothilde, his Queen
59. Shoe of Charles the Bald
60. Cuff of the Countess de Dreux
61. Capuchon of Charles le Bon
194
ib.
196
ib.
ib.
1
vii
CONTENTS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
Page
197
198
199
200
.
ib.
62. Costume of a Princess
63. Coiffure of a Lady in the Reign of Philip the Bold
64. Capuchon of Jeanne, Comtesse de Champagne
65. Capuchon of another Fashion
66. Coiffure of Jeanne de Sancerre .
67-69. Cap and Coiffures worn in the Reign of Charles VI.
70. Charles VI.
71. A Lady of the Court of Charles VI
72. Curious Coiffure
73. A Horned Cap
74. A Curious Hood
75. Louis XI.
76. Lady's Coiffure in his Reign
77. Anne of Brittany
78. Lady in the Reign of Francis I. .
79. Francis I.
80. Lady of the time of Henry III. .
81. Henry III.
82. Charles IX.
83. Head-Dress in the Reign of Louis XIII.
84. A Gentleman of that Period
85. Louis XIV. on Horseback
86. Head-Dress in his Reign
87. Mode of Dressing a Lady's Hair
88.
Gentleman's Hair
89-91. Head-Dresses in the Reign of Louis XV..
92. The Commode, or Cap
93. Head-Dress of the time of Louis XVI.
xvi. .
94. The Incroyable .
95-96. Ladies' Head-Dresses during the Consulate
97. The Giraffe Head-Dress
98. The Casque Head-Dress
99. Costume of a Peasant in Brittany
100.
Female Peasant
101-102. Head-Dresses in Morbihan.
103-104. Bourgoin Head-Dresses
105. Bourgoin of the Pays de Caux.
106. An Alsatian Belle
201
202
2b.
204
207
ib.
208
ib.
212
215
26.
222
ib.
ib.
229
ib.
231
232
233
237
244
245
247
252
ib.
257
ib.
258
259
264
265
266
269
COSTUME IN GERMANY.
107. Dress of a Lady
108. Ancient Male Costume
109. Isabelle of Bavaria
271
ib.
273
viji
CONTENTS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
.
.
.
110-111. Coiffures of the People of Nuremberg
112-113. Curious Head-Dresses
114. Head-Dress of the Women of Wirtemberg
115. Fan-shaped Head-Dress
116. A Peasant of Frankfort
117. A Saxon Peasant
118. Singular Coiffure
119. Costume of the Tyrolese
Page
273
276
279
ib.
280
ib.
281
284
COSTUME IN SPAIN.
:
.
120. A Spanish Lady
121. The Basquina of Cadiz
122. The Capa, or Cloak
123. Muleteer's Costume
124. Elizabeth, daughter of Henry II.
288
289
290
292
296
COSTUME IN PORTUGAL.
125. Broad-brimmed Hat
126. Mode of Dressing the Hair
127. Female Peasant
297
298
301
COSTUME IN SWITZERLAND.
302
.
128. Head-Dress
129. Costume of the Women of Berne
130, Dress on Gala-Days
131. Paysanne's Dress in Lucerne
132. Man of Schaffhausen
133. Woman of Soleure
134.
St. Gall.
135.
Appensell
136.
the Valais
137.
the Pays de Vaux
303
ib.
304
ib.
305
306
307
308
309
97
97
79
78
COSTUME IN HOLLAND.
138. Ancient Dutch Costume
139. A Dutch Peasant .
140. Female Costume
311
ib.
312
COSTUME IN ITALY.
141. An Italian Lady
315
CONTENTS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
ix
142. Female Peasant .
143. Dress of the Trasteverini
144. Female Peasant of Terni
145. Neapolitan Peasant
146. A Tuscan Lady
147. Venetian Lady
148. The Dogarissa.
149. A Lady of Florence
Page
316
ib.
317
319
321
ib.
326
330
.
COSTUME IN SICILY AND MALTA.
331
.
O
150. Dress of the Maltese
151. The Faldetta.
332
COSTUME IN ANCIENT ROME.
152. Roman Toga
153. Another Figure, attired in the Toga
154. The Robe called 6 Stola"
155. Mode of Dressing the Hair
156. Figure wearing the Ornament called “Bulla”
335
336
ib.
340
343
COSTUME IN NORWAY.
157. Ancient Dress of a Peasant
158. Costume of the Women
346
348
COSTUME IN SWEDEN.
159. Ancient Swedish Dress
160. Male Peasant
161. Female Peasant
349
351
ib.
COSTUME IN DENMARK.
162. National Dress of the Men
163. Ancient Danish Warrior
164. Snow-Shoe
352
353
354
COSTUME IN HUNGARY.
165. Hungarian Military Dress
166. Dress of a Female Peasant
355
356
X
CONTENTS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
COSTUME IN POLAND.
167. Male Costume
168. Female of the Lower Class
169. Gentleman of the Higher Class
170. A Polish Lady .
Page
360
361
ib.
362
COSTUME IN RUSSIA.
171. Ancient Male Costume
172-173. Head-Dresses of the Wotiaks
174. Costume of the Kamtschatkians
175. Female Costume in Russia
of the Kalmuck Tartars
177. Costume of a Mordvine Woman
363
366
367
369
ib.
370
176.
>
COSTUME IN TURKEY, WALLACHIA, &c.
•
178. Vignette, Female Figure
179–181. In-door Costumes of Eastern Ladies
182. Inmate of the Harem
183. Costume of a Turkish Gentleman
184. Lady of Wallachia
185. Phrygian Cap
186. Another Turkish Costume .
374
377
379
381
383
387
ib.
COSTUME IN GREECE.
187. Implements of Warfare
188. Ancient Female Costume
189. Another Example
190-191. Ancient Head-Dresses
192. Grecian Maiden
193. Island Male Costume
194. Woman of Scio.
195.
Ios
196. Gala-Dress in Argentiera
197. Island Maiden
388
ib.
390
392
397
400
402
404
405
407
COSTUME IN ALBANIA.
198–199. Male Costumes
408, 409
A
xi
CONTENTS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
COSTUME IN INDIA,
200. Hindu Female
201. Male Costume
202. Female of the Lower Caste
203. Mahratta Chieftain
Page
412
413
414
416
COSTUME IN THE MOGUL EMPIRE.
204. Ancient Male Costume
205.
Female
206. Peasants
418
ib.
426
22
COSTUME IN THE BIRMAN EMPIRE.
207. Male Costume
208. Female of the Lower Class
427
430
COSTUME IN PERSIA.
209. Female Equestrian
210. Persian Princess
211. Male Costume
212. The Jitra
432
434
436
438
.
.
COSTUME IN BOKHARA, CIRCASSIA, AND CASHMERE.
213. Female on Horseback
214. Head-Dress in Thibet
215. Cashmerian Costume .
441
445
448
COSTUME IN AFFGHANISTAN.
.
.
216. Dress of an Affghan
217. Winter Attire
218. Dress of an Affghan Female
219. Affghan of another Tribe
220. Warrior of the Peshawur
221. Male Head-Dress
222. Head-Dress of the Uzbek Tartars .
449
450
ib.
451
452
455
455
xii
CONTENTS, AND ILLUSTRATIONS.
COSTUME IN CHINA.
.
223. Chinese Military Mandarin
224. Mandarin of Pekin
225. Female of the Higher Class
226–227. Costume of Married and Unmarried Ladies
228. Chinese Boot
Page
457
458
ib.
460
462
COSTUME IN PALESTINE AND SYRIA.
229. Dancing Girl
230. Female of Palestine
231. Woman of Syria
232. Druze Costume
233. A Druze Female
465
472
473
ib.
474
.
COSTUME IN ARABIA.
234. Ordinary Arab Costume
235. Dress of a Bedouin Arab
236. An Arab of Distinction
476
479
480
THE
BOOK OF
COSTUME.
1.)
En
11!!!
JOINT
STANDFDST.CEZ
Liri.
DRESS, considered merely as a covering for the
body, and as a means of promoting warmth, needs no
explanation. In the early ages, it was simple as the
manners of the people who invented it. Leaves,
feathers, and skins, formed the clothing of our first
parents. As civilization gradually spread over the
world, and as the invention and genius of man found
means to change a raw hide into leather, the wool of
sheep into cloth, the web of a worm into silk, flax and
cotton into linen; to extract from herbs, flowers, woods,
B
2
INTRODUCTION.
i
minerals, and insects, dyes and colours that vie with
the rainbow in richness and variety; mankind gave
way to the caprices of vanity; they quitted the simple
garments of their forefathers, and gradually gave
themselves up to an almost incredible degree of luxury
and extravagance in the adornment of their persons.
So extensively, and so rapidly, did this passion for
dress and finery of every kind, spread over the world,
that edicts, laws, and ordinances, have been passed, from
time to time, by many nations, to arrest the growing
evil; an evil created by that desire for personal dis-
tinction which dwells, more or less, in every human
breast, whether male or female, and which marks the
untaught savage of the Sandwich Isles, as well as the
enlightened and well-educated inhabitant of Britain.
It may appear incredible, to those who have not
dived into the mysteries of dress and fashion, to learn
that revolutions have been caused at different times,
and among different nations, from the determined re-
sistance opposed to the various laws and decrees which
have been directed against the too great love of dress
and ornament; and so powerfully has this passion
exhibited itself in the human mind, that blood has
actually been shed to support it.
In the history of China, we find that even that
meek, quiet people were roused to fury, when their
Tartar conquerors ordered their luxuriant tresses to
be cut off; and so strenuously did they oppose the
arbitrary decree, that, in more than one instance, the
unfortunate Chinese preferred losing their heads to
parting with their beloved ringlets. We are also told
that the Tartars waged a long and bloody war with
the Persians, and declared them to be infidels, because
INTRODUCTION.
3
they would not clip their whiskers after the fashion of
the former.
Even so late as the eighteenth century, a very
serious émeute took place in Madrid, on an attempt
being made to banish the capa and sombrero; and,
marvellous as it may seem, the obstinate resistance
opposed to those who wished to change the fashion of
these cherished articles of dress, caused the disgrace
and flight of the prime minister.
In our own country many laws and edicts have
been made at different times to check, not only ex-
travagance in dress itself, as regards the richness and
splendour of its materials, and the ornaments that
decorate it, but also to correct and regulate the shape
of various parts of the apparel of both men and
women. Several of our early kings waged war against
the ridiculous and enormous length of piked shoes,
and by enacting a law, restraining their points to a
certain 'standard, hoped to correct the evil. But
Fashion was not to be so ruled by the will of a
monarch: angry at her wishes being disobeyed, she
immediately put it into the heads of her followers to
invent a mode equally absurd; the crakowes and
poulaines disappeared, but were soon replaced by
shoes of so extravagant a width, that another law was,
ere long, found necessary to circumscribe their breadth.
Queen Elizabeth, though herself so devoted a fol-
lower of fashion, and so passionately fond of dress, still
made many laws respecting the attire of her subjects.
She commanded the lower orders to wear on the Sab-
bath-day a cap of a peculiar shape; and, perhaps to
restrain the love of foreign fashions which had long
been so prevalent in England, she enacted that this
.
4
INTRODUCTION.
head-dress should be made of wool, knit, thicked, and
dressed in Britain. She also made a decree to limit
the size of the ruffs and swords worn by her courtiers,
to the standard she considered fitting for subjects to
assume; and, fearful that so arbitrary a law might be
in some way or other evaded by the votaries of fashion,
she appointed officers, whose sole duty it was to break
every man's sword exceeding the limited length, and
clip all the ruffs whose size infringed upon her regal
ordinance.
Although these arbitrary laws caused some slight
troubles at first, among gallants who could not brook
the shortening of their cherished weapons, still no
serious consequences ensued, and on the whole the
English have ever borne the attacks made upon their
dress with becoming sang froid.
Elizabeth, too, busied herself in arranging the
costume usually worn in the inns of court, and par-
ticularized the shapes and colours of the garments,
and the embroideries she considered befitting so grave
an assembly.
Under Elizabeth's successor, a serious debate took
place in Parliament, concerning the enormous size of
verdingales; and some years afterwards laws were
passed to put a stop to patching and painting.
The Turks, despotic in every thing, will not allow
the Grecian ladies the poor privilege of wearing petti-
coats of the length that fashion in their country has
declared to be proper and fitting ; they have officers
whose duty it is to nibble off as much of the jupe as
ventures to extend beyond the length fixed by their
barbarous masters.
The Turks also have laws by which none but their
INTRODUCTION.
5
own august persons are allowed to wear yellow slip-
pers; and, while their haughty brows were encircled
with turbans of the finest and brightest-coloured mus-
lins, with silks of the richest dyes, or with shawls
of the gayest tints and most delicate texture, their
Grecian subjects were condemned to wear dark cotton
caps, as a mark of their servitude; the Armenians,
too, they oblige to appear in ridiculous-looking, bal-
loon-shaped cappas; and the crouching Jews look
doubly miserable when forced to bend to the Turkish
law, which only permits their heads to be covered
with brimless caps, much resembling inverted flower-
pots.
These despots have, however, themselves been,
within the last few years, constrained to bend to the
decree of Sultan Mamhoud, who ordered that a red
cloth fez, or military cap, should be worn by the
followers of the faithful, instead of the lofty calpac, or
ample turban. This law was, however, received with
the most determined and indignant remonstrance and
opposition, and so obnoxious to the Turkish feelings
was this new-fashioned head-dress, that the discon-
tented party set fire to the houses of those who were
favourable to the change ; and, though the Sultan's
wishes passed into a law, his subjects are still highly
disgusted with their forced adoption of any coiffure
in the place of the turban so long worn by their fore-
fathers.
Besides the many decrees made by our monarchs
concerning dress, a particular costume was arranged
by Charles the Second and his council, for the nobility
to appear in, and one in which great extravagance
of gold, silver, lace, and jewels, was not necessary;
6
INTRODUCTION.
for during this reign, in England, the immense sums
lavished upon dress and ornaments were almost in-
calculable.
Gustavus of Sweden also invented, or at least
ordered, a court habiliment, in which all who wished
to be admitted to his presence, both men and women,
were obliged to appear, and Buonaparte followed his
example, to the no small disgust of his officers, and
to the despair and anger of les belles Françaises.
Even during the Revolution, when blood, murder, and
misery, were spread over devoted France, - -when the
prisons echoed with the groans of the unfortunate
victims of political despotism,- when the scaffolds
were crowded with the dead and the dying, — dress
was not forgotten, and stormy were the debates on
this important subject held in the National Con-
vention!
In various countries of Europe sumptuary laws
have at different times been enacted, to restrain ex-
travagance in apparel. In Switzerland, Italy, and
Germany, the legislature frequently found it necessary
to interfere, and for this reason, probably, the national
costume still remains in full force among the pea-
santry, who hitherto have resisted the approach of
Fashion, and her handmaids, Caprice and Vanity.
While on this subject we must not omit to men-
tion the peculiar privileges relating to dress, belonging
to the family of Andrea Doria. When, owing to the
luxury and profusion which characterized the Genoese
of his day, the senate found it absolutely necessary
to check the growing evil, and forbade the wearing
of jewels and brocade, the patriot admiral, doubtless
to shew his country's sense of the services he had
INTRODUCTION.
17
rendered to it, was allowed to expend what sums he
pleased upon the adornment of his person ; and this
privilege was afterwards extended to his family.
Woman is defined by an ancient writer to be, an
“animal that delights in finery;" and it is to be feared
the annals of dress in every land, the most savage as
well as the most civilized, will but prove the truth of
the assertion. Certain it is that the peacock, in all its
pride, does not glitter in more various and gaudy
trappings than does a modern woman of fashion.
But while thus speaking of woman's love of finery,
which appears from the most ancient writers to have
belonged to her since the world began, we must not
omit to mention that man also was, and in most
countries still is, as much devoted to this passion
as the fair sex. Though in these days, at least in
most civilized nations, it is considered effeminate for
men to adorn their persons with trinkets and em-
broidered garments, still those who peruse the “Book
of Costume” will find that, however extravagant wo-
men have been in these respects, men have equalled,
if not surpassed, them in profusion and magnificence.
Among savage nations, to this day, the warriors deck
their persons with all the finery they can procure, with
feathers, shells, beads, and paint; while their wives are
often obliged to content themselves with their blanket
covering, and but few ornaments.
In Exodus we read of the “jewels of silver, and
jewels of gold," borrowed by the Israelites from the
Egyptians. In Isaiah, also, we find a long account of
the varieties of female apparel in the time of the
Prophet.
Having thus pointed out to our readers the anti-
i
8
INTRODUCTION.
quity of the Toilette, we will speak of Fashion, who,
“sole arbitress of dress," with the caprice for which she
is so celebrated, has enacted, that what is the proper
standard for attire in one country, and at one time,
shall be equally the contrary in other climes, and at
other periods.
Of all nations, the two that pay the most devoted
attention to the decrees of Fashion, in the size, shape,
and colour of every trifle relating to the Toilette, are
the English and the French ; and it seems a reflection
worthy the consideration of the philosopher, why these
two (we may truly say the most enlightened nations of
the world) should, of all others, be the most deter-
mined and devoted followers of this feather and flower-
decked goddess.
COSMETICS.
Among the numerous inventions for the improve-
ment of beauty, painting the neck and arms with
white, the cheeks with red, the eyelids with black, and
the fingers with rose colour, is, perhaps, the most
ancient. Almost every nation of the world, men as
well as women, whatever complexion Nature may have
bestowed upon them, have, at one time or another,
followed this baneful fashion. In the second Book of
Kings, we read, “ Jezebel painted her face, and tired
her head ;” and in the East the custom remains in
full force to this day. The Turkish and Arabian
women especially devote much time to colouring their
eyelids and the tips of their fingers; but, in England,
rouge and enamel powders are alone employed for
beautifying the complexion, and rendering it clear and
transparent.
INTRODUCTION.
9
One of the dangers of this practice is illustrated
by an amusing anecdote. A lady who piqued herself
on the beauty, freshness, and pure white and red of
her complexion, went to attend a chemical lecture.
She had not been there long, when suddenly her face
was observed by all present to become perfectly blue.
Unconscious of the change, or of the attention directed
to her ghastly features, she smilingly continued talking
to her acquaintance, and, if she remarked the wonder-
ing eyes turned towards her, doubtless attributed their
gaze to the fairness of which she was so vain. At
length one of her companions ventured to whisper in
her ear the strange and alarming alteration that had
taken place, and which, on her making a precipitate
retreat, was attributed by the lecturer to its true
cause ;—the cosmetic she had used being affected by
some salt, or acid, employed in his experiments, had
caused the marvellous transfiguration.
The danger to health from this practice is very
great; and illnesses of serious kinds are said to be
consequent on the use of enamelling. Cosmetics, too,
and washes employed to render the skin soft and
smooth, are equally deleterious; and the approach of
wrinkles and age is in reality hastened by their fre-
quent use. The Jewish women carried this practice
to a most intemperate excess; and some years since,
in France, even the young and beautiful, whose charms
required no adventitious aid or ornament, were still,
by the arbitrary laws of fashion, obliged to follow the
reigning mode, till, as Lady W. Montague expresses it,
“ they looked monstrously unnatural in their paints.”
The Arabic and Persian writers frequently men-
tion painting and cosmetics, and speak of the line of
10
INTRODUCTION.
antimony which, in those countries, it is usual to draw
between the eyelids, to give additional lustre to the
eyes. Even in the days of Ezekiel, this practice was
very common: “Thou didst wash thyself, painted
thine eyes, and deckest thyself with ornaments,” says
the prophet; and so it continues to this day. The
Eastern ladies are much celebrated for their know-
ledge in compounding and inventing cosmetics and
washes; and after them the Calmuck Tartars and
Grecian women are most versed in this art. But these
nations, not content with white and red paints, use
also black, yellow, and saffron-coloured lotions.
Cosmetics, it is said, were unknown in England
till the reign of Elizabeth, when they were brought
from Italy, and were soon extensively adopted by the
higher ranks.
Another extraordinary fashion, also derived from
Arabia, is that of wearing upon the face patches of
black silk, cut into every grotesque shape. Among
Eastern nations, where a black mole is considered a
great beauty, and descanted upon by their poets with
rapture and admiration, it is not surprising that those
beauties to whom Nature has denied this fancied charm
should endeavour to imitate it by means of art; but,
in England, there was no such excuse for this custom,
which was in full force throughout the reign of Queen
Anne, but gradually declined under her successor.
Among the Greeks, even now, a small patch of
gold leaf is often worn by a bride.
While speaking on this subject, we must mention
the savage custom so prevalent among the wild, un-
civilized nations of America, Africa, and the South
Sea Islands, of tattooing, which, in those countries, is
INTRODUCTION.
11
considered a necessary addition to beauty. How so
extraordinary a custom first originated, it is impossible
to discover; but, when we consider the pain endured
by the votaries of beauty, we cannot help remembering
the old French saying, “Il faut souffrir pour être
belle.” The operation of tattooing is sometimes per-
formed with an instrument full of small teeth, which,
having been dipped into a mixture of black paint and
oil, is stuck into the skin, and leaves an indelible
stain. At other times, figures are burnt in with gun-
powder, leaving long scars and deep cuts, which often
traverse the forehead, cheeks, chin, and various parts
of the body. Some of these devices frequently denote
the rank of the person upon whom they have been
inflicted.
A strange fashion prevails among
the
upper classes
of the Chinese, of contracting the feet till they become
of a small size, but quite deformed. The moment a
female child comes into the world, the little unfor.
tunate's toes are turned under the foot, and bandaged
tightly. Of course, the pain endured by the poor
infant must be very great, for these ligatures are
renewed daily until the feet stop growing. At length
they are released, and the Chinese beauty waddles
about, proud of an embellishment which by every
other nation is looked upon as a deformity.
THE COIFFURE.
Among the numerous caprices of Fashion, she has,
at various times and in different countries, changed
the natural covering of the human head, the hair, till
it is impossible to enumerate her vagaries. Though
12
INTRODUCTION.
the gift of Nature, and the greatest ornament of youth,
this capricious goddess tortures the tresses, that would
if left alone wave with graceful elegance, into every
variety of shape. Sometimes she bids the ruthless
scissors clip the luxuriant ringlets close to the head;
straightway her commands are obeyed; and nothing
is seen but crops. Then, tired of heads like those of
charity children, she orders the hair to be allowed to
grow, and hang in long braids down the back. Again
she changes her mind, and, stiffened with pomatum and
powder, the hair is drawn over a cushion, and held
firm by the aid of pins and combs, till the wearers
look several inches taller than they really are.
The ancient Gauls were proud of long hair, and,
when conquered by Julius Cæsar, he made them cut
it off, as a mark of servitude. In France, it was long
considered the peculiar privilege of royalty to have
flowing tresses; and to cut off the hair of a prince,
under the first race of kings, was to declare him ex-
cluded from the succession to the throne, and to debase
him to the rank of a subject. Indeed, of so much
consequence was this considered among the French,
that their historians have taken the trouble to record
the length of the hair of many of their early monarchs.
After Christianity spread over the world, the clergy
vehemently opposed the hair being worn long; and
there is a canon still extant, dated the year 1096,
which declares that they who wear it so shall be ex-
cluded from the church while living, and not prayed
for when dead.
The longest hair we hear of in any country is that
of a tribe of North American Indians; and this is the
more remarkable, as the men only possess this wonder-
INTRODUCTION.
13
ful length of tresses, the women of the same tribe
having, in comparison, short hair.
The peruke, or, at all events, false hair, was much
used by the ancients. It is supposed that the perukes
then worn were made of painted hair, glued together.
An account is given of that. worn by the Emperor
Commodus; it is described as having been powdered
with gold, and previously oiled and perfumed, to cause
the gold to adhere to it. In the British Museum, may
be seen a peruke found in the Temple of Isis, at
Thebes, the curling and arranging of which would
puzzle many a modern coiffeur. It is of a large size,
and each ringlet is arranged with the greatest nicety:
apparently, the Theban perruquiers possessed a secret
unknown to modern artistes in wigology, — that of
preserving the curl in the hair ; for although thousands
of
years have, perhaps, passed away since this peruke
was first made, it preserves its pristine shape, form,
and hue.
In France, the reign of perukes lasted for a very
long time: it began at the commencement of the
seventeenth century, and the fashion soon spread
throughout all Europe. As may easily be imagined,
young people at first resisted the sacrifice of their
natural hair, to be replaced by a cumbersome wig.
But, ere long, Fashion's will overcame their scruples,
and all ages adopted the reigning mode. The clergy
even could not resist the wig mania, and many learned
and grave divines preached against “vanity in dress,”
forgetting the example they themselves were setting to
their parishioners. At length, however, this practice
was considered scandalous and improper, and it was
prohibited among the clergy.
14
INTRODUCTION.
When the hair was once more allowed to grow,
and decorate the head, instead of the immense curled,
oiled, pomatumed wig, it was made to resemble a
peruke as much as possible. After that came the
pig-tails, or queues, which have only disappeared within
the last few
years.
The various coiffures worn by women will be found
in the countries and reigns to which they belong. We
will only add here that woman's hair has ever been
left to adorn its fair possessor, without calling down
either the animadversion of the preacher, or the cen-
sure of the critic.
THE BEARD.
Beards have ever held a high rank in the estima-
tion of all nations, and, by many, this venerable ap-
pendage to the chin has been regarded with almost
superstitious reverence. Among the Tartars, many
of their religious ceremonies consist in the proper
management of the beard. The Greek and Romish
churches have long been bitter enemies on this sub-
ject; the former enforce the wearing long beards,
while the latter have made edicts which enjoin shaving.
The Chinese, to whom Nature has allowed but a
very scanty crop of hair upon the face, regard the long
beards of other nations with envy and admiration, and
devote much time and attention to the care and culti-
vation of the few straggling hairs they can coax to
grow upon their chins. The Russians formerly wore
enormous beards; but their czar Peter ordered them
all to be shaved off. His injunction, however, met
with so much opposition, that he found it necessary to
appoint officers to cut off the beards of his refractory
INTRODUCTION.
15
1
subjects by violence, since they would not part with
hem quietly. Perhaps this despotic ruler was of the
same opinion respecting them as Alexander, who
ordered all the Macedonians to be shaved, lest the
length of their beards should afford a handle to their
enemies!
The Eastern nations are remarkable for the length
of their beards. Formerly, the kings of Persia, and
even some of the earlier monarchs of France, wore
them plaited, and woven with gold thread. To the
present day, in Persia, a barber is a man of great
importance, as he must not only be well versed in the
intricacies of his art, but also be very trustworthy,
particularly he to whose care is entrusted the beard of
the king—the pride of the nation.
In India, there is a nation who devote their beards
and whiskers to the goddess of destruction, and who
look upon the preservation of life even as of slight
importance, when compared with the loss of one hair
from their beards.
At one time, beards and unshaven chins were, by
different nations, looked upon as signs of grief and
mourning, -as they are by the Jews of the present
day. When the Roman people adopted shaving, they
wore beards to mark any great sorrow. The Greeks,
on the contrary, if in any deep affliction, shaved off the
beard. Among the ancient Egyptians, the priests
alone appeared with smooth chins. All slaves, in the
time of the Romans, had long beards and flowing
tresses ; and, when made freemen, they shaved, and
covered their heads. The abolition of the beard
among the Greeks took place, it is said, about the
time of Alexander; among the Romans, about the
16
INTRODUCTION.
year 300. The ancient Germans are said to have
shaved the beard ; also the ancient Goths, Franks,
and Britons. The Danes and Saxons wore beards
till the introduction of Christianity.
Though the anathemas of preachers, and the
censures of learned divines, have succeeded in ban-
ishing this venerable appendage throughout most
parts of Europe, still the bushy whisker and fierce
curling moustache are highly prized by the petit
maîtres of our days. A curious fact relating to the
latter must not be omitted, as it proves the estimation
in which moustaches were once held.
It is men-
tioned, in the introduction to the “ Lusiad,” that John
de Castro, the noble governor of Goa (which place he
held for his master, the Portuguese king), being in
want of a large loan from the citizens, to enable him
to fit out a military expedition, was in great distress
for a good security to offer in return for the required
money. At first, he thought of pledging the bones of
his gallant son, Don Fernando; but, on opening the
grave, it was found necessary to relinquish this inten-
tion. He therefore offered the next most precious
object he possessed in the world, namely, one of his
moustaches. This act of generous and devoted pa-
triotism was fully appreciated by the inhabitants of
Goa, who, emulating the liberality of their governor,
received the precious security with every mark of
respect, and, presenting to Don Juan more than the
sum demanded, also returned him his inestimable
pledge.
King Robert of France gloried in a beard of so
luxuriant a growth, that it is difficult to say which
was most venerated, his renown as a warrior, or the
INTRODUCTION.
17
appendage that ornamented his chin. A Sultan for-
merly only allowed his beard to grow from the time of
his ascending the throne. Among the Mahommedans,
it is considered a sin to cut the beard off when once it
has been allowed to grow, as they say “ the angels
dwell in them."
Many nations dye their beards; the Persians, par-
ticularly, never think they can be of a sufficiently
intense and shining black without the aid of art; and
though the operation is very troublesome, they never
fail to undergo it about once every fortnight. While
the process is performing, the beard assumes various
different shades and tints; first orange, then green,
and, lastly, black; but sometimes an unlucky applica-
tion of one dye before the former has properly satur-
ated the beard, to the no small disgust of the Persian
petit maître, leaves his chin of a fiery red, a purple, a
blue, or a particoloured tint. Mr. Morier, speaking
of the Persian's affection for a beard, says, in his work
on that country, “It is inconceivable how careful they
are of this ornament : all the young men sigh for it,
and grease their chins to hasten the growth of the
hairs; because, until they have there a respectable
covering, they are not supposed fit to enjoy any place
of trust."
The beards of Cardinal Pole and Sir Thomas
More have long been celebrated ; but, with all the care
and attention bestowed upon them, few modern beards
can equal those of the patriarchs.
С
18
INTRODUCTION.
INVENTIONS AND MANUFACTURES CONNECTED
WITH DRESS.
We must now proceed to dress itself, and to those
innumerable manufactures and inventions which man-
kind has created for the adornment of the person.
Silks, satins, velvets, brocades, linens, cottons, muslins,
gauzes, laces, assume, under the nimble fingers of
Fashion's handmaids, every variety of shape, form, and
hue.
JEWELLERY.
The love of jewels and ornaments has been pre-
valent among all nations, from the earliest ages. The
savages deck their limbs and bodies with shells and
bones, and admire these rude ornaments as much as
does the fair European, when delightedly gazing at the
brilliant treasures contained in her velvet-lined écrin,
whose golden clasps encircle the gifts of all lands.
This passion is frequently mentioned in the Scriptures,
and the most ancient authors speak of ear-rings, nose
and lip-rings, necklaces, chains, bracelets, anklets,
and every other variety of ornament. Their shape,
size, and the materials of which they are composed,
are changeable as the thoughts of the fickle goddess
who superintends their structure ; while every land is
searched for gems of the brightest hue, and even the
ocean is forced to give up her treasures, to satisfy this
universal love of splendour and magnificence.
It is a curious fact,” remarks a modern traveller
in Egypt, " that the love of ornament, prevalent as it
is throughout the world, appears to be carried to the
INTRODUCTION.
19
1
greatest excess by the most civilized and the most un-
civilized nations, the inhabitants of the deserts of
Nubia, and the élégantes of England and France.”
The former pride themselves upon their beads, shells,
and berries; while the latter glitter in diamonds from
Golconda, sapphires and rubies from Peru, onyxes
from Arabia, turquoises from Persia, emeralds from
South America, garnets and amethysts from the East,
topazes from Ethiopia, changeable opals from Egypt,
and last, though not least, among this galaxy of glit-
tering gems, pearls from the recesses of the deep blue
ocean, in the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Mexico.
EAR-RINGS.
Ear-rings, or, as they were formerly called, pen-
dants, are worn by all nations. In Europe men have,
for the most part, abandoned this fashion, though
in some lands they still wear rings in their ears;
but in almost all the numerous countries and tribes
of Africa, Asia, and America, both sexes wear them.
In the East Indies they are made the size of saucers,
and are generally of gold and valuable jewels. In
order to admit this immense ear-ring, an incision
is made through the ear, and a filament, formed of
cocoa-nut leaves tightly rolled together, is thrust into
the opening. This filament is constantly enlarged,
till it has stretched the orifice to two inches in dia-
meter. The perfection required being then attained,
the wound is allowed to heal, and the ear laden with
every kind of ornament.
The ear of a European lady would be looked upon
with contempt by these Eastern fashionables of both
20
INTRODUCTION.
sexes, for men as well as women wear the ear loaded
with coins, jewels, flowers, or any thing they can
procure; but among some of the Indian tribes, the
noblesse alone are allowed the high privilege of having
an orifice through the ear more than three inches in
diameter, while the lower orders are restricted to
that size. In the Sandwich Islands, the inhabitants
enlarge the incision to such an extent, that the ear is
dragged down to the waist. The Indians, Africans,
and savages of America, also wear nose and lip-rings.
ARMLETS.
the arm.
The armilla, or bracelet, is of very high antiquity.
It is mentioned in Genesis, chap. xxiv. verse 22:--
“ And it came to pass as the camels had done drink-
ing, that the man took a golden ear-ring of half a
shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten
shekels weight of gold.”
This was formerly the most universal of all orna-
ments, and was worn either upon the wrist or upon
Sometimes bracelets were very massive :
Livy speaks of those worn by the Sabine women, as
being of great weight, and the Roman matrons are
said to have had them frequently of from six to ten
pounds in weight.
Armillæ, we are informed by all the Greek and
Roman historians of ancient times, were formerly re-
garded with great veneration, and were frequently
presented as the reward of valour ; these, however,
were exclusively formed of silver, those of gold being
reserved for Roman citizens. Ælian tells us the Per-
sian kings rewarded ambassadors from all nations with
INTRODUCTION.
21
armillæ, and in the book of Exodus they are included
among the gifts for the tabernacle.
It is supposed that bracelets were formerly used as
a badge of power in Eastern countries. M. d'Herbelot
states, that when the Caliph Cayem Bemrillah granted
the investiture of some dominions which had been
possessed by his predecessors, it was performed by
the Caliph sending with the firman a crown, a chain,
and bracelets. Even at the present day in Persia,
these latter ornaments are only allowed to be worn by
the king and his sons. At various times, both in
England and Ireland, armillæ have been dug out of
the chalk-cliffs or out of the bogs, and one was found
on the wrist of a skeleton, in the East Riding of York-
shire. Among the ruins of Herculaneum was found a
golden Venus, with golden bracelets and anklets on
the arms and legs.
RINGS.
The annulus, or ring, is also a very ancient orna-
ment. Pliny tells us that the inventor of it is not
known, but it was used by the Babylonians, Chaldeans,
Persians, and Greeks, though Pliny thinks the latter
were unacquainted with it at the time of the Trojan
war, as Homer does not mention it. In the Scrip-
tures the signet-ring is frequently named, and Quintus
Curtius tells us that Alexander wore one. Pliny gives
us much information respecting the ancient use of
rings, which were not, as at present, mere ornaments,
worn for the adornment of the fingers. Among the
Romans, before they were set with stones, it was the
custom to wear them on whichever hand or fingers the
wearer pleased; but when the stones were added to
22
INTRODUCTION.
them, it would have been considered the excess of
foppery to have the right hand adorned with one.
The Greeks wore them exclusively on the fourth finger
of the left hand, and gave as a reason for this custom,
that this finger communicated by a small nerve with
the heart. The Gauls and Britons, Pliny informs us,
wore them on the middle finger. He also adds, that
the ancients had three different kinds of rings, in gold,
in silver, and in iron, each of which served to distin-
guish different conditions or qualities.
NECKLACES.
Necklaces, or torques, as they were formerly called,
were as much worn by the ancients as bracelets. The
brooch also is mentioned by almost all old writers; it
was used to fasten the cloak on one shoulder, or to
confine its folds on the breast.
Chains were a favourite ornament among the an-
cients. The Gauls are represented to have worn
them in battle, to distinguish the commanders from
their subordinates. Homer and Virgil frequently
mention them; also belts or girdles of gold and em-
broidery.
FRENCH FASHIONS IN ENGLAND.
Colbert declared that the surest means of paving the
way for universal monarchy was to render the French
language and French fashions prevalent throughout
Europe. In establishing the supremacy of la mode
Parisienne, he has certainly fully succeeded, though,
happily, his great and deep-laid plan has been over-
INTRODUCTION.
23
thrown. The devotion shewn by the English to
every French mode that appears is, indeed, extraor-
dinary. Even when the two nations were filled with
feelings of jealousy towards each other, when war
shewed the sentiments of hatred that actuated them,
England still greedily seized upon every variation in
la mode Parisienne, and, detesting the inventors,
nevertheless slavishly followed their decrees. Evelyn,
in his essay called the “Mode,” alludes to this mania.
“I have frequently wondered,” he says, “ that a na-
tion so well conceited of themselves as I take our
countrymen to be, should so generally submit to the
-ħode of another, of whom they speak with so little
kindnesse. That the Monsieurs have universally gotten
the ascendant over every other part of Europe, is im-
putable to their late conquests; but that only their
greatest vanity should domineer over this kingdome,
speaks us strangely tame. For myself, though I love
the French well (and have many reasons for it), yet I
would be glad to pay my respects in any thing rather
than my clothes, because I conceive it so great a dimi-
nution to our native country, and to the discretion
of it."
In another place, speaking of the mutability of
fashion, he says, “But, be it thus excusable in the
French to alter and impose the mode on others, for
the reasons deduced, 'tis no less a weakness and a
shame in the rest of the world, who have no depen-
dancy on them, to admit them, at least to that degree
of levity, as to turn into all their shapes without dis-
crimination; so as when the freak takes our Mon-
sieurs to appear like so many farces or Jack-puddings
on the stage, all the world should alter shape, and
24
INTRODUCTION.
play the pantomimes with them. Methinks a French
taylor, with his ell in his hand, looks like the en-
chantress Circe over the companions of Ulysses, and
changes them into as many forms.”
Those who peruse these pages will be surprised to
see for how many years French fashions have prevailed
in England ; and to such an extent is this mania car-
ried, that English manufactures cross the Channel to
be rendered fit for Englishmen and women to wear,
by receiving their shape and form from the fingers
and needles of French tailleurs and modistes.
THE MANUFACTURE OF SILK, &c.
However baneful a passion for dress may become,
when allowed, under certain circumstances, to degene-
rate into extravagance and profusion, it is still won-
derful to contemplate the support that thousands
derive from the capricious laws of fashion. Spinning,
dyeing, weaving, give employment to multitudes of
people, and the very mutability of the mode is greatly
to their benefit.
The manufacture of silk was, it is said, discovered
in the island of Cos, and as it now forms so principal a
part of a lady's attire, it may not be uninteresting to
mention, that its first invention is attributed to Pam-
phylia, the daughter of Platis. Her name is recorded
by ancient authors, as being the first person who made
the silk-worms' labours subservient to the adornment
of beauty; and well does she deserve the gratitude of
past and present ages. The looms of Persia, China,
and Italy, are the most celebrated for the manufacture
INTRODUCTION.
25
of silks, velvets, satins, and brocades; and within the
last few years, slight and beautifully coloured threads
of glass have been interwoven with them, forming a
new and much-admired production.
Linen is a most useful and necessary addition to
the clothing of mankind. Its origin is so ancient that
it is unknown, but, in the time of Herodotus, it was
an article of export from Egypt, whence the Greeks
and Romans procured it. The mummies are fre-
quently found wrapped in it, which is a sufficient
proof of its antiquity.
Cotton is also another manufacture that was known
in the early ages. Its invention is attributed to the
Persians, and Pliny mentions its use among the
Egyptians; but though in ancient delineations brought
from the latter country, flax is frequently seen, there
is no indication of the cotton-plant.
Cloth, which was a manufacture known to the
Egyptians, Romans, and Greeks, was brought from
Rome into Britain, and the conquerors instructed
their new subjects in the art of fabricating it, and
established a manufactory at Winchester. It fell into
decay, however, under the Danes and Saxons, but
revived when Alfred came to the throne, and ever
since that time it has gradually improved, till at last
the woollen trade has become a principal source of the
wealth and riches of England.
MANUFACTURE OF LACE.
The antiquity of lace, that favourite addition to a
lady's toilette, is not supposed to be nearly so great as
the fabrics we have already mentioned. In Beckman's
26
INTRODUCTION.
History of Inventions," we read the following ac-
count: “ It seems very difficult, if not impossible, to
determine the antiquity of lace.
I remember no
passage in the Greek or Roman authors that seems to
allude to it; for those who ascribe works of this kind
to the Romans, found their opinions on the expression,
« art of the Phrygians,' which consisted only of needle-
work. Lace worked by the needle may be found
among old church furniture. We read in various
authors, that the art of making lace was brought from
Italy, particularly from Genoa and Venice, to Ger-
many and France; but this only seems to allude to the
oldest kind, or that worked by the needle. I am
firmly of opinion that lace worked by the needle is
much older than that made by knitting. I will ven-
ture to assert that knitting lace is a German invention,
first known about the middle of the sixteenth century.
The inventress was a Saxon lady named Barbara, wife
of Christopher Uttman.”
In a French work, entitled “ La Vie de Colbert,"
we read of the first introduction of the lace manufac-
ture into France, but point is the only kind men-
tioned. The Count de Marsan, says the author,
brought from Brussels to Paris his former nurse,
named Du Mont, and her four daughters, and pro-
cured for her the exclusive right to establish and
carry on the lace manufacture in that capital. In a
little time Du Mont and her daughters collected two
hundred women, some of whom were of good families,
and they soon produced such excellent work, that it
was, ere long, pronounced very little, if at all, inferior
to that imported from foreign countries. The laces
now the most prized and sought after are Brussels
INTRODUCTION.
27
point, Mechlin, Valenciennes, Lisle, Chantilly, and
blonde.
EMBROIDERY.
Embroidery is a very ancient invention, and was
much admired and practised among the early nations.
It is supposed that the Phrygians first discovered this
art, and employed coloured silks, and gold thread or
wire, for ornamenting their dresses. In the Bible we
find that the high-priests robe had on the bottom of
the skirt figures of pomegranates, wrought with blue,
scarlet, and purple. The ephod, also, was embroidered
in blue, purple, scarlet, and gold ; the girdle of needle-
work, too, we are informed by Josephus, was em-
broidered with flowers in colours. Homer and Virgil
frequently mention this art; thus, in the “ Odyssey,"
we read:
“ Close by the stream a royal dress they lay,
A vest, and robe with rich embroidery gay.”
And Virgil also says :-
“A noble present to my son she brought,
A robe, with flowers on golden tissue wrought."
The “Æneid,” too, speaks of “robes of tissue,
stiff with golden wire.” We may, therefore, suppose
this to be the same as the gold mentioned in Exodus,
which was “beat into thin plates, and cut into wires,
to work it in the blue, and in the purple, and in the
scarlet, and in the fine linen, with cunning work.”
“ Threads of the dearest and most malleable metal,
gold,” says Beckman, “ seem to have been early
employed for ornamenting different articles of dress.
28
INTRODUCTION.
>9
People, however, soon began to weave or knit dresses
of gold thread, without the addition of
any
other ma-
terials. The weaving of gold threads with cloth is
ascribed by Pliny to King Attalus. In the third
century gold was interwoven with linen, and that linen
was embroidered in gold thread. It was not till a
much later period that silver was formed into threads,
and interwoven with cloth. It has been fully proved
that silver threads were so interwoven in the time of
the last Greek emperors.
In the time of Moses, embroidery appears to have
been performed by men; for, in Exodus, we read that
Aholiah was a cunning workman, and an “embroiderer
in blue, and in purple, and in scarlet, and fine linen.'
Homer and Virgil frequently mention this art,
which appears, from their poems, to have been brought
to perfection, and constantly practised, by the Tyrian
and Phrygian ladies, who not only embroidered vests,
tunics, and girdles, but also pictures and carpets.
Thus we read :
> >
“ Fair thrones within from space to space were raised,
Where various carpets with embroidery blazed,
The work of matrons.”
And again
:-
“ The queen her hours bestowed
In curious works; the whirling spindle glowed
With crimson threads; while busy damsels cull
The snowy fleece, or twist the purple wool.”
The women in many of the Greek Islands were
also renowned for their great proficiency in embroidery.
The Anglo-Saxons, too, practised it with great success;
INTRODUCTION.
29
and Edward the Elder is mentioned in history as
having “had his daughters taught to exercise the
needle and the distaff."
>>
WEAVING AND DYEING.
Weaving is another art in which the ladies of the
“olden time” also excelled, and it appears that they
frequently employed themselves in making garments
for their lords. Thus we find in the “ Æneid :"
.
“ The queen, on nearer view, the guest surveyed,
Robed in the garments her own hands had made.”
And of Andromache we read :-
- Far in the close recesses of the dome,
Pensive she plies the melancholy loom;
A growing work employed her secret hours,
Confusedly gay with intermingled flowers.”
The ancients were much celebrated for their know-
ledge of various beautiful dyes, some of which are
unknown to modern ages. Tyre was renowned for
the invention of the purple dye, which was formerly
the symbol of regal and sacerdotal dignity. Homer
has stamped its value and antiquity, by representing
his heroes in purple robes ; and habits of the same
precious colour were given by the Israelites to Gideon.
Pliny describes this colouring matter, and says that it
was extracted from two kinds of shell-fish, and was
contained in a small bag in their throats ; each fish
only yielding one drop. As may be imagined, it was
very expensive, from the immense quantities required
to dye one piece of cloth; but that the colour was very
30
INTRODUCTION.
durable, may be believed from the testimony of Plu-
tarch, who, in his life of Alexander, says, that the
Greeks found in the treasury of the kings of Persia a
large quantity of purple cloth, which was as beautiful
as when first made, though it was one hundred and
ninety years old.
Among the Greeks, dyeing appears to have been
little practised or known; but the Romans bestowed
much pains and expense upon this art, and, in the
public games, the different parties were known by the
colours of their garments. Virgil alludes to this cele-
brated dye in the “ Æneid,” when he says :-
“Each leader shining in his Tyrian vest."
HEAD-DRESSES.
Perhaps the most ancient head-dress that we find
mentioned in history is the tiara. Strabo informs us
that it was in the form of a tower. But it appears, by
the remarks of many other authors, to have had vari-
ous shapes. Among the Persians, the king alone was
permitted to wear it erect and straight, the priests and
lords of the country being obliged to bend it down in
front. Xenophon tells us that it was frequently en-
compassed with the diadem, and often had a half moon
embroidered on it. The tiara is seen carved upon
ancient medals, and Servius calls it a Phrygian cap.
The kings and heroes of Homer and Virgil wore this
head-dress:
“ This royal robe and this tiara wore
Old Priam."
INTRODUCTION.
31
THE VEIL.
The veil, that ancient and graceful covering for
the head, which has been, and still is, worn by almost
every nation of the world, is generally, in Europe,
composed of lace or gauze. This “transparent shade”
is the most beautiful part of the costume of a bride,
and, in the words of the poets, “adds another charm
to the loveliness it seems to hide." Homer frequently
mentions the veil, as a part of the attire of the Grecian
and Trojan ladies. Of Helen, he says:
« O’er her fair face a snowy veil she threw,
And, softly sighing, from the loom withdrew."
In the “Odyssey,
Odyssey,” too, we find that, in those days,
queens and ladies of rank wove them for themselves.
Among Eastern nations, to the present day, the veil is
very different from what it is with us. It is formed of
large sheets of different materials, which, falling over
the head, hang down to the feet, and, being held in
folds in front, thus envelope the whole person. Ladies
of distinction have them of silk, women of inferior grade
of linen or cotton. Ruth's veil, mentioned in the Scrip-
tures, was most probably of the latter material. The
Turkish women make them of horse-hair; so that they
are transparent from within, but opaque without.
THE CAUL.
A caul is a very ancient head-dress; it is men-
tioned in the Bible, and by most old writers; it was
usually made of net-work, of gold, or silk, and enclosed
32
INTRODUCTION.
all the hair. Some were set with jewels, and were
very heavy and of great value.
and of great value. In the time of Virgil,
cauls were much worn :
“ Her head with ringlets of her hair is crowned,
And in a golden caul the curls are bound.”
And also in Homer:
6. Her hair's fair ornaments, the braids that bound,
The net that held them, and the wreath that crowned.”
THE PIN.
Among the rich and beautiful accessories to a
lady's toilette, we must not omit to mention one which,
however insignificant in itself, adds greatly to the
proper arrangement of the dress, -I mean that useful
little implement, the pin. Before it was known in its
present form, its place was supplied by pins of pointed
wood or thorns, which materials, though rude and
uncivilised, were in common use among our ancestors.
The modern pin is said to owe its birth to Germany;
and some of my readers will, perhaps, be surprised to
hear that eighteen, some even say twenty-five, work-
men assist in its formation.
PERFUMES.
Perfumes must not be forgotten in this little trea-
tise on dress. They are of very ancient origin, and the
Hebrews and Eastern nations, it is said, constantly
used them, before the Greeks and Romans were ac-
quainted with their value. Moses, in Exodus, gives
1
INTRODUCTION.
33
an account of an anointing oil and a perfume, the
former composed of myrrh, cinnamon, sweet calamus,
cassia, and olive oil; the latter of sweet spices and
frankincense, both of which were to be used in the
tabernacle. All kinds of fragrant and powerful per-
fumes were used by the ancients for embalming, and
they are mentioned in various parts of the Old Testa-
ment, as being known to, and used by, the Hebrews.
They were afterwards much esteemed by the Greeks
and Romans, who imported the most precious from
Syria and India. Perfumes were used in their sacri-
fices to the gods, and also at their feasts, to give an
agreeable scent to their garments and apartments. We
often read, too, in the old poets, that
“ Fragrant oils the stiffened limbs anoint.”
In the camp of Darius, Alexander found, among
the other treasures of which he became master, quan-
tities of rich perfumes and precious ointments.
The love of odours of all kinds soon spread over
the world, and Pliny laments their being allowed even
in the Roman camp, where the eagles, standards, and
ensigns, were perfumed, “as if to reward them for
conquering the world.” Nero is said to have expended
on the funeral pile of his wife more incense than the
scented groves of Arabia could produce in a whole
year.
The fair ladies of our own day perfume their
garments and apartments with the odours which are
extracted from flowers and herbs, more frequently than
with the scented and odoriferous drugs formerly used.
The attar of roses, the sweetest, the most precious of
D
1
34
INTRODUCTION.
all perfumes comes from the East, and the fête held in
its honour in those countries is thus beautifully de-
scribed by Moore:
“But never yet, by night or day,
In dew of spring or summer ray,
Did the sweet valley look so gay
As now it shines, all love and light,
Visions by day and feasts by night!
A happier smile illumes each brow,
With quicker spread each heart uncloses,
And all is ecstasy-for now
The valley holds its feast of roses !”
THE FAN.
1
Fans, which in some countries may almost be con-
sidered as a part of the costume, so necessary do they
appear to the fashionables of both sexes, must not be
forgotten. The use of them was first introduced
amongst us from the East, where the hot climate
renders them almost indispensable. In the Greek
church, a fan is put into the hands of the deacons, in
the ceremony of their ordination, in allusion to a part
of their office in that church, which is to keep the flies
off the priests during the celebration of the sacrament.
In Japan, where neither men nor women wear
hats, except as a protection against rain, a fan is to
be seen in the hand or the girdle of
every inhabi-
tant. Soldiers and priests even are never without
them. In that country, they serve a great many dif-
ferent purposes. Visitors receive the dainties offered
them, upon their fans; the beggar, imploring charity,
holds out his fan for the alms his prayers may obtain.
According to Siebold, the fan here serves the dandy
1
35
1
INTRODUCTION.
in lieu of a whalebone switch ; the pedagogue, instead
of a ferule, for the offending school-boy's knuckles;
and a fan, presented upon a peculiar kind of salver
to the high-born criminal, is said to be the form of
announcing his death-doom, his head being struck off
at the same moment as he stretches it towards the fan.
In the book of Table Talk” we read: “In the
south of Italy, men still continue to use the fan, and,
in hot weather, one may often see a captain of dra-
goons moustached, and bearded like the pard,' fanning
himself with all the graces and dexterity of a young
coquette."
In England, fans were almost unknown till the
reign of Queen Elizabeth. Under Charles the Second
they were much used; but, during the reign of Queen
Anne, they became almost a part of the lady's cos-
tume; at ball or supper, in the morning promenade
or the evening's drive, one hand still held a fan of
feathers, of silk, or of painted paper.
ARTIFICIAL. FLOWERS.
Artificial flowers, those beautiful imitations of the
“stars of the earth,” are now brought to such perfec-
tion, that they almost rival the blossoms they are
intended to imitate. Paris, the emporium of all the
gems of the toilette, as usual, surpasses all other cities,
in her delicate and faithful imitations of the flowers,
buds, and blossoms, that bloom in every quarter of the
globe; and, not content with copying each varying
tint, each delicate fibre, the fair floriste adds to their
beauty and charm, by giving to each a drop of the
perfume peculiar to it. Near Genoa, there is a con-
36
INTRODUCTION.
vent where the holy sisters devote their leisure hours
to this elegant employment, and their skill is cele-
brated throughout all Europe.
In England, artificial flowers were unknown till
the reign of Edward the Third.
MOURNING COSTUME.
The outward signs of woe and sorrow have always,
in almost all nations, been demonstrated by some pecu-
liarity in the colour or shape of the attire; but dif-
ferent countries have adopted different modes of ex-
pressing their grief.
The Roman women, on these melancholy occasions,
laid aside their gold, purple, and embroidered dresses.
Under the republic, they wore black robes, but, under
the emperors, these were changed to white; they also
covered their heads.
The men of Rome, after they had adopted the cus-
tom of shaving the beard, allowed it to grow long
when in mourning, as a sign of their affliction. They
also clothed themselves in black, a custom supposed
to have been derived from the ancient Egyptians; and
sometimes they wore garments made of the skins of
beasts.
In Greece, where the beard was always retained,
it was considered a sign of sorrow to shave it off; so
opposite are the customs of various nations, in every
thing relating to the adornment of the person. Often,
too, they cut off the hair, and laid it on the corpse.
We read in Homer,-
They shaved their heads, and covered with their hair
The body."
INTRODUCTION.
37
Both men and women wore black garments, and laid
aside all their ornaments, and the latter often tore or
shaved off their hair, and they always muffled up and
concealed their faces.
The Chinese, Siamese, and Japanese, wear white
mourning, for their superstitions teach them to believe
that the dead become beneficent genii. The Turks
wear blue, or violet; the Ethiopians, grey; the Peru-
vians, mouse colour; the Spaniards formerly wore white
serge. Herrera observes, that the last time it was
used was in 1498, at the death of Prince John.
The Jews formerly neither shaved nor saluted any
one during mourning ; they never wore black; their
outward token of mourning was to retain upon their
persons the garments they had on when their friend or
relative died.
In Italy, the women used to wear white mourning,
and the men brown; in Syria and Armenia we see
them in blue, and in Egypt in yellow robes, or such
as are of the colour of dead leaves. In the Barbary
States old soiled garments testify grief, and they are
frequently passed through water, to give them that
appearance. In Lycia and Argos, white was the
mourning colour; at Delos, shaving the hair was the
only sign of affliction.
In France, the mourning habit was formerly white,
and continued so till the reign of Charles the Eighth.
Leopold, Emperor of Germany, who died so late as
the year 1705, when in deep affliction, followed the
custom of the Jews, and let his beard grow.
In England, as early as the fifteenth century, the
immense expense incurred in mourning habiliments
caused an edict to be framed to limit the richness and
38
INTRODUCTION. .
size of the garments allowed to the nobility, as well as
to those of the lower orders.
The following explanation has been given of the
cause of the adoption of different colours for the
symbol of mourning :
White is the emblem of purity; celestial blue in-
dicates the space where the soul ranges after death;
yellow (or dead leaf) exhibits death as the end of
hope, and man falling like the leaf in autumn; grey is
the colour of the earth, our common mother ; black,
the colour of mourning now general throughout Eu-
rope, indicates eternal night. “ Black," says Rabelais,
“is the sign of mourning, because it is the colour of
darkness, which is melancholy, and the opposite to
white, which is the colour of light, of joy, and of
happiness."
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
CHAPTER I.
!
Auto
NCIENT authors dis-
agree in the ac-
counts they give
of the dress of the
first inhabitants
tunnalim
of Britain. Some
assert that, previously to the first descent of the Ro-
mans, the people wore no clothing at all; other
writers, however (and, probably, with more truth),
state, that they clothed themselves with the skins of
wild animals; and as their mode of life required
activity and freedom of limb, loose skins over their
bodies, fastened, probably, with a thorn, would give
them the needful warmth, without in any degree re-
40
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
straining the liberty of action so necessary to the hardy
mountaineer.
Julius Cæsar gives us reason to think that the
mantles he observed in use, were made by fastening
the ends of hair into some sort of coarse cloth ; but it
is impossible at the present time to say in what manner
this was done.
Another dress mentioned by ancient writers, indi-
cates a progress towards civilization. The year in
which it was worn is not given, but it may be consi-
dered the second era in the history of the toilette of
the rude and warlike Britons. It consisted of a sort
of trousers, which fitted tight to the limbs, from the
waist to the ankles; over this was worn a tunic with
long sleeves, a cloak, and sandals, made of skins, tied to
the feet. The head was closely shaven, except on the
crown, and Cæsar adds, that the men removed all
their beard excepting that on the upper lip.
Probably the dress of the women of those days did
not differ much from that of the men ; but after the
second descent of the Romans, both sexes are supposed
to have followed the Roman costume; indeed, Tacitus
expressly asserts that they did adopt this change;
though we may safely believe that thousands of the
natives spurned the Roman fashion in attire, not from
any dislike of its form or shape, but from the detesta-
tion they bore towards their conquerors.
The beautiful and intrepid Queen Boadicea is the
first British female whose dress is recorded. Dio
mentions, that when she led her army to the field of
battle, she wore “a various-coloured tunic, flowing in
long loose folds, and over it a mantle, while her long
hair floated over her neck and shoulders.” This war-
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
41
like queen, therefore, notwithstanding her abhorrence
of the Romans, could not resist the graceful elegance
of their costume, so different from the rude clumsiness
of the dress of her wild subjects; and, though fighting
valiantly against the invaders of her country, she suc-
cumbed to the laws which Fashion had issued !-a
forcible example of the unlimited sway exercised by
the flower-crowned goddess over the female mind.
It may not be uninteresting here to describe the
Roman costume, at the period when it was adopted by
the British. The toga, or gown without sleeves, was
usually of a pure white, and being gracefully thrown
around the shoulders, descended nearly to the ground
behind, and was occasionally used as a covering for
the head. A purple border was a mark of dignity.
The generality of people wore the tunic, without the
toga ; it was the in-door dress, and completely covered
the body. At first, the sleeves of the tunic only reached
to the elbow ; soon, however, they extended to the
wrist, and at last increased in length till they touched
the ankles. The feet were covered with sandals. As
improvements in dress became more common, the stola
(resembling a chemise) was worn by the women. It
was always white, had long sleeves, and frequently a
narrow border of gold round the bottom. Over it was
thrown the mantle, or cloak, and sandals encircled the
feet of the wearer. The Roman ladies were very
fond
of ornaments, and wore rings, bracelets, armlets, and
torques, or necklaces.
With the Saxon invasion came war and desolation,
and the elegancies of life were necessarily neglected.
The invaders clothed themselves in a rude and fan-
tastic manner.
It is not unlikely that the Britons
42
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND,
may have adopted some of their costume. From the
Saxon females, we are told, came the invention of di-
viding, curling, and turning the hair over the back of
the head. Ancient writers also add, that their gar-
ments were long and flowing.
The Romans for many years looked upon a shirt
as belonging to women only ; but at length they also
adopted it, and the Saxon military men did not disdain
to wear it richly embroidered.
Gradually, additions and improvements in costume
were made. Over the linen shirt was worn a linen or
woollen tunic, which reached to the knees; it had
long sleeves, and was put on like a shirt. Frequently
the border and collar were ornamented, and a girdle
usually confined it at the waist. Long drawers, or
trousers, covered the lower limbs, and leathern stock-
ings, or buskins, were also used. Often bands of cloth
or woollen were wrapped round the legs: over these
stockings were worn, and the shoes were generally
black, tied by a leathern thong.
The Anglo-Saxons appear to have admired bright
colours, and red or blue hose were generally worn.
Silk, when imported about the eighth century, was at
first too costly a material to be much used, but after-
wards it became a favourite article of dress. Weaving
and embroidery were well known to the English fe-
males, even at that early period. William of Malmes-
bury says also, that “gold chains and bracelets were
favourite ornaments of both sexes.
The women wore long tunics, or gowns, and a
mantle. The sleeves were confined at the wrists by
bracelets or borders of embroidery, and the cloak often
formed a graceful festoon in front. A veil of linen or
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
43
silk always encircled the head. Matthew Paris thus
describes the costume of the Anglo-Saxons: “The dress
of the gentlemen was a loose cloak, which reached
down to the ankles, and over that a long robe, fastened
over both shoulders, on the middle of the breast, by a
clasp or buckle. These cloaks and robes were fre-
quently lined with rich furs, and bordered with gold
and embroidery. The soldiers and common people
wore close coats, only reaching to the knee, and short
cloaks, hanging over the left shoulder, and buckled on
the right. These had sometimes an edging of gold.
They wore caps that came to a point in front, which
were probably made of the skins of beasts. The wo-
men wore a long loose robe, reaching to the ground.
On their heads hung a veil, which, falling down be-
fore, was gathered up at the corners, and folded round
their necks and over their bosoms. The robe was
usually ornamented with a broad border, coloured and
embroidered. Slippers were worn by men and women
of fashion, and the men had a crossed bandage in lieu
of a stocking. The hair of the men was worn long
and flowing, and the beard was permitted to grow on
the upper lip.”
The Anglo-Saxon ladies seldom, if ever, went with
their heads bare; sometimes the veil, or head-rail,
was replaced by a golden head-band, or it was worn
over the veil. Half circles of gold, necklaces, brace-
lets, ear-rings, and crosses, were the numerous orna-
ments worn at that period by the women.
posed that mufflers (a sort of bag with a thumb) were
also sometimes used.
Great uncertainty exists respecting the true cha-
racter of a garment much used by the Anglo-Saxon
It is sup-
44
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
ladies, called a kirtle. Some writers suppose it to
have meant the petticoat; others, that it was an under
robe. But, though frequently mentioned by old authors,
nothing can be correctly determined respecting it.
Little
appears to be known concerning the costume
in Britain under the Danes; but we are told that the
latter “were effeminately gay in their dress, combed
their hair once a day, bathed once a week, and often
changed their attire.”
An ancient and celebrated piece of tapestry, kept
in the Church of Bayeux, contains some curious repre-
sentations of the dress of the Northmen. This immense
tableau of the conquest of England has survived the
ravages of time, and is still in a wonderful state of
preservation. It measures two hundred and twelve
feet in length, but only eighteen inches in breadth, and
is engraved in Montfaucon's “Monarchie Française.”
Till of late years, Matilda, the consort of William the
Conqueror, was supposed to have been the embroideress
of this beautiful memorial of her husband's conquests;
now, however, doubts on this subject have been raised,
and it is said to have been worked in later ages.
We confess our disposition to believe that, not-
withstanding the testimony of learned antiquaries,
Matilda was the inventress of this ancient tapestry;
and, even now, we can fancy the royal lady surrounded
by the fair dames of her court, each armed with a
needle, gaily recording the triumphs of the Norman
Conqueror. How many fair fingers must have assisted
in this curious work ! how many bright eyes must have
smiled at the curious emblems and devices it contains !
King Edward is represented, in this work, habited
in a long robe, emblazoned round the bottom ; it is
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
45
fastened at the neck and waist by a band, and the
sleeves are long and nearly tight. He has shoes on
his feet, and a bushy beard and moustaches. Mont-
faucon, in his description of the tapestry, supposes
Edward, who is seated on his throne, to be in the act
of desiring Harold to go and inform William of Nor-
mandy that he has appointed him his successor to the
British crown. The beard and moustaches of the
monarch are very luxuriant, and seem to intimate that
his majesty did not like his subjects to imitate the
Norman fashions. William of Malmesbury accuses
the Britons, at this time, “of transforming themselves
into Normans and Frenchmen, employing their strange
speech and manners, and also the very fantastic cos-
tume of their nation,—that of wearing short tunics, or
clipping their hair, and shaving the beard.”
Harold and his attend-
ants are very differently
habited from the monarch.
Each wears on his head a
kind of bonnet, and though
the beard is close shaven,
and no hair is seen under-
neath the head-dress, the
moustaches are allowed to
remain. They wear tunics
reaching to the knees, and
small cloaks, that much
resemble the Greek chla-
mydes, are fixed on the right
shoulder with a brooch.
Their feet are covered with
clumsy-looking shoes. The riding-dress is the same,
with the addition of spurs.
45
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
After William the Conqueror came to the throne,
the Norman dress was very generally adopted; but
the curious fashion of shaving the back of the head
was a mode that the Anglo-Saxons appear never to
have followed ; and we are told by William of Poitou,
“ that when William returned to Normandy, accom-
panied by several of his new subjects, the courtiers
of the regent were much astonished at the beauty of
the long-haired English, and their rich embroidered
habits."
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
477
CHAPTER II.
were tied
THE ladies' dress continued much the same as we
have described in the preceding chapter, till the reign
of Henry the First, when the
sleeves and veils were worn
so immensely long, that they
ир
in bows and fes-
toons, and la grande mode
then appears to have been, to
have the skirts of the gowns
also of so ridiculous a length,
that they lay trailing upon
the ground.
Laced bodies
were also sometimes seen, and
tight sleeves with pendant
cuffs, like those mentioned in
the reign of Louis the Seventh
of France. A second, or upper
tunic, much shorter than the under robe, was also the
fashion ; and, perhaps, it may be considered as the
indd
48
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
surcoat generally worn by the Normans. The hair
was often wrapped in silk or riband, and allowed to
hang down the back; and mufflers were in common
use. The dresses were very splendid, with embroidery
and gold borders.
The gentlemen's habiliments, during the above
reigns, varied much more than those of the fair sex ;
and the writers of the time charge the reign of Wil-
liam Rufus with many abuses and extravagances in
dress. Every article relating to the toilette was com-
posed of the richest materials. The finest cloths,
linen, and silks, adorned with gold and embroidery,
and lined with costly furs, formed the costume of the
higher classes. The tunic, formerly reaching to the
knees, was now considerably lengthened, and the sleeves
hung down nearly to the feet, while the inner garment
swept the ground.
William of Malmesbury mentions a mantle pre-
sented to Henry by the Bishop of Lincoln, which cost
1001., and describes it as being made of the finest
cloth, lined with black sables. The same writer
greatly censures the long hair, loose flowing robes,
ridiculously pointed shoes, and effeminate appearance,
of the men of that period.
It is said that a laughable incident occurred when
Henry was in Normandy. A preacher so eloquently
declaimed against the sin and wickedness of wearing
long hair, that the monarch and his attendants actually
wept. Delighted with the impression his eloquence
had made upon the king and his subjects, the prelate
determined to follow up his advantage, and not lose
the golden opportunity; he therefore took from the
folds of his sleeve a large pair of shears, and cropped
the whole congregation !
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND,
49
Perhaps to this act may be attributed the fashion
of wearing wigs; for, in Stephen's reign, we first find
them mentioned; and it is not unlikely but the pro-
fusion of flowing locks, left as a mark of the preacher's
eloquence upon the floor of the church, may have
furnished some cunning coiffeur with the idea of re-
storing them to the heads of their former possessors,
in another form. Certain it is that but few months
had elapsed before long hair again graced the heads
of the courtiers, and Serlo and his sermon were for-
gotten.
This story reminds us of a similar anecdote re-
lated of Thomas Conecte, who preached so elo-
quently against the high head-dresses of the ladies,
that, moved by his words, his fair listeners pulled
off the obnoxious coiffures, and consigned them to
the flames.
The length of the beard soon afterwards became
an object of animadversion with the clergy, and also
the extraordinary shape of the fashionable boots and
shoes. The latter are represented as having had
points like a scorpion's tail, and were named pigaciæ.
Sometimes they were stuffed, so as to allow them to be
twisted like a ram's horn. The boots, called ocreæ
rostratæ, were of an equally ridiculous form. Both
these extravagant fashions were inveighed against by
the monks, though without success.
In the reign of Henry the Second, court manteaux,
and jagged or fringed garments, appear to have been
introduced, and the absurdities and extravagances of
dress became every day greater. One fashion suc-
ceeded another in rapid succession, and the inventive
genius of man and woman seemed exerted only to disco-
E
50
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
ver new methods of adorning the human frame. In too
many of these ridiculous modes, taste was wholly dis-
regarded or forgotten; caprice, or a love of singularity
and variety, was frequently the author of many an
extravagant costume, which, being invented, perhaps,
by some person of rank, was, however frightful, fol-
lowed by others in a lower grade of society, till gra-
dually the mode became extended throughout the
country.
So has it ever been, from year to year, up to the
present period. Fashions the most ridiculous and
outré have always found admirers, or, at least, fol.
lowers; provided a dress is supposed to be fashionable,
it matters little to the willing slaves of the fickle god-
dess whether it be becoming or not. Thus, the peaked
shoes are said to have been invented by a gentleman
who had a deformed foot; and, in later years, the ruff
is attributed to a lady who first wore it to conceal a
Probably, could we trace the birth of many
other fashions, we should find they arose from similar
causes.
State garments, in this reign, were profusely orna-
mented; and gloves were worn by the men, some of
them embroidered, and with jewelled backs; and even
in the sacerdotal habits, splendour was carried to
such an extent, that Lord Lyttleton declares the
accounts of the magnificence of Beckett to be
“incredible."
Alarmed at the extent to which pomp and luxury
of attire were brought, the legislature interfered, and
framed several severe laws and edicts on this moment-
ous subject. It would afford no little amusement, at
the present day, to listen to deep debates on the width
wen.
و
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
51
of a tunic, the point of a shoe, or the length of a
beard ; to see the learning and rank of the country
consulting gravely together about wigs and peaked
boots, and solemn divines launching anathemas from
the pulpit against absurdities in costume.
Matthew Paris says, that King Henry, when in-
terred at Fontevraud, “was arrayed in the royal vest-
ments, having a golden crown on the head, and gloves
on the hands; boots, wrought with gold, on the feet,
and spurs.”
In an inventory of the dress of King John, hose
are mentioned, and sandals of purple cloth, fretted
with gold. The pantaloons, or chausses, were worn;
also a pointed cap, or a capuchon. In the same reign,
the petit-maîtres are accused of curling their hair
with irons, and binding it up with ribands.
The Normans, some writers affirm, were remark-
able for choosing the gaudiest colours for their gar-
ments, yellow alone excepted, which was ordered to
be worn by the Jews, as a mark of infamy. Their
shirts are represented as having been made of fine
linen; their doublets fitted tight to their bodies, and
the nobles wore them reaching to the ankles: fre-
quently, too, an embroidered girdle, adorned with
jewels, encircled the waist. But it was upon the
court manteaux that the greatest magnificence was
displayed. One that belonged to Richard the First
is described as having been “nearly covered with half
moons and shining orbs of solid silver, to imitate the
heavenly bodies."
About the beginning of the thirteenth century, the
ladies found their long narrow cuffs, hanging to the
52
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
ground, very uncomfortable ; they therefore adopted
tight sleeves. Pelisses, trimmed with fur, and loose
surcoats, were also worn, as
well as wimples, an article of
attire worn round the neck
under the veil. Embroidered
boots and shoes formed, also,
part of their wardrobe.
In a work like the pre-
sent, it is impossible to give
all the numerous varieties in
the costume of those early
days. We shall, therefore,
only mention the appearance
of any great novelty in the
annals of fashion, and di-
late more largely upon those
dresses, the shape, form, and materials of which are
recorded in later times by the painter, the poet, and
the sculptor.
Matthew Paris says, that in the thirteenth cen-
tury, he was more disgusted than pleased with the
foppery of the times. He also adds, that the nobility
who attended the marriage of the daughter of Henry
the Third with the King of Scotland were attired in
habits of silk called cointises. Velvet is also men-
tioned as a new material just imported.
Another
garment, called an over-all, being a cloak with sleeves
and a hood, was now worn.
The shoes were em-
broidered in chequers; the hood had fringed edges ;
and round hats and caps came into fashion. More-
over, the sportsmen of those days, when preparing for
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
53
the chase, enveloped their heads in a white coif tied
under the chin!
Under the chivalric and excellent King Edward
the First, few, if any, ridiculous modes appeared ; the
noblesse had a long tunic and mantle, and sometimes
an upper tunic, called a cyclas, and a surcoat of rich
stuff lined with fur. The hose were worked in gold,
and the hair and beard were carefully curled. We
hear, too, of purple robes, fine linen vestments, and
mantles woven with gold.
The ladies' costume, during the reigns of Henry
and Edward, was very splendid. The veils and wim-
ples were richly embroidered, and worked in gold;
the surcoat and mantle were worn of the richest ma-
terials;
and the hair was turned up under a gold
caul.
Towards the year 1300, the ladies' dress fell under
the animadversion of the malevolent writers of that
day. The robe is represented as having had tight
sleeves and a train, over which was worn a surcoat
and mantle, with cords and tassels. “ The ladies,”
says a poet of the thirteenth century, “were like pea-
cocks and magpies; for the pies bear feathers of
various colours, which Nature gives them; so the
ladies love strange habits, and a variety of ornaments.
The pies have long tails, that trail in the mud; so
the ladies make their tails a thousand times longer
than those of peacocks and pies.”
The pictures of the ladies of that time certainly
present us with no very elegant specimens of their
fashions. Their gowns or tunics are so immensely
long, that the fair dames are obliged to hold them
54
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
البلال او در ایلان
بیدار ہوا اور نہ
up, to enable them to move; whilst a sweeping train
trails after them; and over the
head and round the neck is a
variety of, or substitute for, the
wimple, which is termed a gor-
get. It enclosed the cheeks
and chin, and fell upon the bo-
som, giving the wearer very much
the appearance of suffering from
sore throat or toothache.
When this head-dress was
not worn, a caul of net-work,
called a crespine, often replaced
it, and for many years it conti-
nued to be a favourite coiffure.
The writers of this time
speak of tight lacing, and of
ladies with small waists.
In the next reign, an apron is first met with, tied
behind with a riband. The sleeves of the robe, and
the petticoat, are trimmed with a border of embroidery;
rich bracelets are also frequently seen; but, notwith-
standing all the splendour of the costume, the gorget
still envelopes the neck.
The gentlemen in the reign of Edward the Second
first adopted the party-coloured habits so much admired
in after-years; but neither the cause nor inventor
of these curious habiliments is recorded. The gar-
ments now became much shorter, and the hood, in-
stead of concealing the head like a cowl, was fre-
quently twisted into a smart coiffure, not unlike a
turban. Beards were now worn, and long hair.
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
55
--
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
CHAPTER III.
The long and glorious reign of Edward the Third
presents us with many novelties in fashion. Many
modes were brought from foreign lands.
- The Eng-
lishmen,” says the Monk of Glastonbury, “haunted
so much unto the folly of strangers, that every year
they changed them in diverse shapes and disguisings
of clothing, now long, now large, now wide, now strait,
and every-day clothingges new and destitute and de-
vest from all honesty of old arraye or good usage ; and
another time to short clothes, and so strait-waisted,
with full sleeves, and tapetes of surcoats, and hodes,
over-long and large, all so nagged and knib on every
side, and all so shattered, and also buttoned, that I
with truth shall say, they seem more like to tormentors
or devils in their clothing, and also in their shoging
(shoeing) and other array, than they seem to be like
men.”
56
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
Though Edward himself is represented as having
been, in his own person, an enemy to dress and ex-
travagance, his noblesse did not follow his example.
The long garments entirely disappeared, and a vest
that fitted quite tight to the body, down to the middle
of the thigh, replaced it. This new invention was
made of the richest materials, covered with embroidery,
and buttoned down the front, whilst a girdle confined
it over the hips. Like the similar garment worn by
the ladies some years afterwards, it was called a côte-
hardie. But the most fantastical parts of this dress
were the sleeves ; they reached as far as the elbows
(having others underneath), and from the bottom of
them hung long white cuffs, exactly similar to those
worn by the ladies from their wrists. This ridiculous
mode must have had a curious effect when worn by
men on horseback, and as they gallopped along, the
cuffs must have resembled streamers fluttering in the
breeze. A cloak, of an unusually great length, gene-
rally covered this fantastic attire; it had a row of
buttons on the right shoulder, and the edges were
frequently indented or stamped, so as to imitate leaves
of flowers.
In an inventory of this reign, we read of a jupon of
blue tartan, powdered with blue garters, decorated with
buckles, and pendants of silver gilt; also a doublet of
linen, having round the skirts and sleeves a border of
long green cloth, embroidered with clouds and vine-
stalks in gold.
Again the parliament found it necessary to inter-
fere, and to make new laws respecting dress. The
nobility, as usual, were permitted to amuse themselves
with all the varieties of fa ions, and to wear the
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
57
richest habiliments; but persons under the rank of
knights were forbidden the use of silks and em-
broidery, or ornaments of gold and silver, or jewellery.
Rings, buckles, ouches, girdles, and ribands, were
expressly forbidden them, and if they infringed the
statute, they were to forfeit the ornament or dress so
worn.
The beard at this period was usually long, and
pointed; Edward's is quite patriarchal. The hair,
also, was flowing on the shoulders, and a popular
saying then was,-
“Long beirds hertiless,
Peynted hoods witless,
Gay cotes graceless,
Maketh England thriftless."
7
In an illumination on a grant made by this king,
about 1350, to Thomas de Brotherton, we find that
his majesty wore a beard and whiskers, but the latter
has neither; his hair, too, is short, his body enclosed
in armour, with a doublet-sleeve to the wrist, and a
surcoat of his arms, without a collar, but having a
handsome trimming. The king's shoes are long and
pointed, without heels, and have a square opening
over the instep.
Drawings made about this time, give us repre-
sentations of men wearing caps made the shape of the
head, surrounded by a border, which is either em-
broidered splendidly, or profusely ornamented with
jewels. Some are clad in long gowns, open before,
with sleeves reaching to the wrists.
Edward the Third is described as wearing a mantle
or cloak of velvet, embroidered in gold, ornamented
58
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
with precious stones, and lined with ermine ; this
cloak was fastened with a velvet band, covered with
jewels. The robe was a rich gold and coloured bro-
cade, or a manufacture much resembling it. It reached
from the neck, which was then always uncovered, down
to the ankles; the hose were of scarlet silk, and the
shoes profusely embroidered with precious stones.
The dress of ladies of “high degree” was no less
splendid; velvet shirts, trim-
med with rich furs, and jackets
fitting tight to the shape, em-
broidered in gold and silks,
with a mantle of gold and sil-
ver cloth, sometimes studded
with jewels, formed their usual
costume.
A surcoat was a garment
greatly in fashion at this time.
It was worn by men, and fitted
close to the body down to the
hips, when it became very full,
the bottom being usually co-
vered with embroidery ; the
sleeves were large and hanging, and a flowing mantle,
descending from the shoulders, and reaching nearly to
the ground, was generally thrown over it.
The sleeves of the ladies' gowns were also long
and hanging ; sometimes they reached nearly to the
ground, but others were always worn under them;
the
upper sleeve was only pinned to the dress, and was
therefore easily detached from it.
These being the days of chivalry and tournaments,
when lances were shivered for the love of the fair
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND,
59
ladies whose bright eyes glanced round the lists,
when rewards were given to the conqueror, and many
a love-token was presented by jewelled fingers to the
true and faithful knight, we may readily suppose that
even, as Cressida exclaims, “There, Diomed, keep
this sleeve,” this part of a lady's attire might be given
as a pledge “ to wear on the helm,” as well as a glove
or scarf. It is supposed, however, by some old authors,
to have meant an ornamental cuff.
One remarkable peculiarity in the dress of the men
at this time was the manner of wearing the capuchon,
or hood. It had a long tail that
hung down the back in a point,
and was buttoned close up to the
chin. Other gallants twisted it up
in a fantastic form, and carelessly
poised it on the top of the head, and
sometimes even placed a beaver hat
over it. These capuchons were for
many years the fashion in France,
and as long ages have elapsed since
they were worn, we may be allowed
to surmise that these hoods, added
to their shaven faces and short
hair, must have made them appear
very like a nation of monks; in-
deed, some chroniclers affirm that
it was the fear of this sobriquet that induced Francis
the First to set the fashion of velvet caps in his
kingdom.
The admiration for gaudy colours was very great
at this period. Frequently, if the doublet were of
scarlet velvet, the mantle would be blue, with white
60
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
Fig. 1.
linings, the hose also blue, and the shoes of scarlet,
trimmed with gold. The caps now in fashion were of
a curious shape, with a broad lap, like a fan, on one
side, usually of velvet to match the mantle, and lined
with the same. Some, however, were of a round form,
ornamented with jewels.
Although pointed shoes were much worn at the
beginning of this reign, their shape changed
towards the end; some, too, were curiously
ornamented in patterns in embroidery.
Fig. 1 is the drawing of a shoe represented
on the monument of Edward the Third,
in Westminster Abbey; and Fig. 2 is
from the effigy of his son, in the Minster, at York.
In a print of the king, we find
him drawn with a hat, which may,
perhaps, be looked upon as the
commencement of the fashion; for,
at that time, caps were mostly worn
by all classes: they were of every shape.
Now, too, we first find a feather gracing the cap
of the gallants of the fourteenth century.
usually stuck straight up in front of the cap; for, as
yet, they had not arrived at the careless grace and
elegance of the plume which, two centuries afterwards,
was known by the title of the “panache à la Henri
Quatre.”
Fig. 2.
12723
62
2037037107
It was
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
61
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
CHAPTER IV.
Fashion now assumed a most important place in
the annals of England, and many new modes were, in
the reign of Richard the Second, brought from Italy,
Bohemia, Poland, Spain, France, and Germany. In-
deed, but little seemed left to English taste and inven-
tion, for foreign countries supplied numerous novelties
in dress, which our countrymen and countrywomen did
not fail to follow and adopt, with their usual eagerness
when any thing relating to that important subject, la
toilette, is concerned.
To begin with the costume of the ladies, they were
extremely partial to party-coloured robes, and wore
sous jupes, or kirtles, of rich satin, or brocade, flowered
with gold and silver. Richard the Second's first
queen, Anne, introduced Bohemian fashions among
her new subjects, and certainly was herself a most
celebrated leader of fashion.
From Bohemia came, perhaps, the vest, or côte-
62
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
hardie, a most curious garment. It somewhat resem-
bled a waistcoat, for it was made quite tight to the
shape as far as the hips, and was frequently trimmed
with a broad border of fur all round, and with buttons
down the front. Across the bosom it was cut quite
square, and it had sleeves fitting tight to the wrist.
Sometimes, in imitation, probably, of the French, an
escarcelle, or modern reticule, was suspended from the
border, and hung down in front. There was also a
sleeveless or sideless robe worn at this period, which
is frequently confounded with the côte-hardie, under
which was worn a petticoat, or kirtle, of a different
material from the robe, with a tight body and sleeves,
the latter adorned with buttons. Some fair dames
adopted the mode of wearing stomachers of jewels; and
the whole dress, robe, kirtle, and mantle, were very
often emblazoned with the arms of the family of the
lady, and that of her husband. Sometimes, too, curi-
ous mottoes, or quaint devices, were worked on the
borders.
Towards the end of this reign, the trains of the
gowns became so ridiculously long, that a clergyman
published a tract against them.
The head-dresses were various, and not remarkable
for beauty or elegance. The gentlemen having adopted
one that was peculiarly ugly, the ladies probably thought
it but seemly that they should do likewise; they there-
fore wore one called a caput, which was stiff, formal,
and inelegant. It was fitted quite close to the crown
of the head, and had a broad border across the fore-
head, arched out and escaloped. Sometimes, to im-
prove its beauty, two lappets were appended, and hung
as low as the waist. Other coiffures resembled basins
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
63
laid on the top of the head, and formed of gold net-
work; while some, again, had points like a bishop's
mitre;
but all were low and small. The hair was
parted on the forehead, and drawn back in short curls
or plaits behind the ears.
The gorget, or chevesail, was worn, but was some-
times replaced by a broad band round the neck, and
the ornamented girdle, instead of spanning the waist,
was allowed to fall over the hips.' The shoes were
usually pointed ; but those of the ladies never ap-
proached to the extravagance of shape so much repro-
bated in the attire of the men.
During this reign, so eventful in new fashions,
Queen Anne is said to have introduced, besides “the
new guise of Beme” (Bohemia), the custom of riding
on side-saddles. Camden asserts this; and the old
poet Gower certainly speaks of ladies who “everich
one ride on side.” But female equestrians are seen on
seals of much earlier date riding in this fashion, and
it is therefore probable that Anne of Bohemia only
introduced some improvement in the saddle, or the
science of equitation.*
The extravagant profusion displayed in gentlemen's
habiliments now increased to a great degree; from
King Richard himself down to the lowest of his sub-
jects, every thought seemed centred in dress, and, occu-
pied as they were with new fashions and fopperies, we
cannot better describe them than by copying the words
of a work called “Eulogium," written, it is supposed,
* An example may be seen in the second number of the
“Journal of the British Archaeological Association," p. 145, being
an engraving from a seal of Joanna de Stuteville, appended to a
document dated 1227.
64
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
at this period : “The commons were besotted in excess
of apparel, in wide surcoats reaching to their loins ;
some in a garment reaching to
their heels, close before, and strut-
ting out on the sides; so that on
the back they make men seem
women, and this they call by a
ridiculous name, gowne.
Their
hoods are little, tied under the
chin, and buttoned like the wo-
men's, but set with gold, silver,
and precious stones. Their liri-
pipes, or tippets, pass round the
neck, and, hanging down before,
reach to the heels, all jagged.
They have another weed of silk,
which they call paltock. Their
hose are of two colours, or pied
with more, which they tie to their paltocks, with white
lachets, called herlots, without any breeches. Their
girdles are of gold and silver, and some of them worth
twenty marks. Their shoes and pattens are snouted
and piked, more than a finger long, crooking upwards,
which they call crakowes, resembling devil's claws, and
fastened to the knees with chains of gold and silver."
“ Alas!” exclaims another writer of that day,
may not a man see, as in our days, the sinful costly
array of clothing; and, namely, in too much super-
fluity of clothing, such that maketh it so dear, to the
harm of the people ; not only the cost of embroidery,
the disguising, indenting, or barring, ounding, paling,
winding, or bending, and semblable waste of cloth in
vanity, but there is also the costly furring in their
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
65
ܪ
gowns ; so much pouncing of chisel to make holes,
so much dagging of shears, with the superfluity in
length of the aforesaid gowns, trailing in the mire, on
horse and also on foot, as well of man as of woman.”
The testimony of two writers at the end of the
fourteenth century, has fully established the extrava-
gance and splendour of the costume of that time; and
it is not to be wondered at that it continued, and even
increased rapidly: for Richard himself was fond of
the most varied and costly apparel, and, says Holins-
hed, “ he had one cote, which he caused to be made
for him, of gold and stone, valued at thirty thousand
marks.”
Dr. Grey remarks, that “Richard's expense in
regard to dress was very extraordinary.” In a picture
of the king, painted in 1377, he is represented in a
robe adorned with white harts and broom pods,
alluding to his mother's arms and his own name of
Plantagenista.
The gentlemen, like the ladies, besides emblazon-
ing their robes, and wearing them embroidered with
precious stones, had letters, mottoes, and various de-
vices worked upon them, and the mantles were fre-
quently “jagged” and “indented.” Jackets, cassocks,
and party-coloured garments, were also the mode.
Sometimes the robe was exactly divided into two
colours, or the hose were different, the one leg being
clothed in red, the other in blue. The tight sleeves
also vanished, and large wide ones supplied their place.
They were called,” says the Monk of Evesham, “ the
devil's receptacles, for stolen goods were easily con-
cealed in them. Some fell to the feet, others swept
F
66
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
the ground, and were full of slashes :" and we are told
these wonderful inventions gloried in the euphonous
title of Pokys.
At this time, the hair was worn long and curled,
the beard large, and the moustaches very thick and
drooping. Hats, hoods, and caps were worn. One of
the latter was particularly frightful; it rose in an
immense cone, and part of the material of which it
was composed fell down the back, forming the segment
of a circle, the edges retiring towards the temples.
This cap, when, as was frequently the case, it was
ornamented with grotesque figures of men, women,
and animals, and worn with armour, must have had a
very ridiculous effect; but the magic name of Fashion
overcame all objections that Taste brought forward, and
this ugly coiffure was long admired by all.
Double vests were now introduced. The upper
one was without a collar, and open down the sides,
with large sleeves, and an embossed girdle ; and the
under garment, or doublet, had very tight sleeves.
Many of the London citizens, at this period, wore
their hair short and curled. Their caps were of two
kinds ; one was tied under the chin; the other had a
peak in front, and was turned up at the sides. They
also had doublets with sleeves, short coats, with enor-
mous sleeves, collars, and flaps, surcoats, hoods, and
scarlet gowns.
Soon afterwards, other caps, round and high, ba-
nished those just described. It is said, that among
the lower classes, cloth stockings, breeches, and a
doublet buttoned in front, were worn.
“ The vanity
of the common people in their dress was so great,”
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
67
*
says Knighton, “ that it was impossible to distinguish
the rich from the poor, the high from the low, the
clergy from the laity, by their appearance.'
Richard, alarmed at the extent to which extrava-
gance in dress was now carried, made various sump-
tuary laws, but very little attention was paid to them.
The crakowes were supposed to be of Polish invention 1;
they were as ridiculous as the choppines, which, some
years later, were imported from Italy.
In the succeeding reign, the côte-hardie was uni-
versally worn by all classes. The gowns had long
trains, and the sleeves, which were generally tight,
had very small ruffles at the wrist. The girdle rested
negligently on one hip, and fell down loosely on the
other side, having a jewel or golden ornament appended
to it. From the latter hung a châtelaine, or corde-
lière, curiously wrought in gold and precious stones.
Besides this habit, a long mantle was generally
worn, and the ornaments then the mode were rich and
beautiful. They consisted of a necklace, composed of
four rows of precious stones, and a cross on the bosom;
the mantle was confined at the neck with brooches or
golden trinkets; and the girdle often hung to the feet,
and was terminated with tassels. This costume was
altogether a very graceful and elegant one, and, if we
except the head-dress, few of the succeeding fashions
can be compared with it.
The coiffure to which we allude was not very
* Chaucer's description of the Canterbury pilgrims may be
referred to for information respecting the dress of nearly all ranks
at the end of the fourteenth century, from the knight to the poor
ploughman.
68
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
EW
brun
molts
much unlike the pediment of a portico, with two
square horns standing out side-
ways from the forehead. It was
composed of a variety of mate-
rials, generally of silk or fine
linen, interwoven in a curious
manner with bands of riband
and gold and silver cord ; from
it was suspended behind, a dra-
pery or veil, edged with embroidery. The hair was
seldom seen underneath this mighty fabric. Some
ladies, however, preferred a crescent-shaped coiffure,
with long lappets ; some a heart-shaped head-dress ;
and others shewed their taste by merely confining the
hair in a net-work covering, over which was placed a
long veil.
A French writer of this period severely censures
the female costume. He declaims with much elo-
quence against the quantities of fur employed for trim-
ming the tails of the gowns, the hoods and the sleeves,
and laments that the love of useless and extravagant
fashions has become so prevalent among the lower
classes.
It is stated by authors of the time, that some ladies,
not content with the shapes that Nature had bestowed
upon them, stuffed their petticoats at the hips, till
they resembled the far-famed and much-reviled hoop
of later
years.
An illumination painted during this reign, repre-
sents the gentlemen habited in close gowns, with arm-
holes opposite the elbows ; a tight vest underneath,
and the dress confined by a girdle, which supports the
sword.
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
69
The hair was now worn short and curled, and old
people let the beard and whiskers grow.
Broad-
brimmed hats are sometimes seen. The doublets were
often striped, or party-coloured, and had large sleeves.
The tunics were long, and embroidered, and large
copes frequently covered the back and shoulders ; the
inner tunic, and a splendidly-embroidered mantle, were
adorned with cords, tassels, and jewelled bands. Long
tunics, then called houppelandes, were a new fashion,
imported, it is suggested by Mr. Planché, from Spain.
Henry revived most of the laws of his predecessors
for restricting dress within reasonable limits ; but the
orders of a king, backed though they were by his
ministers, were of no avail, and Fashion ruled with
undisputed power over every rank and class in Britain.
Gowns and mantles were allowed to be worn short by
persons of and above the rank of a lord ; all other
gentlemen were obliged to wear them as low as the
knees, or pay a fine of twenty shillings, which in many
cases was most willingly forfeited to his majesty.
Shortly afterwards, robes cut and slashed, and or-
namented with devices and flowers, were prohibited,
and the unlucky tailor who should venture to make
the said habiliments was to be imprisoned. Cloth of
velvet and gold, and several of the rich furs, were also
restricted to the use of the nobility, and various other
laws on the same subject were enacted.
The gentlemen's costume in the reigns of the two
succeeding Henrys, greatly resembled that of the time
we have just recorded. Short gowns and long ones,
tunics that swept the ground, or that reached only to
the knees, immense sleeves, and hoods, formed the
general features of dress. Buskins also became the
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THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
fashion, and we now for the first time hear of short
cotes. The hair was worn short, and beards nearly
disappeared,
The ladies' dress altered very little, except that
the côte-hardie assumed rather more the shape of a
spencer or jacket than of a waistcoat, and that the
girdle, instead of slipping over the hips, encircled the
waist, and gave a much more graceful appearance to
the costume.
The reign of Henry the Fifth is noted in the
annals of fashion for the introduction into England
of that celebrated monstrosity, the horned head-
dress, so much admired by
the ladies, and so much dis-
liked and found fault with by
writers and preachers of the
fifteenth century. It was com-
pared to a horned snail, to a
gibbet, and to many other
equally frightful objects. But
the abuse levelled at their
favourite coiffure only made
the fair wearers more determined to persevere in con-
tinuing it, and the élégantes of England and France
nobly resisted every effort to deprive their heads of so
admired an ornament.
There were, however, some other coiffures worn,
by those whose courage sank beneath the determined
opposition the horned head-dress met with. As in
the former reign, golden net-work round the head was
sometimes seen, and a peaked coiffure, with a veil
falling behind.
Towards the close of this reign, the sleeves of
35
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
71
gowns became immensely long and wide, so that the
ends often fell to the ground, and served as a muff to
conceal the delicate hands; for as yet gloves were
only worn by men.
When the côte-hardie disappeared, ladies must
have wondered at the metamorphosis in their shapes,
occasioned by its banishment; for certainly it was any
thing but an elegant garment, and probably its de-
parture first suggested the wearing stays, which ap-
peared towards the end of the fifteenth century.
72
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
CHAPTER V.
It would require the pen of a Paradin or a Stubbs
to enumerate the numberless
grotesque, fantastic garments in-
vented, imported, and worn,
during the troublous times of
King Henry the Sixth ; and
(“not to speak it profanely”)
the lords of the creation must
have looked, at that period, won-
drously like that illustrious and
amusing personage, Punch.
That favourite head-gear, the
chaperon, or hood, assumed the
shape of the roll of a turban,
with a point standing up from
the middle, like a handle. Over
this was sometimes thrown a long
piece of linen, which hung to the ground, or was carried
1
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
73
over the arm. Frequently by this streamer, called
“the Tippet,” the hood was allowed to hang negli-
gently on the back of the wearer.
Chausses, made very tight, continued in fashion,
and they were still seen of two colours. The bottines
of the former reign grew longer in the leg, and the
points shot out to a most amazing length, ending with a
point like a needle. How the gallants of that time
contrived to walk in them, must remain a mystery.
Although they did not turn upwards, like the crakowes
formerly mentioned, yet they were quite as ridiculous.
Paradin, speaking of these poulaines, says: “When
men became tired of these pointed shoes, they adopted
others in their stead, denominated duck-bills, having
a bill or beak before, of four or five fingers in length.”
The cloaks and mantles were frequently covered
with the most grotesque embroidery, in every variety
of pattern. There were often circular arm-holes,
trimmed with fur, and a small cape, cut round, and
lying flat, permitting the throat to appear. The jacket,
or doublet, allowed an under-vest or waistcoat to be
seen, the tight sleeves of which peeped out from under-
neath the wide ones of the upper garment. Sometimes
the doublet reached to the knees; but the mode of
wearing it short was gradually becoming the fashion,
and banishing the long gowns and tunics.
The horned coiffure still engrossed the admiration
of the ladies, but several alterations were gradually
made in it. Instead of standing out sideways to an
immense width, it was raised upwards in the shape of
a fork, with long lappets hanging down on either side.
Other head-dresses were not unlike tocques. But in
every coiffure the hair was carefully concealed ; and
74
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
though queens, on the day of their coronation, usually
allowed their luxuriant tresses to hang down in all
their native richness, their fair subjects appeared to
think such a mode by no means an ornamental one.
One coiffure of this period was shaped like a heart,
with a semicircular opening at the lower part, for the
admission of the head, round which was a border,
generally ornamented with jewels. Another of these
7
curious structures was very high and pointed, and the
veil, or fall of linen, spread itself over the two forks,
and fell down behind. But in no picture do we find
the veil drawn over the face, or apparently used for
any thing but an ornament.
The queen of Charles the Sixth of France is
accused of having introduced these curious coiffures
into that country, from her native land, Bavaria, and,
like all other foreign modes, they quickly crossed the
Channel, and appeared in England.
The waists of the gowns throughout this reign were
remarkable for their excessive shortness, so different
from the hour-glass form given by the now despised
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
75
côte-hardie. Some robes, with capes or collars of fur,
also appeared ; and stomachers of various colours,
terminating in a point, varied the sameness of the
costume.
A picture of the poet Chaucer, mentioned in
Granger's “ Biographical History of England,” has
the following lines written under it, and the date 1436.
They are characteristic of the dress of that day, though
not complimentary to the bard, who, however, is said
to have been the handsomest man of his time :-
“ His stature was not very tall,
Lean he was, his legs were small,
Hosed within a stock of red,
A buttoned bonnet on his head.”
The caps, or, as they were then called, bonnets,
were made of fine cloth, silk, and velvet, and were
perfectly dazzling with jewellery. Another picture
represents a lady in the costume of the year 1454.
.
Around her head she wears a broad embroidered
bandeau, from which, on the right side, is sus-
pended, in a festoon, a large string of pearls. The
graceful folds of a flowing veil cover the rest of the
head, and form a coiffure infinitely preferable to the
horned towers we before described. The garment is
a long loose vest, plaited in front; it has a richly
embroidered collar, and the sleeves are tight down to
the wrist, and trimmed with buttons.
The reign of Edward the Fourth may be termed
the era of short garments. The gowns and tunics
disappeared, except in state and official costumes; and
the petit maitres of England appeared in jackets
(which they called pourpoints) of a most unseemly
76
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
brevity, and padded out to a wonderful extent. The
sleeves were frequently very short, and puffed at the
shoulders, and beneath them ex-
tended to the wrist the long sleeves
of their shirts. The collar of the
pourpoint lay flat, and underneath
it hung a rich gold chain. The
chausses were quite tight to the
feet, and usually terminated by
poulaines. To finish the costume
of these élégants of the fifteenth
century, their hair was dressed so
as to fall over their eyes, and their
heads gloried in caps rivalling in
height the steeple coiffure of the
ladies. The rank of the wearer
was then known by the length of
the far-famed poulaines. “The
men,” says Paradin, “wore them
with a point before, half a foot long ; the richer and
more eminent personages wore them a foot; and
princes, two feet long."
With a view to check such absurd modes, the king
ordered that no one under the rank of a lord should
wear shoes more than ten inches long, or short jackets,
padded or wadded ; and all tailors and cobblers making
the like were to pay a fine, and to be cursed by the
clergy. Other sumptuary laws relating to rich furs,
to cloth of gold, and various manufactures, were also
made.
The ladies' coiffures again occupy much attention
during this reign. They were often tall and pointed,
like steeples; or, to use the words of Paradin, “they
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177
resembled asses' ears."
the most curious :-
Here are drawings of two of
Gowns with bodices laced in front now became the
fashion. Strutt imagines they were stays, from their
being called corse. Trains were banished, and the
ladies'
gowns were trimmed with rich fur; they had
also sumptuous girdles, with clasps, and long gold
chains encircled their necks.
In a print of Richard the Third, contained in
Walpole's life of that monarch, we find him repre-
sented with log, curling hair, but neither beard, whis-
kers, nor moustaches. His pourpoint appears to be
embroidered with the royal arms across the breast;
his pantaloons, or chausses, are quite tight, reach to
the feet, and are without ornament; his large shoes
are barred across; his sleeves tight, with rosettes at
the elbows; and a sort of puffed handkerchief, not
unlike a ruff, encircles his neck; his cloak has a train
that sweeps along the ground, and is lined with ermine.
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THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
On his head he wears a crown. His queen has long
hair, hanging to her waist, and parted over the fore-
head; her robe is splendid; her furred mantle (em-
broidered with the arms of England, and of her own
family) is closed at the throat with a magnificent
brooch, so that but little of the under garment is
visible.
Walpole gives a curious memorandum of the dress
of the unfortunate Edward the Fifth, which was or-
dered for him to wear at his uncle's coronation. The
account is preserved in the royal wardrobe roll, and is
as follows:-—"A short gowne, made of two yards and
three quarters of crymsy cloth of gold; lyned with
two yards of blue velvet; a long gowne made of vi.
yards 5 of crimsy cloth of gold, lyned with six yards
of
green damask; a short gowne, made of two yards à
of purpell velvet, lyned with two yards å of green
damask; a doublett, and a stomacher of two yards of
blue satin, and a bonet of purpell velvet.” The man-
date from Richard the Third to his wardrobe-keeper,
dated from York, also contains a list of splendid dresses
of this period.
The shape of the shoes worn at this time is curious.
The dress of Henry the Seventh at his coronation, in
1485, consisted of a shirt of fine lawn, a vest of
crimson silk, with an opening in the front; crimson
sarcenet chausses, laced with ribands to the coat, which
was lined with ermine, decorated with bows of gold
and riband, and trimmed with minever. The mantle
was of crimson satin, laced with silk, and adorned with
tassels. To this magnificent dress was added a crim-
son rose made of satin.
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
79
The female coiffure of this day, as will be seen by the
picture annexed, had greatly
changed; it was three-cor-
nered on the face, and in form
not unlike a church porch;
it fell over the shoulders be-
hind, and had long lappets
reaching to the waist.
But there were many other
head-dresses introduced dur-
ing this reign. The hair
usually fell in all its luxuri-
ance down the back, unfet-
tered by comb or fillet, and
very beautiful were the long
fair ringlets of many of the
dames and maidens of Britain. Some of the coiffures
are not unlike ornamented turbans; others resemble
the capuchon worn by the men ; and others, again,
are round and pointed, but not high. So various and
so strange were many of these head-dresses, that we
may almost imagine Fashion was at this time amusing
her own fancies at the expense of her votaries, and
forcing her followers to render themselves ridiculous,
and even ugly, to shew her power over them.
The waists of the robes were now made so as to
pinch in the figure; they were cut square over the
bosom, or reached to the throat, and were confined by
a girdle, or belt, with a splendid ornament in front,
terminated with a cordeliere and tassel. The petticoats,
or kirtles, were full, but without trains, and usually
had a coloured border round the bottom. The sleeves
were as various as the coiffures; sometimes they were
80
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
>>
very full, and held in at the wrist by a narrow band,
or the fulness confined into two or three large puffs
down the arm ; some, however, were left quite loose,
and hanging, not unlike those worn a few years since
in England, and they were not unfrequently trimmed
with a border to match the bottom of the robe.
Elizabeth, queen of Henry the Seventh, wore a
splendid dress the day before her coronation. It is
described in Cotton's manuscript, and consisted “ of
mantle of white cloth of gold damask, furred with
ermines, fastened on her breast with a large lace
curiously wrought with gold and silk, with rich knoppes
of gold at the end tasselled.” On the day of her nup-
tials, the same queen wore, according to Leland, her
long fair hair hanging down her back, with “a calle
of pipes over it."
" At the close of the fifteenth century,” says Strutt,
“ the dress of the English was exceedingly fantastical
and absurd.” How often may not this phrase be
repeated when diving into the annals of the toilette
of both men and women!
To begin with the head, the hair was parted back
from the forehead, and fell in long-flowing ringlets
upon the shoulders, which made the warriors of that
day look very effeminate, particularly as the face was
divested of beard, whiskers, and moustaches; which
latter appendages to the upper lip were never seen but
on the faces of the aged.
As a covering to the curling locks, velvet caps
were worn, with such towers of plumes of different
colours standing upright from the head, or negligently
drooping over one side, that they appeared at a dis-
tance like a forest of pine-trees waving beneath a
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
81
summer breeze. Those gallants who did not approve
of these splendid head-dresses wore broad felt or fur
hats; and the hood, so favourite a covering for the
head ever since the reign of Edward the Third, now
nearly disappeared.
Slashed garments were very much worn; the
sleeves, particularly, were covered with puffings and
ornaments. The shirts, too, were embroidered in silk,
and had full long sleeves of fine linen, which were
seen below the upper sleeve of the doublet. In this
reign, an old author says, gentlemen wore “petty
cottes, doublettes, long cottes, stomachers, hozen, socks,
shoen."
The fashion of wearing broad shoes, which com-
menced in the preceding reign, was now very preva-
lent; their appearance was most ridiculous, the more
so from their contrast to the late peaked ones; and
they must have been very uncomfortable to the wearer.
It is asserted that they were first brought into Eng-
land from Holland.
The upper part of the chausses, or hosen, was now
beginning to be formed of a different material and
colour from the lower part, and was frequently puffed
with satin, like the doublet, and gaily embroidered.
On the day of his coronation, Henry the Eighth's
dress was splendid in the extreme. His coat was
literally embossed with gold; the placardo covered
with
every kind of precious stone; the bawdrech on
his neck with balesses, and the mantle of crimson
velvet was lined with ermine. His queen wore a long
gown of embroidered white satin, and her hair, like
that of Queen Anne, hung down her back.
A great many authors appear to have written upon
G
82
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
gu
dress during this reign, for even the clergy had caught
the fashionable infection, though some chroniclers
- assert that they did not attempt to wear silk and em-
broidery till Cardinal Wolsey set them the example.
Authors of that, and indeed later periods, wrote much
and strongly against the prevalence of confounding the
different degrees of society, by allowing all ranks to
wear the same dress ; much also was preached, writ-
ten, and said, against “pride of hair,” as an ancient
author termed the profusion of hair worn at this time,
and the extravagant manner in which it was “plaited,
braided, bowed, and combed.”
Henry the Eighth is represented in an old picture,
at the time of his interview
with Francis the First, when
both monarchs displayed every
kind of magnificence and ex-
travagance, as habited in a
garment composed of cloth of
gold, over a jacket of rose-co-
loured velvet. His collar was
composed of rubies and pearls,
set in alternate rows, and on
his breast hung a rich jewel
of St. George, suspended by
a riband. His boots were of
yellow leather, and his hat of
black velvet, with a white
feather turning over the brim,
and beneath it a broad band of, rubies, emeralds,
and diamonds, mixed with pearls.' His pages were
splendidly attired in crimson, with the union Rose
embroidered on the back of the doublet, between a
***
2 A
MY/
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
83
dragon and a greyhound. Their breeches and sleeves
also were slashed, and curiously puffed out with fine
cambric, and they had white stockings and shoes.
The exact time when ruffs were first worn is not
known. It is said they were invented by a Spanish
lady, to hide a wen upon her neck ; it is, however,
certain that they were much in fashion in the reign
of Henry the Eighth, and flourished greatly through
this and several succeeding reigns.
The doublet was now worn with slashes and cuts,
and the waistband, reaching just below the arm-pits,
had eight kinds of skirts appended to it.
In a picture by Holbein of the lovely but unfortu-
nate Anne Boleyn, we see the
dress she wore on the day she
became Queen of England. It
is much the same as the one
we have described as worn by
Elizabeth. Stowe gives the
following account of another,
in which she appeared about
that time: “Then,” says he,
“ proceeded forth the queene,
in a circote and robe of purple
velvet, furred with ermine, in
her hayre coife and circlet.
After her followed ladies,
being lords' wives, which had
circotes of scarlet, with narrow sleeves, the breast all
lettice, with barres' of pouders, according to their
degrees ; and over that they had mantles of scarlet,
furred, and every mantle had lettice about the necke,
84
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
like a neckerchiefe, likewise poudered, so that by their
pouderings their degrees might be knowne. Then
followed ladies, being knights' wives, in gownes of
scarlet, with narrow sleeves, without traines, only
edged with lettice."
The hair is gracefully arranged in Holbein's pic-
ture. It is drawn back from the forehead in small
curls; a broad plait hangs from the top of the head,
over one ear; and the crown, placed far back, is held
in its place by an ornamented caul and wreath of gold.
In another portrait, Anne is represented with her
hair braided over her forehead, and hanging down
over her shoulders; on her head is a cap, adorned
with precious stones, and a tassel falling behind. Her
train is not long, and her sleeves are large, wide,
open down the outside, and ornamented with three
bows of riband. But this cannot be strictly considered
the English costume of this reign; for, Anne having
passed many years in France, it is likely that she
might adopt the · fashions of that nation-amongst
others, that of wearing lappets.
During the reign of a monarch who delighted so
much in splendour and display of every kind, in
masques, tournaments, and jousts, and who, we are
told, even on ordinary occasions, wore a collar of ballas
rubies pendant from his neck, diamonds inserted in
his bonnet, and rings clustering round his fingers, it
is to be supposed that his courtiers vied with each
other in splendour and magnificence of apparel. The
grave churchmen, too, had an example of extravagance
and display set before them, which they were not slow
to follow, for nothing could surpass the richness of the
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
85
attire of Cardinal Wolsey; his very shoes, says Roy,
being
“Of gold and stones precious,
Costing many a thousand pounds."
These were, indeed, the days when gallants
“ Wear a farm in shoe-strings edged with gold,
And spangled garters worth a copyhold;
A hose and doublet which a lordship cost,
A gaudy cloak three mansions' price almost ;
A beaver hat and feather for the head,
Prized at the church's tithe.”
Under the house of Tudor, no shoe could be
fashionable that was not fastened with a full-blown
rose ; but in shape they were not so extravagantly
long as those formerly worn.
Under Henry the Eighth, silk stockings, it is said,
were first brought to England. On this subject, how-
ever, there seems to be some doubt. Planché, in his
History of British Costume,” thus describes their
introduction : “ Hose or stockings of silk are gene-
rally supposed to have been unknown in this country
before the middle of the sixteenth century; and a
pair of long Spanish hose of silk were presented as a
gift worthy the acceptance of a monarch, by Sir T.
Gresham, to Edward the Sixth."
Howe, in the continuation to Stowe's “Chronicle,"
asserts that Henry the Eighth never wore any hose
but such as were made of cloth. This, however, is
contradicted by an entry mentioned in the inventory
of his apparel, which is to be found in the Harleian
Library, where we read the account of several pairs of
“silk hose, ” “ one short pair of black silk and gold
86
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
ܪ
woven together; one of purple silk and Venice gold,
woven like unto a cawl [i.e. of open or net-work],
lined with blue silver (sarcenet], edged with a passe-
main [lace] of purple silk and gold, wrought at Milan
a pair of white silk and gold hose, knit; and six pair
of black silk hose, knit.” And in an inventory of still
earlier date, taken about the eighth year of his reign,
both satin and velvet are mentioned as the materials
of which his hose are composed.
But then the question arises, whether, by the word
“hose,” the writer of the above really meant stockings,
or whether he intended to describe the nether garment
so much worn at that time, which consisted of stockings
and breeches all in one, frequently called, by old writers,
“hose” and “hosen ?” Shakspeare uses the word for
breeches, and also for stockings : “ He, being in love,
could not see to garter his hose.” Howe certainly
intended to express stockings; but, probably, the
“ embroidered and lined hose,” and those made of
satin and velvet, were, in fact, the coverings of the
upper part of the legs, which at that time were fre-
quently made of velvet, satin, cloth of gold, and other
rich materials; and this appears the more likely, as
in another part of the same inventory we read an
entry as follows: “A yard and a half of green velvet
for stocks to a paire of hose for the king's grace ;” and
in other parts we find various stuffs mentioned, used
for “stocking the hose.
The shoes at this time were variously shaped, and
richly ornamented. Buskins, slashed like the doublets,
were also very fashionable. Some were of satin, some
of velvet, and frequently the toes were broad and wide,
and the shoe had a strap across the instep.
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
87
In the “ Memoirs of the Court of Henry the
Eighth,” we read: “The dress of females of rank was
restricted by limitations of a nature somewhat similar
to those which restricted the absurdities of male attire,
and was less extravagant. The gown, composed of silk
or velvet, was shortened or lengthened according to
the rank of the wearer.
The countess was obliged by
the rules of etiquette to have a train before and behind,
which she hung upon her arm, or fastened in her
girdle ; the baroness, and all under her degree, were
prohibited from assuming that badge of distinction.
The matrons were distinguished from unmarried wo-
men by the different mode of their head-attire; the
hood of the former had recently been superseded by a
coif, or close bonnet, of which the pictures of Holbein
give a representation ; while the youthful and the
single, with characteristic simplicity, wore the hair
braided with knots of riband.”
Frontlets and lappets now came into fashion; also
hats and bonnets. The lappets often fell below the
shoulders, and were frequently made of velvet, studded
with precious stones. Some were very broad, others
broad near the face, and tapering towards the ends.
Sometimes they turned back, and fluttered in the
breeze like streamers.
Embroidered petticoats and gowns were now much
worn by the female sex. The latter were frequently
made open in front, so as to shew the satin kirtle be-
neath ; an embroidered apron, flowered in gold and
coloured silks, was also greatly admired. The bodice,
or, as it was formerly called, the surcoat, was generally
of a different colour from the rest of the dress, and
had a richly ornamented stomacher. “Gowns of blew
88
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
velvet, cut and lined with cloth of gold, made after
the fashion of Savoy,” are named by a writer of the
day, who also describes the dress worn by Anne of
Cleves, which consisted of “ a ryche gowne of cloth of
gold, raised, made round, without any trayne, after
the Dutch fashion.”
Thanks to the observations of these old chroni-
clers, we are here informed of two new modes, but
the latter one appears not to have pleased the English
ladies, as we do not read of its being adopted.
The partlet and waistcoat were also invented at
this time. The former, Mr. Strutt imagines, usurped
the place of the gorget or barbe. In an inventory of
that day we read of “partelets of Venice gold knit,
two partelets of Venice gold, caul fashion, two of white
thread, and two partelets of white lawn, wrought with
gold about the collars." They are supposed to have
resembled modern habit-shirts, and were made with or
without sleeves.
Ladies' head-dresses were various : sometimes they
wore a velvet cap, adorned with jewels, and a long-
flowing veil ; others adopted a caul, a coif, or a
French hood; and Stowe speaks of three-cornered
caps. They were, he says, white, and three-square,
and the peaks full three or four inches from the
head. Frontlets were also worn, before bonnets were
introduced.
The gentlemen's hair, which, till this reign, had
been worn long and flowing, was, by an order of this
despotic monarch, condemned to be cut quite short, to
the no small disgust of the gallants of that day, who,
however, were a little consoled by the gracious per-
mission of their sovereign to wear a fierce beard and
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
89
long curling moustaches. But, alas! a sumptuary law
was now passed, by which no person not of the royal
family could wear fur of the black genet, and no per-
son under the rank of a viscount fur of sable; and,
still worse, no person under the degree of a knight
of the garter might wear crimson or blue velvet, or
embroidered apparel, brooched or guarded with gold-
smith's work, except the sons and heirs of barons and
knights, who were permitted to use crimson velvet and
tinsel in their doublets.
Coats of various shapes were now worn ; also jackets
and frocks, which Hall says were jackets with skirts :
waistcoats, too, were invented ; and, by an inventory of
Henry's own habiliments, we find numerous “trimmed
shirts wrought with black and white silk, and shirt-
bands of silver, with ruffles to the same, whereof one
is perled with gold.”
Hall, who was very particular in describing dress,
gives the following account of that of King Henry in
the first year of his reign :—“A suit of short gar-
ments, little beneathe the pointes, of blew velvet and
crymosyne, with long sleeves, all cut and lyned with
cloth of gold, and the utter parts of the garmentes
powdered with castles and sheafes of arrowes, of fyne
dockett golde; the upper part of the hosen of like
sewte and facion ; the nether parts of scarlet, pow-
dered with tymbrelles of fine gold. On his head was
a bonnet of damaske silver, flatte woven in the stoll,
and thereupon wrought with gold, and ryche feathers
in it.” Another day, Hall says the king was habited
“in a frocke, all embroidered over with flatted gold
of damaske, with small lace mixed between of the
same gold, and other laces of the same going traverse-
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wise, that the ground little appeared ; and about this
garment was a rich guard, or border, very curiously
embroidered; the sleeves and the breast were cut and
lined with cloth of gold, and tied together with great
buttons of diamonds, rubies, and orient pearles.
Gowns are now mentioned of all shapes, --- long,
short, loose, or tight; and another garment is spoken
of by Hall, a chammer or shamew. Many other
articles are also named in the inventories of this
reign ; among them are capes with buttons or points,
“a paire of trunk sleeves, of redde cloth of gold, with
cut workes, having twelve pair of agletes of gold, and
a pair of French sleeves of green velvet, richly embroi-
dered with flowers of damask gold, pirl of Morisco
work, with knops of Venice gold, cordian raised, either
sleeve having six small buttons of gold, and in every
button a pearle, and the branches of the flowers set
with pearles.” In another part we read of a pair of
sleeves “ruffed at the hande, with strawberry leaves
and flowers of golde, embroidered with blacke silke.”
The chausses, or long hose, were again la grande
mode, and velvet caps with plumes of feathers, flat
caps, and broad-brimmed hats, first appeared among
the fashionables.
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THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
CHAPTER VI.
The following extract from the last sermon Lati-
mer preached before the youthful King Edward gives
a good idea of the dresses of 1550, and of the
rage
for
French fashions. Speaking of the ladies, he says:
They must wear French hoods, and I cannot tell
you, I, what to call it. And, when they make them
ready, and come to the covering of the heade, they
will call and say, "Give me my French hood, give me
my bonnet, and my cap,' and so forth. But here is a
vengeance devil; we must have our power [a name he
gave to the bonnet] from Turkey of velvet. Far fette,
dear bought, and, when it cometh, it is a false signe.
I had rather have a true English signe than a signe
from Turkey; it is a false signe when it covereth not
their heads, as it should do. For if they would keep
it under the power, as they ought to do, there should
92.
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
not be any such tussocks nor tufts be seen as there be,
nor such laying out of the hair, nor braiding to have
it open.”
The gentlemen in this reign wore velvet caps, with
a band round them, and a rosette of ribands and jewels
on one side. The beard, too, flourished greatly. Ruffs
were worn by men and women, and flat caps and
jackets by the former; while, with the latter, the
annexed head-dress, though of a curious shape, was a
USCLE
great favourite; the ornaments on the sides of the
head resemble feathers.
Let us now turn to
“ The lovely rose of Bradgate's sylvan shades.”
The amiable and unfortunate Queen Jane is repre-
sented in most of her pictures in a very long-waisted
gown of some rich material, with a pointed stomacher
and tight sleeves. Her hair is generally simply braided
on the forehead, and a veil hangs down behind; but,
on the day of her coronation, she was sumptuously
attired in a gown of cloth of gold, raised with pearls;
a stomacher blazing with jewels, and a surcoat of
purple velvet edged with ermine, and embroidered in
gold; her head-dress was a coif, or caul, of velvet, of
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93
the form then in fashion, and usually adorned with
gold and precious stones.
At this time, gowns were made very long, the
sleeves covered the arms to the waist, and but little of
the neck was allowed to be seen. Sometimes the
bodice was pointed, and of a different colour from the
petticoat, and the hair was simply arranged.
The dress of the Duke of Northumberland, at the
same date, is very splendid. His doublet was of white
satin, with a kind of breast-plate of purple cloth of
gold, powdered with jewels, and edged with fur. His
mantle was of cloth of silver, lined with blue velvet,
and festooned with a clasp of precious stones.
Stevens says that periapts, or charms, were worn
about the neck in the sixteenth century, as preserva-
tives from disease or danger. The first chapter of
St. John's Gospel was usually inscribed upon them,
as it was deemed the most effective. They were often
of gold or precious stones, richly ornamented.
When we speak of the reign of Mary, we may
exclaim, ----
“Here Fashion, motley goddess, changing still,
Finds ready subjects to obey her will,
Who laugh at Nature and her simple rules;'
for this may well be considered the era of ruffs and
farthingales, and as the fashion of both came from
Spain, it is probable that the queen first wore them
out of compliment to her husband. They soon became
quite the rage among all classes.
At first, no doubt, the British ladies found these
extraordinary modes inconvenient and unpleasant;
but they remembered the adage, « Il faut souffrir
94
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
pour être belle,” and submitted with a good grace.
The queen herself had all her royal father's love of
splendour, and revived much of the magnificence of
apparel that had been forgotten during the reign of
Edward. Bigoted, cruel, and blood-thirsty as she
was, possessing neither the majesty of him whose
“ Smile was transport, and whose frown was fate,"
nor yet any of the proud beauty of her mother, she
endeavoured to make up for her want of personal
attractions by the aids of the toilette. Her usual
dress was a robe of coloured velvet, trimmed with
costly fur and jewels, and upon her head she often
wore a caul of cloth of gold, set with precious stones.
At this time long stomachers were worn, which
made the waists look very small, and the farthingale,
suddenly swelling out over the hips, gave the figure
an appearance very different from that intended by
Nature. Hanging sleeves also were invented, and
open gowns, with embroidered petticoats underneath.
The hair was worn quite plain, or simply curled on
the temples.
After the “good Queen Bess" came to the throne,
the fashions altered in a most remarkable manner.
Her majesty, who was as devoted to dress as any
modern votary of Fashion, possessed costumes of all
countries, and is said to have left three thousand
habits in her wardrobe when she died. Her vanity
and weakness on this subject have been frequently
alluded to by historians; and in an old report of the
presents made to her, we find that the courtiers used
to give her gowns, petticoats, kirtles, doublets, or
mantles, some embroidered, and adorned with jewels.
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
95
In the account of a journey to England by Paul
Hentzer, we have the following description of her
dress :
“The queen had in her ears two pearls, with
very
rich drops ; she wore false hair, and that red; upon
her head she had a small crown; her neck was un-
covered, and she had a necklace of exceeding fine
jewels. Her gown was white silk, bordered with
pearls the size of beans, and over it a mantle of blush
silk, shot with silver threads; her train was very long.
Instead of a chain, she had an oblong collar of gold
and jewels.”
During this reign, an upper dress of velvet, fre-
quently embroidered and trimmed with ermine, was
much worn.
It resembled a great-coat, and was
usually fastened at the throat, and open down the
front to the feet, so as to display the satin kirtle and
vest. This garment is thus described by Stubbs,
whose pen was ever directed against the fopperies of
the age :-“The women,” he says, “have doublets
and jerkins, as the men have, buttoned up to the
chin, and made with welts, wings, and pinions on the
shoulder-points, as man's apparel in all respects; and
although this be a kind of attire proper only to a man,
yet they blush not to wear it.”
Queen Elizabeth, whose ruffs were always of larger
dimensions than those of her ladies, was much troubled
to find a laundress who could undertake the difficult
task of starching her cambric and lawn ruffs; for her
majesty disdained to encircle her royal throat with
those made of Holland, usually worn by her subjects;
she therefore sent abroad for a Dutchwoman, whose
knowledge of this art was celebrated. « There is a
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>>
certain liquid matter which they call starch, wherein
the devil,” says Stubbs,
says Stubbs, “hath learned them to wash
and dive their ruffs, which, being dry, will then stand
stiff and inflexible about their necks.' He also al-
ludes to a device made of wire, “ crested for the pur-
pose, and whipped all over either with gold, thread,
silver, or silk, called a suppertasse, or under-propper.”
These great ruffs, or neckerchiefs, made of lawn,
Holland, cambric, and such cloth, “so fine that the
thickest thread shall not be so big as the least hair
that is,” three or four sometimes placed under the
“master devil ruff," " which was often loaded and
adorned with gold, silver, and needlework,” must have
been most wonderful structures, particularly when they
expanded like wings, as high as the head, or fell over
the shoulders like flags!
“ And then their gowns,” exclaims the censor, “be
no less famous than the rest; for some be of silk,
some of velvet, some of grograin, some of taffeta, some
of scarlet, and some of fine cloth, of ten, twenty, or
forty shillings the yard; but if the whole garment be
not of silk or velvet, then the same must be layed over
with lace two or three fingers broad, all over the
gowne; or, if the lace be not fine enough for them,
they must be decorated with broad gardes of velvet,
edged with costly lace. The fashions, too, are changing
as the moon; for some be of the new fashion, and
some of the olde ; some with sleeves hanging down to
the skirts, trailing to the ground, and cast over their
shoulders like cow-tails; some have sleeves much
shorter, cut up the arm, drawn out with sundry
colours, and pointed with silk ribands, and very gal-
lantly tied with love-knotts, for so they call them.”
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97
These robes frequently had deep capes of velvet
or satin, fringed about very bravely," or crested
down the back with more knacks" than can be
described. “But what is more vain," he adds, "of
whatever the petticoat be, yet must they have kirtles,
for so they call them, of silk, velvet, grograin, taffeta,
satin, or scarlet, bordered with gards, lace, fringe, and
I cannot tell what.” “Then they must have their
silk scarfs, cast about their faces, and fluttering in the
wind, with great lappels, at every end, either of gold,
or silver, or silk, which they say they wear to keep
them from sun-burning.” Again : “ Their fingers
must be decked with gold, silver, or precious stones ;
their wrists with bracelets and annulets of gold and
costly jewels; their hands covered with sweet-washed
gloves, embroidered with gold and silver; and they
must have looking-glasses carried with them where-
soever they go
and they are not ashamed
to make holes in their ears, whereat they hang rings
and other jewels of gold and precious stones.”
The partelet, or habit-shirt, was sometimes worn
with the ruff; at others, the latter fabric alone encir-
cled the throat, and partially concealed the bosom,
which at this period was more uncovered than it had
hitherto been in the annals of fashion. But the abo-
mination of wearing short sleeves, which once, during
the reign of Henry the Eighth, astonished and shocked
the fair dames of Britain, appears to have been a mode
that they could not bring themselves to follow ; indeed,
for many years, arms “naked down from the elbows,"
as Hall describes them, were looked upon with horror
and disgust.
Stubbs, who never spared the follies of the age in
*
H
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THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
1
which he lived, thus speaks of the head-dresses of ladies
in 1585 : “ Then,” says he, “ follow the trimming and
tricking of their heades, in laying out their haire to
shewe, which of force must be curled, frisled, and
crisped, laid out (a world to see) on wreathes and
borders, from one ear to the other. And least it
should fall down, it is underpropped with forks, wiers,
and I cannot tell what, like grim, sterne monsters
rather than chaste Christian matrones. Then on the
edges of their boulstred haire (for it standeth crested
rounde about their frontiers, and hanging over their
faces like pendices or vailes, with glass windowes on
every side), there is laide great wreathes of golde and
silver, curiously wrought and cunningly applied to the
temple of their heads. And for feare of lacking any
thing to set forth their pride withall, at their haire
thus wreathed and crested, are hanged bugles (I dare
not say bables), ouches, rynges, gold, silver, glasses,
and such other childishe gewgawes.
"
Cauls were now very fashionable; they had been
la mode among the higher ranks for many years.
Holinshed mentions one worn by Queen Mary, “that
was so massie and ponderous with gold and jewels,
that she was faine to beare up her head with her
hand.” Stubbs says of them : “ They have also other
ornaments besides these to furnishe for their ingenious
heades, which they call (as I remember) caules, made
netwise, to the end, as I think, that the cloth of gold,
cloth of silver, or else tinsell (for that is worst where-
with their heades are covered and attired withall un-
derneath their caules), may the better appeare and
shew itself, in the bravest manner, so that a man that
seeth them (their heades glister and shine in such
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
99
sorte) would think them to have golden heades; and
some weare lettice caps, with three hornes-three
corners, I should say - like the forked
like the forked cappes of
priests, with their perriwinkles, chitterlings, and the
like."
In Ellis's “Letters,” we read, among some items
relating to the wardrobe of Queen Elizabeth, under
the head Attier, the following:
“ Item. One cawle of hair set with pearles in number xliij.
"Item. One do. set with pearle of sundry sort and biguess, with
seed pearle between them chevron wise cxcj.
“ Item. A cawle with nine trueloves of pearle, and seven buttons
of gold, in each button a rubie.”
From this extract we are led to suppose that the
false hair was called the CAUL, but on other occasions
it is certainly intended to describe a head dress : thus
an old poem says :
“ These glittering coules of golden plate,
Wherewith their heads were richly dect,
Makes them to seem an Angel mate
The judgment of the simple sect.'
And another author exclaims :-
“ Silk gownes and velvet shalt thou have,
With hoods and caules fit for thy heade,
Of goldsmiths' work a border brave,
A chain of gold ten double spread."
French hoods were now the mode, and continued
fashionable till the reign of Charles the First.
"Then
on toppes of their stately turrets (I mean heades),"
says the indefatigable Stubbs, “(wherein is more va-
nitie than true philosophie now and then) stand their
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TUNE
capitall ornaments, as French hood, hatte, cappe,
kercher, and such like; whereof some be of velvet,
some of taffatie, some (but
few) of wooll; some of this
fashion, some of that, some
of this colour, some of that,
according to the variable
phantasies of their serpentine
minds. And to such excess
is it growne, as every arti-
ficer's wife (almost) will not
sticke to goe in her hatte of
velvet every day; every merchant's wife and meane
gentlewoman in her French hood - and every poore
cottager's wife in her taffatie hatte, or else of wool at
least.”
Frontlets were now worn very broad, and fre-
quently highly ornamented; they fell over the face,
and served to protect the skin from the sun. Bonnets,
too, began to be la grande mode ; they were first
brought from Italy. Hall mentions “millen bonnets of
damaske gold, with lose gold, that did hang downe
their backes,” and “millen bonnets of crymson satten,
drawn through with cloth of gold.”
Elizabeth is represented in one of her portraits
with a head-dress, ornamented with jewels, very
nearly resembling a cushion ; a richly-laced ruff, laid
in close plaits, stands out on each side of her face
for a considerable way, and rests upon her bosom.
From the back of her gown two wings, probably of
fine lawn, edged with a border of jewels, and stiffened
with wire, rise in semicircular sweeps as high as the
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101
PE
WIS
seen.
MIC
دم
---- 1 Marinema
top of the head-dress, and turning down to the ears,
form the general shape
of a heart, with the face,
encircled with the ruff,
set in the midst. A
short, clumsy cloak, co-
vered with jewels and
embroidery, covers the
body of the gown, but
allows the small cuffs
of the sleeves, the full
ruffles, and an ornament
above the former, to be
The strait and
formal stomacher gives
S
her majestyan
im-
mensely long waist. It
is covered with jewels
and embossed gold, and her lower garment, or petticoat,
is of rich velvet.
In another portrait the hair is also turned over a
cushion, but without any ornament. Instead of the
immense ruff and wings mentioned above, a sort of
fan, of clear muslin, edged with rich lace, stands up
behind the neck. What this curious fabric is called,
or why worn, Fashion alone can tell; but it is fre-
quently seen in the pictures of the time of Queen
Elizabeth. The robe is made very tight, quite plain,
long-waisted, and has tight sleeves, but the farthingale
which puffs it out over the hips gives it a very ridi-
culous appearance.
In general, the size of the ruffs was enormous,
probably to keep the farthingales in countenance. As
Brits
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THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
her gracious majesty is represented in almost all her
portraits with the hair dressed as we have described,
we may suppose that it was her favourite coiffure, and
if so, it was, undoubtedly, the fashionable head-dress
of her time. Sometimes she is seen with a small
cap, ornamented with frills, placed on the back of her
head.
It is perhaps strange that Elizabeth, hating, as
she certainly did, every thing Spanish, should have
adopted two of their modes, and continued partial to
them for so many years.
Among the various head-dresses of this reign, we
find one called the ship tire ; which Warburton tells
us “was an open coiffure, that left the neck and
shoulders exposed.” Another, denominated the tire
valiant, was, on the contrary, so closed up with
kerchiefs, of various kinds, that nothing could be seen
above the eyes or below the chin.
The lower class of females generally wore caps.
“ The men and women, also,” says Malone,
what were then called “thrum'd hats,' they were made
of a coarse kind of woollen cloth.” Shakspeare men-
tions them and another part of female attire, when he
makes Mrs. Page exclaim, “And there's her thrum'd
hat, and her muffler too.” The latter was, probably,
a very ancient addition to dress, which concealed the
lower part of the face, and not the coverings for the
hands, mentioned under the same name in the early
reigns of our kings.
Masks and vizors of velvet, with glasses for the
eyes, were now worn ; they were kept on the face by
a bead attached to the inner part, and held in the
mouth of the wearer.
66 had
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103
1
The gentlemen at this period banished the full
pourpoint, and, delighting in extremes, replaced it by
a tight vest, resembling a waistcoat. They also now
wore more moderate-sized ruffs.
Stubbs devotes a whole chapter to the hats of this
period. “Sometimes,” he says, “ they use them
sharpe on the crowne, peaking up like the speare
or shaft of a steeple, standing a quarter of yard above
the crowne of the head. Some others are flatte
and broade on the crowne like the battlements of
a house. Another sort have round crownes, some-
times with one kind of band, sometimes with another
- now black, now white : now russet, now red :
now green, now yellow : now this, now that ; never
content with one colour or fashion two days to
an end. And thus they spend the Lord's treasure,
consuming their golden years and silver days in
wickedness and sin.” Again we read : “ And as the
fashions be rare and strange, so is the stuffs whereof
their hats be made divers also ; for some are of silk,
some of velvet, some of taffety, some of sarcenet, some
of wool, and, which is more curious, some of a certain
kind of fine hair; these they call Bever hats, of 20,
30, or 40 shillings price, fetched from beyond the
seas, from whence a great sort of other vanities come
besides.”
In Holinshed's “ Chronicle” we find the following
remarks upon the dress of this time. “ Nothing,'
says he, “is more constant in England than incon-
stancy of attire. Oh, how much cost is bestowed
now-a-days upon our bodies, and how little upon our
souls ! How many suits of apparel hath the one, and
how little furniture hath the other! How long a time
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THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
is asked in decking up the first, and how little space
left wherein to feed the latter! How curious, how
nice, also, are a number of men and women, and how
hardly can the tailor please them in making it fit for
their bodies ! How many times must it be sent back
again to him that made it ! then must we put it on-
then must the long seams of our hose be set by a
plumb-line. I will say nothing of our heads, which
sometimes are polled, sometimes curled, or suffered to
grow at length, like women's locks; many times cut
off above, or under the ears round, as by a wooden
dish. Neither will I meddle with our variety of
beards, of which some are shaven from the chin like
those of Turks, not a few cut short, like to the beard
of Marquisse Otto, some made round, like a rubbing-
brush, often with pique de vaux (a fine fashion), or
now and then suffered to grow long, the barbers being
grown to be so cunning in this behalf as the tailors
;
and, therefore, if a man have a lean and straight face,
a Marquisse Otto's cut will make it broad and large;
if it be flatter-like, a long, slender beard will make it
seem the narrower; if he be weasel-becked, then
much hair left on the cheeks will make its owner look
big, like bowdled hen, and so grim as a goose. If
Cornalis of Chelmsford say true, many odd men wear
no beards at all. Some lusty courtiers, also, and
gentlemen of courage, do wear either rings of gold,
stones, or pearls, in their ears, whereby they imagine
the workmanship of God not to be little amended.
But herein they rather disgrace than adorn their per-
sons, as by their niceness in apparel, for which I say
most nations do not unjustly deride us, as also that
we do seem to imitate all nations round about us,
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
105
are
wherein we be like to the polypus or chameleon. In
woman, also, it is much to be lamented that they do
now far exceed the lightness of our men (who, never-
theless, are transformed from the cap even to the
very shoe), and such staring attire as in time past
was supposed meet for none but light housewifes
only, is now become an habit for chaste and sober
matrons. What should I say of their doublets, full
of jags and cuts, and sleeves of sundry colours ?
Their galligascons to make their attire sit plum
round (as they term it) about them—their far-
dingales, and diversely-coloured nether stockes of
silk, and such like, whereby their bodies
rather deformed than commended. I have met
with some of these in London so disguised that it
hath passed my skill to discover whether they were
men or women. Certes, the common wealth cannot
be said to flourish when these abuses reign, but is
rather oppressed by unreasonable exactions made upon
rich farmers and poor tenants, wherewith to main-
tain the same.
Neither was it ever merrier with
England than when an Englishman was known abroad
by his own cloth, and contented himself at home with
his fine carsie hosen and a warm slop, his coat, gown,
and cloak, of brown, blue, or putre, with some pretty
furniture of velvet or fur, and a doublet of sad
tawnie or black velvet, or other comely silk, without
such cuts and gawrish colours as are worn in these
days, and were brought in by the consent of the
French, who think themselves the gayest men when
they have most diversities of iagges and change of
colours about them. Certes, of all estates our mer-
chants do least alter their attire, and, therefore, are
106
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
most to be commended ; for, albeit that which they
wear be very fine and costly, yet in form and colour
it representeth a great piece of the antient gravity
appertaining to the citizens and burgesses. Albeit
the younger sort of their wives, both in attire and
costly housekeeping, cannot tell when and how to
make an end, as being women, indeed, in whom all
kinds of curiosity is to be found and seen, and in far
greater measure than in women of higher calling.”
Stubbs tells us that the doublets were so hard-
quilted, stuffed, bombasted, and sewed, that men could
neither work nor yet play in them.
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107
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
CHAPTER VII.
It was during Elizabeth's reign that Sir Thomas
Gresham introduced the manufacture of pins and
ribands. Knitted worsted stockings, too, were first
made about the year 1565, by a London apprentice,
named William Ryder, who having seen some that
came from Italy, imitated a pair exactly, and pre-
sented them to William, earl of Pembroke.
In Stowe's “Chronicle” we find the following:
“In the 2d yeere of Queene Elizabeth, her silk-woman,
Mistress Montagu, presented her Majestie, for a new
yeare's gift, a pair of black silk knit stockings, the
which, after a few day's wearing, pleased her highness
so well, that she sent for Mistress Montagu, and
asked her where she had them, and if she could help
her to any more; who answering, said, I made them
very carefully of purpose only for your Majestie, and
seeing them please you so well, I will presently set
more in hand.' 'Do so (quoth the queene), for indeed
I like silk stockings so well, because they are pleasant,
fine, and delicate, that henceforth I will wear no more
108
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
cloth stockings. And from that time unto her death
the
queene never wore any more cloth hose, but only
silk stockings; for you shall understand that Henry
the 8th did wear only cloth hose, or hose cut out of
ell-broad taffaty, or that by great chance there came
a paire of Spanish silk stockings from Spain.”
From this extract it appears that silk stockings
were now first made in England, and not first im-
ported, as is generally supposed.
“ At this day,” says Stowe, “men of meane rank
weare garters, and shoe roses of more than five
price.”. Stevens also observes, that very rich garters
were worn below the knee. And Shakspeare, in
“Hamlet,” says, “ Two Provençal roses on my razed
shoes ;” probably alluding to the mode of wearing
ribands made in the form of a rose, fastened to the
middle of the shoe, to conceal the string. In an old
song we find -
pounds
“ Gil-de Roy was a bonny boy,
And roses tull his shoon."
They are, also, frequently mentioned by old dramatic
authors.
Stubbs, speaking of the chaussures now in fashion,
says :—“They have puisnets, pantoffles, and slippers,
some of black velvet, some of white, some of green,
and some of yellow ; some of Spanish leather, and
some of English, stitched with silk, and embroidered
with gold and silver all over the foot, and other
gewgaws innumerable.”
Of the cork shoes, we read
in the same author, “ They beare people up two inches
or more from the ground.” The boots now worn were
large, and turned back at the top.
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109
Stowe informs us that poking sticks were now
first invented; they were made of steel, and, when
heated, were used for plaiting the ruffs. Until this
time, sticks of bone or wood had been employed for
the same purpose.
Now, too, the English began to make costly washes
and perfumes : the latter had been introduced into
England by Edward Vere, earl of Oxford. He also
brought Elizabeth, from Italy, a pair of embroidered
gloves, scented with sweet perfume. They were
trimmed with four tufts, or roses, of coloured silk,
and her majesty was so much delighted with this new
fashion, that in one of her pictures she is painted with
them on her hands.
Wharton says that gloves were during this reign
often presented to guests of distinction.
Fans, which also came from Italy, according to
Stevens, in the time of Henry the Eighth, were
now used both by men and
women. We are informed, “ that
even young gentlemen carried
fans of feathers in their hands,
which,” continues the author, “in
wars our ancestors wore on their
heads.” The most costly were
made of ostrich-feathers, fastened
into handles composed of gold,
silver, or ivory, curiously worked.
In the Sydney papers mention
is made by Wharton of a fan presented to Eliza-
beth, the handle of which was studded with dia-
monds.
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The bright-coloured feathers from the peacock's
tail, too, were frequently formed into the same
ornament, fans of painted paper and silk not being
used for some years afterwards.
Perwiches (as they were then termed) were men-
tioned by Churchyard in one of his earlier poems,
though in “Northward Hoe" we read, “There is a
new trade come up for cast gentlewomen, that of perri-
wig-making;” and in the “ Two Gentlemen of Verona"
Julia exclaims, “ I'll get me such a perriwig !”
Warner, in his “ Albion's England,” is very severe
upon this fashion. Stowe informs us that women's
perriwigs were first brought into England at the time
of the massacre of Paris, and Stubbs says that about
the year 1595, when the fashion became general in
England of wearing a greater quantity of hair than
was ever the produce of a single head, it was danger-
ous for any child to wander, as nothing was more
common than for women to entice such as had fine
locks into out-of-the-way places, and there cut them
off. The same author adds, “ And if any have
haire of her owne naturall growing, which is not faine
ynough, then will they die it in divers colours.”
During this reign dyeing the hair was fre-
quently severely censured from the pulpit, and two
books were published against perukes and peruke-
makers.
Beards, whiskers, and moustaches, appear to have
flourished greatly at this time, but the hair was worn
short, curled, and parted on the forehead. In a por-
trait of Sir Francis Drake, painted in 1596, we find
him dressed in a doublet that looks very much like
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
111
very chief
dellbarheten
MA
the coats now worn ; it is buttoned down the front,
and has a kind of collar that lies upon the breast,
with a lace frill falling over it.
That distinguished statesman and accomplished
gentleman, Sir Walter Raleigh, of whom it has been
so truly said, “that he was
" that he was one of the
glories of an age crowded with towering spirits,” is
represented, in one of his portraits, in a splendid dress.
The under waistcoat, buttoned
down the front, is of satin or
velvet, the surcoat of dark
velvet, embroidered with
pearls, in rich and varied
patterns, which forms a peak
in front: the back and sleeves
are plain, with the exception
of an ornament on the top.
His ruff is large and full, his
beard thick and pointed, his
hair curled off the forehead,
and he wears a hat with a
moderate-sized crown, a broad
brim, turned up all round,
,
and adorned with a large pearl and a feather.
Sir Francis Bacon is represented in a doublet of a
different shape : in front it hangs in folds, the under
sleeve is tight, and of the same material as the doublet,
but there is an upper one, covered with embroidery
and buttons, which surrounds the arm at the top, and
hangs outside the elbow. His ruff surpasses in size
any yet seen, and is edged with lace, his hat much
the same as the one we have given, only higher in
the crown, and without ornament.
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THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
In Dr. N. Drake's work, entitled “Shakspeare
and his Times,” he remarks: “ The account given
of the male fashionable dress has sufficiently made out
the assertion which we made at the commencement,
that in extravagance and frivolity it surpassed the
expenditure and caprice of the other sex.” This
charge was repeated by Burton at the close of this
era. Exclaiming against the luxury of fine clothes,
he remarks : “ Women are bad, and men worse. So
ridiculous are we in our attires, and for cost so ex-
cessive, that, as Hierom said of old, 'tis an ordinary
thing to put a thousand oaks and an hundred oxen
into a suit of apparel, to wear a whole manor on his
back. What with shoe-ties, hangers, points, caps and
feathers, scarfs, bands, cuffs, &c., in a short space all
their patrimonies are consumed. Heliogabalus is
taxed by Lampridius, and admired in his age, for
wearing jewels in his shoes, a common thing in our
times, not for emperors and princes, but almost for
serving men and taylors; all the flowers, stars, con-
stellations, gold and precious stones, do condescend to
set out their shoes."
The dress of the citizen, indeed, was, if less elegant,
equally showy, and sometimes fully as expensive as
that of the man of fashion. The medium habit
may,
with great probability, be considered as sketched in
the following humorous tale, derived from a popular
pamphlet printed in 1609:-
“ A citizen, for recreation's sake,
To see the country would a journey take
Some dozen mile, or very little more ;
Taking his leave with friends two months before,
With drinking healths, and shaking by the hand,
As he had travail'd to some new-found land.
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113
Well, taking horse, with very much ado
London he leaveth for a day or two :
And as he rideth, meets upon the
way
Such as (what haste soever) bid men stay.
• Sirrah,' says one, stand, and your purse deliver,
I am a taker, thou must be a giver.'
Unto a wood hard by they hale him in,
And rifle him unto his
very
skin.
· Maisters,' quoth he, 'pray hear me ere you go;
For you have rob'd more now than you do know.
My horse, in truth, I borrowed of my brother :
The bridle, and the saddle, of another :
The jerkin, and the bases, be a taylor's;
The scarfe, I do assure you, is a saylour's;
The falling band is likewise none of mine,
Nor cuffs; as true as this good light doth shine.
The satin doublet, and rays'd velvet hose
Are our church-wardens, all the parish knows.
The boots are John the Grocer's at the Swan :
The spurs were lent me by a serving man.
One of my rings that with the great red stone,
In sooth I borrow'd of my gossip Jone :
Her husband knows not of it, gentlemen!
Thus stands my case :- I pray shew favor then.'
6
Why, quoth the thieves, 'thou need'st not greatly care,
Since in thy loss so many beare a share.
The world goes hard: many good folks lacke;
Looke not, at this time, for a penny backe;
Go, tell at London thou didst meet with foure,
That rifling thee, have rob'd at least a score.'”
It seems strange that Elizabeth, herself so devoted
a follower of fashion, should not have permitted her
subjects to please themselves, in the shape, size, and
form, of their attire. On the contrary, she made more
laws than any other monarch, respecting dress. She
I
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enacted that “no great ruff should be worn; nor any
white colour, in doublets or hosen ; nor any facing of
velvet in gowns, but by such as were of the bench.
That no gentlemen should walk in the streets in their
cloaks, but in gowns.
That no hat, or curled, or
long hair, be worn, nor any gowns but such as be of
a sad colour.”
Dugdale remarks: “During the reign of Eliza-
beth several statutes were enacted for the regulation
of apparel, as well as of beards, but most of them
appear to relate to the members of the different inns
of court. Thus we find laws against the wearing of
cut or pansied hose, or bryches, and of pansied
doublets, as well as against the use of light colours, of
velvet caps, of scarfs, and of wings to the gowns,
white jerkins, buskins, or velvet shoes ; double ruffs
to the skirts, feathers and ribbons in the caps.”
The suit of armour formerly shewn in the Tower
as Queen Elizabeth's, was composed of a helmet of
Edward the Sixth's time, arm-pieces of the reign of
Charles the First, and a breastplate and garde-de-rein
of the age of Henry the Eighth ; in short, alto-
gether an apocryphal affair.
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115
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
CHAPTER VIII.
The reign of James the First is not very fertile
in fashions, and that monarch did not introduce a
single new one into England. He himself cared not
for adorning his person; on the contrary, a love of
ease and comfort seems to have banished from his mind
all wish for vain attire. His usual costume was a
doublet, quilted so thick that it could resist the thrust
of a dagger, and his lower garments were plaited and
stuffed to the utmost extent. But when out hunting,
his favourite dress much resembled modern trousers.
The ruff, too, was not forgotten, and he sometimes
wore a hat and feather, but was highly incensed when
one of his attendants wished him to wear a Spanish
hat, and also with the prevailing mode of placing roses
on the shoes, which he said made him look like a
"ruff-footed dove."
When James I. came to the throne, there was,
in the Tower wardrobe, an immense variety of dresses
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THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
of the ancient kings, but, to the great regret of per-
sons curious in such matters, they were, on his acces-
sion, all given away.
During the reign of this monarch, the beard and
whiskers were still worn ; silk garters, puffed in great
knots, below the knees, yellow stockings, and em-
broidered cloaks, were also in vogue. Now, too, the
immense ruff was sometimes superseded by a wide
square collar, wired and stiffened out, but not plaited ;
it was called a band. These bands, and also the
ruffs, were stiffened with yellow starch, which was
either invented by Mrs. Turner, or introduced from
France under her auspices. She was hanged for
murder in a yellow ruff.
The attire of the Princess Elizabeth when she
espoused the Prince Palatine was very simple. She
was habited in white vestments, her hair hung at full
length down her back, and her only ornament was a
diadem set in jewels. The author from whom we
have obtained this account describes one of the suits
intended for the lords sent as ambassadors to the
court of France. - The cloak and hose,” he says,
“were of fine beaver, richly embroidered in silver
and gold, particularly the cloak, within and without,
nearly to the cape. The doublet was cloth of gold,
embroidered so thick that it could not be discerned,
and a white beaver hat, suitable, full of embroidery
above and below."
Ruffs and farthingales were still much worn, and
ladies now began to indulge a great predilection for
foreign lace, a passion which has continued for two
centuries. The strange fashion, also, of men wear-
ing ear-rings, and roses stuck in their ears, was much
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117
followed; and though Shakspeare alludes to the use
of ear-rings as if censuring its folly, in one of the
portraits supposed to represent him, each ear is
adorned with this effeminate ornament.
If dress did not flourish during the reign of James,
it resumed all its former ascendancy under Charles the
First. Many great changes were now made. The
hair was worn low on the forehead, and usually not
divided; the king set the fashion of a “love-lock, ”
which was a curl on the left side, considerably longer
than the rest. Nothing in the annals of hair, of wigs,
or of periwigs, ever caused such a commotion among
quiet, staid people, as did this unfortunate “ love-lock.”
A quarto volume was written against it by Mr.
Prynne, called “ The Unloveliness of Lovelocks." In
it he mentions a nobleman who was dangerously ill, and
who, terrified at the prospect of death, declared pub-
licly, after his recovery, his detestation of his “effemi-
nate, fantastic love-lock, which he then sensibly per-
ceived to be but a cord of vanity, by which he had
given the devil hold fast to lead him at his pleasure,
and who would never resign his prey as long as he
nourished this unlovely bush.” He, therefore, ordered
his barber to cut it off.
It does not appear that the eloquence of Mr.
Prynne had much effect, except in this solitary instance;
for love-locks were quite the rage for some years,
which is, perhaps, the more remarkable, as beards
were beginning to go out of fashion.
Ruffs, though worn through part of this reign,
were no longer so much admired; and about the time
that Vandyke came to England they almost entirely
disappeared, and were replaced by falling collars of
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NOCOINS
rich lace, or embroidered muslin, as may be seen in
most of the portraits taken at this period. Doublets
were worn slashed, embroidered, and richly orna-
mented, the sleeves slit open, and puffs of coloured
satin let in; the points, too, that formerly hung
round the waist, were now worn “ dangling from the
knees.”
But the most extraordinary singularity of dress
ever seen, either in this or any other age, was the
trunk hose, now first invented. We cannot describe
these “bombasted, paned hose," better than by using
the words of the “ Artificial Changeling.” “At the
time,” says he, “when trunk hose came in fashion,
some young men used to
stuff them so with rags and
other like things, that you
might find some that used
such inventions to extend
them in compass with cer-
tainly as great eagerness as
the women of all classes
did take pleasure to wear
enormous, great, and stately
verdingales; for this was
the same affectation, being
a kind of vertingale hose.”
Two very ridiculous sto-
ries are told of this fashion.
One, that a youth so attired,
and being distended with bran, whilst in deep conversa-
tion with some ladies, unluckily caught his sack upon
a nail, when instantly all the bran escaped, and the
enormous puffs became suddenly flattened. The de-
1
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
119
spair and agony of the unfortunate gallant may easily
be imagined
The other anecdote refers to the period when the
law was in force against wearing “bags stuffed in
their sacks,” and describes a person before a court of
justice, who, charged by the judges with being habited
contrary to the statute, convinced them that the
stuffing was not composed of any prohibited article,
inasmuch as it consisted merely of a pair of sheets,
two tablecloths, ten napkins, four shirts, a brush, a
glass, a comb, and a nightcap! Well, indeed, did
these wonderful sacks deserve their name of trunk
hose! In those days carpet-bags would have been
quite a superfluity.
The sugar-loaf, or steeple hats, at this time much
worn, were as useless as absurd. They rose into a
high cone, and had a very narrow brim. Powder
now, also, came into fashion, as we find from the
works of John Bulwer, who gives many particulars
about dress, and mentions jessamine butter as a
favourite ointment for the hair. After describing
other things, he says: “Our gallants' witty noddles
are put into such a pure witty trim, the dislocations of
every hair so exactly set, the whole bush so curiously
candied, and (what is most prodigious) the natural jet
of some of them so exalted into a perfect azure, that
their familiar friends have much to do to own their
faces; for by their powdered heads you would take
them to be mealmen.”
Mr. Peck, the antiquarian, informs us that he had
a whole-length portrait of Charles in the following
dress. He wore “a falling band, a short green doublet,
the arm-part towards the shoulders wide and slashed,
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а.
zigzag, turned-up ruffles, very long green breeches, tied
far below the knee with long yellow ribbons, red
stockings, great shoe-roses, and a short red cloak,
lined with blue, with a star on the shoulder.”
This may be considered the usual costume of
gentlemen of that time, with the
addition of thin, flimsy, Spanish
leather boots. Some gallants,
however, wore doublets and hose,
richly slashed with satin, and
laced with gold; a cloak of rich
velvet, lined with satin, a belt
or girdle of velvet, embroidered
in gold and jewels, a black
beaver hat, adorned with
plume of ostrich-feathers, and
coloured boots, trimmed with
point lace.
The ladies of this period wore
their hair low on the forehead,
and parted in ringlets, or else
curled like a peruke, or braided in a knot on the top
of the head. Why do they adorn themselves,” says
Burton, “with so many colours of herbs, fictitious
flowers, curious needle-workes, quaint devices, sweet-
smelling odours; with those inestimable riches of
precious stones, pearls, rubies, diamonds, emeralds,
&c. ? Why do they crown themselves with gold and
silver, use coronets and tires of several fashions, deck
themselves with pendants, bracelets, ear-rings, chains,
girdles, rings, pins, spangles, embroideries, shadows,
rebatoes, versicolor ribands? Why do they make such
glorious shows with their scarfs, feathers, fans, masks,
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
121
furs, laces, tiffanies, ruffs, falls, calls, cuffs, damasks,
velvets, tinsels, cloths of gold, and silver tissue?” “It is
hard,” continues the same writer, to derive the abomi-
nable pedigree of cobweb lawn, yellow-starched ruffs,
which so much disfigured our nation, and render them
so ridiculous and fantastical.”
Another fashion was forked shoes, almost as long
again as the feet, not a little to the hinderance of the
action of the foot; and not only so, but they proved an
impediment to reverential devotions ; for, as a con-
temporary writer notes, “one's boots and shoes are
so long snouted, that we can hardly kneel in God's
house."
Contrary to the custom of the preceding age, ladies
now wore their gowns very long, with trains behind,
and the shoulders quite bare. « Is there any thing,”
says Cowley, “more common than to see our ladies
of quality wear such high shoes as they cannot walk
in without one to lead them; and a gown as long
again as their body, so that they cannot stir across
the room without a page or two to hold it up?"
The peaked bodies to gowns were generally worn
very long and open, the two sides laced together in
front, so as to shew the satin boddice underneath.
The point usually terminated with a bow of riband.
The sleeves were tight, or else open and hanging,
and broad bands of lace were worn round the arm and
round the bust. Ear-rings, necklaces, bracelets, and
indeed every description of jewels, were now in
fashion; also broad-brimmed hats, with feathers, in
opposition, probably, to the narrow brims worn by the
gentlemen.
Some idea may be formed of the lavish profusion
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in dress during this reign by the following account of
Villiers, duke of Buckingham. “ It was common with
him," says Oldys, in his “Life of Raleigh,” “at an
ordinary dancing, to have his clothes trimmed with
great diamond buttons, and to have diamond hat-
bands, cockades, and ear-rings, to be yoked with great
and manifold ropes and knots of pearl, in short, to be
manacled, fettered, and imprisoned in jewels; inso-
much that, on going to Paris in 1625, he had twenty-
five suits of clothes made, the richest that embroidery,
lace, velvet, gold, and gems could contribute ; one of
which was a white uncut velvet, set all over, both suit
and cloak, with diamonds, valued at 80,0001., besides
a great feather, stuck all over with diamonds, as were
also his girdle, sword, hatband, and spurs.
”
In the time of Oliver Cromwell, who was always
very frugal in his attire, and despised the vain follies
of the age, dress underwent a great change. The
Lord Protector himself was generally habited in black
cloth or velvet, with a scarf round his waist to support
his sword; trunk hose, long boots, and a grey hat with
a silver clasp ; or else a doublet, cloak, and hose of
coarse cloth, turned up with velvet, and stockings of
grey
worsted, that reached over the knees, and met
the hose. In all the portraits of him the hair is
simply arranged, without curls, but rather long
behind.
These grave and quiet habiliments, despoiled of
puffings, slashings, ribands, gold, and jewels, did not,
however, please the taste of all his followers. Sir
Thomas Fairfax, for instance, often wore a buff coat
highly ornamented with silver, open sleeves, slashed
with white satin, trunk hose trimmed with costly
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
123
Flanders’ lace, and russet leather boots. To this was
added a breastplate of highly-polished steel, partly
concealed by a falling collar of broad and costly lace,
and a sash of silk and gold.
In those days, however strange it may appear, the
military garb was frequently assumed with other rich
attire, and it was a common thing to see steel corselets
and breastplates overshadowed by lace and embroidery.
Dark and quiet colours were, however, the fashion,
particularly buff and brown, and the high-crowned
beaver and drooping feather still continued in use.
An old author asserts that “short cloaks, short hair,
short bands, and long visages,” were often observed
in the portraits of the day. In a print of a fashion-
able man of the year 1652, we find the brim of the
hat extending horizontally, and the feather drooping so
much over the left side that it seems as though falling
off. The hair is very long, the ruffles double and full,
the doublet reaches to the waist, the trunk-hose are
puffed at the knees like bladders, the boots are very
short, with tops as broad as the brim of the hat, and
an enormous sword is suspended to his side by a rich
belt across the shoulders. Some authors distinctly
assert that men wore patches at this time, but we
find no instance of this in any old painting.
Mr. Benlowe has in his work two prints of ladies
in the same year (1652). The hair of one is combed
like a wig in front, the back hair braided, and
fastened in a knot; her neck is covered with a hand-
kerchief richly ornamented with deep lace, and her
cuffs are trimmed the same; her sleeves are slashed
with fine linen or silk, and her fan is large. The
other has a sable tippet, and a large muff, which en-
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THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
tirely conceals her arms, a close black hood, and a
very diminutive black mask.
The Puritans, both men and women, were remark-
able for an affectation of great simplicity in attire as
well as manners. They wore their hair so short as
scarcely to cover the ears, and thence obtained from
their opponents the Royalists, or Cavaliers, the ap-
pellation of Roundheads; the former, pursuing the
contrary extreme, left their hair as long as nature
would permit, and those to whom flowing locks were
denied, supplied their place by wearing a wig, a
fashion which, after the Restoration, flourished greatly.
:
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125
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND,
1
CHAPTER IX.
The enormous size to which periwigs attained
during the reign of Charles II. is remarked by all
writers. Curls rose above curls in regular rows, and
descended upon the shoulders and back in heavy
masses. The pictures of the time represent these wigs
as la grande mode. Those who did not approve of
the enormous quantity of curls, parted the hair over
the forehead, and let it hang down, sometimes as
low as the waist, in what were denominated corkscrew
curls.
Noblemen, gentlemen, learned divines, military
heroes, grave judges, and elderly lawyers, all followed
eagerly in the steps of fashion. Some few clergymen
inveighed against it in their sermons, and cut their
hair as short as possible, to shew their abhorrence of
the wig mania. But in every other profession each
one tried to rival his neighbour in the size of his
peruke, till at last they became quite enormous ; and
as if determined that the head should have all their
time and care bestowed upon it alone, whiskers, beard,
and moustaches, were abolished.
126
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
A facetious writer of the day supposes a field of
battle strewed with wigs, as well as with the bodies of
the slain ; and observes, “ that the king ought to be
more irrate with the perukes, sporting on the breasts
of his warriors, than with that wig whose curls whiffled
into the eyes of the preacher, and interrupted the dis-
course addressed to him.” Probably this censure
relates to the following anecdote, which we find in
Strutt's “Dress and Habits." “A letter was written
by Charles II. to the University of Cambridge, for-
bidding the members to wear periwigs, smoke tobacco,
and read their sermons; and when he was at New-
market, Nathaniel Vincent, doctor of divinity, fellow
of Clare Hall, and chaplain to his majesty, preached
before him in a long periwig, and Holland sleeves,
according to the fashion in use amongst gentlemen at
that time. This foppery displeased the king, who
commanded the Duke of Monmouth, then chancellor
of the university, to cause the statutes concerning
decency of apparel among the clergy to be put in
execution, which was accordingly done.”
When Prince Charles (afterwards Charles I.) and
the Marquess of Buckingham went to Paris, on their
way to Spain, a chronicler of that time relates :
“ That for the better veiling their visages, his high-
ness and the marquis bought each of them a periwig,
somewhat to overshadow their foreheads." This quo-
tation proves for how long a time the prevailing
fashion had endured ; and, probably, to give a more
dashing air to these enormous edifices of hair, hats
were sometimes worn with the brims elevated on either
side.
Now also appeared the garment called petticoat
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127
MIA
lilla o
breeches, described by Holmes, who gives the fol-
lowing account of a gentle-
man's dress in 1659. “A
short-waisted doublet, and
petticoat breeches - the
lining being lower than the
breeches-is tied above the
knees; the breeches are
ornamented with ribands up
to the pocket, and half their
breadth upon the thigh ;
the waistband is set about
with ribands, and the shirt
hanging out over them.”
With the usual caprice of
fashion, the doublet, which
latterly was so short that it
scarcely came to the waist,
now lengthened out wonderfully, and seemed inclined
to conceal the nether garments entirely; the sleeves,
also, reached nearly to the elbows, and from under their
manifold bows and puffs of riband, the shirt-sleeves, of
white linen, swelled out in two or three large balloons,
till at the hands they were terminated with ruffles.
Buttons appear to have been a fashionable orna-
ment of the dress at this time.
In the “ Memoirs of Lady Fanshawe,” we read the
following account of the costume of her husband, at
an audience which he had with Philip IV., when
ambassador of Charles II. at the court of Spain.
“Then came my husband,” says the authoress, “in
a very rich suit of clothes, of a dark phillamot brocade,
laced with silver and gold lace, nine laces, every one
as broad as my hand, and a little silver and gold lace
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laid between them, both of very curious workmanship.
His suit was trimmed with scarlet taffeta ribbands;
his stockings of white silk, upon long scarlet silk
ones; his shoes black, with scarlet shoe-strings, and
garters. His linen very fine, laced with rich Flanders'
lace. A black beaver buttoned on the left side, with
a jewel of 12001. value. A rich, upright, curious gold
chain, made at the Indies, at which hung the king
his master's picture, richly set with diamonds, and cost
3001., which his majesty in his great grace and favour
had been pleased to give him on his coming from
Portugal. On his fingers he wore two rich rings.
His gloves were trimmed with the same ribbands as
his clothes, and his whole family were richly clothed,
according to their several qualities.”
During this reign a coat, approaching more than
that garment had hitherto done to the coats of the pre-
sent day, is frequently mentioned in Pepys' “Diary;"
ånd in an inventory of the apparel of the king is
named a complete suit of one material, also pantaloons,
Holland drawers, and cotton trousers. Stockings were
worn of leather, silk, woollen, linen, and worsted ; and
the rolls of silk or satin that ended the nether gar-
ments below the knee, and were called canons, were
still in use.
Patches and paint were now as much admired as
wigs, and the ladies never considered themselves bien
mises when not following this fashion, which con-
tinued in full force through this and the succeeding
reign.
Infatuated with the wish to have small, slender
waists, the women wore high stays, laced so tight that
they could scarcely breathe ; and nothing was con-
sidered really fashionable that did not come from
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
129
France. “ We are so much addicted to strange ap-
parel,” says an old writer, " that there is scarce any
thing English about us. As it was said of the cour-
tiers of Andronicus the younger, that in respect of
their hateful disguises in apparel, they seemed no
longer to be Grecians, but a medley of Latins, My-
sians, Toriballians, Syrians, and Phænicians; so we
have brought all nations into the wardrobe, or to act
upon the garment stage. The kings of Egypt were
wont to give unto their queens the tribute of the city
of Antilla, to buy them girdles ; and how much girdles,
gorgets, wimples, cauls, crispings, pins, veils, rails,
frontlets, bonnets, bracelets, necklaces, slops, slippers,
round-tires, sweet-balls, rings, ear-rings, mufflers,
glasses, hoods, lawn, musks, civets, rose-powders, ges-
samy butter, complexion waters, do cost in our days many
a sighing husband doth know by the year's account.”
Ladies now wore their hair in curls on the fore-
head, and sometimes braided
behind, or hanging loosely
down over the shoulders.
The gowns of the period
resemble drapery more than
any fixed shape, and are
made exceedingly low in front
and over the shoulders, with
slashed sleeves and quanti-
ties of lace and jewels. The
immense verdingale and stiff
ruffs now disappeared, but
stomachers
were still the
fashion.
Hoods were worn, but the most usual ornament for
K
130
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND,
the hair was a coloured riband, or band of jewels, to-
gether with a heart-breaker, which was a long lock cor-
responding with the love-lock worn by the gentlemen.
Blue plush caps were now invented, cloth coats
took the place of the doublet, and the hat was orna-
mented with coloured ribands. In the lower classes
the women usually wore coloured petticoats, red or
blue, grey cloth bodies, linsey-woolsey aprons, a white
hood, and over it a hat. The men had cloth
coats, with mixed buttons, laced cravats, and flowered
waistcoats.
King Charles, in a picture by Sir Peter Lely, is
represented in full armour, with an immense wig, the
curls of which fall below his shoulders; a deep lace
cravat, or band, is tied in front in a large bow, and
the ends fall upon his breast.
Doublets of gold and silver tissue, robes of blue
or crimson, interwoven with silver, and ornamented
with patterns in gold—long mantles, richly adorned
with chains of precious stones, and caps of velvet with
plumes of feathers, form the general features of dress
in this splendid age.
Every kind of costly and beautiful manufacture
was brought from abroad, and seized upon with avidity
at a time when dress formed one of the prevailing
passions of the day; and though preachers lectured,
and authors wrote against carrying this foible to too
great an extent, their advice was unheeded. It is
said, however, that Charles II., alarmed or disgusted
with the extravagant sums lavished by his subjects on
dress, towards the close of his reign made a public
and solemn declaration of the fashion of the apparel
he was determined to wear for the future.
It was,
..
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
131
according to an old author, straight Spanish hose to
the knees, tied with ribands ; instead of a doublet, a
long vest of velvet and satin, and above that a loose
coat of velvet, trimmed with ermine, much after the
Polish or Muscovite fashion, and instead of shoes and
stockings he adopted boots.
Shoulder-knots and shoe-buckles were now invented,
and the clerical habit as worn at present was first
used. It is worthy of remark that clergymen and
judges were the last to abandon the fashion of ruffs.
Samuel Pepys, in his “ Memoirs,” gives frequent
accounts of the fashions of the time in which he lived,
and the variety of changes they underwent during
the reigns of Charles II. and James II. The items
are so curious that we shall make extracts of several for
the reader's amusement and information :
“ 1659–60.—This morning put on my suit with
great skirts, having not lately worn any other clothes
but them,
- Feb. 2d.-Went home on foot to lay up my
money, and change my shoes and stockings. I this day
left off my great skirt suit, and put on my white suit,
with silver lace coat.
“ May 24th.—Up, and made myself as fine as I
could, with the linning stockings on and wide canons
that I bought the other day at Hague.
“ July 1st. — This morning came home my fine
camlett cloak, with gold buttons, and a silk suit, which
cost me much money.
“ 5th.—This morning my brother Tom brought me
my Jackanapes coat with silver buttons.
“ 10th.—This day I put on my new silk suit, the
first that ever I wore in my life.
132
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06
August 25th.—This night Wittever brought me
home from Mr. Pims' my velvet coat and hat; the
first that ever I had.
** 30th. This the first day that ever I saw my
wife wear black patches since we married.
“1660–61, Feb. 3d.—This day I first began to
go forth in my coate and sword, as the manner now
among gentlemen is.
“ June 27th.This day Mr. Holden sent me a
bever, which cost me 41. 5s.
“Oct. 29th. — This day I put on my half-cloth
black stockings, and my new coate of the fashion,
which pleases me well, and with my bever I was
(after office was done) ready to go to my Lord
Mayor's feast, as we are all invited.
“1662, Oct. 19th.---Lord's Day. Put on my new
lace band; and so neat it is, that I am resolved my
great expence shall be lace bands, and it will set off
any thing else the more.
“1663, Oct. 30th.-To my great sorrow find my-
self 43l. worse than I was the last month, which was
then 7601., and now it is but 7171. But it has chiefly
arisen from my layings-out in clothes for myself and
wife: viz. for her about 121., and for myself 551. or
thereabouts; having made myself a velvet cloak, two
new cloth skirts, black, plain both ; a new shay gown,
trimmed with gold buttons and twist, with a new hat,
and silk tops for my legs, and many other things,
being resolved henceforward to go like myself. And
also two perriwigs, one whereof cost 31., the other 40s.
“ Nov. 29th.-Lord's Day. This morning I put
on my best black cloth suit, trimmed with scarlett
ribbon, very neat, with my cloak lined with velvett,
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
133
and a new bever, which altogether is very noble, with
my black knit silk canons I bought a month ago.
“1663–4.—I did give my wife's brother 20s., and
a coate that I had by me, a close-bodied light-coloured
cloth coat, with a gold edgeing in each seam, that
was the lace off my wife's best pettycoat that she had
when I married her. He is going into Holland to
seek his fortune.
“1664-5, March 6th. With Sir J. Minnes to
St. James's, and there did our business with the
duke. I saw him try on his buff coat and hat-piece
covered with black velvet.
“13th. -- This day my wife began to wear light-
coloured locks, quite white almost, which, though it
made her look very pretty, yet, not being natural,
vexes me, that I will not have her wear them.
“1665, Sept. 3d.-Up, and put on my coloured
silk suit very fine, and my new perriwig, bought a
good while since, but durst not wear, because the
plague was in Westminster when I bought it; and
it is a wonder what will be the fashion after the
plague is done as to perriwigs, for nobody will dare
to buy any haire, for fear of the infection, that it had
been cut off the heads of people dead of the plague.
“1666, June 11th.— Walking in the galleries at
White Hall, I find the ladies of honour dressed in
their riding garbs, with coats and doublets with deep
skirts, just for all the world like mine, and buttoned
their doublets up the breast, with periwigs and hats ;
so that only for a long pettycoat dragging under their
men's coats, nobody could take them for women.
“ Oct. 8th.— The king hath yesterday in council
declared his resolution of setting a fashion for clothes,
134
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*
which he will never alter. It will be a vest, I know
not well how; but it is to teach the nobility thrift,
and will do good.
“14th.—This day the king begins to put on his
vest
being a long cassocke close to the body, of
black cloth, and pinked with white silk under it, and
a coat over it, and the legs ruffled with black riband
like a pigeon's leg; and upon the whole I wish the
king may keep it, for it is a very fine and handsome
garment. Lady Carteret tells me the ladies are to
go into a new fashion shortly, and that is, to wear short
coats above their ankles; which she and I do not like,
but conclude this long trayne to be mighty graceful.
“17th.-The court is all full of vests, only my
Lord St. Alban's not pinked, but plain black; and
they say the king says the pinking upon white makes
them look too much like magpyes, and therefore hath
bespoke one of plain velvett.
“ Nov. 22d.-Mr. Batelier tells me the news, how
the King of France hath, in defiance to the King of
England, caused all his footmen to be put into vests,
and that the noblemen of France will do the like;
which, if true, is the greatest indignity ever done by
one prince to another.
May 17th.—Up, and put on my new stuff suit,
with a shoulder-belt according to the new fashion,
and the hands of my vest and tunique laced with silk
lace of the colour of my suit.
“ 3Cth.-Up, and put on a new summer black
bombazin suit; and being come now to an agreement
with my barber to keep my periwig in good order, at
20s. a-year, I am like to go very spruce, more than
I used to do.
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
135
“ 1669, May 1st.-Up betimes. My wife extra-
ordinary fine with her flowered tabby gown, that she
made two years ago, now laced exceedingly pretty ;
and, indeed, was fine all over."
We will now add a poetical description of a lady's
toilette, from a little poem by John Evelyn, which
gives as good an idea of female vanities as the above
extracts do of the numerous changes in gentleman's
habiliments. Both writers lived in the same century,
and both humorously describe the follies of the age:-
“One black gown of rich silk, which odd is,
Without one colour'd embroider'd boddice;
Three manteaux, nor can madam less
Provision have for due undress;
Nor demy sultane, spagnolet,
Nor fringe to sweep the matt forget;
Or under bodice, three neat pair,
Embroider'd, and of shoes as fair;
Short under petticoats, pure fine,
Some of Japan stuff, some of Chine ;
With knee-high galoon bottomed;
Another quilted white and red;
With a broad Flanders lace below;
Four pair of bas de soy shot through
With silver ;(diamond buckles, too,
For garters, and as rich for shoe.
Twice twelve day-smocks of Holland fine,
With cambric sleeves, rich point to joyn
(For she despises Colbertine).
Twelve more for night, all Flanders lac'd,
Or else she'll think herself disgrac'd.
The same her night-gown must adorn,
With two point waistcoats for the morn:
Of pocket mouchoirs, nose to drain,
A dozen laced, a dozen plain:
Three night-gowns of rich Indian stuff ;
136
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
Four cushion-cloths are scarce enough,
Of point and Flanders, not forget,
Slippers embroider'd on velvet:
A manteau girdle, ruby buckle,
And brilliant diamond rings for knuckle;
Fans painted and perfumed three;
Three muffs of sable, ermine, grey ;
Nor reckon it among the baubles,
A palatine also of sables.
A sapphire bodkin for the hair,
Of sparkling facet diamonds there.
Three turquoise, ruby, emerauld rings,
For fingers; and such pretty things
As diamond pendants for the ears
Must needs be had; or two large pears,
Pearl neck-lace, large and Oriental,
And diamond, and of amber pale;
*
In pin-up ruffles now she flounts,
About her sleeves are engageants ;
Of ribbon various échelles,
Gloves trimm'd, and lac'd as fine as Nell's;
Twelve dozen martial, whole and half,
Of jonquil, tuberose (don't laugh),
Frangissau, orange, violett,
Narcissus, jessamin, ambrett;
And some of chicken skin for night,
To keep her hands plump, soft, and white
Mouches for pushes to be sure;
From Paris the très-fine procure
Catembuc combs in pulvil case,
To set and trim the hair and face.
And that the cheeks may both agree,
Plumpers to fill the cavity.
The settée, cupée, place aright,
Frélange, fontange, favorite ;
Monté la haute, and palisade,
Sorti, flandau (great helps to trade),
Bourgoigne, jardiné, cornett.
Fridal next upper panier set,
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
137
Round which it does our ladies please
To spread the hood called rayonnés :
Behind the noddle every baggage
Wears bundle choux--in English, cabbage :
Nor cruches she, nor confidents,
Nor passagers, nor bergers wants ;
And when this grace Nature denies,
An artificial tour supplies;
All which with meurtriers unite,
And crève-cæurs, silly fops to smite."
In Evelyn's “Diary,” he also mentions King
Charles's having adopted a new habit, which he thus
describes : “ 1666, Oct. 18th.—To court. It being the
first time his majesty put himself solemnly into the
Eastern fashion of vest, after the Persian mode, with
girdle and straps, and shoe-strings and garters into
bouckles, of which some were set with precious stones,
resolving never to alter it, and to leave the French
mode, which had hitherto obtained to our great ex-
pence and reproch. Upon which divers courtiers and
gentlemen gave his majesty gold, by way of
wager,
that he would not persist in this resolution."
In a note to the “Diary” it is remarked that this cos-
tume was soon laid aside, which shews how well the cour-
tiers understood the prevalent love of French modes ;
and Evelyn himself, it appears, from the following
paragraph, in which he predicted the change which so
soon took place, was fully sensible of this : “Oct. 30th.
- To London to our office; and now I had on the vest
and surcoat, or tunic, as 'twas called, after his ma-
jesty had brought the whole court to it. It was a
comely and manly habit, too good to hold, it being
impossible for us, in good earnest, to leave the Mon-
sieur's vanities long.”
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THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND,
In a former part he remarks of the queen : “1662,
May 30th.--The queene arriv'd with a traine of Por-
tuguese ladies in their monstrous fardingals, or guard-
infantas, their complexions olivader, and sufficiently
unagreeable. Her majesty in the same habit, her
foretop long, and turned aside very strangely.” In a
note to the “ Diary," we are told that about the year
1640 or 1650 boys of thirteen years of age wore a
coat and vest reaching nearly to the ankles. In an
amusing essay, entitled “ Tyrannus, or the Mode,"
Evelyn thus speaks of the dress in his time: “It was
a fine silken thing which I spied walking th’ other
day through Westminster Hall, that had as much
ribbon about him as would have plundered six shops,
and set up twenty country pedlars; all his body was
drest like a maypole, or a Tom o‘Bedlam's cap. A
fregat, newly riggd, kept not half such a clatter in
a storme as this puppet's streamers did when the wind
was in his shrouds; the motion was wonderfull to be-
hold, and the well-chosen colours were red, orange,
and blew, of well-gum'd sattin, which argued a happy
fancy."
In another part the author inveighs bitterly against
French fashions. “What,” he exclaims, “have we
to do with these foreign butterflies? We need no
French inventions, or for the stage or for the back.”
He afterwards expresses a hope, that “it shall soon
be as presumptuous for any foreign nation to impose
upon our court, as it is, indeed, ridiculous it should,
and its greatest diminution.”
Randal Holmes, speaking of the coiffures of the
year 1670, says: “The ladies wore false locks, set
on wires, to make them stand at a distance from the
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
139
head.” In 1688, he further observes, “ that the fore-
head was adorned with a knot of divers coloured rib-
bons, the head with a ruffle coif, set in corners, and
the like ribbons behind the head ;” and he adds,
“all is brought again from the old, for there is no-
thing new under the sun, and what is now hath been
formerly."
The Spanish leather boots, introduced under
Charles I., still continued the fashion ; but the im-
mense roses on the shoes gradually declined, and were
replaced by buckles and large wide strings. The
boots were frequently trimmed with lace round the
top, like the deep ruffles on a lady's sleeve; or the
stockings, drawn up above the knees, had a wide lace
fastened to the garters.
The ribands of the shoes disappeared in the reign
of William III., when the small buckle came into
fashion. At first it was not unlike a bean in shape
and size. Since that period it has undergone every
variety of form and dimension, and, in the year
1777, buckles and buttons on the coats became so
enormous, that they gave birth to many ludicrous
caricatures. The high broad heels to the shoes were
long worn both by men and women, and a later fashion
was to have them of a red colour. Stockings of all
hues, with the clocks worked in various patterns, con-
tinued the mode for many years.
140
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
CHAPTER X.
PATCHING was much admired during the reign of
Charles I., and for several succeeding years. An old
poem, written during the Commonwealth, thus sa-
tirizes this mode :-
“ Her patches are of every cut,
For pimples or for scars ;
Here's all the wandering planett's signes,
And some o' the fixed starrs :
Already gumm’d to make them stick,
They need no other sky,
Nor starrs for Lilly for to view,
To tell your fortunes by.”
As may be seen by the above lines, these patches
were worn in every variety of form and shape. Some
authors think the fashion came originally from Arabia.
No sooner was it brought to England and France
than it became an absolute fureur. In the former
country, old and young, the maiden of sixteen and
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
141
the grey-haired grandmamma, covered their faces with
these black spots, shaped like suns, moons, stars,
hearts, crosses, and lozenges; and some even carried
the mode to the extravagant extent of shaping the
patches to represent a carriage and horses !
In a dramatic pastoral, written during the reign
of Charles I., we find a humorous description of the
various articles requisite for the toilette of a lady of
fashion. They are equally applicable to the reign of
his son, and are, it will be seen, quite different from
those of Evelyn :-
“Chains, coronets, pendans, bracelets, and ear-rings;
Pins, girdles, spangles, embroyderies, and rings;
Shadowes, rebatowes, ribbands, ruffs, cuffs, falls,
Scarfes, feathers, fans, masks, muffs, laces, cauls,
Thin tiffanies, cobweb lawn, and fardingals,
Sweet fals, vayles, wimples, glasses, crisping pins,
Pots of ointment, combes, with poking-sticks and bodkines,
Coyfes, gorgets, fringes, rowles, fillets, and hair laces;
Silks, damasks, velvets, tinsels, cloth of gold,
Of tissues with colours of a hundred fold.
*
*
Waters she hath to make her face to shine;
Confections eke to clarify her skin;
Lip salves, and clothes of a rich scarlet dye,
She hath, which to her cheeks she doth apply ;
Ointment, wherewith she pargets o'er her face,
And lustrifies her beauty's dying grace."
During the reign of James II. the wigs were per-
fectly preposterous. The coats had immensely wide
cuffs, and beneath them appeared the shirt-sleeves,
with their full, deep ruffles. The hats were broad-
brimmed.
The ladies wore their hoods tied under the chin,
and then discarded them to adopt straw hats. We
142
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
read in Pepys : “They had pleasure in putting on
straw hats, which are much worn in this country.”
The Querpo hood, so called from the Spanish,
was no longer seen, except on women of the lower
classes.
Riding-habits, we find in Evelyn's “Diary,” as well
as in Pepy's “Memoirs,” were now the fashion, and
a hat and feather were worn with them. At first
these dresses were much censured.
In the reigns of James, and William and Mary,
dress continued much the same as it is described in
that of Charles; but the coiffures were in great
variety. About this time the celebrated head-dress
said to have been called the Fontange was introduced
into England from France. But although many
authors assert that Fontange was the name of a head-
dress, we, who have dived deep into the hidden
mysteries of fashion, examined, sought, and reflected
upon her changes and inventions, are inclined to
think that the word we allude to expresses only
a knot of ribands, placed on a coiffure called the
commode, which, in the “ Lady's Dictionary,” is thus
described :-“ Commode, a frame of wire, two or
three stories high, fitted to the head, covered with
tiffany, or other thin silks, being now completed into
a head-dress. We are the more convinced that our
opinion upon this knotty question is correct, from the
explanation given of it in the “Dictionnaire de
l'Académie,” which thus describes a Fontange :
“Næud de rubans que les femmes portent sur leur
coiffure, et qui tire son nom de Madame de Fon-
tange.
In the year 1698 the high head-dress was preached
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
143
against in the following words, by John Edwards :
“ This is the pride which reigns amongst our very
ordinary women at this day, they think themselves
highly advanced by this climbing foretop. All their
rigging is nothing worth without this wagging topsail;
and in defiance of our Saviour's words, they endeavour,
as it were, to add a cubit to their stature. With their
exalted heads they do, as it were, attempt a superiority
over mankind; nay, their- Babel builders seem, with
their lofty towers, to threaten the skies and even to
defy heaven itself.”
The writers of the period frequently mention these
head-dresses with much animadversion. 66
own memory,” says one of them, “I have known a lady's
head-dress rise and fall above thirty degrees. About
ten years ago it shot up to a very great height, insomuch
that the female part of our species were much taller
than the men.
The women were of such an enormous
stature, that we appeared as grasshoppers before them.”
Further on we find : “Women in all ages have taken
more pains than men to adorn the outside of their
heads; and indeed I very much admire that those female
architects, who raise such wonderful structures out of
ribbands, lace, and wire, have not been recorded for
their respective inventions. It is certain there has
been as many orders in these kinds of building, as in
those which have been made of marble. Sometimes
they rise in the shape of a pyramid, sometimes like a
tower, and sometimes like a steeple.”
But these towers were not the only coiffures im-
ported into England from France; many of which went
to the opposite extreme. Sometimes a simple bandeau
of jewels confined the tresses, at others the hair was
144
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
LDDDO
arranged in a multitude of curls, interspersed with
pearls, and the long hair was left to float in negligent
profusion over the shoulders.
Another head-dress, worn in the
early part of 1700, was composed of
pasteboard, lace, ribands, and gauze,
as represented in the annexed cut.
French hoods resumed their place
in the annals of fashion about the year
1711. They, as well as many other parts
of the female attire, are frequently men-
tioned, and we find that they were worn
of all colours. It appears from the following passage
from a popular writer of the time, that they usurped the
place of the commode : “ The ladies have been for some
time in a kind of moulting season, with regard to that
part of their dress, having cast great quantities of
ribbon, lace, and cambric, and in some measure re-
duced that part of the human figure to the beautiful
globular form which is natural to it. We have for a
great while expected what kind of ornament would be
substituted in the place of those antiquated com-
modes.
As I was standing in the
hinder part of the box (at the opera) I took notice of
a little cluster of women, sitting together in the
prettiest-coloured hoods that I ever saw. One of them
was blue, another yellow, and another philomot, the
fourth was of a pink colour, and the fifth of a pale
green.
I am informed that this fashion
spreads daily, insomuch that the Whig and Tory
ladies begin already to hang out different colours, and
to shew their principles in their head-dress.
In No. 271 is a letter to the “Spectator,” in which
>>
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
145
the writer mentions an assembly of ladies, where there
were thirteen different coloured hoods; and in an-
other number occurs an advertisement from the parish
vestry as follows : “ All ladies who come to church in
the new-fashioned hoods, are desired to be there before
divine service begins, lest they divert the attention
of the congregation.”
We are further informed that the women let their
hair grow to a great length, but tie it up in a knot,
and cover it from being seen.
A ribbon head-dress is also spoken of as follows:
“A lady of this place had some time since a box of
the newest ribbons sent down by the coach. Whether
it was her own malicious invention, or the wantonness
of a London milliner, I am not able to inform you, but
among the rest, there was one cherry-coloured ribbon,
consisting of about half-a-dozen yards, made up in
the figure of a small head-dress.”
In 1715, we find the commode again alluded
to, so that it must have reap-
peared; there is also a descrip-
tion of the feather head-dress : "I
pretend not,” says Addison,“ to
draw the single quill against that
immense crop of plumes, which is
already risen to an amazing height,
and unless timely singed by the
bright eyes that glitter beneath,
will shortly be able to overshadow
them. Lady Porcupine's commode
is started at least a foot and a half
since Sunday last.
But
so long as the commodity circulates, and the outside
**
-
L
146
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of a fine lady's head is converted into the inside
of her pillow, or, if fate so order it, to the top of
her herze, there is no harm in the consumption,
and the milliner, upholsterer, and undertaker, may
live in an amicable correspondence, and mutual de-
pendence on each other.”
In a book of travels written about the same period,
we find the following : “And now her ladyship
brandishes the combs, and the powders raise clouds in
the apartment. She trims up the commode, she places
it ten times, unplaces it as often, without being so
fortunate as to hit upon the critical point; she models
it to all systems, but is pleased with none.
must know, that some ladies fancy a vertical, others
an horizontal position, others dress by the northern
latitude, and others lower its point 45 degrees.”
Hoops at this time swelled out the petticoats to an
enormous extent, so much so that a writer of the day
observes, “ If the men also adopted the old fashion
of trunk hose, a man and his wife would fill a whole
For you
pew in church.”
In a letter to the “ Spectator,” we find the follow-
ing account of hoops: “Since your withdrawing from
this place, the fair sex are run into great extrava-
gancies. Their petticoats, which began to heave and
swell before you left us, are now blown up into a
most enormous concave, and rise every day more and
more.
In short, sir, since our women know themselves
to be out of the eye of the Spectator, they will be kept
within no compass. You praised them a little too
soon for the modesty of their head-dresses ; for as the
humour of a sick person is often driven out of one
limb into another, their superfluity of ornaments, in-
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
147
92
*
stead of being entirely banished, seem only fallen from
their heads upon their lower parts. What they have
lost in height they make up in breadth, and contrary
to all rules of architecture widen the foundations at
the same time that they shorten the superstructure.
A little farther on we read : “But as we do
not yet hear of any particular use in this petticoat, or
that it contains any' thing more than what was sup-
posed to be in those of scantier make, we are won-
derfully at a loss about it.
Among
these various conjectures there are many of super-
stitious tempers, who look upon the hoop petticoat as
a kind of prodigy. Some will have it that it portends
the downfall of the French king, and observe that the
farthingale appeared in England a little before the
ruin of the Spanish monarchy.”
In another letter to the “Spectator” we have the
following : “I and several of your other female readers
have conformed ourselves to your rules, even to our
very dress. There is not one of us but has reduced
our outward petticoat to its ancient sizeable circum-
ference, though indeed we retain still the quilted one
underneath ; which makes us not altogether uncon-
formable to the fashion."
Another writer gives an amusing account of the
shape and varieties of hoops : “ The hoop," he ob-
serves, “has been known to expand and contract
itself from the size of a butter churn to the cir-
cumference of three hogsheads; at one time it was
sloped from the waist in a pyramidal form; at
another it was bent upwards like an inverted bow, by
which the two angles, when squeezed upon both sides,
148
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
he says,
came in contact with the ears. At present it is nearly
of an oval form, and scarce measures from end to end
above twice the length of the wearer. The hoop has
indeed lost much of its credit in the female world, and
has suffered much from the innovation of short sacks
and negligés.”
The same writer proposes that there should be a
female parliament to regulate matters relating to dress
and ceremony; and after speculating upon the improve-
ments that would be made by such judicious law-givers,
“And they would at least not suffer enor-
mous hoops, to spread themselves across the whole
pavement, to the detriment of all honest men going
upon business along the street.”
The petticoat of wide dimensions is also much
censured: “Many are the inconveniences that accrue
to her majesty's loving subjects from the same petti-
coats, as hurting men's shins, sweeping down the
wares of industrious females in the streets," &c. &c.
“ The ladies among us have a superior genius to
the men ; which have for some years past shot out in
several exorbitant inventions, for the greater consump-
tion of our manufacture. While the men have con-
tented themselves with the retrenchment of the hat, or
the various scallop of the pocket, the ladies have sunk
the head-dress, inclosed themselves in the circum-
ference of the hoop-petticoat; furbelows and flounces
have been disposed at will, the stays have been lowered
behind ; not to mention the various rolling of the
sleeve, and those other nice circumstances of dress,
upon which every lady employs her fancy at plea-
sure.'
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
149
"
Again it is observed: “I sometimes entertained
myself by observing what a large quantity of ground
was hid under spreading petticoats; and what little
patches of earth were covered by creatures with wigs
and hats, in comparison to those spaces that were
distinguished by flounces, fringes, and furbelows.”
In a petition to the author of the “ Tatler,” is an
amusing satire of these spreading petticoats, which
seem to have engrossed the attention of most of the
writers of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries :
Upon the late invention of Mrs. Catherine Cross-
stitch, mantua-maker, the petticoats of ladies were too
wide for entering into any coach or chair, which was
in use before the said invention. That, for the service
of the said ladies, your petitioner has built a round
chair, in the form of a lantern, six yards and a half
in circumference, with a stool in the centre of it; the
said vehicle being so contrived, as to receive the pas-
senger by opening in two in the middle, and closing
mathematically when she is seated. That your peti-
tioner has also invented a coach, for the reception of
one lady only, who is to be let in at the top. That
the said coach, has been tried by a lady's woman in
one of these full petticoats, who was let down from
a balcony, and drawn up again by pulleys, to the great
satisfaction of her lady and all who beheld her.”
Patching was never more prevalent than during
the reign of Queen Anne, and severely are those
“ black spots” censured by writers of the time, both
French and English.
A French author says:
L'usage des mouches n'est pas inconnu aux dames
Françoises, mais il faut être jeune et jolie. En Angle-
terre, jeunes, vieilles, belles, laides, tout est emmouché
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jusqu'à la décrepitude; j'ai plusieurs fois compté quinze
mouches et davantage, sur la noire et ridée face d'une
vieille de soixante et dix ans. Les Anglaises raffinent
ainsi sur nos modes."
We have other laughable accounts of these
patches : “ The women look like angels, and would
be more beautiful than the sun, were it not for little
black spots that are apt to break out in their faces,
and sometimes rise in very odd figures. I have ob-
served that those little blemishes wear off very soon,
but when they disappear in one part of the face, they
are very apt to break out in another, insomuch that
I have seen a spot upon the forehead in the afternoon
that was upon the chin in the morning."
“ About the middle of last winter I went to see
an opera at the Haymarket Theatre, where I could
not but take notice of two parties of very fine
women, that had placed themselves in the opposite
side-boxes, and seemed drawn up in a kind of battle
array one against the other.
After a short survey
of them, I found they were patched differently ; the
faces on one hand being spotted on the right side
of the forehead, and those upon the other on the
left. I quickly perceived that they cast hostile
glances one upon another; and that their patches
were placed in those different situations as party-
signals to distinguish friends from foes. In the
middle boxes, between these two opposite bodies, were
several ladies who patched indifferently on both sides
of their faces, and seemed to sit there with no other
intention but to see the opera. Upon inquiry I found
that the body of Amazons on my right hand were
Whigs, and those on my left Tories: and that those
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151
*
who had placed themselves in the middle boxes were
a neutral party.
Nay, I am informed that
some of them adhere so steadfastly to their party, and
are so far from sacrificing their zeal for the public to
their passion for any particular person, that in a late
draught of marriage articles, a lady has stipulated with
her husband that whatever his opinions are, she shall
be at liberty to patch on which side she pleases.”
The absurdity is also thus attacked : “ Madam,
let me beg of you to take off the patches at the
lower end of your left cheek, and I will allow two
more under your left eye, which will contribute more
to the symmetry of your face; except you would please
to remove the ten black atoms on your ladyship's chin,
and wear one large patch instead of them. If so, you
may properly enough retain the three patches above
mentioned.”
Washes for the complexion, rouge, and alabaster
powder, were much used at this time, and continued
fashionable for many years, but patches are said to
have been finally banished towards the latter end of
Anne's reign, chiefly through the censures of Addison,
who waged continual war against them, and from
whom many of the extracts given above have been
derived.
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THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
CHAPTER XI.
FRENCH milliners, hair-dressers, and shoemakers,
were now the fashion ; as well as French habiliments
of every kind.
In a letter to the “Spectator,” we
have the following remarks: “You cannot imagine,
worthy sir, how ridiculously I find we have all been
trussed up during the war, and how infinitely the
French dress excels ours. The mantua has no lead
in the sleeves, and I hope we are not lighter than
the French ladies, so as to want that kind of ballast;
the petticoat has no whalebone, but sits with an air
altogether gallant and dégagé ; the coiffure is inex-
pressibly pretty, and in short the whole dress has a
thousand beauties in it."
In a discourse purporting to be delivered by a
spinster, in defence of the woollen manufactures in
the year 1719, we find the following list of the different
articles of dress necessary for the attire of a lady of
fashion of that year:-
£. s. d.
" A smock of cambric holland about 3 ells
and a half
2 2
Marseilles quilted petticoat 3 yards wide and
1 yard long
.. 3 6 0
0
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153
£. S. d.
An hoop-petticoat covered with tabb.
2 15 0
A French or Italian silk quilted petticoat, one
yard and a quarter deep, and six yards
wide
10 00
A mantua and petticoat of French brocade .. 78 0 0
A French point or Flanders laced head, ruffles
and tucker.....
80 0 0
English stays covered with tabby........ 3 0 0
A French necklace
1 5 0
A Flanders laced handkerchief
10 0 0
French or Italian flowers for the hair
2 0 0
An Italian fan
5 0 0
English silk stockings
1 0 0
English shoes
2 10 0
French girdle
0 15 0
A cambrick pocket handkerchief ..
0 10 0
French kid gloves .
0 2 6
A black French silk alamode hood
0 15 0
A black French laced hood ..
5 5 0
French embroidered knot and bosom knot 2 2 0
French garters
1 5 0
Pockets of Marseilles quilting
1 5 0
Muff
5 5 0
Sable Tippet ..
15 0 0
Lining of Italian lutestring
8 0 0
Thread stockings
010 0
Turkey handkerchief
5 5 0
A hat of Leghorn ..
I 10 0
A beaver and feather for the forest.
3 0 0
A riding suit, with embroidery of Paris 47 10 0
Three dresses for the masquerade ; two from
Venice
36 0 0
One from Paris, of green velvet à la Sul-
tanesse, set with pearls and rubies 123 15 0
.
0
Almost all the above objects come from foreign
lands. There are also other trifles, such as essences,
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THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
pomatums, patches, powder, and wire, the prices of
which are not given.
The muffs here spoken of were very fashionable
about the year 1710; but their diminutive size seemed
to intimate that they were invented only for fashion's
sake, for they were much too small to be of any use.
The riding habit, which first appeared under the
reign of Charles II., was still looked upon with ani-
madversion even in the reign of Queen Anne,
as we find by the following remarks of Addison :
Among the several female extravagancies I have
already taken notice of, there is one which still keeps its
ground. I mean that of the ladies who dress them-
selves in a hat and feather, a riding-coat and a perri-
wig, or at least tie up their hair in a bag or ribbon,
in imitation of the smart part of the opposite sex.”
This graceful writer also affords us an account of
one of these equestrian ladies : “ His hair, well curled
and powdered, hung to a considerable length on his
shoulders, and was tied as if by the hand of his mistress
with a scarlet ribband, which played like a streamer
behind him; he had a coat and waistcoat of blue camlet
trimmed and embroidered with silver, a cravat of the
finest lace, and wore, in a smart cock, a little beaver
hat edged with silver, and made more sprightly by a
feather
As I was pitying the luxury
of this young person, who appeared to me to have
been only educated as an object of sight, I perceived
on my nearer approaeh, and as I turned my eye down-
ward, a part of the equipage I had not observed before,
which was a petticoat of the same as the coat and
waistcoat."
**
*
*
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
155
In one of the portraits of Queen Anne, her dress is
much like that worn in France under Louis XIV.
Her robe, of rich brocade, is made half high, and cut
square round the bosom, with a fall of lace. Her
hair is drawn off the forehead, and arranged in curls
to the top of the head, interspersed with pearls, and
long ringlets fall gracefully down upon her shoulders ;
a style of coiffure much preferable to the stiff, towering
head-dresses, that had been the fashion during the
first years of her reign.
Fans were now very much used; ladies seldom
appeared without this useful ornament in their hands.
The fan was adorned with every variety of bird, beast,
landscape, and figure, and even when out in a carriage
or at church it was still held ready to be furled or
unfurled at pleasure.
From various allusions to different parts of a
lady's dress, in works printed at the beginning of
the eighteenth century we find that the shape and
form of attire was no longer distinguished by that
modesty which had characterized it till the sixteenth
century. “ If,” says Addison, “we survey the
pictures of our great-grandmothers in Queen Eliza-
beth's time, we see them clothed down to the very
wrists, and up to the very chin.
The hands and
face were the only samples they gave of their
beautiful persons. The following age of females made
larger discoveries of their complexion. They, first of
all, tucked up their garments to the elbow, and, not-
withstanding the tenderness of the sex, were content,
for the information of mankind, to expose their arms
to the coldness of the air and injuries of the weather.”
Not long after this the petticoats were shortened,
156
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the gowns lowered to a degree that was very offensive
to modesty, and altogether the dress of a lady of
fashion, modelled exactly upon that of the French, was
much censured by writers of the period.
Notwithstanding all that had been said, written,
and preached against the hoop, which now replaced
the fardingale in the toilette of the élégantes, it re-
mained a favourite till the nineteenth century, when
George IV. banished it altogether.
Long gloves began to be worn by the ladies in this
reign.
The costume of the gentlemen, though not so pre-
posterous as that of the ladies, still frequently fell under
the reproof of rigid critics. The large, full-bottomed
wigs, especially, were severely censured. In the reign
of Queen Mary, Archbishop Tillotson thus speaks of
this new fashion: “ I can remember,” he says, “since
the wearing of hair below the ears was looked upon as
a sin of the first magnitude; and when ministers
generally, whatever their text was, did either find, or
make occasion to reprove the great sin of long hair,
and if they saw any one in the congregation guilty in
that kind, they would point him out particularly, and
let fly at him with great zeal.”
These immense wigs, we are told, were named
“Duvilliers," from a perruquier of that name who first
invented them. Of the same family, though of much
smaller dimensions, were the nightcap wigs, the
campaign, major, bag, and riding wigs; and it is said
that thirty pounds was not considered at all a large
price for a full-sized peruke.
Hats now engaged much attention. Sometimes
the brim stood straight up all round; at others the
2
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157
ENE
*
right or the left sides were elevated, or, perhaps, both;
and small three-cornered hats, trimmed with gold or
silver lace, and adorned with feathers, came into
fashion.
The coats were of a square form, the waistcoats
immensely long, with large
pockets, and the stockings,
though fastened below the
knees with garters, were still
worn pulled up far above
them. The cuffs of the coats
were wide,
wide, hanging, and
trimmed with lace ruffles ;
while the skirts, it is said,
rivalled the hoop-petticoat in
size, being stiffened out with
wire.
The legs gloried in bright
blue or red stockings, with
clocks of gold and silver. The
feet were encased in broad-
toed shoes, with red heels, and the throat was wrapped
in a lace tie.
To complete the costume, we must not omit to
mention that the petit-maitres of that day wore long
swords peeping from under the skirts of their coats,
and had fringed gloves, also embroidered pocket-hand-
kerchiefs. When the ties disappeared, Steinkirks,
berdashes, and lastly, cravats, were worn.
In Walpole's “ Anecdotes of Painting,” we find
that in the reign of George I. “the habits of the times
were shrunk into awkward coats and waistcoats for the
men ; and for the women, to tight-laced gowns, round
158
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
hoops, and half-a-dozen squeezed plaits of linen, to
which dangled behind two unmeaning pendants, called
lappets, not half covering their straight-drawn hair.”
To this description we may add small caps, some of
which scarcely covered the top of the head, while
others, frilled and puffed in small plaits, lay upon the
forehead.
The hoop now underwent many important changes ;
I
sometimes it projected at the sides only, or, like its
ancestor the fardingale, it spread itself all round in
imposing majesty, covered with a short jupe, deprived
of its flowing train.
The high-heeled shoes remained. Tight sleeves with
full ruffles ; small-pointed waists enclosed in whale-
bone; loose gowns called sacques ; and cloaks with
hoods named cardinals, were now la grande mode.
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
159
Among the gentlemen's costumes the most striking
novelty of this time was the Ramilie tail, which was
a plaited tail to the wig, with an immense bow at the
top, and a smaller one at the bottom. To Lord
Bolingbroke the élégantes are indebted for the fashion
of tying the hair, which hitherto had been formed
into curls on the back of the neck.
Hats were of every shape. The nether garments
were fastened below the knees, and the stockings no
longer covered them. The following account is given
of the dress of this time: “I suffered my hair,”
says the writer, "to grow long enough to comb back
over the foretop of my wig, which, when I sallied
forth to my evening amusement, I changed to a
queue; I tied the collar of my shirt with half an
ell of black ribbon, which appeared under my neck-
cloth; the fore-corner of my hat was considerably
elevated and shortened, so that it no longer resembled
a spout, but the corner of a minced pye; my waist-
coat was edged with narrow lace, my stockings were
silk, and I never appeared without a pair of gloves.”
The same writer tells us that a few years previously
he wore (having cut off his hair) a brown bob periwig,
with a single row of curls round the bottom, nicely
combed and without powder. He adds that his hat
was of the fashionable shape; the fore-corner projected
nearly two inches further than those on each side, and
was moulded into the form of a spout.
In the reign of George II. the pigtail, that favour-
ite ornament of sailors in later years, first appeared,
and it banished the Ramilie tail and tie. Bob-wigs
followed in its train ; sometimes they were powdered,
and a few brave spirits actually ventured to wear their
own hair curled and profusely powdered.
160
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
A large cocked hat was now imported from Ger-
many; it was named the Kevenhuller, and is thus
described by a writer of the time :
6. It is shaped
like an equilateral triàngle, placed with the most ma-
thematical precision on the head, somewhat elevated
behind, and sloping on an unvarying angle downwards
to the eyes, surrounded by a long, stiff, formal feather,
rising from a large rosette of black riband on the
dexter side."
The hoop, during the first few years of the reign
of George II., appeared to have lost the favour of
the fair votaries of fashion; its ascendancy visibly de-
clined, perhaps in consequence of a pamphlet which
was published against it, entitled, “ The enormous
abomination of the Hoop-petticoat as the fashion
>>
now is.”
Caps and straw hats now flourished, and aprons
were much worn even in full dress. Capuchins re-
placed the hoods of former reigns, and patches reap-
peared, though but for a very short time. A new
covering for the head, too—which was neither a cap
nor a bonnet-was also invented at this time : it was
called a calash, and was made of silk, plaited closely
over a wire frame.
A work published in 1753, speaks of caps the
size of a china plate having
dwindled down to the breadth
of half-a-crown, and then va-
nished. We also read : “ They
wear no cap, and only substitute
in its room a variety of trumpery
ribbons, tied up with no other
propriety than the present fit
shall happen to direct."
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
161
In one of the old Norfolk journals we find the
following : “Several fine ladies, who used to wear
French silks, French hoops four yards wide, tête de
mouton heads, and white satin smock petticoats, are
now turned Methodists, and followers of Mr. Whitfield,
whose doctrine of the new birth has so prevailed over
them, that they now wear plain stuff gowns, no hoops,
common night-mobs, and old plain bags.”
The author of a work appearing at about the same
time remarks: “Of all branches of the female dress
no one has undergone more alterations than that of the
head. The long lappets, the horse-shoe cap, the Brus-
sels head, and the prudish mob, pinned under the chin,
have all of them had their day. The present mode has
voted out all these superfluous excrescences, and in
the room of a slip of cambric, or lace, has planted a
whimsical sprig of spangles, or artificial flowers. We
may remember when, for a while, the hair was tor-
tured into ringlets behind ; at present it is braided
If the caps have passed
through many metamorphoses, no less a change has
been brought about in the other coverings contrived
for the head. The diminutive high-crowned hat, the
bonnet, the hive, and the milk-maid's chip hat, were
rescued for a time from old women and servant-girls,
to adorn the heads of the first fashion. Nor was the
method of cocking hats less fluctuating, till they were
at length settled to the present mode, by which it is
ordained, that every hat, whether of straw or silk,
whether of the chambermaid or mistress, must have
their flaps turned up both before and behind. If the
end of a fine lady's dress was not rather ornamental
than useful, we should think it a little odd that hats,
into a queue.
M
162
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
which seem naturally to be intended to screen their
faces from the heat or severity of the weather, should
be moulded into a shape that prevented their answer.
ing either of these purposes ; but we must, indeed,
allow it to be highly ornamental, as the present hats
worn by the women are more bold and impudent than
the broad-brimmed staring Kevenhullers worn a few
years ago by the men. These hats are also decorated
with two waving pendants of ribbon, hanging down
from the brim on the left side."
The two head-dresses annexed were fashionable
about this time. The hair
was drawn over a cushion
to a great height, and sur-
mounted by a handkerchief
of lace, or finegauze. Some-
times two ringlets were al-
lowed to fall upon the neck,
or a long, narrow strip of lace, resembling a streamer,
hung from the top to the shoulders. The cap was
composed of riband and lace.
Pomatum and powder were much used by the
ladies in their coiffures. But the most extraordinary
invention for the adornment of the head, of this or
any other age, was that of the capriole. An old poet
thus speaks of this fantastical coiffure :-
“Here, on a fair one's head-dress, sparkling sticks,
Swinging on silver springs, a coach and six;
There, on a sprig or slop'd pourpon, you see
A chariot, sulky, chaise, or vis-à-vis."
In the same poem we read :
"Nelly! where is the creature fled ?
Put my post-chaise upon my head.”
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
163
In a work written about the year 1757, we read :
“ Be it remembered that in this year many ladies of
fortune and fashion, willing to set an example of pru-
dence and economy to their inferiors, did invent and
make public, without a patent, a machine for the
head, in form of a post-chaise and horses, and an-
other imitating a chair and chairmen, which were
frequently worn by persons of distinction.”
We have also the following description of this
fashion : « Those heads which are not able to bear a
coach and six (for vehicles of this sort are very apt
to crack the brain) so far act consistently as to make
use of a post-chariot, or a single-horse chaise with a
beau perching in the middle.” The account then
goes on to say: “The vehicle itself was constructed
of gold threads, and was drawn by six dapple greys
of blown glass, with a coachman, postilion, and gen-
tleman within, of the same brittle manufacture. Upon
further inquiry the milliner told me, with a smile,
that it was difficult to give a reason for inventions
so full of whim.”
The prevailing fashion of powder was followed by
women as well as men, so that with it and quantities
of
pomatum, the hair was stiffened out in large curls,
or, being drawn back from the forehead, fell down
en chignon. False hair was very generally worn, and
every variety of coiffure: French curls that resembled
eggs strung on a wire; Italian curls, done back from
the face, and often called scallop shells; and German
curls, which were a mixture of Italian and French.
Behind, the hair was curled all over, and was called
tête de mouton.
The quantities of powder and pomatum used at
164
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
this period to build up a lady's head rendered it im-
possible to dress the hair every day. Frequently the
coiffure remained untouched and perfect for a week,
a fortnight, or even more. One indulgent writer
indeed observes: “I consent, also, to the present
fashion of curling the hair, so that it may stand a
month without combing; though I must confess that
I think three weeks, or a fortnight, might be a
sufficient time. But I bar every application to those
foreign artists, who advertise that they have the secret
of making up a lady's head for a quarter of a year.”
The gowns still continued short, and very low
round the bosom and shoulders, and many writers
affirm that a lady's dress was so scanty that modesty
was almost banished. Hoops maintained their place;
the waist was pinched in so as to be very long and
slim, and laced up in front like a bodice; the sleeves
were generally tight to the elbow, terminating with
deep lace ruffles; the robe was ornamented with a
flounce, which helped to swell out its dimensions ;
and an open dress was worn over it, with a train, and
deep trimming of lace, or bouffans ; a little orna-
mented apron frequently finished the attire.
Hoops now reappeared, and, as if to make up for
their banishment, swelled out to an immense size
both to the right and left. Indeed they flourished
greatly throughout the reign of George III., and
were not finally banished till George IV. ascended
the throne, when, with his usual good taste in every
thing relating to the toilette, that monarch declared
them to be cumbersome and inelegant. The opinion
of so good a judge sealed their death-warrant, and
the hoop disappeared, never, we may hope, to return,
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND,
165
at least among the British fair ; though anti-hoopists
have had cause to tremble lately, lest it should resume
its place in the wardrobe of modern fashionables ; for
a certain crénoline, or horse-hair jupe, has recently
astonished the world by its marked resemblance to its
ancestor of famous memory.
Speaking of the French night-cap, a writer of
the year 1762 remarks : “Our fine women have,
by covering their cheeks, by this fashion put their
faces into an eclipse. Each lady, when dressed in
this mode, can only peep under the lace border. Per-
haps they are intended, like blinds to a horse's har-
ness, to teach ladies to look forward. It has been
whispered, indeed, that this mode is an introduction
to Popery; it is to bring in the veil by and by; a
sort of trial to see how our English toasts will take
it.”
“ The Ranelagh Mob is a piece of gauze mignon-
ette, catgut, or Leicester web, which is clouted about
the head, then crossed under the chin, and brought
back to fasten behind, the two ends hanging down
like a pair of pigeon's tails.
“ The Mary Queen of Scots Cap is edged down
the face with French beads; very becoming to some
complexions, but as the cap is made of black gauze,
and saves washing, it has too much housewifery in it
to be immense taste.
“ The Fly Cap is fixed upon the forehead, forming
the figure of an overgrown butterfly, resting upon its
head, with outstretched wings. It is much worn at
present; not that it adds either to the colour or out-
line of the face, but as their caps are edged with
garnets, topazes, or brilliants, they are very sparkling.
166
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
*
*
It is become a very interesting dispute
among connoisseurs in general, whether the present
turban roll, now worn round the Mecklenbourg caps,
was taken from the Egyptian fillet, the Persian tiara,
or the wreath round the elder Fautina's temples.”
The following are some of the head-dresses of the
middle of the eighteenth century :-
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THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
167
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
CHAPTER XII.
THE long reign of George III. was celebrated
in the annals of fashion. Hats were of every shape
and size. The present round hat appeared after
the French Revolution, when the three-cornered one
entirely disappeared; after it came the chapeau bras
and the opera-hat.
A writer of the early part of this reign is very
severe upon the gentlemen for their love of adorning
themselves ; indeed, he attacks their costume and its
appendages as poignantly as he does that of women:
“ The ladies,” he says, “have long been severely ral-
lied on their too great attention to finery; but, to
own the truth, dress seems at present to be as much
the study of the male part of the world as the female.
We have gentlemen, who will lay a whole night (as
Benedict says) carving the fashion of a new doublet.'
They have their toilettes, too, as well as the ladies,
set out with washes, perfumes, and cosmetics ; and
168
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
will spend the whole morning in scenting their linen,
dressing their hair, and arching their eyebrows. Their
heads (as well as the ladies') have undergone various
mutations, and have worn as many different kinds of
wigs as the block at the barber's. About fifty years
ago they buried their heads in a bush of hair, and
the beaux, as Swift says, “lay hid beneath the pent-
house of a full-bottomed perriwig. But, as they then
shewed nothing but the nose, mouth, and eyes, the
fine gentlemen of our time not only oblige us with
their full faces, but have drawn back the side curls
quite to the tip of the ear.
From the same writer we find that gentlemen did
not disdain the use of paint! “This fashion is not
confined to the ladies,” says another : “I am ashamed
to tell you that we are indebted to Spanish wool
for many of our masculine ruddy complexions. А
pretty fellow lacquers his pale, face with as many
varnishes as a fine lady.” Again : “ Many of my
readers will, I dare say, be hardly persuaded that
this custom could have ever prevailed as a branch of
male foppery; but it is too notorious that our fine
gentlemen, in various other instances besides the ar-
ticle of paint, affect the softness and delicacy of the
The male beauty has his washes, perfumes,
and cosmetics, and takes as much pains to set a gloss
on his complexion as the footman in japanning his
shoes. He has his dressing-room, and, (which is still
more ridiculous), his toilet too.”
If the hats changed after the French Revolution,
the wigs felt its effects no less severely. Till about
the year 1750, they became gradually smaller and
fair sex.
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
169
smaller ; but what they lost in curls was made up by
an immense bag hanging on the shoulders. Gra-
dually that, too, dwindled down to a pigtail.
Great alterations, also, were perceived in the shape
of the coats. The skirts no longer rivalled the hoop,
from having their skirts stiffened with whalebone;
they now assumed a modern form, and the waists were
much shorteſ. Every colour was used for these gar-
ments—for gentlemen did not then, as at present,
appear in black, dark blue, brown, or green coats;
on the contrary, the petit-maitres of the eighteenth
century seemed to delight in every brilliant tint and
shade, from the brightest scarlet to the most dazzling
cerulean blue, rendered still more splendid by bind-
ings of gold and silver lace. Cloth was the material
most generally worn, but velvet was also often seen.
The waistcoats were no less brilliant than the
coats. They were very long and had deep pockets,
and were usually covered with embroidery and but-
tons. These latter ornaments to a gentleman's attire
in this reign attained such a size, that they and the
buckles were at last laughed out of fashion.
The nether garments, of silk, cloth, or velvet, as-
sumed the shape of breeches, and were fastened below
the knees; the stocking was gartered underneath
them. Shoes were long in the quarters, broad at the
toes, and had immense buckles.
After the lace tie came the white stock. This
was succeeded by a muslin cravat, and shortly after-
wards a shirt-collar appeared.
Subsequently coats with tails, frock-coats, short
waistcoats, trousers, pantaloons, and round beaver
170
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
hats, with narrow turned-up brims, have been intro-
duced, and have quietly maintained their place for
many years with comparatively little change. Indeed,
the present century is by no means so celebrated for
the vagaries of fashion as most of its predecessors, at
least as far as regards the costume of the gentlemen.
The following lines describe certain varieties of
dress worn by the ladies in the year 1766 :-
“ Painted lawns and chequer'd shades,
Crape that's worn by love-lorn maids,
Watered tabbies, flowered brocades;
Vilets, pinks, Italian posies,
Myrtles, jessamines, and roses ;
Aprons, caps, and kerchiefs clean,
Straw-built hats, and bonnets green;
Catgut gauzes, tippets, ruffs,
Fans and hoods, and feathered muffs ;
Stomachers, and Paris nets,
Ear-rings, necklaces, aigrets,
Rings and blondes, and mignionetts.”
Ladies now wore wigs like the gentlemen, and
frequently added a club, or chignon, behind, in imi.
tation, probably, of the toupées of the other sex. Caps
of every kind were also seen; some towering high
in air, some equally low; some sloping down to the
nose, others standing straight upwards. Mountains
of lawn, muslin, net, lace, gauze, riband, flowers, and
wire, assisted in composing these structures, many of
which really deserved the censures of critics quite as
much as those of former years.
In addition to these enormous coiffures, the fair
ladies very often placed on the top of them a gipsy
bonnet, surrounded with numerous bows and streamers.
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
171
A few years later a coiffure, which certainly ri-
valled the commode, was very fash-
ionable, and, in spite of caricaturists
and abuse, continued so for many
years. It was a perfect mountain
of curls, powder, pomatum, flowers,
feathers, blonde, and riband, rising
one above another.
After this came the corkscrew
curls, adding by their long twisted
form to the ludicrous effect of the
Alps, which towered high in air on the foreheads
of our ancestors.
A work published in 1776 mentions that a par-
roquet, its wings and tail extended, was very often
perched on the top of the powdered edifice. This
rivalled the coiffures of the Chinese ladies, and their
favourite head-dress of the fongwang.
Powder remained the fashion till the year 1794.
After it disappeared the hair was worn in curls, which
were sometimes short, at others long and straggling,
falling completely over the face, so that the bright
orbs beneath could with difficulty peep out from the
ringlets which almost entirely concealed them.
172
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
+
Then came the crop, that frightful coiffure, which
no beauty, however youthful and graceful, could wear
with impunity. Often a narrow band surrounded the
head, and perhaps a rose was placed upon the fore-
head, or an immense feather stood up like the panache
in a soldier's helmet, as seen in the foregoing cut.
Bonnets were equally remarkable, as will be seen
by the accompanying specimens :
1
After long waists had been worn for some years,
extremely short ones appeared, and the petticoats of
the gowns were tucked up behind, like those of many
peasants of the present day. Sacques, negligées, and
the far-famed great-coat, now came into fashion. The
latter is celebrated for having been a favourite dress
of Queen Charlotte; and Madame D'Arblay has im-
mortalized it by the following lines, in which she
alludes to her majesty's predilection for it:-
- The garb of state she inly scorn'd,
Glad from its trappings to be freed;
She saw thee humble, unadorn’d,
Quick of attire, a child of speed."
A little later the fashionable costume is thus de-
scribed by a modern female writer: “Ladies wore
cloth pelisses, formed like a man's coat, with a velvet
THE TOI. TTE IN ENGLAND.
178
:
>>
collar; a round black beaver hat, silk cravat, and
boots with high military heels, a sprigged black lace
veil, the trousers, which peeped below the short pet-
ticoat, alone shewing the weaker sex.
The driving
dress usually was a box-coat and cape, a round white
beaver hat, lined with green muslin, a cravat, and
Hessian boots; the costume beneath the coat cor-
sisted of a cambric dress sitting close to the form,
sometimes even without any plait in the skirt, and
gored in such a manner as to disclose the shape of
the limbs. The robe was sometimes even damped to
make it sit closer. The lighter the clothing, the more
fashionable."
The bust was at this period frequently enrolled in
a white satin spencer. The petticoats were frightfully
scanty, the shoes elaborately sandaled, the stockings
of thick silk, and the pocket handkerchief had a good
sempstress hem, subject to no other ornament than
its neat red mark in the corner.
The Swiss petticoat and white chemisette body,
was our first launch into French fashions at the early
part of the present century. The writings, songs,
and caricatures of the day, took up the strangeness
of the attire-strange even to ourselves, much more
so, probably, to the people we sought to imitate, for
the very materials of Parisian apparel were then new
to us.
We had never seen tulle ; we were ignorant
of satin rouleaux ; a transparent standing-up French
toque was a thing unheard-of; neither had we seen
such short waists, or the dresses open behind and in
front to the very waist.
The hair was now dressed à la Chinoise : the broad
plait surmounting the head forming a sort of basket,
174
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
1
which held a profusion of roses.
The forehead was
quite uncovered, the hair being strained up from it;
and at the side fell the long distinct ringlet, emulated
in length by the gold ear-ring that hung pendent
beside it. Never had we seen such a head as this;
we looked like so many cropped schoolboys.
The dress was equally new.
A clear silk net
over white satin, made very short both in the skirt
and the waist, and trimmed round the petticoat with
satin rouleaux. The morning dress of one of the
first French ladies who made her appearance in Eng.
land at the termination of the war, is described as
having been formed of a plain English gingham,
instead of silk or satin, with a beautifully worked
chemisette; her hair à la Chinoise, without other
ornament than a large Leghorn hat.
No sooner did French modes once more reach our
shores than they were instantly seized upon, and the
dress of the British fair changed like magic! Toques,
berets, tunics, manteaux, chapeaux, bonnets, every
article of attire that a French modiste touched with
her fairy fingers, was bought with avidity. Then
appeared bonnets whose shape we cannot better de-
scribe than by borrowing the words of Moore :
“ That build of bonnet, whose extent
Should, like a doctrine of dissent,
Puzzle church-doors to let it in
Nor half had reached the pitch sublime,
To which true toques and berets climb;
Leaving, like lofty Alps that throw
O'er minor Alps their shadowy sway,
Earth's humbler bonnets far below,
To poke through life their fameless way.”-
THE TOILETTE IN ENGLAND.
175
From this period English costume is so familiar
to our readers as to render any description of it quite
unnecessary
Nii
THE TOILETTE IN SCOTLAND.
CHAPTER XIII.
N all the early annals of the
Scotch, it is stated that they
were a rude and hardy race
of men; that they loved war;
and were for the most part
nearly destitute of clothing.
Afterwards we find that they
adopted the skins of beasts.
Pitscottie, in his“ Chronicles
of Scotland,” speaking of the
ancient style of dress, says:
“ They be cloathed with ane
mantle, with ane shirt, fachioned after the Irish
manner, going bare-legged to the knie.”
The author of a work on Scotland, published in 1603,
writes thus : “ They (the Highlanders) delight much
THE TOILETTE IN SCOTLAND.
177
r
in marbled cloths, especially that have long stripes
of sundry colours ; they love chiefly purple and blue;
their predecessors used short mantles, or plaids of
divers colours, sundrie ways divided, and among some
the same custome is observed to this day; but for
the most part now they are brown, most near to the
colour of the hadder, to the effect when they lye
among the hadders, the bright colours of their plaids
shall not bewray them, with the which, rather coloured
than clad, they suffer the most cruel tempests that
blow in the open fields, in such sort, that in a night
of snow they sleep sound."
Pinkerton, speaking of the dress of this people,
says:
“ The kilt is not ancient, but singular, and
adapted to their savage life.” He also adds, “ that it
was unknown among the Welsh and Irish, but that
it was the dress of the Saxons who could not afford
breeches."
The Highlander's dress consisted of the breacon-
feile, simply a chequered covering ; in original form
now almost entirely in disuse. It was a plain piece
of tartan, about six yards long and two yards wide.
This plaid, or kilt as it was called, was
arranged that it surrounded the waist in folds, and
was held firm by a leathern belt, in such a manner
that the lower part fell to the middle of the knee,
and then, while the plaid was in folds behind, it was
doubled in front. The upper part was fastened on
the left shoulder with a large brooch, or pin, so as
to give it the most graceful appearance possible, and
the two ends were allowed to hang down; frequently,
however, that on the right side, as it was much the
longest, was permitted to be tucked under the belt.
SO
N
178
THE TOILETTE IN SCOTLAND,
Thus the right arm was uncovered, except in cold
weather, when the plaid being thrown Joosely on, it
covered all the body.
Although this plaid was peculiar to the High-
landers, it was, till the end of the last century, fre-
quently worn by the Lowlanders also: As, of course,
it had no pockets, a purse, of goat's or badger's skin,
or of leather, supplied their place; it was called a
sporan, and people of rank and wealth had it or-
namented in the most gaudy manner, with a silver
mouth-piece, tassels, and silver fastenings.
Formerly the Highlanders wore on their feet a
piece of untanned hide, cut to the shape and size of
the foot, and held fast by leathern thongs.
This
fashion still continues in the Shetland Isles; and to
this day the Scotch dislike any covering on their feet
so much, that they always go barefooted when not
ashamed of being seen; and an author who wrote a
century ago affirms, that he visited a well-educated
laird in the north, who wore neither shoes nor stock-
ings. At a still later period, respectable people of
both sexes might be seen walking to church bare-
footed, carrying their shoes and stockings in a bundle;
when they arrived at or near the churchyard, they
quietly sat down, put them on, and, when the service
was over, took them off again, and walked home with-
out them. The stockings, generally of the same
pattern as the plaid, were formerly not knitted, but
cut out of the web, a custom which still prevails in
some of the Highland regiments. The garters worn
by the men were of rich patterns, very broad, and
often ornamented with tassels.
The buskins formerely worn by the Highlanders ·
THE TOILETTE IN SCOTLAND.
179
were of undressed deers hide, which, as the hair was
worn outwards, procured for them the title of red-
shanks; but the present brogue is made of untanned
leather, with holes to admit and let out the water.
Thus we read :
“ Speed, Malise, speed! the dun deer's hide
On fleeter foot was never tied.”
To finish the national costume, we must mention
the bonnet, generally of blue cloth, of a round, flat
shape, sometimes ornamented with an eagle's feather.
A dirk, a knife and fork, a spoon, and a pair of pis-
tols, were essential accompaniments to this garb,
which, however, differed according to the rank of
the wearer.
The short coat and waistcoat, which formed the
dress of the wealthy, was adorned with silver buttons,
tassels, embroidery, and lace, according to the fashion
of the day; and it is remarked by General Stewart,
that silver buttons frequently came to them from an
inheritance of long descent. The reason they gave
for wearing buttons of such massive silver was, that
if the wearer died in battle, or at a distance from his
home, their value would defray the expense of a
handsome funeral.
For a great many years shirts were unknown
among this people, and it is an old saying among
them, that shirts and rheumatism came together.
It is asserted by many authors, that of all national
garbs there is not one that can be compared to the
Highland costume for beauty and gracefulness. Cer-
tainly in these peaceful times its utility may be ques-
180
THE TOILETTE IN SCOTLAND.
tioned; but at the time when it was used it would
have been impossible to invent a more suitable one
for activity and freedom of limb, although the old
ballad, on the “ Battle of the Bridge of Dee,” does
say:
“ The Highlandmen are pretty men
For target and claymore;
But yet they are but naked men,
To face the cannon's roar.”
The antiquity of the tartan is supposed to be very
great. It is dyed, and the colours arranged with the
greatest nicety, so as to preserve the patterns, or sets,
as they are called, each of which represents a different
clan, tribe, family, or district. Thus a Stuart, a
Macdonald, a Campbell, &c. &c., was known by the
colour and pattern of his plaid; and the Athole,
Glenorchy, and other colours of different districts,
were easily distinguished. These plaids are now made
of the finest wool, and form dresses of the most beau-
tiful texture, being soft, light, and very warm.
It is said that there were formerly different modes
of wearing the plaid: one when on a peaceful journey,
another when danger was apprehended; one way of
enveloping themselves in it for repose, and another
which enabled the wearer to start up, sword in hand,
ready for the conflict, like the warriors of Roderick
Dhu:
“ Instant, through copse and heath, arose
Bonnets, and spears, and bended bows;
On right, on left, above, below,
Sprung up at once the lurking foe:
From shingles grey their lances start,
The bracken bush sends forth the dart,
THE TOILETTE IN SCOTLAND.
181
The rushes and the willow wand
Are bristling into axe and brand,
And every tuft of broom gives life
To plaided warrior armed for strife.”
The dress of the Highland women was no less
characteristic than that of the men. Until they mar-
ried they always wore a riband,
or, as it was called, a snood,
with which alone they were al-
lowed to ornament their hair ;
after they married they ex-
changed the snood for a curch,
toy, or coif of linen, tied under
the chin. Martin, in his ob-
servations on their dress, says:
“ The women wore sleeves of
scarlet cloth, closed at the end
as men's vests, with gold lace
round them, having plate but-
tons set with fine stones. The
head-dress was a kerchief of fine linen, strait about
the head. The plaid was tied before on the breast,
with a buckle of silver, or brass, according to the
quality of the person.
I have seen some of the
former, of one hundred merks value, the whole cu-
riously engraved with various animals. There was
a lesser buckle, which was worn in the middle of the
larger; it had in the centre a large piece of crystal,
or some fine stone, of a lesser size.'
Pennant, in his Tour through Scotland, about the
year 1769, remarks that, “ the Highland women drew
the tonnag, or plaid, over their heads in bad weather,
or during the church service;" though by an edict made
182
THE TOILETTE IN SCOTLAND.
by James II., in 1457, this habit of concealing the
face, either at kirk or at market, was expressly pro-
hibited. From a passage in the same statute, it ap-
pears that about that time Scotch head-dresses had
risen to the height fashionable in other countries, for
the edict goes on to say: “ The wives and daughters
are to wear on their heads little curchs with hoods ;
and as to their gowns, no woman is to wear fur of
Martin skin, or lace, or tails of an unfit length, or
furred, except on a holyday.”
The snood, plaid, and brooch, were formerly worn
by all women, whether of high or low degree. The
material used by the higher orders, instead of wool,
was silk or satin, and the brooch of a more precious
metal than those worn by the lower classes. Thus
we find in the beautiful description of Ellen :-
“A chieftain's daughter seem'd the maid ;
Her satin snood, her silken plaid,
Her golden brooch, such birth betray'd.”
The plaid was formerly worn hanging from the
neck nearly to the feet; it was tied round the waist,
and was usually white, with stripes of red, black, or
blue. The snood formed the only difference in dress
between the matron and the young maiden; for bon-
nets were quite unknown among the Highland women,
and a veil, though worn by women of almost every
other nation, appears never to have made part of their
costume.
The higher classes, in the sixteenth century, seem
to have followed the English fashions. Sir Walter
Scott, aware of this fact, in the “Lay of the Last
THE TOILETTE IN SCOTLAND.
183
Minstrel,” describes Margaret as wearing the follow-
ing dress :
66 Of sable velvet her array ;
And on her head a crimson hood,
With pearls embroidered and entwined;
Guarded with gold, with ermine lined,
A merlin sat upon her wrist,
Held by a leash of silken twist.”
And, before the battle of Flodden, represents King
James in the following splendid attire :-
“ An easy task it was, I trow,
King James's manly form to know,
Although, his courtesy to show,
He doffed, to Marmion bending low,
His broidered cap and plume.
For royal were his garb and mien,
His cloak, of crimson velvet piled,
Trimmed with the fur of marten wild ;
His vest, of changeful satin sheen,
The dazzled eye beguiled ;
His gorgeous collar hung adown,
Wrought with the badge of Scotland's crown,
The thistle brave, of old renown;
His trusty blade, Toledo right,
Descended from a baldric bright;
White were his buskins, on the heel
His spurs inlaid of gold and steel;
His bonnet, all of crimson fair,
Was buttoned with a ruby rare.”
In the same poem occurs the description of the
Scottish soldiers and their chiefs, giving their High-
land dress as then worn :
“ Just then the chiefs their tribes arrayed,
And wild and garish semblance made,
184
THE TOILETTE IN SCOTLAND.
The chequered trews, and belted plaid,
And varying notes the war-pipes brayed
To every varying clan;
Wild through their red, or sable hair,
Looked out their eyes, with savage stare,
On Marmion as he passed ;
Their legs above the knee were bare;
Their frame was sinewy, short, and spare,
And hardened to the blast;
Of taller race, the chiefs they own
Were by the eagle's plumage known.
The hunted red deer's undressed hide
Their hairy buskins well supplied ;
The graceful bonnet decked their head;
Back from their shoulders hung the plaid."
The dress of the unfortunate Mary queen of Scots
is thus described in a letter to Lord Burghley : “Hir
borrowed haire borne hir attire on hir head, was on
this manner: she had a dressing of lawne, edged
with bone lace; a pomander chaine, with an Agnus
Dei about the neck; a crucifix in her hand; a payer
of beads at her girdle, with a goulding crosse at the
end of it; a vaile of lawne fastened to her carole,
with a bowed out wire, and edged round about with
a bone lace; hir gowne of black sattin prynted, with
a trayne and long sleffes to the gownd, set with a
range of buttons, of jett trimed with pearle, and short
sleffes of purple velvet hole under them ; her kirtle
hole of figured sattin black; her pettycote upper
body, unlaced in the back, of crymsen satten; her
pettycote scirtes of crymson velvett; hir shooes of
Spanysh lether, with the rough side outward; a
payer of green silk garters ; her nether stockings
worsted coloured water set, clocked with silver; and
next her legg a payer of Jarsey hose whit.”
THE TOILETTE IN SCOTLAND.
185
The attachment of the Highlanders to their na-
tional costume rendered it a bond of union, often
dangerous to the government, and many efforts were
made by the legislature after the rebellion in 1715,
to disarm and oblige them to conform to Lowland
dresses. Shoe-buckles were unknown among them
till within the last 150 years; neckcloths, also, have
only latterly been adopted, and they still retain a great
affection for the ancient attire of their country.
THE
TOILETTE IN IRELAND.
CHAPTER XIV.
alt!
HE ancient dress of the Irish
appears to be but little known
till the twelfth century, when it is
said to have been much the same
as that worn by the southern
Britons. After the garments of
skins were discarded, the Irish
adopted breeches, a cota, and a mantle, fastened, as
usual, with a brooch or bodkin. Armilla and torques
were favourite ornaments among them. Giraldus
Cambriensis says of the Irish in the twelfth century:
They wear their woollen clothes mostly black, because
the sheep in Ireland are in general of that colour ;
the dress itself is of a barbarous fashion. They
66
THE TOILETTE IN IRELAND.
187
Ylliant
wear moderate close-hooded or cowled mantles, which
spread over their shoulders and
reach down to the elbow, com-
posed of small pieces of cloth,
of different kinds and colours,
for the most part sewed to-
gether; beneath which they
have woollen phalinges, instead
of a cloak, or breeches and
stockings in one piece, and
these generally dyed of some
colour.”
The mantle and brogues are
two well known parts of an Irish
costume. Froissart, in Richard
the Second's reign, mentions
the four Irish kings who swore allegiance to that
monarch, and says that linen drawers were
dered to be made for them, and houpelands of silk,
trimmed with miniver and gris. “For,” adds the
chronicler, “ formerly these Irish kings were thought
to be well dressed if wrapped up in an Irish mantle.”
The dress of the females up to this time is but little
known, but it is supposed that they wore mantles,
bodkins in their hair, and various ornaments of jewels;
they are said to have been very partial to long hair,
and allowed it to grow lank and rough and to fall over
their ears.
Fine cloth, silks, and cloth of gold, it is said, were
worn by the higher ranks in the sixteenth century,
and worsted and canvas materials by the lower orders.
In the reign of Henry the Eighth an act was passed to
prevent the Irish wearing clothes dyed of their favourite
or-
188
THE TOILETTE IN IRELAND.
colour, saffron ; the number of yards also allowed for
their garments is specified, and women are ordered
not to wear dresses of the Irish fashion. This edict
leads us to suppose that they had a form and shape
for their garments peculiar to themselves. The yellow,
or saffron colour, is often mentioned as being a very
favourite hue, and one which they usually employed in
dyeing their habits.
Spenser greatly censured the ancient Irish dress.
He considered the cloak “a fit house for an outlaw,
a meet bed for a rebel, and an apt cloke for a thief.”
He also strongly objects to the custom of women
wearing mantles, and mentions several articles of their
dress : “a linen roll which they sometimes wear upon
their heads, a thick linen shirt, a long-sleeved smock,
a half-sleeved coat, and silken fillet.” And Camden
informs us that when in Queen Elizabeth's reign the
Prince of Ulster came to the English court, with his
attendants, they all wore “ their hair flowing in long
locks
upon
their shoulders, and had shirts dyed with
saffron ; their sleeves were large, their tunics short,
and their mantles jagged.”
A writer of the reign of James I. says:-
“ Touching the mean or wild Irish, it may be truly
said of them, which of old was spoken of the Ger-
mans,-namely, that they wander slovenly and naked.
The gentlemen, or lords of counties, wear close
breeches and stockings, of the same piece of cloth,
of red, or such light colour, and a loose coat, and a
cloak, or a three-cornered mantle, of coarse light
stuff, made at home, and their linen is coarse ; and,"
adds the writer, “their shirts, before the last re-
bellion, were made of twenty or thirty ells, folded in
THE TOILETTE IN IRELAND.
189
wrinkles, and coloured with saffron.
The
women,” he goes on to say, “living among the English,
wear linen, a gown, and a mantle, and cover their
heads in the Turkish fashion, with many ells of linen,
only the Turkish turban is more round at the top,
while that worn by the Irish is flatter and broader.”
Speed also speaks of wide-sleeved linen shirts, stained
yellow, the mantles, and the skeins, and says :-
“ The women wore their hair plaited
in a curious manner, hanging down
their backs and shoulders, from
under the folden wreaths of fine
linen rolled about their heads."
From the time of Charles II.
the gentlemen in Ireland are said
to have gradually abandoned the na-
tional costume, and to have adopted
the English fashions. The lower or-
ders, however, retained their dress
to a much later period, and even
now the brogues and mantles are
constantly seen, and still oftener the
feet unencumbered with shoes or stockings.
THE
TOILETTE IN WALES.
CHAPTER XV.
rally naked.
HE ancient
ancient costume of
Wales greatly resembled
that of Ireland ; cloaks or
mantles were always worn,
and the feet were gene-
The Rev.
W. Bingley, speaking of
this country, says:-" The women wear long blue
cloaks, that descend almost to the feet; they are
seldom to be seen without them. In North Wales
they all have hats similar to those of the men, and
blue stockings, without any feet to them, which they
keep down by a kind of loop, that is put round one
of the toes. In the unfrequented parts they seldom
wear any shoes except on Sundays.”
THE TOILETTE IN WALES.
191
In Warrington's “ History of Wales,” we read that
the ancient Welsh “had no expensive riches in their
cloaths. The same garb that the people were used to
wear in the day, served them also in the night; and
this consisted of a thin mantle, and a garment or shirt
worn next to the skin. They either went with their
feet entirely bare, or they used boots of raw leather,
instead of shoes, sewed together with raw skin.”
>>
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
CHAPTER XVI.
O France is universally conceded the
palm in the race of fashion ; and she is
unwearied in her exertions to retain
the distinction.
The dress of the ancient Gauls was,
we are told, very simple, and, like that
of most other European nations, consisted of skins,
formed into a rude kind of tunic, and in winter a
cloak of the same, fastened on one shoulder, and de-
scending to the heel. Though these garments could
not well fetter their movements when they went to
battle, still we find that, either for lightness or bra-
vado, when in the presence of an enemy, the Gauls
divested themselves of all covering as far as the waist.
On the head they usually wore a skin cap, of a very
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
193
primitive shape: and even these few garments were
simple in form and coarse in texture. The dress of
the women only differed from that of the men in
having the tunic longer, and the cap shaped like a
triangle.
But though habited in so simple a manner, the
love of ornament which has characterised the French
in later times, appears, even at the early period of
which we speak, to have been remarkable. They
covered themselves with chains, rings, necklaces, and
bracelets. In the “ Æneis,” we read :-
“ The approaching Gauls,
Obscure in night, ascend and seize the walls.
The gold, dissembled well their golden hair :
And golden chains on their white necks they wear.'
There are still extant many monuments of the
Gauls; one of the most ancient was dug up in the
cathedral church of Paris in 1711 ; it represents six
figures, all dressed in tunics, with sleeves reaching to
the wrist ; over this is worn a saye, which is exactly
the same as the Roman sagum, whence its name,
only it has sleeves. The heads of these figures are
covered with caps, which bend forward much like the
Phrygian bonnet. Considerable difference as to the
lesser details of dress is frequently met with in these
statues, and no doubt various fashions were employed,
both for forming and ornamenting the habiliments of
the Gauls, even though their attire is described as so
simple. Long garments, adorned with a border of
sable, ermine, or miniver, formed, during several ages,
the dress of persons of distinction.
O
194
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE,
MADA
اور
Clovis and his successors for
many generations wore a tunic,
and a mantle resembling the
Greek chlamyde. On the door
of the church of St. Germain des
Prés, are to be seen figures
of most of the ancient French
kings. There stands Clovis, and
by his side Clotilde, his queen.
The former has a long beard,
moustaches, and short hair ; his
dress is a tunic and chlamyde,
and his shoes are very échancré. .
Clotilde wears a crown, her tunic
resembles the côte-hardi of later
years; it fits tight to the shape
as far as the throat, where it is
confined by a broad band of jewels,
another band encircles her waist,
and a third forms the pointed shape
of the côte-hardi to below the waist,
where it seems joined to a petti-
coat with numerous folds. The
girdle is ornamented with jewels,
and from it hangs a long cord
also ornamented with jewels. The
chlamyde falls nearly to the
ground, and a broad jewelled
band encircles the waist.
Montfaucon in his " Mon.
Fran.” gives drawings of several
old statues of Clovis, and other
royal personages. He has copied two or three of the
Wir
VITEV
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
195
most ancient from the cathedral of Chartres ; they all
have long hanging sleeves, an upper tunic, with a petti-
coat underneath. The ladies' hair falls in long plaits,
while that of the men is short, and they have neither
beard nor moustache. Several others are given from the
abbey of St. Denis. It is supposed they were executed
about the time of Clovis, but the dress is much changed
from the description we have given above. One of
the kings (said to be Clovis) has a long mantle reach-
ing to his feet, falling back from his shoulders, and
fastened in front; his tunic has tight sleeves, and is
confined at the throat by a band of jewels and a
brooch. Round his waist is a girdle, apparently of
leather, from which is suspended an escarcelle. The
tunic and mantle are jagged round the bottom. The
shoes are very neat, and are open in front, with a
latchet over the instep. Several other figures are
represented with the tunic and chlamyde.
For many years the same dress appears to have
been worn by the ancient French. The first change
in the costume which we meet with is visible in two
statues of Charlemagne, copied by Montfaucon. The
first has moustaches, but neither beard nor whiskers,
a very short tunic, that does not reach to the knees,
and a chlamyde, fastened on the right shoulder, and
ornamented with a broad border; the legs are wrapped
with fillets, bound crosswise, called lingettes. The
other statue is habited in a garment that very much
resembles a modern surtout. It has large wide sleeves,
with deep cuffs, turned back, and a square collar.
But the most remarkable part of this dress is that it is
trimmed down the front with large round buttons.
This is very extraordinary, as buttons are supposed to
196
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE. .
have been unknown in these early days, and are not
seen on any other statues of the same period.
There is a portrait of Charles the Bald, in which
that monarch is dressed in a blue tunic, embroidered in
gold, a purple chlamyde, adorned with jewels, and a red
cap under the crown. By his side is his wife, habited
in a red tunic, ornamented with a gold band, her hair
is concealed under a large blue veil, that falls upon
the back and shoulders, but leaves the face exposed.
The two attendants have the short tunic and
chlamyde, and their heads are bare. On
a statue of the same king we find a shoe
which is very curious, being barred in a
lozenge pattern.
The French appear from the earliest ages
to have understood the art of shoemaking, for as soon
as shoes were worn their shape was very good, at least
those we perceive on the statues of the men; the
women's long tunics completely conceal their feet.
Girdles also appear to have been gene-
rally worn : those of the women were richly
ornamented, and had long ends falling to
the feet.
The dress of the French
continued much as we have
described it for many years.
The first novelty that we
meet with in head-dresses
is the capuchon of Charles
le Bon, which has no cape,
and the tippet is bound
tight like a cord, and twisted round the
head. The hanging cuff which appears in the reign
1111
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
197
of Louis VII. continued in fashion for many years.
The Comtesse de Dreux, from a portrait of whom we
have copied it, wears a robe like a chemise, and a
hood. Veils were much worn at this time, and were
called couvrechefs.
In the same reign the fashion of emblazoning the
robes was first invented. Louis appears in a tunic
and mantle, covered with fleur-de-lis. Geoffrey
Comte de Maine is strangely habited. His cap re-
sembles the Phrygian bonnet, the point being bent
forwards ; he wears an embroidered tunic, with tight
sleeves, and a vest which reaches to the knees, con-
fined at the waist by a broad girdle. The mantle is
splendid, and lined with vair.
In the illuminations of the reign of St. Louis, his
sons appear in variously shaped habits. This gives rea-
son to suppose that Fashion was now beginning to exert
her power. Prince John has hanging sleeves over the
tight ones of his tunic, and he holds a glove in his
hand. Another of the princes has a cap upon
his
head, and wears a garment like a surtout, laid back
in front so as to shew the vest underneath. A third
appears in a hat of quite a modern form, and his
emblazoned robe is trimmed round
the bottom with a deep fringe.
The costume of the daughters of
this king also presents various no-
velties in form and shape. The
robes are so immensely long all
round, that they lie in large folds
at their feet. Under sleeves, tight
to the wrist, are seen, with wider
ones over them. The capuchons have more the shape
198
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
of caps, being confined by a narrow band across the
forehead, and a côte-hardi of ermine is first seen. The
shoes of both men and women are excessively pointed
at this period.
St. Louis himself is represented as habited in a
tunic, which leaves his throat quite bare, and over it
a super-totus, with long sleeves, trimmed with fur.
This upper robe is brown, embroidered with red
flowers. The hair is quite short, the face closely
shaven, and a red velvet cap is placed on the top of
the head. In another picture his majesty has red
stockings and black shoes; the sleeves of the furred
robe hang to his knees, and have a slit down the
front part, through which the arms, covered with
tight sleeves, are passed. Across the shoulders is a
deep cape of fur, gradually narrowing to the front, ,
which is ornamented with fur, sewn on to resemble
deep fringe.
The coiffure of a lady in the reign of Philip the
Bold is curious. Her capuchon is
formed like a plate on the top of the
head, and the veil, as usual, falls in
folds over the cheeks and back. Wim-
ples, which were wrapped round the
head and throat, were much worn;
U
and in this reign a gorget, or cheve-
sail, first appears.
Women of the
middle and lower classes now wore grey shoes, whence
it is said is derived the word grisette. Some authors
assert that the pointed caps came into fashion in this
reign, but Montfaucon does not mention them for some
years later.
The ladies continued to wear their long shapeless
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
199
garments, pendent sleeves, hoods, and gorgets, through
this reign. The only exception is that of a lady, who
astonishes us with a small waist and a kind of pointed
tippet, the ends of which fall much below the waist.
The cuffs of the under sleeves are now frequently
ornamented with buttons, and the long cuffs, instead
of hanging from the wrist as before described, are
made like a long narrow bag, slit open from the elbow
to the shoulder, where they are fastened into the robe;
the arm passes through the opening, and the rest of
the sleeve falls to the ground, and even trails upon it.
The frightful gorgets concealed every thing but the
eyes, nose, and mouth, and the hood fell over them.
The men still wore long or short tunics, capuchons,
and shoes, tied across the instep ; the face was shaven,
and the hair fell scarcely as low as the ears.
The capuchon of Jeanne, Comtesse de Champagne,
is remarkable for its form, being pointed
in front, with a jewel hanging upon the
forehead. Instead of enveloping the
face so as to conceal the hair, the ends
merely hang down behind, and curls
are seen beneath the folds.
In the reign of Philip of Valois, we
find the dress much altered. The men
appear in chaussées and doublets,--some with long,
some with very short skirts, scarcely reaching below
the waist. The sleeves are generally rather larger,
the shoes very pointed, and the hats much like those
now worn. Red, blue, and green, were the prevailing
colours for the garments. A curious appendage to
the hats is a long piece of black stuff, which is fast-
ened to one side of the hat, the other end being
200
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
1
thrown over the left shoulder. This band was fre-
quently held in the hand, and the hat
was allowed to fall from the head
upon the back. The capuchons va-
ried in shape and size according to
the taste of the wearer.
The materials of which the dresses
were formed were splendid ; silk,
velvet, cloth of gold, and cloth of
silver, with jewels of various kinds, were generally
worn by the noblesse ; and in this respect the French
equalled, if they did not surpass, the English. The
hood of Philip of Valois rather more resembles a hat
than those usually seen. The coiffure of Jeanne de
Sancerre will not excite the admiration of
my fair readers; it completely envelopes
the head, joining the wimple, having a
sort of ears standing out, which give it
a very strange appearance.
Great extravagance in everything be-
longing to the toilette was very apparent
in France about the year 1357. Gold and silver glit-
tered on the garments, and precious stones became
very costly, from the immense demand there was for
them. The côte-hardi was usually embroidered ; the
under sleeves quite tight, and the upper ones long
and narrow.
A feather is now for the first time seen
to grace the cap of a gentleman, and the taste in
bonnets, as they were called, was very various-some
were pointed, some broad, some with brims, some
without ; in short, the variety was quite endless.
About the year 1367 we first find the French
ladies allowing their hair to ornament their heads,
38
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
201
without the addition of cap, bonnet, or hood. It was
arranged in one large curl, or plait, on each side of
the face, and only a small wreath of flowers or jewels
interspersed with it.
Now, too, the trains of the gowns became very
long, and they were held up by pages. The shape of
the robe in other respects remained the same; but
when Queen Isabella of Bavaria came to reign in
France, great changes took place in the empire of
fashion. Charles VI. and his court, prodigal as they
are represented to have been in
every thing relating to dress, were
still far behind the splendid mag-
nificence introduced by the new
queen, of whom Brantome says:
“ On donne le los à la Reyne,
Isabelle de Baviere, femme du
Roy Charles Sixième, d'avoir ap-
porté en France les pompes, et
les gorgiasetez, pour bien habiller
superbement et gorgiasement les dames."
The form of cap given above was soon followed by
the sugar-loaf; but
the capuchons,fright-
ful as they were —
sometimes like cu-
shions, sometimes
like horns, stuffed out
and ornamented with
a couvre-chef thrown
over the top — still
continued la mode
with those who had not courage to wear a tower. The
202
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
CHARLES
VI
JINA
1
انا اور اگر
Ylli
gentlemen, too, seemed to amuse their fancy in invent-
ing new coiffures, each one more ugly and clumsy than
the other. The change
must have been great
in these head-dresses
when Isabella exerted
her genius and power
to remodel the toilette
of her subjects. Gowns
soon became lower in
the body,the côte-hardi
was adorned with er-
mine and jewels, the
petticoat was splen-
didly emblazoned, the
mantle was magnifi-
cent, and the shoes were
pointed. The hair, per-
haps out of compliment
to the queen, was con-
cealed; and before the
end of the reign, we
read that a deep flounce
ornamented the jupe of
one of the fair dames
of the court.
The gentlemen shone
in velvet, gold, and
jewels; their chaussées
were tight, their shoes
ridiculously pointed;
their doublets
doublets full,
short, and embroidered, the under sleeves tight, the
w
ده
Wia
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
203
upper ones immensely long, open, pointed, and jagged.
The hair was curled, and a kind of jewelled cushion
was laid upon it; indeed, the coiffure of both ladies
and gentlemen was not dissimilar.
The bipartite habit, introduced into France and
England towards the close of the 13th century, was
now falling into disuse amongst the higher classes ;
but in a journal of this time we find it recorded, “that
in October 1409, the Sieur Jean de Montague was
conducted from the châtelet to the halle, being seated
high in a cart, and dressed in a garment half red and
half white, and a hood of the same, with a red buskin
and a white one, and gilt spurs upon his heel.”
The reign of Charles VII. shews a great change
in fashion. The sleeves of the doublet appear to be
wadded upon the point of the shoulders, so as to raise
them-a mode that we perceive in the ladies' gowns
in the reign of our Queen Elizabeth. Bottines appear
to be worn, and jewelled collars and girdles. In short,
every thing that riches could procure, or the inventive
genius of man and woman conceive, was visible in
the costume of the French nation.
In one portrait of Charles VII. the monarch is re-
presented in a garment similar to a blouse ; his hat is
of a modern form, but has a pattern of lozenges worked
upon it. In another picture he wears a full green
casaque, reaching half way to his knees; it is edged
with a fringe; the sleeves approach to the gigot form,
the stockings meet the nether garments, which, un-
like the usual fashion, are turned back. No hair is
visible. A short time afterwards, we see gentlemen
with vests covered with embroidery, and sleeves of a
different shape, not very wide till they reach the
2014
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
.
hands, when they stretch out amazingly, ending in a
point edged with fur. Chaussées of blue or red were
the mode, and pointed shoes. Ladies, too, appear in
vests reaching to the hips, made so tight as to shew
the figure.
Petticoats, or jupons, were richly emblazoned, the
sleeves quite tight, and the upper part of the côte-
hardi, or surcoat, was now made much lower across
the bosom, a fashion that perhaps induced the chro-
niclers and writers of that time to stigmatise ladies'
dresses as offensive to modesty.
Curious coiffures, of a different
shape, were now often seen, but the
hair, as usual, was concealed. The
trains of the gowns were so long, that
the fair dames carried the front part
over the arm. A little later they
became much shorter. The gentle-
men's caps and hoods were of all
shapes and sizes --round, pointed, or
square, and some had a single long
feather in front. Their sleeves became wide at the
top, but tight at the wrist; and the short pourpoint,
embroidered and made in folds, was held in at the
waist by a girdle. The shoes à la poulaine were the
fashion at this period. Ladies' gowns now appear
shorter, so much so as to shew the feet in front; but
behind they still continued long; and on one we find
an ornament very much resembling a flounce.
In ancient works upon the French nation, its cus-
toms, laws, and ordonnances, we find it recorded, that
the early French had a particular law concerning the
hair of members of the royal family; viz. that such as
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
205
were chosen kings by the people, or were of the royal
family, should preserve their hair, and wear it parted
from the forehead, on both sides of the head, and
anointed with sweet oil, as an ornament and a peculiar
mark of their being of the royal family; whilst all
other persons, how nobly born soever, had no right to
wear a large head of hair. This privilege is treated
at large in Hottoman's “ Franco Gallia.” To cut off
the hair of a son of a king of France under the first
race of kings, was to declare him excluded from the
succession.
French historians affirm that Charlemagne wore
his hair very short ; his son, shorter. Charles the
Bald had none at all, as his sobriquet denotes. Under
Hugh Capet it appeared again; but the clergy ex-
communicated all who let it grow. Charles the Young
cut off his hair to please Peter Lombard, and for
many generations his successors wore it very short.
This custom may perhaps account for the many strange
coiffures worn by Frenchmen in the early ages.
In the “ Mémoire de l'Histoire de Lyon,” we find
the following account of French head-dresses at this
period :
“ La mutation et variété d'habits a tousieurs esté
naturelle aux François, plus qu'autre nation ; en quoy
ils reçoivent plus de réputation et d'inconstance que
de profit. Car en ceste année mille quatre cens soix-
ante un, les dames de Lyon qui auparavant portoyent
les longues queues en leurs robbes, changèrent, et
mirent aux bords de robbes, de grands et large pans,
les uns des gris de laitices, les autres de martres, les
autres des autres semblables choses, chacun selon son
'estat, et possible passoyent aucunes plus outre ; et en
206
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE,
leurs testes chargèrent certains bourrelets pointus
come clochiers, la plus part de la hauteur de demie
aulne, ou trois quartiers ; et estoyent nommés par
aucuns les grands papillons, parcequ'il y avait deux
larges ailes deça delà, comme sont aisles de papillons,
et estait ce haut bonnet couvert d'un grand crespe
trainant jusques en terre, lequel la plupart portoyent
autour de leur bras. Il y en avait d'autres, que por-
toyent un accoustrement de teste, qui estait parti de
drap de laine, parti de drap de soye meslé, et avait
deux cornes, comme deux donjons, et était cette coif-
fure découpée et chiquettée, comme un chapeau d'Al-
lemant, ou crespée comme un ventre de veau ; et elles
portoyent des robbes ayans des manches tres étroites
depuis les épaules jusque vers les mains, qu'elles s'élar-
gissoyent et decouppées à undes. Les dames médiocre
maison portoyent des chaperons de drap, faits de plu-
sieurs larges lais, ou bandes entortillées autour de la
teste, et deux ailes aux cotés, comme oreilles d'asne.
Il
y
en avait aussi d'autres des grandes maisons, qui
portoyent des chaperons de veloux noir, de la hauteur
d'une couldée, lesquels bon trouverait maintenant fort
laid et estrange. L'on ne pourrait bonnement mon-
strer ces diverses façons d'accoustremens de dames, en
les escrivant, et seroit besoin qu'un peintre les repre-
senta. L'on en voit plusieurs façons exprimées, en
tapisseries à Lyon, et aux verrières des Eglises, faites
de ce tems là. Au surplus les filles, depuis qu'elles
estoyent fiancées, jusqu'après un an entier des leur
noces, portoyent un ornement de teste, qu'on nommait
a Lyon Floccard, lesquels elles laissoyent estat l'année,
revolve et prennent les chaperons susdits.”
The extraordinary head-dresses above mentioned
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
207
are probably those which were so much reprobated in
England, but which nevertheless remained more or
less the fashion for two centuries. In French illus-
trated works of that time, we frequently meet with
drawings of these “ horned caps.” The ecclesiastics
preached against them, and severely censured the ex-
travagance displayed in the immense quantities of fine
linen and other materials used in the formation of so
high a fabric; but their fair auditors turned a deaf
ear to their remonstrances.
dla
Black hoods and capuchons were also much worn,
and the hair seldom peeped from beneath the mass of
linen that enveloped the head. Sometimes a fret-work
of gold was placed on the back of the head, and two.
wings of gauze, or fine lawn, spread out from it :
these hoods were fashionable for many years. Some
of them looked like black handkerchiefs thrown care-
lessly over the head, without any attention to shape
or grace. Gowns now had the long upper sleeves,
and the under ones tight, as usual, but with this dif-
ference, that the cuffs turned back up the arm.
Louis XI. is said to have invented l'habit court.
He is represented as wearing a short casaque, or sur-
208
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
All
tout, of crimson velvet, with a deep cape hanging in
a point down his back,
the sleeves being mode-
rately tight, with deep
cuffs ; his chausses are
of a deep blue colour,
and his head covered with
a cap of crimson velvet,
having a coif underneath
it.
LOUIS XI
Long tunics or gowns
for men were now ba-
nished. Fur was much
used as
a trimming,
and collars of precious
stones were frequently
A vest with gigot
sleeves often appears. The hair continues short, and
the shoes pointed. The ladies' costume differs but
little from that of the preceding
reign. Very tall sugar-loaf caps are
often seen, and, opposed to them,
some equally flat. The one we give
is curious ; it is ornamented with
jewels. The gowns were embroidered
and made en caur, the sleeves tight.
Necklaces of jewels were much worn; no hair visible
under the caps; black head-dresses were still la
grande mode ; and ladies' feet quite concealed by the
immense length of their dresses.
The towering caps, exactly like extinguishers,
were most extraordinary, and must have been exceed-
ingly uncomfortable, as every puff of wind would be
seen.
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE..
209
apt to blow them away. The long veil, which usually
hung from the point, would look like a streamer
floating in the breeze. The common people at this
time wore hoods of black cloth, some square, some
pointed.
P
210
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
CHAPTER XVII.
DURING the reign of Charles VIII. it is recorded
that head-dresses were lowered considerably; but in
the portrait of Mary of Burgundy, we find that she still
wears the favourite towering cap, that had now been
fashionable for two hundred years : the veil hangs to
the ground, and the cap is edged in front with jewels,
and has a square piece which lies upon the neck and
shoulders.
The veils attached to these coiffures, like the
trains of the gowns in England under Henry VIII.,
described the rank of the wearers. Thus, a woman
of the lower order had a veil that reached only half
way down the back; a lady of the middle class wore
her veil down to the waist; and a dame de haut rang
was permitted to allow it to trail upon the ground.
The upper garment of the Princess Mary is splen-
didly embroidered in gold and flowers, with a very
deep' border; the surcoat is of ermine, the under
garment also ornamented, and the sleeves quite
tight, without any .cuffs ; the surcoat is fastened in
4
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
211
+
front, and ornamented round the top, with splendid
jewels.
ܪ
It is curious that the French ladies, till this period,
appear to have had a great repugnance to long hair ;
or at least, if they permitted it to grow, they carefully
concealed it under their coiffure. The men, too,
seem to have had the same dislike to a beard and
whiskers.
Every thing belonging to the toilette in France
now began to be rich and splendid in the extreme.
Velvets, satins, cloth of gold, and silver; rich gems,
embroidery, and plumes,- all were united to satisfy
the love of splendour, so prevalent in this age. Velvet
cloaks, lined with ermine, again became la mode ;
and pointed shoes gave place to a triangular-topped
chaussure. Buttons were much used as ornaments,
and bracelets appear to have been worn in great pro-
fusion.
When Louis XII. married the beautiful and ac-
complished Anne of Brittany, she had her hair simply
arranged, without any ornament, and wore a white
satin robe. At no period of French history were the
dresses of both men and women so sumptuous, as at
the time of which we now write. The robes, or
gowns, were generally composed of cloth of gold, or
velvet trimmed with ermine. Over this was worn a
tunic of different coloured velvet, covered with em-
broidery; round the bust, and down the front of the
tunic, was usually a profusion of jewels and gold
ornaments. Sometimes the upper robe was open down
each side, so as to shew a petticoat of gold or silver
tissue, adorned with jewels.
Long hanging sleeves, trimmed with gold or fringe,
212
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
and lined with rich satin, were worn ; or sleeves of
the same shape, made of muslin, sprigged with gold
or silver. Sometimes the sleeves were looped up with
jewels; and often a velvet sous jupe was worn under
a white satin robe, beautifully embroidered ; a velvet
head-dress and gold veil, and the whole body of the
dress and coiffure sparkling with jewels. Sleeves were
often worn slashed with velvet and satin, and a veil
was an indispensable part of the toilette, though evi-
dently worn only as an ornament, for it was always
fastened to the back of the head, and fell in folds to
the ground, never being drawn over the face. The
tunic, fitting close to the shape, was well calculated
to shew the elegance of the form ; and the long open
sleeve, even when, as frequently was the case, a tight
one was placed under it, gave great grace to the robe.
When the bottoms of these sleeves were not trimmed
with ermine, they usually had a broad velvet cuff.
The girdle and cordelière were always worn.
The quantity of ermine and all kinds of furs
now worn, must have made the dresses heavy and
very hot; but fashion could reconcile les belles Fran-
çaises to any thing. The upper
robes, when open down the front,
were frequently of velvet, lined
with rich satin, and had long trains
-the under garment being of satin
of a different colour.
The head-dress of Anne of Brit-
tany, in many of her portraits, is
very curious, and forms a strong
contrast to the towers worn during
the preceding reigns. Sometimes it seems to be merely
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
213
a square hood of black velvet, lying flat on the top
of the head and hanging down the back; at others,
it takes the shape of the head, being square to the
ears, with a long piece behind, while underneath the
ermine, which forms the border, appears a plaited
cap
frill. The hair is drawn back from the face, so
that only the roots of it are visible on the forehead.
All the attendants of Anne are in exactly the same
dress ; so that we may suppose it to have been the
fashionable costume of 1509.
This queen, who was much beloved by the French
nation for her virtues and accomplishments, appears
to have preferred very rich habiliments, but not many
bracelets or necklaces ; for, in her time, jewels were
usually sewn on to the sleeves and stomachers, and,
except as a cross, rarely ornamented the neck or
arms. The order of the Cordelière, founded by her,
probably gave the name to the long chain pendant
from the waist so called ; it was often of gold, but
was sometimes formed of large beads, and ended with
a tassel. The gowns were always cut quite square
across the bosom, and the sleeves are represented to
have sometimes reached to the ground.
The costume of the gentlemen at this period
very much resembled that of England under Henry
VIII., excepting the sleeves, which were nearly as
wide and long as those of the ladies. The dress
usually consisted of a tunic, with sleeves, the former
fastened round the throat by a narrow collar; a sur-
coat richly embroidered, the body tight to the shape
as far as the girdle, from whence it hung in rich folds
half
way to the knee. The sleeves of the tunic were
214
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
slashed near the wrist, and had a deep frill that fell
over the back of the hand, and was held in by a band.
The girdle was often of gold and jewels, supporting a
rapier with a thick tassel hanging from it. The
nether garment then the fashion, which formed draw-
ers and stockings all in one piece, was usually of red
or blue silk, and very tight; the shoes were no longer
pointed, but quite square and clumsy-looking, fastened
with a strap across the foot. They were sometimes
richly ornamented, and boots of black satin, turned
up with velvet and edged with gold, were also often
worn. Indeed, much of the elegance of the costume
of the period consisted in having the chaussure richly
embroidered in gold, on satin or velvet.
The cap usually worn was of velvet, either red,
blue, or black, studded with jewels and ornamented
with several ostrich - feathers. When a cloak was
added to the above costume, it was frequently of
cloth of gold, lined with embroidered white satin,
and trimmed with miniver ; it seldom reached lower
than half way down the leg, and was very wide and
without a collar, having a long slit in either side
to allow the arms to pass through. Sometimes, but
not very frequently, the nether garment, or hosen,
were striped in two colours; and the cloak often had
large sleeves trimmed with fur. Occasionally the
tunic was cut so low in front, that it much resembled
a lady's gown. Jewels were used in great profusion
to ornament every part of this dress, which was rich
and splendid in the extreme.
The hair was worn considerably longer than in the
preceding reigns.
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
215
VA
MITIMINUTI
po
so
Never was the love of splendour and magnificence
more fully displayed,
than at the period we
are now approaching ;
viz. the time of the
Champ d'Or, which
has been long cele-
brated in the annals
of the toilette. In
the reign of Francis I.,
dress in England and
in France was much
alike; the same splen-
dour and extravagance
were displayed by both
nations, for each seem-
ed anxious to surpass
the other in the rich-
ness and magnificence
of their attire. Never
was there such a dis-
play of silks, satins,
velvets, cloth of gold
and silver, feathers,
laces, and jewels wit-
nessed, as on the far-
famed “ Field of the
Cloth of Gold,” where
the two monarchs and
their respective courts
met as friends.
From this time the faces of the French noblesse
were no longer shaven ; beards, whiskers, and mous-
NO
CONCIS
mu
216
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
taches, were allowed to grow. Some writers account
for this change by asserting that Francis was wounded
in the face in battle, and allowed his whiskers to grow
to hide the scar. Certainly his subjects eagerly fol-
lowed the fashion set them by royalty; and, in a few
years, beards, whiskers, and moustaches, flourished in
all their glory.
The doublets were now slashed with satin, and
reached nearly to the knee. Stockings were fastened
with rich jewelled garters; and full trunk-hose, puffed
with satin, joined the stockings, and were ornamented
with large bows of riband. Frequently, so bizarre
were the fashions of the time that one stocking was
white while the other was striped with blue and white.
When the full doublet was not worn, the stockings
and pantaloons met, and the former were clasped with
a jewelled band. The pantaloons were often slashed
with puffs of satin, and the surcoat also and sleeves
to correspond. The body of the surcoat fitted tight
to the shape, and was made square across the neck,
so that the throat remained uncovered; the surcoat
and the bottom of the sleeves were usually trimmed
with broad lace.
The cloak was worn very short and wide, and was
usually composed of velvet or cloth of gold, lined with
satin, and ornamented with gold or miniver. A velvet
cap, with feathers, and a jewelled band, and satin or
velvet shoes, completed the costume. The cloak was
considered rather as an addition to the elegance than
to the utility of the costume; it was worn in the
house, and formed part of the attire even in the ball-
It was seldom, if ever, used for warmth or
for the walking-dress. For these latter purposes, a
room.
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
217
habit not unlike a wagoner's frock was worn. Its
shape was singular; it had a deep square collar of
fur, short, full sleeves that reached to the elbows,
trimmed likewise with fur; and the coat itself did not
quite cover the knees, while the legs were protected
by long black boots, similar to those worn by many of
the military at this day. Shoes at this period were
of a singular shape, very square, and cut low, almost
down to the toes.
At the far-famed “Field of the Cloth of Gold,” the
dress of Francis is thus described by Hall :-“ His
garment was a chesnew of cloth of silver, culponed
with cloth of gold, of damask cantelwise, and guarded
on the borders with Burgon bands. Over that he
had a cloak of broached satin, with gold of purple
colour, wrapped about his body, traverse-beded from
the hip to the waist, fastened in the loupe of the first
folde; this said cloak was richly set with pearls and
pretious stones. The French king had on his head a
coif of damask gold set with diamonds, and his courser
that he rode was covered with a trapping of tissue,
bordered with device, cut in fashion mantell-wise ;
the skirts were embowed and fret with frized work,
and knit with corbelles and buttons tasseled of Turkie,
making raines and headstall answering to the same
work."
At this same magnificent display of beauty, rank,
and splendour, our national chronicler reluctantly ad-
mits, that the ladies of France surpassed their fair
rivals in the richness and elegance of their habili-
ments; and this was no doubt felt by Queen Catherine
and her attendants, as we mentioned, in the reign of
Henry VHI., that the English ladies at that time
218
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
were devoted to French modes. Queen Claude cer-
tainly seems quite to have abandoned the strait sleeves
and grave costume usually worn by Anne of Brittany;
for we find her and her ladies wearing sumptuous
apparel, and she is celebrated for introducing from
Spain the fashion of wearing a hoop, or, as it was
called by the French, a vertugadin.
This curious
machine swelled the petticoats out to an immense size
at the bottom of the dress, while the waist, being
much compressed, and ending in a long point, gave
the figure a strange appearance. The whalebones, of
which this pannier was composed, formed a small circle
near the top, and gradually enlarged, till the lower
hoop spread the petticoat out to its fullest extent.
Over this was worn a satin garment, richly em-
broidered, and an open gown of velvet, worked in
patterns of gold and silver, trimmed with fringe. This
robe met at the point of the waist, but gradually be-
came more open, till, at the bottom of the dress, from
the size of the hoop, it spread out on each side, giving
a full view of the embroidered satin petticoat. The
waist was quite tight, and finished at the bosom with
a chemisette of fine lace, so that the neck was covered
almost to the throat.
Under-sleeves of satin were worn slashed, or else
embroidered, to match the petticoat, and had full
cuffs at the wrists; over them were tight velvet sleeves
like the robe, finished at the elbows with an immense
deep sort of manche of fur, that hung from each arm
nearly to the ground. Round the waist was a girdle
of jewels and a splendid cordelière, that terminated at
the bottom of the petticoat with a large brooch.
The hair was plain on the forehead, and over it
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
219
was worn the favourite black velvet cap, hanging
down the back, and embroidered in jewels. In com-
pliment, perhaps, to the gentlemen, who now allowed
their beards to grow, the ladies permitted more of
their tresses to be seen ; and though the “hyacinthine
flow” of the curl was still unknown among them, the
little they ventured to display was still a great im-
provement.
Some élégantes wore a cap much resembling a
saucer, that fitted quite tight to the head. The arms
were always covered down to the wrists. Sometimes
the bodice was made of ermine or minever, and the
upper sleeves resembled two small cloaks, being at-
tached to the dress at the top, and from thence hang-
ing loosely down, every part being embroidered either
in silk or jewels. The cap we have described still
continued in fashion, and gold and silver veils, chains,
ear-rings, and cordelières, were much worn; also
shoes with high heels, which were brought from
Spain, and much admired.
220
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
CHAPTER XVIII.
UNDER the reign of Henry II. curls first began to
appear. Ladies arranged their hair in ringlets on
each side of the head, or raised it up in a toupet.
Toques of velvet, not unlike the caps worn by the
men, were much the fashion; also velvet cauls,
adorned with jewels, the same shape as the one given
in the reign of Lady Jane Grey.
The hoop and open robe were still worn; also
large ruffs. Henry himself was the first person in
France who wore silk stockings; they were presented
to him when his sister married Philibert of Savoy.
The trunk hose, large doublet, and short cloak, with
tight silk hose, continued to be the fashionable attire;
the doublet, however, instead of being open, reached
to the throat, and a lace collar fell over it.
Ermine, jewels, cloth of gold, and embroidery,
were still to be seen in great profusion. Through
this and the succeeding reigns also, beards, whiskers,
and curled hair. The ruffs of the ladies bore some
proportion to their immense hoops. Lace handker-
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
221
chiefs were worn over the neck, and curious sleeves,
like small gigots, but padded, so as to give a most
ungraceful appearance to the shoulders. Embroidered
gloves and feather fans now came into fashion.
During the three following reigns little alteration
took place in dress. The hoops and ruffs were worn
very large, the gowns perfectly laden with jewels,
and the ladies' hair was no longer concealed under a
capuchon, or towering cap, but was allowed to appear
in curls, turned back from the forehead and adorned
with jewels and flowers. The stomachers of the
gowns were long and pointed, the waists very small,
the sleeves large, hanging, and usually ornamented
with deep fur, or with velvet. The under-sleeve was
tight and slashed, or adorned with bouffettes of satin,
and bows of riband, or knots of pearls. When no
fichu was worn, it was frequently the fashion to veil
the neck and bosom by large squares of pearls or
precious stones.
Many of the gowns in the reign of Henry III.
were so laden with puffs of satin in every part, that
it was difficult to distinguish the shape. Some were
made like our riding-habits of the present day, and
covered with bows, buttons, and jewels, till the real
material of the robe was hardly visible.
In the reign of Henry III., the hoop that swelled
out from the hips also first came into fashion ; it was
quite different from those that had been worn pre-
viously, as the immense size began from the waist,
and did not increase, as with the others, to the bottom
of the petticoat. While this hoop was in fashion, only
one robe was worn, but the waist had as long a point
as could be made, by which means the hips looked
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
www
pre
!T471n1
HENRA
222
quite preposterous; and if the fair wearer took it into
her head to wear tight sleeves, and, as was frequently
the case, an enor-
mous ruff, the effect
of the tout ensemble
must have been most
extraordinary.
The tall caps,
which would in some
degree have counter-
balanced the size of
the hoop and ruff,
were banished by all
true élégantes, and
were replaced by very
small velvet caps,
poised on the back
of the head, and or-
namented in front
with an aigrette, or
small feather. Some-
times, instead of the
ruff, ladies wore two
wings of lace or
gauze, that were fas-
tened to the gown
behind the head, and
stood up as high as
the forehead. These
strange appendages,
from which not un-
frequently a splendid
veil fell to the ground, do not appear to have been
11
thang
CHOR
TITUTT
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
223
brought into fashion till the reign of Henry III.
Under his successor the hoop really became so enor-
mous, that the marvel is how ladies ever got into
carriages, or through doors. The fan of lace also
stretched out to the top of the head, and the puffings,
slashings, and ornaments, far exceeded any extrava-
gance of that kind previously seen. Marguerite de
Valois is represented in this dress, with her hair
curled all over her head, powdered, and ornamented
with a large diamond star.
Though the gowns are made lower at this time,
the arms are still carefully covered, and the petti-
coats quite plain, but, as of course was necessary with
a hoop, immensely full. One picture of that time
represents a lady in a tight velvet dress, with a boa
thrown over her shoulders. The pianelles, or low
embroidered shoes, with flat heels, now superseded
the pattins, with their immense heels often a foot
high, and silk stockings began to be worn by ladies
of fashion.
Although the sleeves in this reign were usually
rather tight than otherwise, still some élégantes pre-
served the fashion of the long open sleeve over the
under one.
When this was the case, the upper one
was open from the shoulder, and fell to the ground in
a point. Large ruffs were worn at the wrists.
Frequently the dress was such a mass of jewels,
that the weight must have been very great. When
Mary of Scotland married Francis, the chronicler re-
lates, that the blaze of her diamonds made her too
dazzling to look upon. Brantôme, describing the
appearance of Marguerite, wife of Henry of Navarre,
at the celebrated festin given at Lyons in honour of
224
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
the arrival of Henry III., says:
« Her head was
adorned with a quantity of large pearls and precious
stones, and, above all, diamonds of immense value
placed amidst her glossy hair, in the form of stars ;
her graceful form, of commanding height, was arrayed
in a robe so rich and heavy with its gorgeous orna-
ments, that none but one so majestic and perfectly
made in all proportions could have ventured to ap-
pear in it, as it would have overpowered and crushed
those of ordinary size or figure. The stuff which
composed it had been a present from the Grand
Signior to the Queen of Navarre. It was of cloth of
gold, covered with raised work, of different tinted
gold from its ground, and embroidered in borders
with pearls and gems of every colour, in flowers and
leaves. The fringes were resplendent, and the whole
costume such as surpassed in costliness any thing that
had ever been before seen in France. It was thought
a chef-d'oeuvre of art; and the quantity used for the
robe was fifteen ells, each ell being worth a hundred
crowns of gold.”
The empire of dress was certainly never more
triumphant than at this period. Catherine of Medicis
feeling the necessity of amusing the minds of the
people, to prevent their paying attention to the affairs
of the nation, was continually promoting the most
splendid balls, fêtes, and entertainments; and nothing
could exceed the extravagant luxury displayed in the
dresses worn on these occasions by the lords of the
creation, as well as by their fair partners. Nor can it
be wondered at that the duties of the toilette should
now be considered as most important, when it is re-
membered that the sovereign himself would spend
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
225
whole days in devising new fashions ; that he would
cut out his wife's robes, as well as perform the office
of hairdresser to her and his effeminate courtiers,
who, following his example, were often to be seen
winding silk, stringing beads, and embroidering. It
is affirmed, that Henry III. divided his time between
the adornment of his beautiful wife and the care of
his own person.
His hands were covered every night
with gloves, and a cloth dipped in essences was laid
over his face, in order to improve the delicacy of his
complexion ; his hair was always curled with the
greatest care, and dyed of a beautiful black; whole
hours were passed in giving the proper shade to the
red and white of his cheeks, and painting his eye-
brows. His dress, on any great occasion, was always
so covered with pearls, precious stones, and embroi-
dery, as almost to conceal the cloth of gold of which
it was generally formed; and, as at this period nobody
was permitted to appear at more than one fête in the
same costume, the enormous sums lavished upon dress
are quite incalculable.
The garments worn by gentlemen consisted gene-
rally of a doublet of velvet, slashed with satin, and
worked
“In emerald tuffs, flow'rs purpled, blue and white,
Like sapphire, pearl, in rich embroidery;"
with light silk hose, and a cloak. Some of the latter
had large sleeves, and were lined with ermine. The
immense trunk hose, which seem in almost all coun-
tries to have accompanied the hoop, were now quite
the fashion; when they were worn the doublet was
tight like a jacket, and only reached to the waist,
Q
226
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
the sleeves were narrow, and ornamented with a deep
frill at the hand. Some of the trunk hose reached to
the knees, and swelled out like two balloons ; others
were much shorter. On the field of battle they must
have had a very strange effect, yet it appears they
were frequently worn there.
People who did not approve of this preposterous
mode had slashed breeches, reaching to below the
knee, where they were fastened by richly jewelled
garters, large rosettes of riband, or gold bands. The
doublet was frequently made in a point from the waist,
like a lady's gown, and the body was often of one
material, and the sleeves of another. Thus we are
told that a gentleman of the court of Charles IX. had
a scarlet doublet with white sleeves, slashed with blue,
trunk hose and stockings of blue, and a red cloak
lined with satin and ermine.
It was very much the fashion at this period for
ladies to wear small black masks when they went
abroad, not for the sake of concealing their faces, but
to preserve their complexions, as we find by the fol-
lowing lines :-
“ Since she did neglect her looking-glass,
And throw her sun-expelling mask away,
The air hath stary'd the roses in her cheeks,
And pitch'd the lily tincture of her face.”
Embroidered pocket-handkerchiefs were much in
fashion at this glittering epoch. Under Henry IV.
(dit Le Grand) the full doublet nearly disappeared, and
gave place to a tight pourpoint; trunk hose were
superseded by breeches, and the cloak became smaller.
The fashion of wearing blue or red stockings, however,
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
227
continued, and the ruffs at the throat and wrists main-
tained their place; large roses also were worn upon
the shoes.
Henry IV. particularly admired small velvet caps,
and generally wore one adorned with a white feather,
which served as a rallying point to his followers on
the field of battle, and soon became so celebrated that
a velvet cap with a panache blanc is still termed,
à la Henri Quatre.
In this reign the beard was shortened : it was now
worn only three fingers in length, in the shape of a
fan, rounded, and set off with two long moustaches;
afterwards the whiskers only were retained, with a
little toupée of hair in the middle, and quite round
the under lip. Maréchal Bassompierre said, that the
only alteration he found in the world after twelve
years' imprisonment was that the men had lost their
beards and the horses their tails. Whilst the fan-
beards were in vogue they were kept in that form
with preparations of wax, which gave the hair an
agreeable smell, and the colour that was desired. The
beard was dressed over night, and that it might not
get out of order it was enclosed in a bigotelle, or kind
of bag, made for the purpose.
Shaking off their effeminacy, under the banner of
this warlike prince, the French no longer devoted
themselves to fashion, or wore their hair turned over
a comb like women, as some of the minions of the
court of Henry III. are said to have done ; but be-
came in their dress, as well as in their character and
manners, more worthy the name of French men, and
of subjects of so great a king. Magnificence and ex-
travagance, however, still reigned, though effeminacy
228
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
was banished; and the annals of the period speak in
raptures of the cloth of gold and silver, embroidery,
and jewels. The hair of the men remained short, but
a gradual increase in its length might be perceived.
Beards were large and pointed.
Towards the end of this reign hoops decreased
perceptibly Ladies wore their hair curled, and fre-
quently adorned their heads with a coiffure that some-
what resembled a cawl, only it was pointed, and came
very forward on the forehead, falling back behind,
and very narrow on the ears, so as to shew all the
side of the head.
The collaso monté, which at this period eclipsed
the ruff, was a curious invention. It stood round the
back of the robe like an immense fan, and sometimes
rose as high as the top of the head; frequently the
edges were fringed, and ornamented with lace. It
was usually made of gauze, which was stiffened and
thickly plaited. At times, according to the fancy of
the wearer, the collaso stood up or was laid down,
round the back of the robe; but it was very rarely
brought more forward than the top of the shoulders.
During the reign of Louis XIII. the bell-hoops
ceased to be worn, but the upper robe was raised
behind, and on the sides, to admit of the under gar-
ment being seen.
The sleeves were slashed, or had
bouffans all along the arm; some hung down nearly
to the ground, and others were held up with knots of
pearls. In “France Painted to the Life," by Dr.
Heylin, who visited it in 1625, we read of the dames
de Paris : “Their habit, in which they differ from the
rest of France, is the attire of their heads, which
hangeth down their backs in fashion of a veil.”
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
229
Another head-dress of this period seems very
strange at the present day, though when worn it was
much admired. The front hair was turned back over
two cushions, the back roll being the
highest, and ornamented with knots
and bows of riband. A long veil,
which was generally the most admired
part of a French élégante's coiffure at
the time of which we are writing,
hung in graceful folds down the back.
It appears, however, to have been worn for ornament
only, as it is never seen drawn over the face; and,
indeed, the height of the head-dress would have ren-
dered it inconvenient.
Under this king great
changes took place in the
manner of wearing hair.
Beards disappeared; “la
barbe pointue,” so much
admired by all fashion-
ables in the three pre-
ceding reigns, was banish-
ed, and a small tuft of hair,
termed an
imperial,"
was all that “la Mode"
permitted to grace the
chins of her followers.
Moustaches, however,
grew longer, and were
shaped at the ends into
a most insinuating twist.
The head
adorned with long curls, which soon gave place to
enormous perukes.
77015
was
now
230
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
Ruffs vanished, and were replaced by falling col-
lars of costly lace; while ruffles, tied with ribands,
ornamented the sleeves of the doublets at the wrists,
and either lay back upon the arm, or fell over the
hand : they, also, were of lace.
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
231
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
CHAPTER XIX.
res
Q
With
We now ar-
rive at thereign
of Louis XIV.,
an epoch in
the annals of
fashion cele-
brated for the
variety of its
coiffures, and
alsoforthemag-
nificence and
splendour of its habiliments.
Madame de Sevigné, in a letter
to her daughter, says, speaking
of the head-dress then much
the fashion, of which we give
the sketch : “Imaginez vous une tête partagée à la
1,17
232
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
paisanne jusqu'à deux doigts du bourlet; on coupe
ces cheveux de chaque côté, d'étage en étage dont
on fait de grosse boucles, rondes
et négligées, qui ne viennent point
plus bas qu’un doigt, au-dessous de
l'oreille ; cela fait quelque chose de
fort jeune et de fort joli, et comme
deux gros bouquets de cheveux de
chaque côté. Il ne faut pas couper
les cheveux trop courts; mais comme il les faut friser
naturellement, les boucles qui en emportent beaucoup,
on a attrapé plusieurs dames, dont l'exemple doit faire
trembler les autres. On met les rubans comme à
l'ordinaire, et une grosse boucle entre le bourlet et la
coëffure; quelquefois on la laisse traîner jusques sur
la gorge.” Of the dress called hurlu bielu, we find
in another letter from the same lady, “Ces coëffures
m'ont fort divertie : il y en a que l'on voudrait
souffleter."
She also mentions coëffes and cornettes as being
then the fashion. The latter seem to have been worn
en déshabille, for in speaking of a visit which she
paid to a lady, Madame de Sevigné thus describes her
dress : “Je la trouvai fort négligée; pas un cheveu ;
une cornette de vieux point de Vénise, un mouchoir
noir, un manteau gris effacé, une vieille juppe.” In
another letter the same writer says: - Votre belle-
seur a une souris qui fait fort bien dans ses cheveux
noirs ; la plaisante folie !" But what it was, whether
a head-dress or only an ornament, she does not men-
tion. In speaking of another fashion of that period
she gives the following description :
- Vous avez
donc eu peur de ces pauvres petites chouettes noires ;
**
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE,
233
je m'en doutai, et j'en ris en moi-même : vous trouvez
qu'elles ont l’air triste ; mais au moins elles ne sont
point rechignées ; elles n'ont point une voix de
Megere; et quand vous verrez ce qu'elles sçavent
faire, vous trouverez qu'au lieu d'être de mauvais
augure, elles font la beauté, au moins, de la coëffure.”
In a letter from Vichy, Madame de Sevigné writes :
“ Je voudrois que vous eussiez vu jusqu'à quel excès
la présence de Termes et de Flamarens fait monter la
coëffure et l'ajustement de deux ou trois belles de ce
pays : enfin, dès six heures du matin tout est en l'air,
coëffure, hurlupée, poudrée, frisée ; bonnet à la
Bascule, rouge, mouches, petite coëffe qui pend, évan-
tail, corps de juppe long et serré ; c'est pour pâmer
de rire."
At intervals during this reign, a very becoming
mode of dressing the hair was the fashion. Curls were
raised in rows from the forehead
to the top of the head, each row
divided with a string of pearls,
and an ornament
ornament of jewellery,
termed a Sevigné, was placed in
the uppermost curl, this being
finished with great care though
apparent negligence. The long
inn
hair from the back of the head
was arranged in large curls upon the neck and
shoulders, the longest falling quite to the waist, and
with jewels peeping out here and there, as if dropped
accidentally. The hair arranged in this manner left
the forehead quite bare.
This appears to have been the era of wonderful head-
dresses. One known in England by the name of com-
234
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
mode, was formed like two cones or spires, and stood
so high on each side of the head that a woman who
was of low stature without her head-dress became a
giantess on assuming it. The name of Fontange, by
which this coiffure was known during the latter years
of the reign of Louis XIV., had a singular origin.
Madame de Fontanges, at a hunting party at Vin-
cennes, had her head-dress disarranged by a gust of
wind, and in order to keep it in its place she took
one of her garters and tied it up with that. Louis
thought she looked so pretty in this fashion that he
begged her to continue to wear her head-dress so
arranged. Next day the ladies of the court made
their appearance with a riband, or top-knot, which
assumed the name of Fontange.
Horace Walpole remarks that, about the year
1714, Louis XIV., being struck by the elegant and
tasteful
appearance of two English ladies in low head-
dresses, requested the ladies of his court to follow
that mode ; but, from the following quotation, it would
appear that the lofty coiffures had disappeared pre-
viously to this period : “ They received fresh advice
that the French king had forbid the wearing of gold
lace, and that all below a countess lay under a pro-
hibition ; that he had clipt commodes, and taken the
sex a story lower ; that the Duchess of Burgundy im-
mediately undrest, and appeared in a fontange of the
new standard, and his majesty had a design against
all topknots."
For a description of the petticoats in fashion
during this reign, we must again apply to Madame de
Sevigné : “ Avez-vous oüi parler des transparens ?
Ce sont des habits entiers des plus beaux brocards d'or
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
235
et d'azur qu'on puisse voir, et par-dessus des robes
noires transparentes, ou de bel dentelle d'Angleterre,
ou de chenilles veloutées sur un tissu, comme ces den-
telles d'hyver, que vous avez vues : cela compose un
transparent, qui est un habit noir, et un habit tout
d'or ou d'argent ou de couleur, comme on veut; et
voilà la mode."
“ Monsieur de Langlée a donné à Madame de
Montespan une robe d'or sur or, rebrodé d'or, rebordé
d'or, et par-dessus un or frisé rebroché d'un or mêlé
avec un certain or, qui fait la plus divine étoffe qui
ait jamais été imaginée : ce sont les fées qui ont fait
en sécret cet ouvrage ; âme vivante n'en avoit con-
noissance. On la voulut donner aussi mystérieuse-
ment qu'elle étoit fabriquée : le tailleur de Madame
de Montespan lui apporta l'habit qu'elle avoit or-
donné ; il en fit le corps sur des mesures ridicules :
voilà des cris et des gronderies, comme vous pouvez
penser ; le tailleur dit en tremblant, Madame, comme
le temps presse, voyez si cet autre habit que voilà ne
pourroit point vous accommoder, faute d'autre. On
découvre l'habit; ha, la belle chose! ha, quelle étoffe !
vient-elle du ciel ? il n'y en a point de pareille sur la
terre : on essaye le corps ; il est à peindre. Le Roi
arrive ; le tailleur dit, Madame, il est fait pour vous :
on comprend que c'est une galanterie ; mais, qui peut
l'avoir faite ? C'est Langlée, dit le roi ; C'est Langlée
assurément, dit Madame de Montespan ; personne que
lui ne peut avoir imaginé une telle magnificence : c'est
Langlée, c'est Langlée. Tout le monde répète, C'est
Langlée; les échos en demeurent d'accord, et disent,
C'est Langlée, et moi, ma fille, je vous dis pour être
à la mode, C'est Langlée."
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THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
In another letter we find : “ Madame de Coësquen
a fait faire une juppe de velours noir, avec de grosses
broderies d'or et d'argent, et un manteau de tissu
couleur de feu, or, et argent : cet habit coute infini-
ment; et quand elle a été bien resplendissante, on là
trouvée comme une comédienne.”
Patches were worn in France at this period, but
only by ladies, and not, as some assert was the case
in England, by both sexes. It seems to have been
only the young and handsome who ventured to follow
this strange fashion in France. These mouches, as
they were called, had each a separate appellation.
When placed at the corner of the eye, the mouche was
called passionnée ; in the centre of the forehead it be-
came a majestueuse ; on the corner of the mouth it
received the denomination of baiseuse ; in the middle
of the cheek it was a galante; on the fold formed by
the mouth when it laughs, an enjouée ; on the nose,
an effronter ; and on the lips, a coquette.
During the reign of Louis XIV. ladies wore
stockings of one colour, with clocks of another. About
the year 1712 a doll was sent over from France as a
model for the fashions; it had been dressed with the
greatest care by the most celebrated tire-women in
Paris, and we find the following account of it: “ The
puppet was dressed in a cherry-coloured gown and
petticoat, with a short working apron over it, which
discovered her shape to the most advantage. Her
hair was cut and divided very prettily, with several
ribands stuck up and down in it. The milliner assured
me that her complexion was such as was worn by all
the ladies of the best fashion in Paris. Her head was
extremely high: I was also offended at a small patch
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
237
*
ini
she wore on her breast,
Her necklace was
of an immoderate length, being tied before, in such a
manner that the two ends hung down to her girdle.”
The dress of the gentlemen
underwent many and striking
changes. The head, particularly,
instead of being covered with short
hair, or, at most, curls reaching to
the shoulders, now gloried in an
enormous curled, frizzed, and po-
matumed peruke, with short ring-
lets upon the forehead, longer ones
upon the shoulders, and others,
longer still, hanging down the back nearly to the
waist.
The invention of these immense bushes of hair has
been attributed to the devotion of the courtiers of the
youthful monarch for every thing his majesty wore,
said, or did. Louis, while still a young boy, had a
head of most beautiful and luxuriant hair, which fell
in long waving ringlets upon his shoulders; but, as
none of his attendants could boast such tresses, the
aid of the perruquier was called in, and soon the
whole court of la Grande Monarque appeared in
perukes, which mode speedily travelled to other coun-
tries.
In Madame de Sevigné's letters, we find great
complaints of the length of the sleeves sometimes
worn by gentlemen. In one letter she says:
« Les
manches du chevalier font un bel effet à table ; quoi-
qu'elles entraînent tout, je doute qu'elles m'entraînent
aussi ; quelque faiblesse que j'aie pour les modes, j'ai
une grande aversion pour cette saleté.” And again :
238
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
“ J'ai vû des manches comme celles du chevalier.
Ha, qu'elles sont belles dans le potage, et sur les
salades !"
In Evelyn's “ Diary,” we find the following ac-
count of Louis XIV., when he went to open his first
parliament in the year 1651. It gives an excellent
idea of the profusion and magnificence displayed in
the dress and equipages of that day:
“7th Sept.—I went to visit Mr. Hobbs, the famous
philosopher of Malmsbury, with whom I had a long
acquaintance. From his window we saw the whole
equipage and glorious cavalcade of the young French
monarch, Lewis XIV., passing to Parliament, when
first he tooke the kingly government on him, now
being in his 14th yeare, out of his minority and the
Queene Regent's pupillage. First came the captaine
of the King's aydes, at the head of 50 richly liveried ;
next the Queene Mother's light horse, an hundred,
the lieutenant being all over covered with embroidery
and ribbons, having before him 4 trumpets habited in
black velvet, full of lace and casaques of the same;
then the King's light horse, 200, richly habited, with
4 trumpets in blue velvet embrodred with gold, before
whom rode the Count d'Olone, cornet, whose belt was
set with pearle ; next went the grand Provost's com-
pany on foote with the Provost on horseback ; after
them the Swiss in black velvet toques, led by two
gallant cavaliers habited in scarlet-colour'd sattin after
their country fashion, which is very fantastic,—he had
in his cap a pannach of heron with a band of dia-
monds, and about him 12 little Swisse boyes with
halberds; then came the Aydes des Cérémonies ;
next the grandees of court, governors of places, and
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
239
lieutenants gen' of provinces, magnificently habited
and mounted, among whom I must not forget the
Chevalier Paul, famous for many sea-fights and signal
exploits there, because 'tis said he had never been an
academist, and yet govern'd a very unruly horse, and
besides his rich suite, his Malta Cross was esteem'd
at 10,000 crownes; these were headed by 2 trumpets,
and the whole troup cover'd with gold, jewels, and
rich caparisons, were follow'd by 6 trumpets in blew
velvet also, preceeding as many heralds in blew velvet
semée with fleurs de lys, caduces in their hands and
caps on their heads; behind them came one of the
mast"s of the ceremonies; then divers marishalls and
many of the nobility, exceeding splendid ; behind them
Count d'Harcourt, grand escuyer, alone, carrying the
King's sword in a scarf, wch he held up in a blew
sheath studded wth fleurs de lys ; his horse had for
reines 2 scarfs of black taffata : then came abundance
of footmen and pages of the King, new liveried with
white and red feathers ; next the guards de corps and
other officers; and lastly appear’d the King himself
on an Isabella Barb, onwch a houssing semée with
crosses of the Order of the Holy Ghost, and fleurs de
lys; the King himselfe, like a young Apollo, was in
a sute so cover'd with embrodery, that one could per-
ceive nothing of the stuff under it; he went almost
the whole way with his hat in hand, saluting the
ladys and acclamators who fill'd the windows with
their beauty, and the aire wth Vive le Roy. He seem'd
a prince of a grave yet sweete countenance. After the
King follow'd divers greate persons of the Court, ex-
ceeding splendid."
The falling-collar, which came into fashion in the
240
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
preceding reign, was now superseded by bands of very
broad and rich lace, the long ends of which fell down
upon the breast.
From the journal of an English
gentleman, who visited France in 1690, we give the
following account of the dress then generally worn :-
“ A hat about two inches broad, a peruke very thick
of hairs, a coat fully plaited all round with short cuffs,
the quarters of the shoes not above an inch broad, a
small neckcloth tucked within the coat, with a very
full cravat-string tied upon the same.”
The petticoat breeches, or full-plaited doublets,
were the fashion in this reign ; they reached nearly
to the knees, and were made of silk, satin, velvet, or
any costly material, richly embroidered. The following
description, also from Madame de Sevigné, of the
marriage of M. le Prince de Conti, gives a good idea
of the splendour of the dresses worn during this reign.
It would appear that this gentleman was not remark-
able for his submission to the laws of fashion, for it
begins : “ Je vous dirai une nouvelle la plus grande
et la plus extraordinaire que vous puissiez apprendre,
c'est que M. le Prince fit faire hier sa barbe ; il étoit
rasé, ce n'est point une illusion, ni de ces choses que
l'on dit en l'air, c'est une vérité : toute sa cour en
fut témoin, et Madame de Langeron prenant son temps
qu'il avoit les pattes croisées comme le Lion, lui fit
mettre un juste-au-corps avec des boutonnières de dia-
mans; un valet de chambre abusant aussi de sa pa-
tience, le frisa, lui mit de la poudre, et le réduisit
enfin à être l'homme de la cour de la meilleure mine,
et une tête qui effaçoit toutes les perruques; voilà le
prodige de la nôce : l’habit de M. le Prince de Conti
étoit inestimable, c'étoit une broderie de diamans fort
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
241
gros, qui suivoit les compartimens d'un velouté noir,
sur un fond de couleur de paille, on dit que la couleur
de paille ne réussissoit pas et que Madame de Lan-
geron, qui est l'âme de toute la parure de l'hôtel de
Condé, en a été malade ; en effet, voilà de ces sortes
de choses dont on ne doit point se consoler. M. le
Duc, Madame la Duchesse, et Mademoiselle de Bour-
bon, avoient trois habits garnis de pierreries, différ-
entes pour les trois jours ; mais j'oublois le meilleur,
c'est que l'épée de M. le Prince, étoit garni de dia-
mans,
La famosa 'spada
Cui valore ogni vittoria é certa.'
La doublure du manteau du Prince de Conti étoit
d'un satin noir, piqué de diamans, comme de la
moucheture."
R
242
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THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
CHAPTER XX.
In the “ Mémoires de la Duchesse d’Abrantès,
we read of the reign of Louis XV.: “ Jamais les
Français n'avaient été plus créateurs qu'à cette
époque ; jamais les sensualités de tous genres ne
s'étaient autant multipliées pour entourer une femme
de leur élégance recherchée. Le service d'une femme
comme il faut n'était jamais composé de moins de
deux femmes de chambre, et presque toujours d'un
valet de chambre se mêlant du service intérieur. Une
salle de bain était de rigueur, car une femme élégante
ne passait pas deux jours sans se baigner; et puis des
parfums en abondance ; les batistes, les toiles les plus
fines, les dentelles les plus précieuses, pour chaque
saison, étaient sur la toilette, dans les sultans, les cor-
beilles ambrées, garnies de peaux d'Espagne, qui re-
cevaient les objets nécessaires, en premier ressort, à
la toilette d'une femme riche.”
It was during the reign of Louis XV. that a most
celebrated but extraordinary proces was held in the
highest court of judicature,-a proces that none but
Frenchmen would ever have undertaken, for it was
.
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
243
made to say,
between the coiffeurs des dames de Paris, against
the corporation of master barbers and hairdressers.
In the speech of one of the avocats, it was declared
that dressing ladies' hair was a liberal art, and it was
compared to that of the poet, the painter, and the
statuary. In another part, the coiffeur des dames is
“ If the arrangement of the hair, and
the various colours we give the locks, do not answer
our expectations, we have under our hand all the trea-
sures of the mines of Golconda. To us belongs the
happy disposition of the diamonds, the placing the
pearl pins, and the suspending the feathers.” A great
deal more, in the same flowery strain, follows; but the
grave tribunal before whom the case was tried ordered
it to be suppressed, as unworthy the majesty of the
judges and the court. But the coiffeurs gained their
cause against the perruquiers, and the decision was
hailed with rapturous applause by the brilliant conclave
of Parisian beauties, who looked upon this proces as
one of national importance. During the researches and
inquiries which were made, it was discovered that
there were actually 1200 coiffeurs des dames in Paris.
At this time dress was in the zenith of its splen-
dour. Every thing that art could produce or riches
procure was swiftly borne to the temple of fashion.
New manufactures were introduced, distant lands ran-
sacked of their treasures, and every invention that
could add to the charms of youth and beauty, or
restore lost graces to the face and form of age, were
united in the capital of France; and having been
transformed by the magic fingers and fertile genius of
the handmaids of fashion into robes, bonnets, chapeaux,
and ornaments of every kind, were then distributed
247
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
over Europe, the name of mode Parisienne stamping
them with every grace, beauty, and elegance.
Ladies' gowns were now usually embroidered, and
an open petticoat of rich velvet or satin was worn over
it. The corsage was pointed, and ornamented round
the bosom with lace; the sleeves were bouffante, and
terminated with deep ruffles at the elbow. The hair
was often parted on the forehead, and hung in rich
curls upon the neck, adorned with
bandeaux of pearls and precious stones.
At other times the upper robe sloped
away from the waist, and terminated in
a long train; the sleeves, wide and
hanging, were looped up with jewels,
and the hair, powdered and pomatumed,
was drawn over a cushion to a great
height, and adorned with feathers, ri-
bands, or lace.
From the sketches we now give, which are all
of the time of Louis XV., it appears that high head-
dresses were the most fashionable, for even the head
with curls assumes the same towering height as the
others.
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
245
women.
The commode of which we spoke in
our notice of the toilette in England,
was much in vogue during the whole
of this reign ; and one variety was
shaped somewhat like a modern cap,
with an ornament resembling a fan
rising up from the forehead, and two
streamers floating behind.
In Thunberg's account of Paris in
the year 1771, we read : “In rainy weather the
streets are scarcely passable for umbrellas, which are
indispensably necessary in a city where all the world
follows the Japanese fashion of going bareheaded.”
The same author also mentions that very small muffs
were worn at this time in Paris by men as well as
.
Wraxall, in his “History of France,” compares
the eighteenth with the sixteenth century; and says,
in point of dress, there was a striking similarity, as
will be seen by the following description : “ The petti-
coat was made very long, so as to conceal the feet
entirely in walking, but as a sort of compensation for
this mark of modesty and bashfulness, the ladies dis-
played their necks in an immoderate degree. Το
Margaret of Valois was due the introduction of this
mode, which she continued, in defiance of the admo-
nitions and reprehensions levelled at her from the
pulpit.” It excites entertainment to know that inven-
tions for increasing the size of the female figure behind,
as well as for augmenting it before, and both of which
have been renewed in the present age, were common
under the last princes of Valois. As early as 1563
treatises were written, and satires composed, on the
246
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
“Basquines” and “Vertugalles,” the two articles of
dress destined to the above-mentioned purposes.
.
The “ Guardian” says:
says: “France may as properly
be called the fountain of dress,' as Greece was of
literature. French ladies have been celebrated in all
ages for the fruitful genius they have displayed in the
ever-varying form of petticoats and head-dresses, and
never more so than during the reign of Louis XV.,
when every succeeding hour gave birth to some fresh
mode, and new words had to be invented to express
the thousand elegancies daily added to the mystic
wonders of the toilette-table."
Hoops, which had failed to secure the good graces
of the fair ladies of the court of Louis XIV., again
shone forth in all their glory during the reign of his
successor ; while ruffles, plumes, ribands, laces, satins,
brocades, and jewels, acquired a more important sta-
tion in the wardrobe than at any former period.
Waists were worn very long and pointed, bodies gene-
rally open, and laced across ; sleeves reaching to the
elbow, where they terminated with a rich lace ruffle ģ
and the upper petticoat open, and forming a kind of
train, while the under one was covered with em-
broidery and flounces.
Long, square-cut coats, without collars, and with
large pockets, seem to have been generally worn during
this reign ; they were often ornamented with gold or
silver lace, and had very large buttons. The gayest
colours and most expensive materials were frequently
employed in their manufacture, as well as in that of
the waistcoat, which had long flaps, and was almost
always embroidered. Breeches were still worn, as
well as ruffles, lace neckcloths, and high-heeled shoes.
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
247
Wigs, of various forms and denominations, preserved
their ascendancy in the toilette of men of fashion;
three-cornered hats were generally worn, and a sword
still formed an indispensable part of a man's attire.
High head-dresses appear
to have continued the fashion
with ladies during the reign of
Louis XVI. In the one of which
we give a sketch, the hair is
stiffly pomatumed and powdered,
and drawn from the forehead in
two points, to which are added
several bows of hair, a plume of
ostrich feathers, and another of
marabouts set in jewels. High caps, with lappets, were
also much worn at this period, the gowns were made
en fourreau lacé, with sleeves to the elbow en sabot,
and lace ruffles.
The Duchesse d' Abrantès' account of M. de
Caulaincourt gives a good idea of the dress of gentle-
men in the time of Louis XVI. “Ancien officier de
cavalerie, il avait conservé, en dépit du temps, de la
reforme et de la révolution, les grandes bottes à l'écuyer
et à manchettes, le toupet en vergette, les faces courtes,
et la queue bien serrée ; les culottes courtes, l'habit
à grands boutons de métal, et le gilet à effilé. Au-
dessous de cet effilé pendaient deux immense chaînes
de montre, avec une telle collection de breloques que,
lorsque je n'entendais pas le bruit accoutumé que
faisaient son cheval et lui, m'avertissait dès qu'il
montait l'escalier."
Previously to the opening of the Etats Généraux in
1789, it was decided that a distinct dress should be
248
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE,
1
worn by the three orders or ranks ; ancient records
were consulted, and the archives of the reign of Louis
XIII. searched, to find models for the garments to
be worn by the nobility and the tiers-état. At length
it was decided that the nobles should represent the
barons of the time of Philippe le Bel, and the tiers-
état the clercs, baillis, and échevins of former days.
Dulaure, however, in his work on the French revolu-
tion, gives the following description of these costumes;
whịch shews that the nobles eventually assumed the
dress not of barons of the time of Philippe le Bel, but
of chevaliers of the time of Henri Quatre :-
“ La noblesse devait être vêtue de la manière
suivante : habit noir, avec veste et paremens d'or,
manteau de soie, cravate de dentelle, et chapeau à
plumes retroussé à la Henri IV. Le clergé devait
paraître en soutane, grand manteau, bonnet carré; les
évêques se distinguaient par la robe violette et le ro-
chet. Quant au tiers-état, sa parure était des plus mo-
destes. On l'avait condamné à l'habit de laine noire,
au simple manteau de soie noire, à la cravate de batiste,
et au chapeau rabattu, sans ganse ni bouton.”
During the Revolution the Athenian mode of attire
was adopted. A French lady of that time gives the
following account of it: “A simple piece of linen,
slightly laced before, while it leaves the waist uncom-
pressed, serves the purpose of a corset. If a robe is
worn which is not open in front, petticoats are alto-
gether dispensed with, the cambric chemise having the
semblance of one, from its skirt being trimmed with
lace. When attired for a ball, those who dance com-
monly put on a tunic, and then a petticoat becomes a
matter of necessity rather than of choice. Pockets,
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
249
being deemed an incumbrance, are not worn; what
money is required is carried in a small purse, which
is concealed in the centre of the bosom, this is also
occasionally the receptacle of a small gold watch, or
other trinket, which is suspended to the neck by a collar
of hair, decorated with various ornaments. In dancing
the fan is introduced into the zone or girdle.”
Riding-habits seem to have been worn by ladies
even when not on horseback. Madame Tallien, one
of the most celebrated beauties of this period, is de-
scribed as having worn one of deep blue casimir, with
yellow buttons, and a collar and trimming of red
velvet, at a great meeting which she attended at
Bordeaux. Her beautiful black hair was cut à la
Titus, and curled round her head, on which was
placed, a little on one side, a small scarlet velvet cap, ,
edged with fur.
A dress in which this lady appeared at a great
ball at Paris is represented as having been most
graceful. It consisted of a simple white India muslin
drapée à l'antique, and fastened at the shoulders with
two cameos ; she wore a gold belt, also clasped with
a cameo, and a large gold armlet held in the sleeve,
which was very short: her hair, which was curled
all over her head, was without ornament, and round
her shoulders was gracefully thrown a superb scarlet
cashmere shawl.
The Duchesse d' Abrantès, in her Memoirs, gives
an account of an elegant costume worn by one of
Buonaparte's sisters. She says: “Madame Leclerc
était coiffée ce jour-là, avec des bandelettes d'une
fourrure très précieuse, dont j'ignore le nom, mais
d'un poil très ras, d'une peau très souple et par-
250
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
semée de petites taches tigrées.
Ces bandelettes
étaient surmontées de grappes de raisin en or, mais
sans que la coiffure fût élevée comme le sont les
coiffures d'aujourd'hui. Une robe de mousseline de
l'Inde, d'une excessive finesse, avait au bas une bro-
derie en lames d'or, de la hauteur de quatre à cinq
doigts, représentant une guirlande de pampre. Une
tunique de la forme grecque la plus pure, se drapait
sur sa jolie taille, et avait également au bord une
broderie semblable à celle de la robe. La tunique
était arrêtée sur les épaules par des camées du plus
grand prix. Les manches, extrêmement courtes, et
légèrement plissées, avaient un petit poignet et étaient
également retenues par des camées. La ceinture
mise au-dessous du sein, comme nous le voyons
dans les statues, était formée par une bande d'or
bruni, dont le cadenas était une superbe pierre graveé
à l'antique.”
The same writer also mentions a costume worn at
that time by ladies, which consisted solely of a cambric
chemise, and a muslin gown perfectly collante.
“ Au nombre des folies du temps,” adds Madame
Junot, “les perruques jouaient un rôle important.
Rien ne peut-être comparé à l'absurdité de cette
mode. Une femme brune devait avoir une perruque
blonde ; une femme blonde, une brune. Enfin une
perruque devenait partie nécessaire d'un trousseau.
J'en ai vue qui coûtaient jusqu'à huit et dix mille
francs, mais en assignats, ce qui revenait à cent
cinquante ou deux cents francs en argent.”
Dulaure, whom we have before quoted, says: “ Les
vêtemens se ressentirent des changemens politiques.
Le bon ton consistait à être vêtu en carmagnole, c'est-
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
251
à-dire, à porter des pantalons et une veste de chasse.
Ceux qui observaient strictement le costume, avaient
pour chaussure des sabots; au lieu de canne, un bâton
noueux. Ils étaient coiffés en cheveux ronds et en
bonnet rouge, avec cocarde; on a vu des millionnaires
dans cet équipage. Le 22 Novembre, dans le conseil
de la commune de Paris, il s'éleva une discussion assez
vive sur la question de savoir si les membres des
autorités constituées seraient seuls décorés du bonnet
rouge, ou si l'on laisserait à chacun la liberté de s'en
coiffer; il fut décidé que chacun pourrait se coiffer à
sa guise. La veille, ce conseil avait pris un arrêté
qui proscrivait les perruques noires à la Jacobite.
Les femmes, dans leur habillement, ne portaient rien
d'extraordinaire si ce n'est la cocarde tricolore à leurs
bonnets, ou à leurs chapeaux, dont la forme présentait
un cône tronqué. Leur chevelure éparse sur leurs
épaules, et taillée sur le devant, couvrait la moitié de
leur front."
The Muscadins, says Madame Junot, “portaient
des redingotes grises, avec des collets noirs, des cravates
vertes ; et leurs cheveux, au lieu d'être à la Titus,
comme ceux de la plupart des jeunes gens, étaient
nattés, poudrés, et relevés, avec un peigne, tandis que
de chaque côté de la figure, descendait une longue
face appelée, en style du temps, oreilles de chien."
The mania of republicanism seems to have ex-
tended even to dress, for many young men, anxious to
imitate the Greeks in every thing, were now habited,
sans-culottes, in tunics and cloaks, or rather ample
togas.
Madame Junot describes the incroyable of a year
or two later, with his “cadenettes relevées” and long
252
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
HODEPINDELSE
corkscrew curls, as wearing a hat so
very small as to be kept with diffi-
culty on the head ; an immense
cravat, containing at least two yards
of muslin, a short coat or jacket,
scarcely reaching to the hips, and a
pair of pantaloons of immense width,
which gave him the appearance al-
most of a woman.
The Greek style of dress continued the fashion
during the Consulate ; most of the coiffures were copied
from ancient statues. A few caps and turbans occa-
sionally made their appearance, but the usual head-
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dress, at least for young unmarried women, consisted
of a crop adorned with a wreath of flowers.
Madame Junot gives the following account of her
trousseau, and the dress that was the fashion for a
bride in 1800:-“ D'une immense corbeille, ou plutôt
une malle en gros de Naples rose brodée en chenille
noire, portant mon chiffre, et fortement parfumée de
peaux d'Espagne, étaient sortis une quantité immense
de petits paquets noués avec des faveurs roses ou
bleues. C'étaient des chemises à manches gauffrées,
brodées, et brodées comme brodait Mademoiselle
l'Olive ; des mouchoirs, des jupons, des canesous du
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
253
pour l'été.
matin, des peignoirs de mousseline de l'Inde, des ca-
misolles de nuit, des bonnets de nuit, des bonnets du
matin de toutes les couleurs, de toutes les formes, et
tout cela brodé, garni de valenciennes ou de malines,
ou de point d'Angleterre. A cette époque on n'avait
pas encore la très-bonne coutume de ne point donner
de corbeille ; c'était dans une corbeille que se trou-
vaient les châles de cachemire, les voiles de point
d'Angleterre, les garnitures de robes en point à
l'aiguille, et en point de Bruxelles, ainsi qu'en blonde
Il
у
avait aussi des robes de blonde
blanche, et de dentelle noire ; des pièces de mous-
seline de l'Inde, des pièces de velours en étoffe turques,
que le Général avait rapportées d’Egypte, des robes
de bal pour une mariée ; ma robe de présentation ; *
des robes de mousseline de l'Inde brodées en lames
d'argent, et puis des fleurs de chez Madame Roux;
des rubans de toutes les largeurs, de toutes les cou-
leurs; des sacs, des éventails, des gants, des essences
de Fargeon, de Riban, des sachets de peau d'Espagne,
et d'herbes de Montpellier ; enfin rien n'avait été
oublié.
Le matin, à peine neuf heures
furent-elles sonnées, que l'on commença la toilette
demi-habillée, que je devais faire pour aller à la mairie.
J'avais une robe de mousseline de l'Inde brodée au
plumetis, et en points à jour, comme c'était alors la
* “ Cette robe avait cela de curieux, que, comme on ne portait
pas encore un costume spécial pour le château, ce qui n'arriva que
sous l'empire, Madame Germon s'était cependant cru obligée, sur ce
mot robe de représentation qu'avait dit ma mère de faire une robe
différente des autres. Cette robe était à queue, cela n'était pas
extra-
ordinaire alors, on les portait toujours ainsi le soir. Mais elle était
de la même forme que les robes qu'on portait sur la scène. Elle était
ouverte et laissait voir une jupe de crêpe lamée en argent; la robe était
d'une riche étoffe de Lyon imitant le brocart d'argent de l'Orient.”
*
*
*
254
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
mode. Cette robe était à queue, montante, et avec
de longues manches ; le lis de devant entièrement
brodé, ainsi que le tour, le corsage, et le bout des
manches, qu'on appelait alors amadis. La fraise était
en magnifique point à l’aiguille. Sur ma tête j'avais
un bonnet en point de Bruxelles, monté par Made-
moiselle Despaux; au sommet du bonnet était attachée
une petite couronne de fleurs d'orangers, d'où partait un
long voile en point d'Angleterre, qui tombait à mes
pieds, et dont je pouvais presque m'envelopper. Cette
toilette, qui était celle adoptée pour les jeunes mariées,
et qui ne différait que par le plus ou moins de richesse,
d'une fiancée à une autre, avait, selon moi, bien plus
de charme et d'élégance que celle d'aujourd'hui.”
The French court, during the Empire, was the
most sumptuous, the most brilliant, and the most ele-
gant ever witnessed in Europe. Buonaparte passed a
sumptuary law to regulate the dress of the ladies of
the court, of which Madame Junot gives the following
description : “ Ce costume était alors à-peu-près ce
qu'il est encore aujourd'hui ; la chérusque, * qu'on
retrencha très-promptement, allait pourtant fort bien;
le manteau et la jupe étaient comme nous les portons
toujours, avec cette différence, que dans l'origine la
bordure du manteau ne pouvait excéder quatre pouces;
les princesses seules, avaient le droit de porter le
manteau brodé en plein. Tels furent d'abord les
ordres de l'empereur. C'était, avait-il dit à Junot, à
nous à donner l'exemple de la modération, et à ne pas
écraser, par un faste ridicule, la femme d'un officier
sans fortune ou d'un savant respectable.”
* “Fraise gothique à longues dents, en tulle bordé d'or ou
d'argent comme l'habit.”
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
255
•
This law was, however, soon disregarded, and the
Empress herself took the part of the youthful beauties,
whose love of splendour and magnificence could not be
restrained. A dress, worn by the beautiful Josephine,
is thus recorded by Madame Junot : “ La toilette de
l'impératrice était admirable de bon goût et de frai-
cheur ; elle avait une robe de mousseline de l'Inde,
de ces mousselines qu'on peut appeler un tissu d'air,
que, cependant, malgré sa finesse, on avait brodée au
plumetis d'un semis de petites étoiles, dont le milieu
était rempli par un point de dentelle fait à l'aiguille.
La robe était montante, et faite comme une redingote;
tout autour était une magnifique Angleterre de la
hauteur de deux mains, et abondamment froncée ; le
tour du col et le devant de la robe en avait également;
de distance en distance, étaient des noeuds de ruban
de satin bleu, si frais, si pur de nuance, bleu tur-
quoise, que jamais on ne vit rien de si charmant ; le
dessous de la robe était en satin du même bleu que
les rubans; sur sa tête, l'impératrice avait un bonnet
dont les papillons étaient en Angleterre du même
dessin, mais encore plus fine que celle de la robe, et
gracieusement posé et coupé par des touffes de ce
ruban bleu auquel ne venait se mêler aucune fleur."
The Empress Josephine was remarkable for the
taste she displayed in every thing relating to dress.
The following costume de cour, which she occasionally
wore, must have been very elegant : “ La jupe et le
manteau étaient pareils; tous deux en tulle brodé en
lames d'or, mais avec une délicatesse infinie. C'était
un carreau pris dans un autre, et pris pas ses quatre
côtés, ce qui formait, non pas un tissu d'or, mais un
réseau admirablement fait. Une petite frange bordait
256
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
le manteau et la robe. Puis le tour du corsage, les
manches, la ceinture, tout était brodé en émeraudes
entourées de diamans. Le diadème, le peigne, les
boucles d'oreilles .... tout en émeraudes."
The Emperor, not satisfied with arranging the
toilette of the ladies, ordered a particular court-dress
for the gentlemen also. It consisted of an embroidered
coat and ruffles, and shirt frills in point d'Angleterre.
Powder was no longer worn in the hair, which, in-
stead of hanging down the back in a queue, was cut
short, like the present fashion.
In Lady Morgan's
" France” is a curious and
amusing account of the trousseau of the Duchesse de
Berri; and it shews the importance with which such
matters are regarded in France : “ At last,” says the
authoress, “ after full two hours' efforts, and more
suffering from heat and apprehension than I ever en-
dured, we passed the last barrier, and arrived at the
palladium of the royal toilette. A long suite of beau-
tiful rooms were thrown open, whose lofty walls were
thickly covered with robes of every hue, tint, web, and
texture, from the imperial drapery of coronation splen-
dour, to the simple robe-de-chambre of British lace
and British muslin; from the diamond coronet to the
bonnet-de-nuit ; while platforms, or counters, sur-
rounding each room, were guarded off from the un-
hallowed touch of plebeian curiosity by silken cords,
and placed under the surveillance of the priests and
priestesses of the toilette, in grand pontificals. These
formed the sanctuary of all the minor attributes of
the royal wardrobe. Every article of female dress,
from the most necessary to the most superfluous, was
here arranged, not by dozens, but by hundreds. Here
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
257
the Queen of Sheba might have died of envy; here the
treasures of the “forty thieves,' or the cave of Baba
Abdalla,' were rivalled or surpassed, not only in splen-
dour but extent. The life of the old Countess of
Dumont would have been too short, though spent in
dressing, to exhaust such a wardrobe as here pre-
sented itself; and if such were the sumptuous provision
to be made for the future daughters of France, it may
be truly said that “Solomon, in all his glory, was not
arrayed like one of these.""
Before concluding the annals of the toilette of
la belle France, we must add, that many of the coif-
fures worn in that country, during the last twenty
years, were quite as extravagant for size and height
as those censured by Paradin and Jean de Meun.
The giraffe was a tower of bows, ribands, combs, and
feathers; while the casque head-dress was much nar-
rower, though nearly as high, having the hair drawn
up from the forehead into a bow and plait on the
summit of the head.
\u
Eineva
S
258
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
CHAPTER XXI.
>>
“ It is a curious fact," writes a French author,
when speaking of Brittany, “ that here we still find
the traditions, manners, language, nay, even the cos-
tume, of the old Celtic race.
When we reflect that the inhabitants of this pro-
vince are descended from those warriors who once
possessed by far the greater portion, if not the whole,
of western Europe, every incident belonging to them
becomes of the greatest interest, and their costume
particularly ; since, though belonging to the chief
temple of Fashion-la belle France-
have still resisted the blandishments of
the goddess, and retain their ancient
dress in spite of all her attempted inno-
vations.
Mrs. Stothard, in her “Tour through
Normandy in 1818,” says:
mon people in some parts of Brittany
wear a goat-skin dress, and look not
unlike Defoe's description of Robinson
Crusoe. The furry part of the dress is
worn outside ; it is made with long
sleeves, and falls nearly below the knees.
Their long, shaggy hair, hangs dishevelled about their
66 The com-
Worlu
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
259
shoulders, the head being covered by a broad-flapped
straw or beaver hat. Some few of the Bretons go
without shoes or stockings; but the generality wear
sabots (wooden shoes), and thrust straw into them,
to prevent the foot being rubbed by the pressure of
the wood.
“The usual costume of the
pea-
sants of Brittany is a broad-flapped
hat, from beneath which the hair
floats down loosely on the shoul-
ders; a coat, lined with scarlet,
generally of a dark mulberry co-
lour ; a white waistcoat, also lined
with scarlet, and a broad belt
corresponding in colour with the
lining, or else plaided, like a Scotch
tartan. The most singular feature
of their dress is the taste and ca-
price displayed in the coat, which, instead of being of
a uniform colour, has the skirts often of quite a dif-
ferent shade from the upper part.
The goat-skin
dress is also commonly worn, particularly in Bas Bre-
tagne. Very few go barefooted, wooden shoes being
generally used by men, women, and children. The
women are invariably dressed in the peculiar costume
I have described above ; however, it sometimes varies
a little in some of the districts."
A paysanne of Bignan is thus described : “ She
was dressed in a petticoat or skirt of white flannel,
bordered with a scarlet band above the hem. This
skirt is sewed to the body in large full plaits; the
body, or jacket, was made of scarlet cloth, tight to
the shape, and reached nearly up to the throat; the
260
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
sleeves were of the same colour, sitting close to the
arm, and turned up at the wrist, with a deep cuff;
both the body and sleeves being turned with a braid-
ing, composed of a black velvet riband, embroidered
with coloured worsteds. Her apron was of a deep
mulberry colour, fastened with an ornamented sash,
tied in a bow at the side ; her cap of white linen sat
quite tight upon her head, and was covered with an-
other cap, that served the purpose of a bonnet. . This
last was made of a coarse starched cloth, like brown
Holland, the form conical, with two long flaps hanging
down her back, or sometimes pinned up, at the plea-
sure of the wearer. Her necklace was of amber and
black beads; she wore also, suspended by a velvet
string, a little ebony crucifix, wrought in pure gold ;
her brooch, that fastened her shift in front, was made
of white bugles and green glass-beads tastefully ar-
ranged.”
The dress in the district of the Léonais is, like its
wearers, grave and formal ; it is generally made of
black cloth or serge, which gives it a most sombre
appearance. The coat is cut quite square, but some-
times reaches half way to the knee ; at others,
it is only like a long jacket. The waistcoat is very
long. The breeches of the better farmers are very
large, and tied in at the knees; the poorer peasants
have them not nearly so wide. The stockings are
black, and a blue scarf encircles the waist : the hair
always hangs at its full length over the back and
shoulders ; the hat is of immense size, and the shoe-
buckle enormous. Those peasants who cannot afford
to wear cloth clothes have them made of linen, and
wear straw hats, with a black cotton rosette.
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
261
“ Unlike the Léonards," says the author of the
“Summer in Brittany,” “ the inhabitants of the hills
delight in the most gay and contrasted colours. Violet
is a very favourite colour for the coat, which is usually
adorned with crimson trimmings and buttons. Gaiters,
or leggings rather, for they do not cover any part of
the foot, are worn of the same hue, and similarly
ornamented with crimson. The · bragon bas, or
enormous breeches, are almost always of linen, or of
a coarse brown woollen cloth. The coats and waist-
coats of the richer farmers, and the boddices and petti-
coats of their wives, are usually made of a coarse
cloth; those of the poorer classes, of a woollen mate-
rial they call gainé,' which is full of little knots,
and resembles the sort of stuff of which great-
coats are sometimes made. The poorer classes are
dressed entirely in linen, or else in a sort of coarse
brown thick flannel. The hats in Cornouaille are
broad-brimmed, but not so immensely large as those
of the Léonards; and, instead of the simple broad
band of black velvet, which is used by the latter, they
are ornamented with two or three circles of string,
prepared with the gayest and most varied colours, for
the purpose, in the same manner that the handles of
church bell-ropes are made. Between these variegated
strings the Kernewote, or Cornouaille man, puts a
circle or two of silver thread, and all the various
strings are united into a tassel, which hangs down
behind.”
It is a curious fact, that the peasants of each dis-
trict retain the costume of their native village, even
when they move to a different part of the country.
Thus it is easy to know whence they come; and the
262
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
men
variety of dress forms a pleasing contrast. In the
neighbourhood of St. Pol de Léon the peasants wear
flannel jackets and violet-coloured breeches ;
from near Brest appear in red coats and breeches, and
white waistcoats with crimson buttons, very different
from the mourning habiliments of the Léonards. On
the western coast a blue cloak, with a falling cape,
distinguishes the native peasant from those of other
districts. The Roscovites, too, have close green
jackets, white trousers, and crimson belts; while the
men from the remote villages of the northern shore
wear small, close, blue caps, dingy woollen jackets,
and short linen trousers. They do not even adopt
the sabot, but leave the feet and legs bare.
The dress of the peasants at Quimper is very sin-
gular; they have the large broad-brimmed hat before
mentioned, the crown of which is ornamented with
two bands of gold, a long blue waistcoat, a jacket
made so tight that only the lower button can be fas-
tened, thus leaving it very open, to shew the waist-
coat to advantage. On the edges of the jacket and
round the throat is a band of gold, or gold-coloured
lace. The “ bragon bas” are immense in size, and
made of white linen; the stockings brown, large sabots
on the feet, and a broad brown leather belt round the
waist, fastened with a large buckle. The hair of
these “exquisites” hangs in long curls half-way down
their backs.
The costume of the women also is diversified, but
more in colour than shape. Most of them wear a
jacket laced up in front, with tight sleeves, that reach
only to the elbows : under these are white sleeves,
fastened round the wrist. The petticoat is often white,
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
263
and very full and short, to shew to perfection the gold
buckles in the shoes. Sometimes the jacket and gown
are blue, trimmed with gaudy gold and red lace ; half
the sleeves are blue, then pink, and lastly, near the
hands, white, tied with yellow or red ribands. The
chemise reaches to the throat, where it is fastened
with a collar of various colours. An orange-tinted
apron finishes this gaudy dress.
In another part of this province--in the depart-
ment of Morbihan--the men wear short square-cut
coats, of white cloth, or drugget; the edges of the
coat, the buttons and button-holes, also the flaps of
the large pockets (which latter are Vandyked), are all
trimmed with crimson cloth; and on the breast of
the coat is frequently embroidered the date of the
year in which it was made. The women here wear
close caps, or hoods, of a violet or green colour.
The variety in the shape of the women's caps is a
great peculiarity of dress in this province. Some of
these coiffures look like folds of linen laid one upon
another, others are immensely high, and some closely
encircle the face, but have long lappets hanging down
the back. Their hair, unlike the custom with the
men, is never seen, even from infancy; and this may
account for their strange want of vanity in this orna-
ment of female beauty, for, in many parts of Brittany,
they actually part with their tresses at the fairs to
regular hair-merchants, who buy for a few sous what
they afterwards sell in other towns for large prices,
when curled and made into perukes. We have fre-
quently described ladies, who, not content with Nature's
beauty in this respect, have added borrowed ringlets
to their own; but these are the first people we have
264
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
met with who part with their beautiful long hair for
filthy lucre," and allow their heads to be shorn like
sheep.
Coro
The costume of the Norman peasants, in many
respects, differs from those of Brittany. The men
frequently wear no hats; and when they do, they are
of every shape, form, and colour; sometimes without
brims, at other times the brims are very broad ; and
often the only covering for the head is a cotton white
or red night-cap. They seldom wear neckcloths; and
both men and women have wooden sabots, fastened
to the feet by leathern straps. Their coats are often
long, and made of a dark-coloured cloth ; and if they
wear a hat, they frequently have a cap also under-
neath it.
In Mrs. Stothard's “Tour” the costume of the
women is thus described : “It looks singular at the
first view, but, when the eye is accustomed to it, ap-
pears by no means unbecoming. It generally consists
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
265
of a woollen petticoat, striped with a variety of colours,
as red, blue, &c., and an apron also of red or blue.
The jacket of the gown is most commonly made of
maroon, white, black, or red worsted, the long sleeves
of which being sometimes, perhaps, of maroon, as far
as the elbow, and the lower half of a scarlet colour.
A little shawl (white or coloured), with a fringe round
it, pinned in plaits upon the back, covers the shoul-
ders. The head-dress, called the bourgoin, is the
most remarkable and conspicuous part of their attire.
It is formed of white, stiffly-starched
muslin, that covers a pasteboard shape,
and rises a great height above the head,
frequently diminishing in size towards
the top, where it finishes in a circular
form; two long lappets depend from
either side towards the back, and these
are often composed of the finest lace.
Some of the women have a piece of
velvet, which fastens their head-dress under the chin,
and others a riband, that crosses the forehead from
Several
paysannes, on Sun-
days or holydays, appear clothed en-
tirely in white instead of in this
costume; but they still retain their
bourgoin, which, on such occasions,
is always composed of fine muslin
and lace."
The back hair is usually worn
en chignon, that is, allowed to fall
at full length down the back, then turned back and
the ends fastened under the cap, so as to form an
immense thick club of hair on the shoulders.
CM;PG game
the cap.
266
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
The bourgoins throughout all Normandy are not
alike: that of the Pays de Caux deserves to be de-
scribed. The part which surrounds the face is of
scarlet velvet; from underneath it peep some curls on
the temples ; the upper part is of
blue pasteboard, covered with tiny
flowers in gold tinsel, and greatly
resembles an ancient casque. At
the top, which is much elevated
above the head, is an immense ruff
of muslin, edged with lace, from
which hang two streamers, that
reach nearly to the ground, falling
over the chignon. This towering
edifice is kept in its place by a string passing under
the chin, and is much like the caps worn in England
in the fifteenth century. When travelling in Nor-
mandy, I was shewn one of these coiffures, belonging
to the wife of a rich peasant; it had descended from
mother to daughter for several generations, and was
looked upon with as much reverence as a box of
family diamonds would be among the higher classes.
It very much resembled the one we have already de-
scribed, only it was more laden with tinsel and lace,
and the weight was quite extraordinary.
The Normandes, unlike their neighbours in some
parts of Brittany, almost always curl their hair, and
seem to regard it as an addition to their personal
charms. Not unfrequently they wear low gowns, and a
ruff round the throat. In their ordinary dress they
have pockets, made of a different-coloured stuff to the
petticoat, hanging outside it. They are also very
fond of silver or gilt ornaments, such as chains, ear-
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE,
267
rings, brooches, and crosses ; and very frequently,
when a fête-day permits their indulging in the luxury
of wearing shoes, they are adorned with huge paste
buckles.
In the southern parts of France the dress ap-
proaches more nearly to that of the Spanish peasant.
In Bearn it is very curious. The men have flat woollen
caps, and cloaks of a brown colour, the latter being
sufficiently wide not only to cover themselves, but also
the tail of the animals they ride. The hood belonging
to this cloak is very convenient, as in rain it com-
pletely shelters the head, though it gives a very gro-
tesque appearance to the wearer.
The paysannes when they ride to market very fre-
quently wear trousers and spurs, which but ill agree
with their neatly frilled caps and collars. Sometimes,
however, they have hoods of a striped cloth, and long
aprons, which serve for riding-habits. 66 Their usual
head-dress,” says the author of “A Summer in the
Pyrenees," " is a handkerchief made of a manufacture
of the country, which never fades or crumples. The
middle is usually brown, drab, or fawn colour, with a
broad border to suit. It is adjusted so as to give
a Grecian contour to the head and face, and I suspect,
notwithstanding its appearance of artless simplicity,
that there are degrees of coquetry by which it is ar-
ranged so as best to suit the appearance of the wearer.
Beneath this head-dress we see soft bands of dark
hair, carefully parted on the forehead, and placed
against the cheek, so as to contrast in the best manner
with a complexion at once glowing and delicate,
healthy and pure. Add to this the neatest little
collar round the neck, the universal shawl pinned
268
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
down in front, over which the hands, in curiously
coloured mittens, are closely folded.
The peasant
women, besides the handkerchief above described, wear
a hood called a capulet, made of white or scarlet cloth,
of the finest texture, often bordered with black velvet,
and has a striking effect, whether hanging loosely
from the head to the shoulders, over which it extends,
or folded thick and flat on the head, as we see in
Italian pictures. . When at church they wear a cloak
of black or blue stuff, lined with red.
« The rest of the dress is of the simplest descrip-
tion : usually a thick woollen petticoat of brown or
blue, with a stripe of a different colour, a blue cloth
jacket, tight to the waist, and a cotton shawl or hand-
kerchief pinned over it. This dress being dark and
durable, and exactly suited to their occupation, never
looks shabby or dirty ; nor is there such a thing as a
ragged garment to be seen, even upon the poorest or
the most infirm. With regard to shoes and stockings,
they are not particular, and we often see the women
stopping to put them on before they enter the towns.
The peasants and mountaineers wear, universally,
rudely shaped shoes of wood, immensely thick, turned
up with a pointed toe.”
In the Pays des Landes the costume of the men
consists of long trousers, a kind of garment between a
jacket and a spenser, and a worsted cap, stuck on the
back of the head like a Scotchman's bonnet. Their
hair, which they allow to grow thick and bushy, falls
in masses below it. The paysannes' dress generally
resembles that above given of Bearn.
The female peasants at Aubagne, near Marseilles,
have broad black hats, adorned with little scraps of
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
269
silver lace, smart spensers, and gorgeous petticoats ;
while their male companions, on their part, by the
display of their gayest stockings and vests, seemed
determined not to be outdone in finery. The women
at Drappo, near Nice, wear their hair bound together
with a silk fillet or net, which is fastened above their
heads with a long pin. The men wear short vests,
blue belts and stockings, and their hair tied up
behind.
From an old French work printed in 1727, and
entitled “ Histoire de la Provence d'Alsace,” par le
Père Laguille, we copy the annexed print of an
Alsatian belle. Her dress is very curious; her robe
appears to be of two different materials, half the petti-
coat being laid in very fine close plaits, the other half
in larger plaits, and the bottom all round escalloped.
The body is made with an immensely long pointed
stomacher, trimmed with lace and jewels; over it is a
lace handkerchief, with long pointed ends, apparently
of black silk, trimmed with black lace. The sleeves
are full, puffed, short, and open, being much longer
at the under than the upper part of the arm; the long
gloves meet them, scrupulously concealing the fair skin
beneath. Several rows of jewels and a cross adorn
the neck, and the shoes very much resemble those
worn in England during the reign of Charles II.
being very pointed, with immense heels and large
rosettes.
But the coiffure quite eclipses the rest of this
singular dress, and is more outré than any other we
have met with. It is an enormous three-cornered
edifice of satin, lace, and jewels, stretching out on
270
THE TOILETTE IN FRANCE.
each side, far beyond the width of the figure, and
standing up in a point of front. The hair is turned
back from the forehead, and hangs in a very long
plait, which the fair lady carries over her arm.
tot fototoh af dettet
PEE90E
godear to fost
)
THE TOILETTE IN GERMANY.
CHAPTER XXII.
.
Elle
ASHION seems to have been
more than usually capricious
in the fancies she has displayed in
the adornment of the natives of Ger-
many, and singular are the descriptions
given by old travellers of their curious
and often splendid attire.
On the column of Antoninus, which
commemorates the vic-
tories gained by Marc
Aurelius over several of
the German nations, we
find this people represented with the
long close trousers (the bracchæ) then
almost universally worn ; shoes much
resembling those now in use; and a
cloak (the sagum Germanicum men-
tioned by Tacitus), fastened on the
shoulder by a buckle.
(AU
272
THE TOILETTE IN GERMANY.
Pomponius Mela, in his “ Description of the
ancient Germans,” ii. 17, says : “ The rich wore
a garment, not flowing loose, as the Sarmatians
and Parthians, but girt close, and shewing the shape
of every limb; they also wore the skins of wild
beasts; those bordering on the Rhine without choice
or nicety, those in the interior parts were
more
curious in the selection, as not having acquired by
commerce a taste for other apparel. They chose par-
ticular beasts, and having stripped off the furs, va-
riegated them with spots and pieces of the skins of
marine animals, which the exterior parts of the ocean
and seas, unknown to the Romans, produced. The
dress of the women was not different from that of the
men, except that the women frequently wore linen
robes, and variegated them with purple, not extending
part of the upper garment into sleeves, but leaving the
whole arms and part of the bosom bare."
Lewis, Emperor of Germany, made a solemn de-
claration, forbidding the introduction of all foreign
apparel into his country. Subsequently, however, the
people in the higher ranks, like those of all European
nations, followed the fashions of France ; still, how-
ever, retaining their love of splendour, which was,
and still is, displayed in the profusion of jewels, rich
furs, and gold and silver lace, with which they adorn
themselves.
In Montfaucon's “ Monarchie Française,” is a
splendid print of Isabelle of Bavaria, wife of Charles
VI. She is represented as being very fond of rich
and costly attire, and is accused by Brantome of
teaching the French ladies great extravagance in
dress. Certainly, in the picture to which we
THE TOILETTE IN GERMANY.
273
was
KUCACIA
allude, her majesty is magnificently habited, covered
with a profusion of
jewels, and wearing the
tall head - dress which
the fashion in
France for so many
after years, and was
called a horned cap.
The robe worn by Isa-
belle is adorned with
embroidery and jewels;
as is also her train,
which is immensely
long, trimmed with er-
mine, and supported
by two ladies, whose
heads are also covered
with immense caps,
still higher than the
queen’s. No hair is
visible, and her majesty's coiffure is surmounted by a
crown; her shoes are long and very pointed.
The two heads given beneath are copied from the
Nuremberg Chronicle” of the year 1493 :
//ز
38
T
274
THE TOILETTE IN GERMANY.
The inhabitants of Nuremberg, says a traveller
in Germany in the year 1786, aped the Venetians in
every thing, even to their pointed hats and monstrous
bushy ruffs. In some parts the paysannes set off
their blonde complexions and light hair with be-
coming, little, black velvet hats, and have a very
variegated costume, their blue aprons being flowered
with white, their stockings red or blue, their cloaks
green, and their petticoats of an immense width,
reaching just below the knee.
Reisbec, in his account of Vienna in the eight-
eenth century, says: “French fashions prevail here
universally; all the women are painted up to the
eyes and ears, as at Paris.” On the introduction of
the modes and loose garments of their neighbours
across the Rhine, the clergy of Germany declaimed
most loudly against them from the pulpit, and the
emperor issued a prohibition to abolish the use of the
French dress called a sack, in which many ladies
appeared of a morning at church, without stays, or
hardly any other covering.
The dress of the German ladies previous to the
adoption of these foreign fashions was very splendid:
robes made of the richest velvets, lined with the most
costly furs, and trimmed with lace and jewels, were in
common use, whilst the head was adorned by a small
but high velvet cap, with a plume of feathers, a bunch
of flowers, or an aigrette of jewels. Wraxall, in his
“Memoirs," says, speaking of Vienna : “ Here they
follow the absurd fashion of dressing little girls like
women, with the high-powdered head and the hoop;
whilst Lady Wortley Montagu represents the dress of the
Austrian ladies of her time, 1716, as very disfiguring.
THE TOILETTE IN GERMANY.
275.
The peasants of Germany are celebrated for wear-
ing gay-coloured petticoats, exceedingly full and short,
strange-looking head-dresses, and blue, red, or pink
stockings. Their coiffures have been long celebrated
for their immense height and grotesque appearance.
The horned cap, for so many years la grande mode
in France and England, was imported from Germany;
small skull-caps, which entirely conceal the hair, are
very generally worn to the present day.
“At Saltzburg," says a modern traveller,“ the
women dress in the most grotesque gowns, with the
waist between the shoulders, and immense broad-
brimmed men's hats.” The German peasantry gene-
rally weave the cloth of which their garments are
made, it is of a dark grey colour, and their shoes and
stockings are of the same hue.
Near Radstade the women wear large straw hats,
that serve equally as a protection from the sun and
from the rain. Their garments are short and wide,
and their legs and feet are seldom fettered with shoes
and stockings.
In Mr. Planché's work, entitled the “ Descent of
the Danube,” we read that, in the neighbourhood of
Ratisbon the peasantry are in many places wealthy,
exceedingly proud, and fond of all kinds of finery.
“ The finest Swiss and Dutch linen, silk and satin
kerchiefs of the gayest colours, Brabant lace, and
gold and silver stuffs of all descriptions, are in con-
stant requisition. The men wear gold rings, and
generally two gold watches. The black velvet, or
embroidered silk boddices of the women, are laced
with massive silver chains, from which hang a pro-
276
THE TOILETTE IN GERMANY.
fusion of gold and silver trinkets, hearts, crosses, coins,
and medals.”
In the neighbourhood of Bamberg and Augsburg
the peasants have a pretty dress. The chemise has
short sleeves, and fits close to the throat, with a small
collar, not unlike a modern habit-shirt. The boddice
fits tight to the shape, and is ornamented with buttons
or gilt beads. The petticoat reaches just below the
knees, it is very wide, and of a different-coloured stuff
from the boddice ; the stockings are white or blue,
with scarlet clocks. The shoes have buckles. A
riband often encircles the waist, and is tied in front.
The women arrange their hair flat on the forehead,
or roll it back in front, and allow it to hang in a
short chignon on the neck. Some wear a close neat
cap, much like a nightcap; others a coiffure re-
sembling a caul, that fits the head, and ties under the
chin. A good deal of the back hair is seen, and long
ribands hang from it.
The better class of peasants have curiously-shaped
caps, some of black satin or velvet, others of lace
or muslin, plaited and stiffened like wings; the upper
THE TOILETTE IN GERMANY,
277
part, of coloured silk, resembles a skull-cap, and is
ornamented behind with two large bows. The hair,
when these head-dresses are worn, is quite flat upon
the forehead, but when the skull-cap is used without
the two wings underneath, curls adorn the forehead.
The gowns are high up to the throat, which is fre-
quently encircled with a broad necklace or band.
The women are fond of gaudy colours, and often wear
dark blue or scarlet shoes.
The men in this district have black hats, turned
up behind, and surrounded with a gold-coloured band,
scarlet waistcoats, long blue coats, black breeches,
and shoes with large buckles.
Near Coblentz the costume of the men is much
the same as we have just described. The women's
dress, too, varies but little ; but instead of the caps
mentioned above, they plait their back hair, tie it
with bows of riband, and let it hang down behind to
below the waist. Sometimes, however, they comb it
flat on the forehead, and make a broad plait on the
top of the head, which they ornament with two large
gold pins or gold arrows, while the middle of the head
is covered with a crimson or blue velvet caul, that
comes as low as the ears, and is ornamented with
gold.
In the district of Baden the lower class of peasants
are gaily attired: the men wear a broad-brimmed
black hat, a coat of lilac or blue, lined with scarlet, a
vest of scarlet, striped with green, black breeches,
blue stockings, and shoes bound with red: The
women comb back all the hair from the forehead, and
plait it into one large tress, which hangs down the
back; or else cover the head with a straw hat, tied
278
THE TOILETTE IN GERMANY.
under the chin with a black riband. Their shift has
full sleeves to the elbow; the boddice of crimson, black,
or blue, is usually laced across, striped, and adorned
with some other bright colour. The petticoat is
often green, the apron purple, and the stockings
frequently scarlet; so that the mélange of colours
has a very gay and lively effect. Frequently, how-
ever, the peasants instead of stockings wear linen or
cloth leggings, which leave the ankles and feet un-
covered.
Near Frieburg they have little velvet caps, white
petticoats, black jackets, laced with crimson, white
stockings, and black shoes with crimson rosettes. The
men in some of the provinces tie their hats on to
their heads with a broad riband, and wear wide
riband neckcloths, knotted in large bows. Frequently,
too, they draw their white stockings above the knees,
and fasten them with broad black garters.
In Wirtemberg a black jacket is generally worn
over the laced boddice. It has long sleeves to the
wrist, and is often left open to the waist, so as to
shew the bright-coloured vest beneath. The petti-
coats scarcely hang over the knees; they are very full,
and have a coloured border round the bottom. The
chemise is often tied at the throat with a broad
riband; sometimes it has long sleeves, and a worked
corsage. The boddice is usually scarlet, laced over a
blue stomacher with yellow, and the wide petticoat is
white, with a broad border of blue and yellow. Stock-
ings are worn of all colours, also girdles or belts. The
coiffures are various; sometimes a little black skull-
cap is seen, with a bow at the top, or the hair hangs
in long plaits behind, and a large gilt comb ornaments
THE TOILETTE IN GERMANY.
279
the top of the head; frequently, however, an immense
cap of black lace is worn, and forms a fan that
KAV
stretches far beyond the face; the crown is merely
two rolls of scarlet silk, with ribands hanging from
it.
The men wear either broad-brimmed or three-
cornered hats, and dark clothes, except on holidays,
when they may be seen in white coats, lined with
blue, scarlet waistcoats, and leather nether garments.
Near Frankfort the peasants are not dressed in
such gaudy colours as many of those already described.
The women have full petticoats, frequently of black,
brown, or some dark colour. The boddice is laced
with crimson, so as to shew the chemise beneath, and
ornamented with silver buttons. The shift-sleeves
are tied in at the elbow. A coloured handkerchief
covers the neck, a crimson sash hangs from the
girdle, and a little blue cap conceals all the hair
except the chignon behind. The men wear striped
night-caps, with a tassel at the end, not unlike those
used by the French fishermen. They have dark blue
jackets, trimmed with gilt buttons, pale blue waist-
coats, ornamented with silver ones, short nether leather
garments, white stockings, pulled up over the knee,
280
THE TOILETTE IN GERMANY.
MUTTA
and fastened beneath with wide black garters, the shoes
are made with a broad piece of
leather, which lies upon the instep,
and are clasped with immense
buckles.
A very singular-shaped, high, flat
cap, which somewhat resembles a
plate set up on its edge, is peculiar
to the women of this district.
Near Pfalz the women generally wear blue petti-
coats, coloured handkerchiefs, and small tight-fitting
caps. The hair is flat on the forehead, and arranged
in a chignon behind. The men have large hats turned
up at one side, blue jackets, dark vests and nether
garments, white stockings, and large shoe-buckles.
The Saxon peasants in the neighbourhood of
Dresden have a curious and variegated costume. The
women wear dark petticoats, white jackets, sleeves,
and aprons, and a scarlet handkerchief pinned over
the neck, the ends hanging down from under the
jacket. No hair is visible. Frequently the coiffure
is a tight cap of crimson, with a white border round
the face. An immense frill, like a ruff, surrounds the
neck ; in front it is tied with a large blue bow, and
the cap behind is adorned with one
equally immense of crimson. Another
coiffure is a coloured handkerchief,
tightly pinned round the head, and or-
namented at the back with large bows.
Coloured shoes, or slippers, are often
seen. The costume of the men is much
like that of the English farmer.
Near Altenburg, the dress of the Saxons is quite
THE TOILETTE IN GERMANY.
281
different. The little short petticoat of the women,
almost like a kilt, with its coloured border, scarcely
conceals the knees, which are covered with white
stockings, and ornamented with gay-looking garters of
black and scarlet. The stomacher, which reaches nearly
to the throat, is of bright blue, the jacket black, laced
with crimson, and laid back in front so as to shew its
crimson lining ; the collar stands up round the neck,
and the chemise is tied at the throat with a very broad
black riband, made into an immense bow, with ends
hanging down over the breast. A corresponding bow,
of still larger dimensions, adorns the waist, and with
the neat white stockings are worn green or blue shoes,
edged with scarlet, and having a strap of the same
colour across the instep.
Often a stone-coloured stuff, or cloth cloak, that
just reaches to the knees, conceals the rest of the
costume; it has a deep cape and full collar, and the
stockings not unfrequently match it in colour, but are
rendered more gay by scarlet clocks and slippers.
The coiffure is very singular.
First of all, a broad band encircles
the forehead, nearly touching the
nose; thence rises a long black
funnel covered with silk or velvet,
gradually tapering to the point,
which is small, and ornamented
with a frill. No ribands adorn this
coiffure, but a broad black band holds it firmly upon
the head, and passing under the chin, leaving only
the nose, eyes, and mouth visible, is fastened with an
enormous rosette of large bows, also black.
This head-dress is probably the remains of the
12
g
og su
16
282
THE TOILETTE IN GERMANY.
German fashion in coiffures, which were formerly so
celebrated for their height and extraordinary shape.
When abroad, the women often tie a gay-coloured
handkerchief, or shawl, over the cap, and let the ends
hang down behind. Altogether this costume is the
most curious of any in Germany; the excessive short-
ness of the petticoats, the bright colours composing
the dress, and the high caps, form a tout ensemble
that is very remarkable to foreigners. The men fre-
quently wear loose nether garments, stockings, and
shoes of black cloth, short coloured jackets, gay waist-
coats, and large bows in the place of a neckcloth.
The hair falls upon the neck, and is adorned with a
tiny hat, set on the crown of the head.
Near Hamburgh the peasants wear little round
straw hats, nearly as flat as plates, with a tight cap of
linen under them. A short gown of black or brown
stuff, tucked up so as to shew the bright red petti-
coat beneath ; blue stockings, a coloured handkerchief
over the neck, and a blue stomacher. Some have
short red petticoats, white gowns, and blue jackets.
The men have large hats, gaudy waistcoats, short
coats trimmed with a profusion of silver buttons, wide
nether garments, dark stockings, and buckles in the
shoes,
The Bohemian women often wear little jackets
trimmed with fur, scarlet stomachers, black petticoats,
scarlet stockings, and have on their heads a tight
band of linen, with a red crown and long ribands
hanging from it. The chemise is never seen; a black
handkerchief covers the neck, and a black cloak is
often worn, lined with scarlet and carelessly hanging
from the shoulders. When a cap is not worn, the
¢
THE TOILETTE IN GERMANY.
283
hair is arranged quite flat on the forehead ; a velvet
band, ornamented with silver, encircles the head, and
the back part is ornamented with coloured ribands.
The men have long coats, with waistcoats of scarlet
or blue, adorned profusely with silver lace and but-
tons; the shirt is seen above, tied with a black riband.
The nether garments are large and wide, the stockings
blue, and the shoes black, edged with scarlet.
In Bavaria, near Munich, the peasants wear broad
felt hats, or bonnets, with a knob on the crown the
size of a walnut, or a droll little silver turban, with
two peaks behind, which is fastened on the very back
of the head. Both men and women also have broad-
brimmed hats of black felt, with scarlet or yellow
bands round them, bunches of riband suspended from
the crown, and, not unfrequently, a tall feather. The
dark petticoats of the women are very short; and the
boddice, which resembles a cuirass, is made quite stiff
with silver buttons, chains, and ornaments, which
shine brightly upon the scarlet or blue stuff of which
the body is made. The sleeves are white and short,
the stockings usually of a bright blue, with long stripes
and clocks of scarlet and white. The men have nether
garments that scarcely reach to the knees, which are
usually bare, for the blue and white stockings are gar-
tered underneath ; their waistcoats are green or blue,
their jackets black and very short; and those who
can afford it ornament their vests, like the women's
boddices, with every kind of silver trinket.
The costume in the Tyrol is very gay.
The
women have coloured stomachers, either yellow or red,
dark boddices, and nine or ten full petticoats, of dif-
ferent bright tints, and very short; aprons with
284
THE TOILETTE IN GERMANY.
coloured borders, and black handkerchiefs pinned
over the bosom within the stomacher, or crossed over
the lacing of the boddice, which has a frill round the
waist behind. The sleeves are frequently trimmed at
the hands with fur; sometimes, however, they are
short, and have a white frill at the elbows, and the
lower part of the arms is covered with neat knitted
mittens, generally black, with coloured patterns. The
hair is drawn from the face, plaited and twisted round
the back of the head, where it is held firm by gold
pins of a great length. On their heads they wear
immense caps, with plaited crowns, sometimes orna-
mented with a feather or a bunch of flowers, often
weighing six or seven pounds. Their shoes are of
black leather, and their legs are wrapped in short
stockings, or rather leggings, for they do not cover
the foot, but reach from the knee to the ankle, leaving
the instep quite bare. The men wear these leggings
of linen or cotton, very large and loose, tied round the
ankle, and looped up to the nether
garments behind the knee, which is
always uncovered.
The jackets of the men resemble
short coats, and are lined and bor-
dered with some gay colour. Their
vests seem made in imitation of the
boddices of the women, being of every
shade of scarlet, green, and yellow,
with black and white stripes. The
throat is generally bare, or a large
black neckcloth is tied loosely round
it. The nether garments are orna-
mented with patterns in white thread, and are so
THE TOILETTE IN GERMANY.
285
- This prac-
short that the knees are quite uncovered. The hats,
usually of green felt, are shaped like a cone, have
narrow brims, and a feather or bunch of ribands
stuck on one side, which gives them a gay and lively
appearance.
In Prussia, as in many other countries, French
modes and fashions completely. effaced all remains of
national costume, so much so, that even patching was
adopted by the fair sex; and an author of the last
century, speaking of that country, says :
tice has been followed here. The damsels frequently
cut their patches in the shape of flies, beetles, hares,
asses, bears, sheep, oxen, and hogs; so that the French
have not devised any thing, be it ever so silly and
absurd, that the Germans have not made still more
silly and absurd in the imitation.”
In “Frederic the Great and his Times,” we have the
following account of the wedding-dress of the daughter
of Frederick I. in 1709: “ The jewels worn by the
bride were valued at four millions of dollars. She
had a coronet, set with diamonds and pear-shaped
pearls, which alone was estimated at one million ; her
train was borne by six maids of honour, who, on
account of the great weight of the precious stones
with which it was garnished, had two pages to assist
them. The total weight of the bridal attire is said
to have been nearly a hundred pounds." The dress
of the king, in 1713, is thus described :-
“ The dress of the king was simple. He appeared
in a large flowing wig, for the last time, at the funeral
of his father. The king, we are told by Pollnitz, had
the finest hair in the world --of a light brown-but
he had it cut off, and for a long time wore a wig with
286
THE TOILETTE IN GERMANY.
a tail ; but in the latter years of his life he had close
and almost white wigs, in which, though they were ill
made, he looked extremely well. Till 1719 he dressed
sometimes in plain clothes, sometimes in uniform ; but
in the following years he was scarcely ever seen but
in the uniform of colonel of the Potsdam Grenadiers,
blue turned up with red, yellow waistcoat and breeches,
white linen gaiters with brass buttons, and square-
toed shoes. Every thing was made to fit very tight.
His hat was three-cornered, with a narrow gold lace,
gilt button without loop, and a band of gold thread
with two small gold tassels. When not in uniform,
the king wore a brown coat and red waistcoat, with a
narrow gold border. He was so saving of a good
coat, that, when engaged in his cabinet, he would put
on linen sleeves and an apron. He was a decided
enemy to gaudy dresses and new fashions; and as,
while yet a boy, he had vowed vengeance against
French wigs and gold brocade dresses, so they still
continued to be the objects of his displeasure. He
observed, with indignation, that the large laced hats
and bags, in which Count Rothenburg and his retinue
appeared in public, found admirers at court.
vent imitation, he ordered, at the great review held
at Tempelhoff, near Berlin, in 1719, that the regi-
mental provosts, who, like the executioners and skin-
ners, are reputed infamous, should appear in the new
French costume, only with the brims of the hats and
the bags enlarged to an extravagant size. Paint was
prohibited.”
In Moore's “ France,” we find the wardrobe-roll
of Frederick of Prussia. Its contents are not a little
different, in number and simplicity, from the extrava-
To pre-
THE TOILETTE IN GERMANY.
287
gance and splendour of many of the monarchs whom
we have mentioned in this little work. " The whole
wardrobe consisted of two blue coats, faced with red,
the lining of one a little torn; two yellow waistcoats,
three pair of yellow breeches, and a suit of blue velvet,
embroidered with silver, for great occasions.”
THE TOILETTE IN SPAIN.
CHAPTER XXIII.
21B?
ME
HE dresses worn by
the inhabitants of
Spain are varied and
tasteful, and in some re-
spects totally different
from those belonging to
other nations. In a work
entitled “A Summer in
Andalusia," we find the
following remarks up-
on the dress of this
country :
“ The mysterious mantilla is always black or white,
the former being the prevalent colour, and invariably
worn in winter; the white has a very pretty effect, ,
especially if the wearer be a rubia, or of fair com-
plexion. The white are always of lace, but the black
are of all materials ; from the rich lace of the upper
ranks, the silk with a wide border of lace of the
WHE
IS
THE TOILETTE IN SPAIN.
289
tradesmen's wives, or edged with velvet, a grade
lower, to the coarse mantilla of punto of the lowest
classes.”
The basquina of Cadiz is pretty much like a
modern English gown, with full sleeves, though these
are short, and do not cover the arms. It was for
merly adorned with deep flounces, and trimmed with
a profusion of braid ; but such are now rarely seen
except on the stage or in the interior of the country.
Though in winter the basquina, as well as the man-
tilla, is usually black—the ancient and genuine hue of
the whole costume still in summer
gowns of other colours are worn;
either white, or of some dark shade
of purple, crimson, brown, or green.
The legs and feet are cased in net-
worked stockings and sandalled slip-
pers.
One peculiarity in the dress of
the ladies of Spain consists in wear-
ing fresh flowers in the hair, which
form a beautiful contrast with the
dark complexions and mantillas.
The comb worn in the hair is gene-
rally about the size of those used in
this country. The fan is as univer-
sally seen as the mantilla : a Spa-
nish woman is seldom without it, even within doors.
The favourite fashion of dressing the hair among the
Andalusians consists in parting it in the middle,
smoothing it over the forehead, and bringing it down
into one large thin curl, flattened against each temple,
and called the love-twist.
U
290
THE TOILETTE IN SPAIN.
The most important part of the Spaniard's costume
is the capa, or cloak. The lower
orders wear it of a dark choco-
late colour, faced with crimson
plush, or cotton velvet; while
that worn by the higher classes
is of blue or black cloth, faced
with rich black silk velvet, and
frequently lined throughout with
taffety. The cloak is not a
winter garment alone ; in the
hottest days of summer it is
often worn, as in obedience to
the proverb:
l
jot
66 However hot the sun,
Keep thy cloak on.”
The rest of the costume consists of a short round
jacket, with an upright collar. It is sometimes of
dyed sheep-skin, with the wool outwards, but more
commonly of coarse cloth or velvet-brown, green,
blue, or black-adorned with tags on the breasts,
trimmed with braid and velvet, and lined with silk.
It often has silk epaulettes in addition. Two hand-
kerchiefs, red and white, or red and yellow, are thrust
into small side-pockets, with their ends depending.
The waistcoat on fête-days is generally of bright silk,
gaily figured, and often with representations of bull-
fights. It is adorned with basket-buttons, and trimmed
with braid like the jacket, and is worn very open to
display the well-worked shirt, the collars of which are
invariably turned down, leaving the throat exposed.
Round the neck is worn a silk scarf, tied in a slip
THE TOILETTE IN SPAIN.
291
knot, and descending on the bosom. It is generally
crimson, pink, or canary-coloured, but ought always
to correspond in hue with the lining of the jacket,
and with the sash or faga, which is a narrow strip
of silk or worsted, girded round the waist with
several turns. One end is often sewn up into a
pouch, which serves as a purse, and bag for tobacco.
A large clasp-knife is a never-failing inmate of the
faga.
Tight breeches of blue, gree., or chocolate plush,
or punto, reach below the knee, where they are tied
with cords, terminating in tassels of the same colour.
The outer seams are adorned with rows of dangling
basket-buttons, plaited or gilt, and sometimes with
broad stripes of dark braid. The legs are cased in
spatterdashes or botines of calf-skin, fastened with
leather loops on the outer sides of the leg, but left open
at the calf, so as always to give the appearance of a full
and handsome limb. They are made with the rough
side outwards — when new of a beautiful light colour
and are tastefully worked on the front and back
with flowers of darker leather, or are sometimes stitched
with silk of various colours.
The shoes (zapatos), which are partially covered
by the botines, are of similar leather, so that together
they appear like high boots. The botines of Seville
are most in fashion, and a handsome pair costs not
less than four or five dollars. I have seen them,
though rarely, of black tanned leather, studded with
brass tacks. Those who cannot afford botines wear
alpergatas, sandals of Esparto rush, beaten and bound
together, and fastened to the foot by thongs or
strings; but these are only the poorest peasants, and
292
THE TOILETTE IN SPAIN.
there is a saying, that “ every low fellow wears spat-
terdashes."
Over the head is a bright silk
handkerchief, folded diagonally,
and tied with a knot behind,
a fashion bequeathed by the
Moors. Over this is a broad-
brimmed sugar-loaf hat of black
felt.
The muleteer's costume is
very becoming. It consists of a
jacket and breeches, of dark
coffee-coloured cloth, plentifully
garnished with buttons, a crim-
son sash, in which is stuck a
cuchillo, or knife, blue stockings, and red garters at
the knees, shoes of brown leather, a striped handker-
chief rolled round the head, and the whole surmounted
by a huge sombrero.
The costume of the peasants varies considerably.
The inhabitants of Rondo and the mountainous dis-
tricts dress very differently from those who live on the
plains. Not only the shape and form of their gar-
ments, but also the materials of which they are com-
posed, suit better with the colder air of the hills.
In the streets the women wear veils instead of
caps or hats: these veils, very unlike the gossamer
texture of those worn by ladies of most other nations,
are made of blue or pink flannel. This, with a black
petticoat of stuff, forms the principal part of the cos-
tume. The men wear no hats, but instead of them
montero caps, made of silk or black velvet, and most
abundantly ornamented with fringe and tassels. Their
THE TOILETTE IN SPAIN.
293
short jackets, adorned with gold and silver buttons,
and covered with embroidery, are worn sufficiently
open to enable them to display a splendid waistcoat.
The breeches are of black leather or velvet, and they
wear gaiters. The tout-ensemble of this costume is
exceedingly picturesque.
The Catalonian ladies are great élégantes ; they
wore, a few years since, a black silk petticoat, with a
small hoop. The body of the dress was made so low
in front that the shoulders were quite uncovered, and
the veil so stiffened out with wire that it formed two
arches, one on either side of the head.
The muleteers in this province wear their hair in
a net, and their broad silver-laced hat, squeezed quite
flat, hangs with a coquettish air on one side of the
head. A handkerchief is thrown loosely round the
neck, the waistcoat is striped, and over it they wear
a red jacket, with large silver buttons like bells. A
belt of blue, edged with yellow, is bound round the
waist. On the left shoulder hangs a blue great-coat,
embroidered with white thread. Their breeches are
striped with blue and white, their stockings are rolled
below the knee, gartered and fastened with an enormous
buckle, and a bunch of black ribands reaches nearly to
the ankle, round which they tie some blue fillets, to keep
on their packthread sandals, which scarcely cover the
toes. The sailors of this province are known through-
out all Spain by wearing a red woollen cap, like that
of the ancient Phrygians. The middle classes are
habited in hats and dark clothes, with a half-wide
coat thrown carelessly over the shoulders.
In Valencia the peasant's costume is a white linen
waistcoat, trousers which reach to the knee, net caps,
294
THE TOILETTE IN SPAIN.
and sandals made of cord. The women have no caps:
they plait their hair in a spiral form, and fasten it
with a large silver pin. Swinburne says: “ The men
in this province strut about all day in monstrous hats
and dark brown cloaks.” In the town of Salamanca
the lower classes wear large hats --some black, some
white; slit sleeves, broad leather belts, and sandals
made of cords.
The Biscayan women, who are usually very hand-
some, wear a neat pastoral garb. The hair falls down
the back in long plaits, and on the head is worn a
sort of white cap or hood, with a bow in front. The
boddice is laced up the front, and has lappets hanging
from the waist; the petticoat is rather short, the
sleeves full, and reaching to the elbow; its colour on
Sundays or holidays of pure white, and then tied with
rose-coloured ribands.
“ The most singular thing in the dress of the
men," says Swinburne, “is the covering of their legs;
they wrap a piece of coarse grey, or black woollen
cloth, round them, and fasten it with many turns of
tape ; it answers precisely to the idea I have of
Malvolio's cross-gartering in the Twelfth Night.” The
same author relates the dress of the innkeeper's
daughter at Lorea: “Her hair was tied in a club
with a bunch of scarlet ribands, large drops hung
from her ears, and on her breast she wore a load of
relics and hallowed medals; the sleeves of her gown
were fastened together behind by a long blue riband,
that hung to the ground.”
In Castile the women have large clumsy sabots,
a dark gown thrown back, and tied behind, an apron
of blue and white, and a large veil fastened to the
THE TOILETTE IN SPAIN.
295
head with streamers of blue riband. The montero
caps of the men are frequently faced and ornamented
with red or blue.
The women of Burgos, who, unlike the other
Spanish peasants, are not in general handsome, do
not improve their beauty by their coiffure, which is
particularly ugly, and not unlike that worn by some of
the Tartar tribes. They wear a black periwig, faced
all round with the wool of a black lamb, ending behind
in two long plaits, which hang half way to the ground.
In the neighbourhood of Irun the man's costume
is a brown jacket, a small round hat, and sandals, or
an old slipper tied on with a riband. Some of the
inhabitants wear a handkerchief round the head, and
over it a small cap, chocolate-coloured jackets and
trousers are worn, while a red sash encircles the waist.
The women's hair, which is of a beautiful black, is
tied in long tresses.
In Bilbao the dress of the women is very becoming.
It consists of a black silk petticoat, a black or a white
jacket, and a large silk capuchon, the ends of which
hang down in front like a shawl.
The ever-varying modes of France have long crept
across the Pyrenees; French clothes, French fashions,
and French colours, have quite superseded the ancient
costume of the country among the higher classes.
Spain is famous in the annals of fashion for having
invented two additions to dress, which have been worn,
admired, and followed by most of the European na-
tions—we mean ruffs and fardingales. Most writers
agree that to Spain they owe their birth, and certainly
the inventive genius who first imagined them is worthy
of renown.
296
THE TOILETTE IN SPAIN.
In Montfaucon's “ Monarchie Française,” we find
a portrait of Elizabeth, daugh-
ter of Henry II. She is dressed
according to the Spanish fa-
shion, having married a king
of Spain; she has a ruff, an em-
broidered robe ornamented with
jewels, slashed sleeves, ruffles at
the hands, and a splendid man-
tle; round her neck is a collar
of jewels, and an immense or-
nament of precious stones hangs
on her breast.
The general national cos-
tume of the Spanish ladies
when en grande tenue, was
formerly a petticoat of rich
satin, embroidered in gold and colours ; a jacket of
velvet trimmed with jewels, the sleeves slashed and
bordered with gold, and finished at the wrists with
ruffles; a girdle, and cordelière of jewels. Frequently
the robes were trimmed with ermine and the most
costly furs, and were made of brocade or gold and
silver tissue. The head-dresses were generally formed
of jewels, and a veil was usually added to the coiffure,
which gave it much grace and elegance.
THE TOILETTE IN PORTUGAL.
CHAPTER XXIV.
5696
N this smiling and sunny land the
common dress of the lower class of
men is the cloak and large broad-
brimmed hat so frequently met with in Spain.
They have loose breeches and a coat, bound
round the waist with a girdle of leather. The
sleeves are tight, and open part of the way up
the arm, so as to shew the shirt; the throat is
uncovered.
Ornaments, such as gold and silver lace, and em-
broidery, are not allowed to be worn on the garments
of the Portuguese; but the higher classes, when they
do not follow the French fashions, pay no attention to
these rules, but adorn their silk dresses with em-
broidery and precious stones.
298
THE TOILETTE IN PORTUGAL.
The women among the peasantry seldom wear
caps, but have a very becoming way
of dressing the hair, and tying it in
a net of silk, not unlike a large
purse, with a long tassel hanging
down the back, and a bow on the
forehead. This coiffure they call
redecilla, and the men also frequently
adopt it. Their gowns usually have
a boddice, and short sleeves reaching
the elbow, of a different material from the jupe; this
boddice is made with a long pointed stomacher, and is
cut round at the bosom. Beneath it is worn an
under-dress, with long sleeves and a body, that fastens
round the throat. White dresses are much worn, or-
namented with coloured ribands.
The Portuguese ladies wear very large heavy
ear-rings, and in their hair they are fond of placing
quantities of precious stones, which are generally set
in the form of butterflies and other insects. Some-
times feathers and coloured ribands are placed among
their tresses. No young woman ever conceals her
hair under a lace or muslin head-dress. Elderly ladies
wear a cap shaped like a caul, of very fine clear
muslin.
Their gowns, of which they sometimes wear two
or three, one over the other, are richly embriodered ;
the upper one forms a long train, which sweeps along
the ground, and is of black stuff. Their hoops are
quite enormous, and their sleeves immensely wide.
Instead of a girdle, they encircle their small waists
with a string of relics ; the ends hang to the ground,
and have knots of diamonds in them. Their shoes
THE TOILETTE IN PORTUGAL.
299
are of Spanish leather, without any heels, but when
they go out they put on pattens, or silk sandals
fastened with gold clasps, by which they are raised
several inches from the ground. They wear paint,
not only on the cheeks, but on the shoulders also.
It is said by many authors that the manners and
customs of the Jews and Moors are still, to a certain
degree, retained in this country. Perhaps from them
they derive their love of jewels; even the fishwomen
wear gold necklaces and bracelets. The women who
sell fruit frequently wear boots instead of shoes or
sandals, and black conical caps.
The higher orders of the Portuguese do not appear
to admire gaudy colours ; black is almost universally
worn, ornamented with fringes of gold and colours.
In the Memoirs of Madame Junot are many
amusing descriptions of the dress of the Portuguese
court. A hoop was there considered an indispensable
part of the toilette of Madame l’Ambassadrice; and
she thus describes her dress, which was arranged ac-
cording to the fashion of Portugal : “ Je mis par-
dessus cette monstrueuse montagne dont j'étais flan-
quée de chaque côté, une belle robe de moire blanche
brodée en lames d'or, et rattachée sur les côtés avec
de gros glonds d'or, absolument comme aurait pu
l'être une draperie de croisée. Je mis sur ma tête
une toque avec six grandes plumes blanches retenues
par une agrafe de diamants, et le fond de la toque
était brodé avec des épis de diamants ; j'en avais au
cou, aux oreilles ; et ainsi harnachée, je partis pour
Quelus."
The same writer then describes the dress of the
Princess of Brazil. Her gown was of white India
300
THE TOILETTE IN PORTUGAL.
muslin, embroidered in gold and silver; the sleeves
were very short, and the robe was fastened on the
shoulders with large diamond clasps. Her hair was
dressed in large puffs and plaits, interspersed with
splendid diamonds and pearls ; her ear-rings and
girandoles were quite magnificent.
In another part of this work we read of the follow-
ing coiffure worn by an old Portuguese lady:
" Elle
avait ses cheveux blancs relevés sur le bout de sa tête
avec un ruban, comme on le voit encore dans quelques
tableaux." And, in a note, we find : “ Il y a encore
beaucoup de Portugaises de haut rang qui restent
ainsi coiffées chez elles. Dès qu'elles sortent, elles se
mettent à la Française ; mais, par exemple, dans l'in-
térieur des provinces, j'en ai vu qui ne portent jamais
d'autre coiffeur.”
The costume of les dames du Palais is thus de-
scribed : “ C'était la plus étrange mascarade qu'on
puisse imaginer de faire revêtir à des femmes Chré-
tiennes. C'était une jupe de taffetas bien fort, bien
épais, d'une couleur bleu foncé, avec une large bro-
derie en or au bas, et puis ensuite une queue, une
robe, je ne sais quel morceau d'étoffe d'un rouge
éclatant qui leur pendait en manière de traine derrière
elles. Les plus âgées, comme le camariera-môr, por-
taient un petit toquet, une façon de bonnet assez serré
à la tête (c'étaient je crois, les veuves) et sur ce bonnet
était une fleur gros bleu, comme la jupe."
Speaking of the ancient dress of Spain and Por-
tugal, Appian says:
• We know that the Hispanians
and Lusitanians wore the saie, fastened with a buckle
or brooch ; but we are ignorant of its form, and no
remains of antiquity have yet been found to explain
THE TOILETTE IN PORTUGAL.
301
it.” Strabo, too, mentions this garment being in use
with the Lusitanians. He also says: “That the
Moors wore their hair frizzed and curled, and that
they combed their beards.”
When Isabella of Portugal went to France to
marry the Duke of Burgundy, she wore a tabard, or
stomacher of ermine, a robe of splendid embroidery,
tight sleeves, a cloak reaching to the ground behind,
but so narrow that it only fell over the shoulders, and
a curious head-dress of white muslin. She had no
ornaments of any kind.
7:
i
THE TOILETTE IN SWITZERLAND.
CHAPTER XXV.
AW
аризалх
HE dress of the Swiss pea-
santry is admired by all who
visit their country. It varies
considerably in most of the
cantons, and each separate dis-
trict is easily distinguished by
the colour and shape of the
garments worn by its inhabit-
ants. Laws relating to dress have, however, been
found necessary, even among these simple people, to
restrain a wanton extravagance and luxury of attire,
which spreads so rapidly when once allowed a free
indulgence.
The dress of the higher ranks is usually very plain.
Black is the colour invariably worn for full dress.
On Sundays the women dress in black in the morning,
THE TOILETTE IN SWITZERLAND.
303
and in colours in the evening. In the arrangement
of their hair they follow the French modes.
Of all the numerous costumes
seen in this country, that of the
canton of Berne is the most ad-
mired. The men wear immense
broad-brimmed straw hats, brown
jackets, and large breeches. The
women plait their hair in long to
tresses with ribands, and let it
hang down their backs. They
have a very becoming straw hat, ,
a jacket without sleeves, a black
or blue petticoat, edged with
red or white, red stockings with
black clocks, and no heels to
their shoes. The shift, or
under garment, has short full
sleeves, and reaches to the throat,
where it is fastened with a broad
black collar ornamented with red:
they frequently have silver orna-
ments passed between the shoul-
ders and under the arms. On fête
days they often wear a black lace
cap, of large size, almost like a
fan, tied under the chin, and long
green gloves.
The costume of the canton of Lucerne is de-
scribed as extremely becoming for the young, to whom
the gay colours of which it is composed impart a
charm of appropriate interest. The paysanne's dress
consists of a large flat straw hat, decorated round the
.
304
THE TOILETTE IN SWITZERLAND,
(6523
crown with four large bows of ribands of different
colours, and also a bunch of flowers;
the hair, which is drawn back from
the forehead, falls behind in two
long braids. The jupe is exceed-
ingly short, --sometimes even the
garter is visible ; it is usually of
two, but not unfrequently of three
colours, and very full. The chemise,
or under garment, reaches to the
throat, and has full round sleeves.
The boddice of the jupe is so cover-
ed with lace, embroidery, chains,
and buttons of brass and silver, that
the real material of which it is
composed is scarcely perceptible.
Frequently, too, the throat is sur-
rounded with a broad frill, lying flat upon the bosom,
not unlike the bands worn in England in the reign
of Charles II. The stockings are always
white and fine, and the shoes neat.
In Schaffhausen the men dress very
much in the antique mode, with large
puffed breeches. Silk, lace, and many
other luxuries of the toilette, are here
prohibited; but the women repay
them-
selves for these deprivations by the
gaudiness of their costume. The short
petticoat is often blue, the boddice scarlet,
embroidered in various colours, the col-
lar round the neck black and red, edged
with white, the stockings scarlet, the shoes black,
with large buckles; the apron and sleeves, which are
THE TOILETTE IN SWITZERLAND.
305
.:
not so short as in many of the other cantons, are of a
pure white, and the hair hangs in two long plaits,
tied with pink ribands, down to the waist, but in front
instead of behind; frequently a bunch of flowers is
placed in one of the braids, which looks very gay and
becoming.
The women of Soleure are dis-
tinguished by a neat and elegant
straw hat, fastened on to the head
with a frill of black lace. Their
hair is curled in front, and they
frequently have a black handker-
chief round the throat ; a black
petticoat, a green and scarlet bod-
dice, and scarlet ribands in their
shoes. The upper jupe is often black, with a red
border round the bottom ; it just reaches to the knees,
and below it is seen about two inches of a white under-
petticoat, edged with pink. The white stockings are
gartered with coloured ribands, with long ends ; the
sleeves of the shift are full, and cover the arms to the
elbows. A large white muslin cap, with a plaited
border, is often worn.
Near Bâle the only head-dress is a frill of black
lace, pinned into the plait of hair which surrounds the
head. The petticoats are longer, and of a dark colour,
with a gaily striped boddice and handkerchief.
In the Grisons the paysannes wear becoming black
lace caps, which are pointed upon the forehead, but
allow the hair on the temples to be seen, and are tied
under the chin. They often have red stockings with
white clocks, an orange boddice laced with green over
a blue stomacher, a purple cloth petticoat bordered
X
306
THE TOILETTE IN SWITZERLAND.
3
1
with green, a striped handkerchief and apron, and
long white sleeves.
In the small canton of St. Gall the head is fre-
quently uncovered, the hair being made into one large
plait on the back of the head, and adorned with long
gold or silver pins. On Sundays,
a pretty little cap made of white
muslin, lined with green silk and
with a small crimson crown, is fre-
quently worn; it has a neat and
becoming appearance.
The hair
is arranged quite flat upon the
temples, and very little of it is
allowed to be seen. The top of the
chemise is often finished round the neck with a full
frill, not unlike a ruff. On fête days a neat little
short jacket is worn ; it is quite open in front, so as
to shew the stomacher, and is bordered with coloured
ribands.
In Uri the hair is worn in ringlets, and a pretty
little straw hat, decked with bows of coloured ribands,
is coquettishly perched on one side of the head. The
striped petticoats are long, the boddice without a sto- .
macher and adorned with a silver chain, the stockings
scarlet, and large buckles in the shoes.
In Zurich a white chemisette, which meets the bod-
dice and is finished at the throat with a frill, and the
sleeves of which form three large puffs, is worn; the
hair, which is plaited, hangs down the back, and has
black lace entwined with it.
In Unterwalden the hair is drawn back from the
forehead, leaving it quite bare ; behind, it is formed
into a broad plait, adorned with several gold pins,
THE TOILETTE IN SWITZERLAND.
307
that stand round the head like stars. The rest of the
dress resembles that in most of the other cantons.
In Zug the hair is curled in front, and a large
straw hat is placed on the top of the head. A large
white frill lies flat over the bosom, and the petticoat
is frequently black for half its length, while the other
half is blue or red; the stockings are coloured, and
the boddice gaily embroidered.
In Fribourg the boddice is replaced by a long
apron of white linen, which covers the front of the
body of the dress; the petticoat is very long, the
sleeves white, and above the top of the apron is seen
a black and scarlet neckcloth, with a rosette in front.
The hair is arranged in two plaits down the sides of
the face, and the head is covered with a large straw
hat, trimmed with black velvet.
In Appensell the boddice boasts every variety of
colour, and the petticoat is generally bright scarlet,
with white stockings and black shoes. Beneath the
stomacher and boddice is a kind
of brown vest, fastened round
the throat with a necklace. The
hair hangs in small curls on the
temples and neck, and a cap of
black velvet adorns the head;
the crown fits quite tight, and
two black lace wings rise from
cavo
the sides, and are supported by
a crimson riband passed through
them.
Near Thurgovia the pay-
sannes'
cap
is
very simple, being a tight caul of coloured
silk, with a frill of black lace round it: the hair is
308
THE TOILETTE IN SWITZERLAND.
curled. The little brown jacket, with its blue sto-
macher and yellow boddice laced with scarlet, has a
very pretty effect, which is increased by a yellow
petticoat and a red sous jupe, bordered with black or
green.
At Tessin a long brown great-coat is frequently
worn by the women; the broad-brimmed hat is tied
on with a coloured handkerchief, the petticoat is orna-
mented with fringe, and not unfrequently the pay-
sannes are seen with bare feet and ankles.
At Oberhasli straw hats are worn, with very long
petticoats, shoes trimmed with scarlet, gay boddices,
and coloured aprons.
Near Gouggisberg the head is adorned with a
coloured handkerchief, twisted round it like a turban.
The little black jupe, bordered with scarlet, does not
reach to the knees, which are uncovered, the stockings
being gartered below them. The shoes have large
red rosettes, the boddice is scarlet; above it the
chemise reaches to the throat, where it is fastened
with a black and scarlet collar; over this is worn
a brown jacket with long sleeves, and a white apron.
In the Valais the usual mixture of gay colours is
seen in the costume, but the petti-
coat is larger than in most of the
other cantons, while the neat white
sleeves, which are full and short,
and the snow-white stockings and
black shoes, give a picturesque ap-
pearance to the dress, which is height-
ened by the curiously shaped little
straw hat, decorated with flowers
and ribands, and placed so as to shew a broad plait
um
THE TOILETTE IN SWITZERLAND.
309
of the hair which peeps from beneath it. Sometimes
the hat is nearly as flat as a plate, surrounded with
bows of riband and edged with black velvet.
At Neufchâtel and Geneva, probably from the
visits of numerous foreigners, the paysannes have
abandoned their national costume, and generally ap-
pear
in
gowns, caps, and shawls, of a French
make.
In the Pays de Vaux the boddice is worn with-
out a stomacher; it is often
green, the jupe striped in
white, scarlet, and blue, the
apron of snowy linen, fastened
with a pink riband, and a
pink fiche over the neck com-
pletes the dress. The large
straw hat is placed on one
side, and within it is a cap
of black lace, which sets off
the complexion most becomingly. The crown of the
hat is curiously shaped.
In Moore's “ Travels in France" we find the fol-
lowing description : “ At Murat the Swiss peasant's
dress is peculiar. They wear little round hats, like
those worn by Dutch skippers ; their coats and waist-
coats are all of a coarse black cloth, their breeches of
coarse linen, like sailors' trousers, but drawn together
in plaits below the knees, and the stockings are of the
same stuff. The women wear short jackets, with a
great superfluity of buttons. The unmarried pride
themselves on the length of their hair, which they
separate into two divisions, and allow to hang at full
VO
310
THE TOILETTE IN SWITZERLAND.
length. When married they twist the hair round
the head in spiral lines, and fix it to the crown with
silver pins; wear straw hats and black ribands.
They fix their petticoats so high as to leave hardly
any waist.”
THE TOILETTE IN HOLLAND.
CHAPTER XXVI.
STEM
HE merchants and better
classes of the Dutch nation
all follow the French modes,
with this difference, that they
have not, as in that country,
a dress suited to each varying season of the
year.
The costume of the Dutch
peasants is but little affected
by fashion. The men's coats
have little shape, and are
made tight, without any fulness, and
with very high, large pockets. Their
breeches are immense, their waistcoats
long; they wear a kind of round hat
or bonnet, and stockings and shoes of a
clumsy form.
The costume of the Dutch women is singular;
312
TIE TOILETTE IN HOLLAND.
their petticoats are very full, and exceedingly short,
the sleeves long and tight, and the bod-
dice laced in front, with a handkerchief
pinned over the neck. An apron always
forms part of this dress. The stock-
ings and shoes are neat. They hardly
ever wear any head-dress, simply tying up
their hair, and binding it with knots of
black riband, or covering it with a hood.
The Dutch paysannes are generally very
large and unwieldly, and the elderly women
formerly wore hoops to increase their size. The
ladies preferred what is called the bell-hoop, or pannier,
but the maid-servants, who always used them on great
fête days, were only allowed the hoop that spreads out
at the hips.
In the province of Guelderland the richer of the
peasantry are very smart. The coat and waistcoat
are adorned with gold and silver buttons, which are
placed close together all down the front; the waist-
band of the trousers is ornamented also with immense
buttons; the shoes glitter with large silver buckles.
A silver clasp is also worn at the throat, and silver
buckles at the knees. This costume looks exceed-
ingly gay and brilliant. The women of this province
ornament their dress with gold ; they place gold in
their hair, and have golden trinkets hung about them
on every part of their garments.
For the amusement of our readers we will add the
description of the attire of an Amsterdam belle of the
last century, in holiday guise. “ To begin with her
head : it is covered with a small muslin cap, and a
tiny round black silk hat, which is balanced upon the
THE TOILETTE IN HOLLAND.
313
;
back of the head. A neat white handkerchief is
fastened across the bosom with a pin, and carefully
pinned underneath the arm; round her neck, upon
the handkerchief, hangs a necklace, made of rows of
gold beads. Her upper garment is a short, striped
cotton bedgown; the body is laced before, the gown
part reaching just below the hips, which are swelled
out to a large size by her hoop; the sleeves of this
garment are tight, and do not fall beyond the elbow
the petticoat, which reaches to the ankles, is of a red
or green stuff, spread out to the size of a barrel,
forming a strange contrast to the small head; the
feet are encased in black shoes, with red heels and
enormous buckles.
The following is the costume of a beau of that
period : “ The hair is rolled up above the ears, the
hat is three-cornered, and in size about three-quarters
of a yard from corner to corner; the white waistcoat
is very long, the coat closely buttoned, and the shoes
ornamented with Brobdignag buckles.”
“The Dutch burgomaster always dresses in black.
His lady appears in a bell-hoop, and a lace head-
dress worth 1001. ; but the daughter not unfrequently
walks between this antiquated couple tricked out in
all the bravery of the last Paris fashions.”
The dress of the peasants of French Flanders re-
sembles that of the Burgundians. The women wear
a kind of nightcap, with a plaited border, gold ear-
rings, a gold cross hanging from the neck, a jacket,
petticoat, and slippers. The petticoat is short and
full, and the jacket is laced up the front. A black
bib, and short black cloak, are also occasionally worn.
No hats are ever seen in this part of the country; the
314
THE TOILETTE IN HOLLAND.
common people when they go out throw over their
heads a kind of thick reil, formed of three or four
yards of stuff, and the better class of women wear
camlet hoods; the latter also wear long cloaks of the
same material.
The dress of the men consists of a long jacket,
shaped much like those worn by the fishermen in
many parts of England, breeches, shoes, and a small,
square, flat cap.
The dresses anciently worn in the Netherlands
seem to have been very splendid; for we read that
when Jane, queen of France, the wife of Philippe le
Bel, visited Bruges in the year 1301, she was much
struck by the pomp and magnificence displayed by the
inhabitants, particularly the ladies, and exclaimed :
“What do I see! I thought I alone was queen, but
here I find them by whole hundreds !"
The women of Alckmaer (which may almost be
called the capital of North Holland) dress in white,
and have a singular head-dress, but one that is very
characteristic. A bandeau of lace is placed on the
forehead, a thin plate of gold confines the hair in a
semicircle at the back of the head, and terminates at
each temple with a hook, which holds the curls. Over
this horse-shoe coiffure is a transparent lace cap, with
long lappets, which hang gracefully down the neck.
THE TOILETTE IN ITALY.
CHAPTER XXVII.
X
HE dress of the higher ranks
in Italy is all copied from
French models; though liv-
ing in a land where painting
and sculpture have for ages
passed produced the chefs-
d'ouvre of the arts, they
HA
uninfluenced by the
graceful and elegant models that surround
them, and prefer following the various and
volatile fashions of France.
The Roman peasant's dress is usually of a dark
are
316
THE TOILETTE IN ITALY.
colour ; the petticoat is long, the boddice laced across
the bosom, the sleeves nearly
tight from the shoulders to the
wrist, a handkerchief pinned
across the bosom, immense ear-
rings, and a curious head-dress
of white linen, which lies quite
flat
upon
the head, and the ends
hanging down upon the shoulders
and back. The boddice is fre-
quently gaily ornamented, and
usually of some bright colour,
different from the robe or petti-
coat. The hair hangs in long
tresses, and the shoes have im-
mense silver buckles.
The love of finery is very great among the Roman
women, and those that can afford
such ornaments usually wearneck-
laces, chains, and crosses. The
dress of the Trasteverini, who
form a large portion of the popu-
lation of Rome, distinguishes
them from the rest of the Ro-
mans. Lady Morgan says: “The
men wear a silken net on their
heads, à l'Espagnole, a jacket
of black velvet thrown on their
shoulders, a broad crimson sash,
and enormous silver shoe-buckles.
The women braid their hair in
silken nets, and ornament it with
silver bodkins; and in their gala habit appear in vel-
THE TOILETTE IN ITALY.
317
vet boddices, laced with gold, silken petticoats, white
and coloured (which discover feet shining with large,
showy, silver buckles), and scarlet aprons.
The Massari, or rural stewards of the Roman
princes, present a very picturesque appearance. The
Roman ferrainolo, or mantle, is thrown over their
gaunt figures with great effect ; their broad hats are
flapped over their eyes, and they carry a gun slung at
the side, and a hunting-spear in
the hand, which give them, ac-
cording to Lady Morgan, an air
rather military than pastoral.
The female peasantry of Terni
wear a singular cuffa (a veil of
embroidered linen, projected like
a shade over the eyes by a piece
of whalebone), showy scarlet jack-
ets, and coloured petticoats.
Lady Morgan mentions the great
resemblance between the dress of
the peasantry in parts of the pontifical states to that
of the common Irish, the men being muffled to their
chins in dark and ragged mantles. To use her own
words: “It is remarkable that some of the women of
this district wear a head-kerchief precisely like that
worn in the remote parts of Ireland; and that others
had on the Irish mantle, a piece of bias-cut cloth
drawn over the head, almost always of a dingy red.
The Irish mantle is, in fact, the Roman cloak, so
universally worn by all ranks. Another point of
resemblance was that almost all the women were bare-
legged, and frequently bare-footed.”
318
THE TOILETTE IN ITALY.
Evelyn, in his “Diary," mentions that when he
visited Rome in 1645, all the Jews who inhabited that
city wore yellow hats.
Lady Morgan states that the female peasants in
the neighbourhood of Rome wear white Isis-like head-
dresses.
At Mola di Gaeta the women roll their long
tresses, mingled with silken bands, round their heads,
with an antique grace; and the vessels with which
they are often seen fetching water from the fountain
are generally of a graceful Etruscan form, which adds
to the elegance of their appearance.
Lady Morgan, speaking of the magnificence of the
dresses of Naples, says that they might be supposed
to be the “plunder of a sultan's warbrobe."
Swinburn tells us that “ At Naples the women
are also very splendid on those days of show; but
their hair is then bound up in tissue caps and
scarlet nets, a fashion much less becoming than their
every-day simple method. Citizens and lawyers are
plain enough in their apparel, but the female part
of their family vies with the first court ladies in ex-
pensive dress, and all the vanities of modish fopperies.
Luxury has of late advanced with gigantic strides in
Naples. Forty years ago the Neapolitan ladies wore
nets and ribbons on their heads, as the Spanish women
do to this day, and not twenty of them were possessed
of a cap; but hair plainly dressed is a mode now con-
fined to the lowest order of inhabitants, and all dis-
tinctions of dress between the wife of a nobleman
and of a citizen are entirely laid aside. Among the
paysannes may be seen almost every mode of hair-
THE TOILETTE IN ITALY.
319
fܢ
dressing found on the Roman and Grecian coins. The
coiffure of the younger Faustina,
with the coil of hair plaited upon
the crown of the head, occurs fre-
quently in the old town; that with
the coil lower down, which may
more properly be styled Lucilla's
head-dress, is common among
the
younger part of the sex in the
Chiaia ; and Plautina's among the
women more advanced in years.
Very little suffices to
clothe the lazaro, except on holi-
days, and then he is indeed taw-
drily decked out, with laced jacket
and flame-coloured stockings; his
buckles are of enormous magni-
tude, and seem to be the prototype of those with which
our present men of mode load their insteps.”
A curious anecdote is related respecting the queue,
which, at the revolution in Naples, in the year 1799,
was a most important addition to the heads of the
gentlemen, inasmuch as, in many cases, it actually
saved the heads it served to ornament. The royalists
seized all those whom they suspected of being inimical
to their party; but instead of questioning their cap-
tives, they adopted a novel and summary way of dis-
covering their political sentiments—they merely looked
whether ther heads gloried in queues or not.
possessed this appendage, which was considered as
strictly loyal, they were instantly liberated; but woe
to those whose love of French modes had persuaded
them to drop their pigtails ! Words, entreaties, prayers,
If they
1
320
THE TOILETTE IN ITALY.
were unavailing ; the test of royalty was not there,
and the queueless Neapolitans fell victims to their
adoption of the new fashion, and met the deaths of
traitors, rebels, and insurgents. So deeply did those
who had been saved by their coiffure feel the obliga-
tion, and also the safeguard it had proved to them,
that many are said to have worn their queues con-
cealed under their coat-collars years after all fear of
revolutions had been banished ; and when at last the
king cut off his pigtail, the news caused a sensation
of dismay and astonishment throughout the whole
town.
“ At Avellino,” says Swinburn, “the women are
handsome, and take great pains to deck out their per-
sons to advantage. Once a-week they wash their hair
with a lye of wood-ashes, that changes it from a dark
brown colour to a flaxen yellow, of many different
tints in the same head of hair. This I take to be the
true flava cæsaries of the Latin poets.”
The costume of the Tuscan peasantry varies much
according to the district they inhabit. In Florence,
the out-of-doors dress of the middle classes is gene-
rally black. The Tuscans, on Sundays and fête days,
wear their hair becomingly ornamented with a very
small hat, elegantly poised over the left ear, while
the hair on the opposite side is interwoven with a
string of pearls, or adorned with a shining comb.
They have ear-rings formed of several drops of pearl
set in gold, and necklaces composed of two rows of
pearls and coral. Their feet are enclosed in black
velvet slippers, and in their hands are to be seen
gaudily ornamented fans. They have jackets without
sleeves, laced with riband. When at work, or market,
THE TOILETTE IN ITALY.
321
increasina ng
they confine their hair in a net of crimson, scarlet,
or blue silk, tied by two
strings, and ornamented by
tassels, which are often of
gold or silver. They are
also often seen with the hair
drawn into a knot on the top
of the head, and a veil hang-
ing down behind.
The Venetians dress their
heads in a curious manner.
They wear a little rose-co-
loured hat, trimmed with
blonde, placed over the right
ear; and over the left a
bunch of artificial flowers,
the hair behind tied with a riband. “A custom here
prevails,” says Lady Millar,
“ of wearing no rouge, and
of the face by lightly wiping a
white powder over the face."
Mrs. Piozzi gives the fol-
lowing account of their morn-
ing dress in her time : “ It
consists of a black silk petticoat
sloped, just to train on the
ground a little, flounced with
black gauze. On their heads
they have a skeleton wire, like
what is used for making up
hats; over it they throw a
large piece of black mode or
ZA
Y
322
THE TOILETTE IN ITALY.
persian, so as to shade the face like a curtain. The
front is trimmed with deep black lace, or soufflet
gauze, very becoming. The thin ends of silk they
roll back, and fasten in a puff before on the stomacher;
then once more rolling it back from the shape, tie
it gracefully behind, and let it hang in two ends.
The evening coiffure is a silk hat, shaped like a
man's, with a white or worked lining, and sometimes
one feather; a great black silk cloak, lined with
white, and perhaps a narrow border down before,
with a very heavy round handkerchief of black lace,
which lies over the neck and shoulders, and conceals
the shape completely. Here is surely little appear-
ance of art! no creping, no frizzing the hair, which
is flat at the top, all of one length, and hanging in
long curls about the back and sides, as it happens.
No brown powder, no rouge at all.”
Lady Millar thus describes a Venetian wedding :
“ All the ladies, except the bride, were dressed in
their black silk gowns with large hoops ; the gowns
were straight-bodied, with very long trains, the trains
tucked up on one side of the hoop with a prodigious
large tassel of diamonds. Their sleeves were covered
up to their shoulders with falls of the finest Brussels
lace, a drawn tucker of the same round the bosom,
adorned with rows of the finest pearls, each the size
of a gooseberry, till the rows descended below the top
of the stomacher ; then two rows of pearls, which
came from the back of the neck, were caught up at
the left side of the stomacher, and finished in two fine
tassels. Their heads were dressed prodigiously high,
in a vast number of buckles, and two long drop curls
in the neck. A great number of diamond pins and
THE TOILETTE IN ITALY.
323
strings of pearls adorned their heads, with large sul-
tanes, or feathers, on one side, and magnificent dia-
mond ear-rings. The bride was dressed in cloth of
silver, made in the same fashion, and decorated in the
same manner, but her brow was quite bare, and she
had a fine diamond necklace and an enormous bouquet.
Her hair was dressed as high as the others, with this
difference, that it had curls behind and before. These
curls had a singular appearance, but not near so good
an effect as the other ladies', whose hair was plaited
in large folds, and appeared much more graceful. Her
diamonds were very fine, and in great profusion."
Keysler says: “ There is a college at Venice, to
whose care the regulation of dress is committed by
the republic.
All the nobili wear black, and foreign
cloth is prohibited.”
Formerly it was requisite that a noble Venetian
should have eight cloaks; three for the masks, one of
which was for the spring fête of the Ascension, when
the Doge married the sea ; one for the autumn, for the
ridotto and theatre; one for winter, for the Carnival.
These three were called baceta. In addition to these,
they had two for summer, of white taffeta ; one of
blue cloth for winter; one of white cloth for great
occasions; one of scarlet cloth for the great church-
ceremony days.
The following is said to be the origin of the cross
in front of the ducal coronet worn by the Doge. The
father of Laurentius Celsus, who was elected Doge in
1361, thinking it beneath his dignity to pull off his
cap to his own son, went, from the moment of his
election, on all occasions and in all weathers, with his
head uncovered. The Doge, being solicitous for his
324
THE TOILETTE IN ITALY.
health, and finding it impossible to change his opinion,
suggested an expedient, which had the desired effect :
he placed a cross on his ducal coronet. The old
man's piety got the better of his pride, and he resumed
his cap to testify his respect to the cross.
In Evelyn's “Diary” we find the following amusing
description of the dress of the Venetians : “ It was
now Ascension Weeke, and the great Mart or Faire
of the whole yeare was now kept, every body at liberty
and jollie. The noblemen stalking with their ladys
on choppines ; these are high-heel'd shoes, particu-
larly affected by these proude dames, or, as some say,
invented to keepe them at home, it being very difficult
to walke with them ; whence one being asked how he
liked the Venetian dames, replied, that they were
mezzo carne, mezzo legno, half flesh, half wood, and
he would have none of them. The truth is, their
garb is very odd, as seeming allwayes in masquerade ;
their other habits also totally different from all na-
tions. They weare very long crisped haire, of severall
strakes and colours, which they make so by a wash,
dischevelling it on the brims of a brocade hat that
has no head, but an hole to put out their heads by ;
they drie them in the sunn, as one may see them at
their windows. In their tire they set silk flowers and
sparkling stones, their peticoates coming from their
very arme-pits, so that they are neere three quarters
and an half apron ; their sleeves are made exceeding
wide, under which their shift sleeves as wide, and
commonly tucked up to the shoulder, shewing their
naked armes, thro' false sleeves of tiffany, girt with a
bracelet or two, with knots of points richly tagged
about their shoulders and other places of their body,
THE TOILETTE IN ITALY.
325
which they usually cover with a kind of yellow vaile
of lawne very transparent. Thus attir'd they set their
hands on the heads of two matron-like servants or
old women, to support them, who are mumbling their
beades. 'Tis ridiculous to see how these ladys crawle
in and out of their gondolas by reason of their chop-
pines, and what dwarfs they appeare when taken down
from their wooden scaffolds; of these I saw near thirty
together, stalking halfe as high again as the rest of
the world, for the citizens may not weare choppines,
but cover their bodies and faces with a vaile of a cer-
taine glittering taffeta or lustree, out of which they
now and then dart a glaunce of their eye, the whole
face being otherwise entirely hid with it. To the
corners of these virgin-vailes hang broad but flat tos-
sells of curious point de Venize. The married women
go in black vailes. The nobility weare the same colour,
but of fine cloth lin'd with taffeta in summer, with fur
of the bellies of squirrels in the winter, which all put
on at a certaine day, girt with a girdle emboss'd with
silver; the vest not much different from what our
Bachelors of Arts weare in Oxford, and a hood of
cloth made like a sack, cast over their left shoulder,
and a round cloth black cap fring'd with wool which
is not so comely; they also weare their collar open, to
shew the diamond button of the stock of their shirt.
I have never seen pearle for colour and bignesse com-
parable to what the ladys weare, most of the noble
families being very rich in jewels, especialy pearles,
which are always left to the son or brother who is
destined to marry, which the eldest seldome do. The
Doge's vest is of crimson velvet; the Procurator's, &c.
of damasc, very stately."
326
THE TOILETTE IN ITALY.
The costume of the Doge's lady is represented in
the accompanying engraving.
of
82
ܨܘ
The inhabitants of the skirts of the Apennines
differ much from those of the valleys. The women,
according to Lady Morgan, resemble the peasantry of
Wales: “Tight in their dress, and universally wearing
little, round, black beaver hats with high crowns, and
a stiff plume of black feathers. Their gala dress is
principally characterised by a profusion of ribbons
floating from their shoulders, their waists, and their
sleeves. The beaver hat is then replaced by combs
and bodkins; and at all times their necks are encircled
with pearl and coral — usually an heir-loom of many
generations' descent, but occasionally the purchase of
years of labour, and the most rigid economy.”
ܪ
THE TOILETTE IN ITALY.
327
Of Bologna the same author says:
“The costume
appears to belong to other ages. Spangled fans, silver
combs, coral necklaces, and every sort of gaudy finery,
are as indispensable to the toilette of the Bolognese
peasant as to that of the same class in other Italian
provinces. The French toilette prevailed in Bologna
among the higher classes nearly a century ago. The
females of the lower ranks still wear the becoming
zendada, a scarf or veil, which falls from the head,
and which they drape prettily enough round their
shoulders. Their hair is ingeniously plaited, and set
off with showy combs or bodkins; and coral, mock or
real, is abundantly and universally worn.”
The women of Lombardy are remarkable for the
tawdriness of their ornaments, and for the large black
and gold German fans which they parade on festivals
in the streets of Turin; yet many of both sexes go
bare-legged, and some even bare-footed. A love for
costly personal decorations of gold and silver is very
general : the peasantry vest all their savings in valu-
able ornaments. The younger females display much
classic taste in the braiding of their luxuriant tresses,
which are sometimes confined by a shining comb, and
sometimes fastened by a glittering bodkin ; even the
elder dames wear a square linen veil, not ungracefully
disposed, which forms a great contrast to their tattered
petticoats and bare legs. Bright and gaudy colours
are much admired.
In the - Notes of a Wanderer" we read : In
Genoa the women were all gracefully dressed, without
bonnets, wearing merely a white muslin scarf, fastened
to the crown of the head by its centre, and the ends
hanging down over the shoulders."
-
328
THE TOILETTE IN ITALY.
Gray, in his “Germany," says of the women of
Genoa : “ The painted linen veil which they wear,
called mezzaro, is not unbecoming, though it re-
sembles a flowered gown thrown over the head and
hooded.”
From Lady Morgan's account of Genoa we take the
following: “ The women's heads are ornamented by a
quantity of silver bodkins, forming a sort of coronet
or star at the back, and confining a profusion of plaited
tresses. Many of the elder women wear square
linen
veils, embroidered and trimmed with coarse lace.
Dresses are here considered as heir-looms. Many a
silken vest and quilted boddice, many a chain of gold
and of coral, purchased in the days of Genoa's pro-
sperity, still remain to deceive the eye with the ap-
pearance of rural and commercial wealth. The shops
at Genoa display a profusion of gold and silver filagree
work, clasps, rings, earrings, chains, combs of coral,
and even of costly gems, all destined for the peasantry.
The nobility were, in the latter times of the republic,
prohibited from wearing such sumptuous ornaments;
and the lower classes are still, as formerly, the sole
purchasers of the old-fashioned jewellery of the Ge-
noese goldsmiths. The fullest dress allowed to the
ladies by the sumptuary laws was a black velvet,
trimmed with coloured ribbons and point lace. The
women of Genoa are covered, even on working days,
with gold and silver ornaments ; on holydays they add
a profusion of pearl and coral to their ordinary deco-
rations, and a female peasant, when making her mar-
riage trousseau, thinks seven or eight hundred francs
a very moderate price for a necklace or chain.”
From Veryard's “ Travels in Italy in 1682,” we
THE TOILETTE IN ITALY.
329
learn that the women of every rank at Genoa, as well
as at Monacha, affected many of the customs of the
Spaniards. He says :
He says: “ They wore fardingals like
the Spanish ladies, which are circles of whalebone
about their waist, bearing out their petticoats on all
sides as far as they can well reach, insomuch that
when two meet in a narrow street they find much
difficulty to pass.
Evelyn also says : “ The inhabitants of this city
are much affected to the Spanish mode and stately
garbe.” And Lasselles describes them as wearing
“ broad hats without hatbands, broad leather girdles
with steel buckles, narrow britches, with long waisted
doublets and hanging sleeves. The great ladies go
in
guard infantas; that is, in horrible overgrown ver-
tingals of whalebone, which being put about the waiste
of the lady, and full as broad on both sides as she can
reach with her hands, bear out her coats in such a
manner that she appears to be as broad as long. The
men look like tumblers that leap through hoops, and
the women like those that anciently danced the Hobby-
horse in country mummings.
The dress worn at Ancona, according to Nisson,
is very singular. On fête-days, he says, they wear
black clothes lined with green, blue stockings, shoes
whitened with chalk, and tied with coloured ribbons ;
their waistcoats unbuttoned, the cuffs of their coats
embroidered; their shirt - sleeves hang over their
hands. The women wear head - dresses, with long
fringes over their faces; jackets of red or yellow silk,
laced with seams of gold or silver lace, and short petti-
coats of a hundred colours."
Evelyn says, that at Lucca he bought, in 1645,
330
THE TOILETTE IN ITALY.
gloves and embroidered stomachers, the same as those
usually worn by gentlemen in these countries.”
The annexed cut represents the costume of a lady
of Florence.
" The dress of the inhabitants of Sardinia," says
Pinkerton,
is a vest of white or scarlet woollen,
covered with a long coat, or a short jacket, made out
of four sheep-skins; this garment is without sleeves.
The woman's dress has nothing peculiar.”
THE
TOILETTE IN SICILY AND MALTA.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Itu
ul
ARTIN thus de-
scribes the dress of
the Maltese : “They are
clothed in a loose cotton
shirt, over which is a wide
vest or jacket, with silver,
sometimes gold buttons ;
a long twisted scarf wound several
times round the body, with very
often a sheathed knife placed there-
in ; loose trousers, leaving the legs bare from nearly
the knees downwards; and very peculiar shoes, called
korch, which is a leathern sole fastened with strings
or thongs to the foot and leg, nearly like the old Ro-
man sandal. The head in winter is covered with a
332
THE TOILETTE IN SICILY AND MALTA.
woollen cap
of different colours, having a hood attached,
and falling down on the back; in summer large straw
hats are worn.
The women are attached to their
primitive dress, consisting of a short cotton shift, a
petticoat generally of a blue colour, and upper robe
opening at the sides, and a corset without sleeves."
The higher classes among the
Maltese follow the French
and English fashions; but
we must not omit to mention
the faldetta, a black silk veil,
their usual coiffure when
abroad, which almost rivals
in grace and elegance the
much-admired mantilla of
the Spanish
Denon, in his “Travels in Sicily and Malta,” in
the year 1787, says: Large breeches, a shirt of blue
linen, a broad sash, and the arms and feet left naked,
form the whole description of the light dress and or-
naments of the Maltese.” Speaking of the women, he
remarks: “ Their dresses display more of coquetry
than magnificence ; elegance and neatness constitute
their luxury.”
The accounts given by old authors of the magni-
ficence of the ancient inhabitants of Sicily, are truly
amazing. Plato, when he visited this island, was so
struck with the luxury of Agrigentum, that he ex-
claimed, “ They build as if they were never to die,
and eat as if they had not an hour to live.” Diodorus
also, speaking of the riches of this island, mentions
one of the citizens returning victorious from the
Olympic games, and entering his city attended by
THE TOILETTE IN SICILY AND MALTA,
333
three hundred chariots, each drawn by four white
horses, richly caparisoned ; and gives many other in-
stances of their profusion and luxury.
Brydone, in his “Tour through Sicily and Malta,"
says of the ladies of Palermo, “ The ladies here have
remarkably fine hair, and they understand how to
dress and adorn it to the greatest advantage. It is
now only used as an embellishment, but in former
times, we are told that, like that of Samson, it was
found to be the strength and protection of the country.
Their historians relate (in whose reign, I believe, is
rather dubious), that this city had suffered a long
siege from the Saracens, and was greatly reduced by
famine ; but what distressed them still more, there
were no materials to be found for making bowstrings,
and they were on the point of surrendering. In this
dilemma a patriotic dame stepped forth, and proposed
to the women that the whole of them should cut off
their hair, and twist it into bowstrings: this was
immediately complied with. The besieged, animated
by this gallant sacrifice of the fair, renewed their de-
fence with so much vigour, that the assailants were
beat off; and a reinforcement soon after arriving, the
city was saved. The ladies still value themselves on
• The hair of our ladies,' says one of their
quaint poets, is still employed in the same office;
but now it discharges no other shafts but those of
Cupid ; and the only cords it forms are the cords of
love.”
In Denon's « Travels" we read : “ Historians re-
late, that the ancient Argyrians cut off their hair to
sacrifice it to Hercules, in token of gratitude for the
water with which that hero furnished them, Argyrium
this story.
334
THE TOILETTE IN SICILY AND MALTA.
before being totally destitute of water. Whether it be
from tradition, or for their greater convenience, the
modern inhabitants still cut their hair almost entirely
off, preserving only two locks on the temples.”
Brydone mentions some statues, which, though of
marble, gave a good idea of the dresses worn in the
last century, for they were formed of pieces of dif-
ferent colours. The shoes were black, the stockings
red, and the garments of blue, green, and almost every
hue, ornamented with a rich lace of giall' antique.
The periwigs of the men, as well as the head-dresses
of the ladies, were white, and the flowing ruffles were
of the same colour.
In this island is found a fish called Pinna marina,
from which is extracted a fine thread, much resembling
silk, which the inhabitants make into beautiful gloves
and stockings.
THE TOILETTE IN ANCIENT ROME.
CHAPTER XXIX.
©
HE Romans, like the Greeks, had a
distinguishing feature of dress which
was different from that of all other
nations - the toga — and it corre-
sponded with the pallium of the
Greeks. It was a robe of peace, and
was chiefly worn in the city. The toga
worn by the early Romans, when they
had no other dress, was narrow and
close, covering the arms and hanging
down to the feet. Afterwards, how-
ever, it was a very loose flowing robe,
closed at the bottom, but open from the top as far as
the waist, and made without any sleeves. The right
arm was always bare, and the left supported a part of
the drapery, which, being thrown back over the shoul-
336
THE TOILETTE IN ANCIENT ROME.
The toga
being
der, formed a sort of cavity or pocket.
usually worn by rich people was
large, wide, and made of fine ma-
terials, and the Romans took much
pains in adjusting the folds, so as
to make it sit gracefully. These
folds were sometimes collected in
a knot. Thus we read in the
6 Æneid :"
“ Bare were her knees, and knots her
garments bind,
Loose was her hair and wanton'd in
the wind.”
Women formerly wore the toga,
but afterwards
they adopted
a different robe
called a stola ; it had a broad bor-
der reaching to the feet, and when
they went abroad they threw over
it a kind of mantle called palla.
There are, however, various
opinions on this subject; some
learned authors assert that the
toga and the stola were the same
garment as to shape and form,
the only difference between them
or fringe ; others repudiate this
idea, and declare that they were
in every way different.
The usual colour for the toga was white, but when
а
THE TOILETTE IN ANCIENT ROME.
337
persons were in mourning they wore it of a black or
dark colour. Magistrates and some of the priests added
a purple border, and generals, when they were victo-
rious, had the toga splendidly embroidered. Thus we
read in the "Æneid : "
- The leaders are distinguished from the rest,
The victor honoured with a nobler vest;
Where gold and purple strive in equal rows,
And needlework its happy cost bestows."
1
Young men, till they were considered of an age
to be freed from the constraint of guardians and
teachers, and also unmarried women, wore a toga
edged with purple. When the former were old enough
to assume the manly robe, many ceremonies were ob-
served, and the youth was formally invested with a
toga of pure white. Underneath this garment was
worn another made of white woollen stuffs, called a
tunic; it reached to the knees in front, and to the
middle of the legs behind. When first invented it had
no sleeves ; afterwards, however, sleeves were worn
with fringes at the hands. A girdle or belt confined
the tunic round the waist.
“ A golden belt shall gird his manly side,
Which with a sparkling diamond shall be tied.”—Æneid.
The women's tunic reached to the feet and had
long sleeves ; they also wore a girdle.
Tunics were often presented to foreign princes as
presents ; Virgil says:
“ And rich embroidered vests for presents bear.”
Z
338
THE TOILETTE IN ANCIENT ROME.
And Æneas presents embroidered garments to the
Queen of Carthage :
“ A robe of tissue, stiff with golden wire,
An upper vest, once Helen's rich attire ;
From Argos by the famed adultress brought,
With golden flowers and winding foliage wrought.”
Linen clothes were not worn by the Romans till
the emperors introduced them from Egypt, but they
had woollen shirts, and the women vests or shifts. In
later ages a kind of great-coat was thrown over the rest
of the dress; it was open in front, and fastened with
clasps or buckles, and was called lacerna. The mate-
rials of which it was made were various ; sometimes it
was made of many colours, and in later ages it usurped
the place of the toga to such a degree, that an-
cient writers relate that Augustus one day from his
tribunal seeing a number of citizens dressed in
the lacerna, gave orders to his officers not to allow
any one wearing that garment to enter the Forum or
Circus.
The Romans had another great-coat called penula,
which was shorter and narrower than the one we have
just described ; it had a hood, and was worn on
journeys and in the army. It was used by men and
women, and was often made of skins.
Their coverings for the feet were various ; they had
neither stockings nor breeches, but wrapped their
limbs with pieces of cloth. They had a kind of
shoe called calceus, which covered the whole foot,
and was tied with a latchet; also sandals, which pro-
jected the sole only. The calcei were worn with the
THE TOILETTE IN ANCIENT ROME.
339
toga when a person went abroad, but the sandals were
generally used on a journey.
The patrician senator's shoes reached as high as
the middle of the leg, and had a gold or silver crescent
on the top of the foot. The ordinary shoes were black,
but some were scarlet or red, and others were orna-
mented with gold, silver, and precious stones; those
worn by the Roman women were usually white, but
often red, scarlet, purple, and yellow, and adorned with
pearls and embroidery. A senator was known by
having four latchets to his shoe, instead of one,
like ordinary people. The shoes were of unwrought
leather. Sometimes they had socks of wool or goat's-
hair.
Many writers imagine that the Romans had no
gloves, but they are mentioned both by Greek and
Roman authors, and also mittens.
We see by the ancient coins and medals that the
ancient Romans were bareheaded, except at sacred
rites, games, festivals, and when at war. Baldness was
looked upon as such a deformity that Cæsar, who had
no hair on his head, is said to have prized the honour
of wearing a laurel crown above all the other dignities
conferred on him by the senate, because it served to
conceal his baldness. In the city, to screen themselves
from the heat, rain, or wind, the Romans frequently
threw the folds of their robe over their heads; but if
they met any one to whom they owed respect, they
immediately let the folds drop and remained bare-
headed. At all sacred rites but those of Saturn, and
in any grief, danger, or despair, they veiled their heads.
At festivals they had a woollen cap or bonnet, and on
a journey a round cap like a helmet, or a cap of un-
340
THE TOILETTE IN ANCIENT ROME.
wrought leather ; but this last was more frequently
worn by warriors.
Men and women, but particularly the latter, wore
quantities of false hair, often arranged in the shape of
a helmet. The head-dresses of the Roman women
frequently changed, but when they went abroad they at
all times covered their faces with a veil. They were
particularly addicted to frizzling and curling their hair,
and raising it into stories of curls, some of a great
height. Ancient writers say that the lofty pile of false
hair they wore upon their heads resembled a building.
They used long hair-pins to fix their curls. Thus
Virgil says:
66 his frizzled hair to soil,
Hot with the vexing iron, and smeared with fragrant oil.”
Arranging the hair was a matter
of grave importance ; slaves frizzled
and adjusted it, and a number of
females learned in the art of the
coiffeur attended to see to the proper
arrangement of the locks, while the
fair dame herself watched the grow-
ing edifice of curls, gold, pearls,
precious stones, crowns, or chaplets of flowers, in
a mirror made of polished steel or brass, of tin, or
of silver.
Ribands, or fillets, were a very general head-
dress. Thus Virgil says:
« In perfect view their hair with fillets ty d.”
An embroidered, or golden net or caul, was fre-
THE TOILETTE IN ANCIENT ROME.
341
quently used to enclose the hair. We find in the
• Æneid :"
“ Her head with ringlets of her hair is crown'd,
And in a golden caul the curls are bound.”
97
The caul appears, also, to have been used to en-
close the tresses of a corpse ; for in describing the
preparations for the funeral of Pallas, after the ac-
count of the vests in which the body was arrayed, we
read :
“ One vest array'd the corpse, and one they spread,
O’er his closed eyes, and wrapp'd around his head:
That when the yellow hair in flame should fall,
The catching fire might burn the golden caul.”
The priests who offered up sacrifices for the fer-
tility of the ground had a woollen bandage, tied with
ribands, round the head. To this custom, probably,
Virgil alludes:
“ His hoary locks with purple fillets bound.”
Others of the ministers of religion wore wreaths of
oak-leaves, or vervain, around their brows. Thus in
the “ Æneid :"
“In purest white the priests their heads attire;
*
*
*
*
And o'er their linen hoods, and shaded hair,
Long twisted wreaths of twisted vervain wear.”
Suppliants, also, and warriors wore fillets of purple
or of gold. Æneas is thus described :
“Green wreaths of bays his length of hair enclose,
A golden fillet binds his awful brows."
342
THE TOILETTE IN ANCIENT ROME.
Cosmetics, washes, paint, and perfumes, were much
used among the Roman women. White lead, to
whiten the skin, and vermilion to make it red, were
constantly employed by both sexes. The wife of Nero
invented a pomatum said to have preserved her beauty.
But not content with paints and ointments, the women
wore patches also, and stained their eyelids and eye-
brows with black powder or soot. They also wore
massive ear-rings, sometimes three or four in each
ear, of immense value, bracelets, necklaces, armlets,
brooches, and clasps. Men wore a twisted chain, or
a circular plate of gold.
“ Some at their backs their gilded quivers bore,
Their chains of burnished gold hung down before."--Æneid.
Roman matrons wore an ornament peculiar to
themselves, called segmentum. Some authors suppose
it to have been a necklace, others imagine it was an
embroidered riband or fringe, sewn upon the robe.
Women of all ages also had a boddice, formed of
a broad riband, which served for modern stays, and
they wore a clasp or buckle on the left shoulder, also
a muffler or handkerchief round the neck.
No ornament was so much cherished and worn by
men and women of all ranks as rings of gold, silver,
and baser metals. They were frequently set with
precious stones, on which were usually engraved the
images of some of their friends, or the representation
of some great event. These rings were used for sealing
letters and papers. When at the point of death a
Roman usually presented his ring, as a token of
esteem, to his dearest friend.
THE TOILETTE IN ANCIENT ROME.
343
Young boys wore an ornament hung round their
necks, which was supposed to prompt
them to wisdom: it was called
bulla, and was a hollow golden ball
or boss.
The beard among the ancient Ro-
mans was allowed to grow, shaving
it off being quite unknown among
them till about the year of the city
454, when some barbers came from
Sicily, and introduced the fashion of
smooth chins. Beards, however, were
allowed to sprout again under Ha-
drian, who, having some deformity
on the face, revived the custom, but it was soon
abandoned again.
The Romans usually cut their hair very short,
and in the later ages they devoted much time to the
arrangement of it; they dyed and perfumed it, and
wore false hair and perukes. The men frequently
consecrated their beard and hair to some deity: Nero
devoted his, enclosed in a golden box, to Jupiter Capi-
tolinus. Philosophers always wore long beards, to
give them an air of gravity and learning. In sorrow
and mourning the Romans, unlike the Greeks, allowed
their beards to grow, and both men and women let
their hair hang dishevelled. Thus Virgil says :
ܪ
“ Her beauteous breast she beat, and rent her flowing hair."
And again :
“In mournful guise the matrons walk around :
With baleful cypress, and blue fillets crown'd,
With eyes dejected, and with hair unbound.”
>>
344
THE TOILETTE IN ANCIENT ROME.
The garments of the Romans, which in the early
ages were composed of coarse materials, gradually, as
civilisation and arts increased, became splendid in the
extreme. Silk was brought from India towards the
end of the republic, and fine linen at an earlier period
from Egypt and Tyre, whence also came the dye so
celebrated in ancient times, and known under the
name of Tyrian purple.
Silk robes were first worn by Heliogabalus. Till
his time the silk, when brought from India, was un-
ravelled, and wove anew with linen or woollen yarn,
forming a thin and nearly transparent material. The
Emperor Aurelian is said to have refused his wife a
robe of pure silk, on account of the immense expense.
Ancient writers frequently allude to the rich em-
broidery worn by the Romans, and to the vests dyed
with purple. In Virgil we read :
“ And vests embroidered of the Tyrian dye.”
And in another verse:
“ Your vests embroider'd with rich purple shine.”
The ornamenting these garments in gold was very
frequent:
" Then two fair vests of wondrous work and cost,
Of purple woven and with gold emboss'd.”
Even when arrayed in armour splendid robes were
still worn, and the purple colour was the mark of
royalty. Virgil says:
“By his purple known
A Tuscan prince, and by his regal crown.”
Cæsar prohibited the wearing a particular kind of
THE TOILETTE IN ANCIENT ROME.
345
purple, except' on certain days, and by persons of a
certain rank and age. Many sumptuary laws were
also made by the Romans against extravagance in
dress. One issued by Numa ordered that no woman
should have in her dress above half an ounce of gold,
nor wear a garment of different colours. But these
edicts were soon forgotten, and splendour of attire,
gold, silver, embroidery, and jewels, shone around.
A Roman bride on her wedding-day was always
covered with a flamen, or red veil.
THE TOILETTE IN NORWAY.
CHAPTER XXX.
HE ancient dress of the Norwegian
peasants was made of the reindeer's
skin. From what old authors say, it
seems to have consisted of a cloak or
mantle ; but we find that about the middle
of the eleventh century, when King Oluf
Haraldren founded the city of Bergen, he
brought thither a great many foreign mer-
chants, who carried their fashions with them. In
the Norwegian Chronicles we read : « Then the
Norwegians took up many foreign customs and
dresses, such as fine-laced hose, golden plates buckled
round their legs, high-heeled shoes, stitched with
silk, and covered with tissue of gold, jackets that
THE TOILETTE IN NORWAY.
347
Some wear
buttoned on the side, with sleeves ten feet long, very
narrow, and plaited up to the shoulders.'
By this account we may imagine that the Nor-
wegians were eager followers of fashion, and that at
the time of which Snoro Sturlesen writes, they dressed
like other European nations. We find, however, in
another part of the same work, that the long garments
were not quite discarded in Norway till about the
year
1100, and then King Magnus Olufsen introduced
short clothes and bare lègs.
The lower order of peasants rarely trouble them-
selves about Fashion's vagaries; and the natives of
this foreign clime still retain the costume that has
descended to them from father to son.
breeches and stockings all in one, and waistcoats of
the same, and, if they wish to be very smart, they cover
the seams with cloth of a different colour.
The Hardanger peasants always wear black clothes
edged with red; the Vaasserne wear all black; the
Strite, white, edged with black; and those near
Soynefiord prefer black and yellow; so that almost
every parish has its own colour.
They wear on their heads a broad-brimmed hat,
or else a grey, brown, or black cap. Their shoes are
without heels, and consist of two pieces of leather ;
the upper part sits close to the foot, and the other is
joined to it in folds. In winter they have laced half-
boots, but when on the ice they put on skates, about
ten feet long, covered with seal-skin. The peasants
never wear a neckcloth, but leave their throats and
necks entirely uncovered. Sometimes they fasten a
leathern belt round the body, to hold their knives
and other implements.
348
THE TOILETTE IN NORWAY.
At church and on holydays the Norwegian women
wear laced jackets and leathern
girdles, adorned with silver. They
are also fond of a chain, which they
put three or four times round their
necks, and hang a gilt ornament at
the end of it. Their handkerchiefs
and caps are covered with plates of
silver, brass, and tin, buttons, and
rings; and of the latter they wear
quantities on their fingers. The
young women plait their hair, and
while employed in their household
affairs they wear a shift and a petti-
coat; the collar of the former reaches to the throat,
and they have a sack, generally of a black colour,
twisted round the waist. The linen they wear is
very fine, and this simple costume is said to be very
becoming
In some parts of Norway the men wear coats of
stone-coloured cloth, the button-holes being sewn with
scarlet, and the buttons formed of white metal : this
has a very gay appearance.
THE TOILETTE IN SWEDEN.
CHAPTER XXXI.
HE inhabitants of this northern
clime are distinguished from those
that dwell in southern lands by
having a national dress, which was
established in 1777, doubtless with
the wise intention of repressing or totally
preventing those extravagancies and luxuries
of clothing so prevalent among other nations.
- The monster Fashion,” says Swinton, in
his travels, “ created for a scourge for man-
kind, has occasioned every evil that infests
the age.” Gustavus III. of Sweden has
shewn that he participated in this opinion, for his
sumptuary laws regarding dress are very determined
and exact.
By the edict on this subject, settled in 1777, the
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350
THE TOILETTE IN SWEDEN.
men are ordered to wear a close coat, very wide
breeches, strings in their shoes, a girdle, a round
hat, and a cloak. The usual colour for all these
articles of dress is black on ordinary days, but on
court-days they must assume a singular appearance,
for they are enjoined to wear the cloak, buttons,
girdle, and shoestrings, of flame colour. The women
are obliged to wear a black gown, with puffed gauze
sleeves, and a coloured sash and ribands; those,
however, who go to court are allowed white gauze
sleeves.
The higher classes on great occasions appear in a
blue satin suit, lined throughout with white, and
splendidly ornamented with rich lace. The women
are allowed a white satin robe, with coloured ribands.
Coxe, in his Travels, gives a more detailed account
of this costume. The dress of the men, he says, re-
sembles the old Spanish ; and consists of a short coat,
or rather jacket, a waistcoat, a cloak, a hat, with a
feather à la Henri IV., a sash round the waist, a
sword, large and full breeches, and roses in the shoes.
The cloak is of black cloth, edged with red satin, the
coat, or jacket and breeches, are also ornamented with
red stripes and buttons; the waistcoat, sash, pinks at
the knees, and roses for the shoes, are of red satin.
This costume, however, is only for such persons as
have been presented at court : those who have not
been permitted this distinction are not allowed to
ornament their habits with red satin.
The Swedish gentlemen wear neither beards nor
whiskers. The ladies turn their hair back over a
cushion, and leave two large curls to hang down at
the back of the neck. They were formerly exceedingly
THE TOILETTE IN SWEDEN.
351
prodigal in their dress, and followed all the extremes
of the French fashions, until the legislature interfered
to restrain such a love of expense and finery. In
winter they wear dresses lined and trimmed with costly
furs.
The Swedish peasants are generally well clothed
and protected from the inclemency of the weather.
The men wear long cloth coats, warmly lined with
sheep-skins, and the women a striped woollen stuff of
many colours, chiefly green, white, and red.
Inven
THE TOILETTE IN DENMARK.
CHAPTER XXXII.
1
GMAI
HE ancient kingdom of Denmark still
preserves an old national habit among
its peasants, but the higher classes were
almost the first of these northern nations
to admire and follow the French fashions ;
so that if you would know the dress of a
Danish belle, look in the “ Magasin
des Modes,” and there you will find
her gown, shawl, bonnet, and coiffure. The toilette
of the gentlemen also strictly follows Parisian fashions.
The old costume of Denmark is not unlike the
habit of the Quakers, and consists of, for the men,
broad-brimmed hats, black jackets, and full, glazed,
black breeches, left quite loose at the knees, and fast-
ened round the waist with a girdle.
The women wear black jackets and red petticoats,
and their only head-dress is a piece of blue glazed
cloth bound round the head.
THE TOILETTE IN DENMARK.
353
appears much
In a work entitled “Eirik's Rauda Saga,” we find
described the dress of a woman, which
like that of our gipsies. 6. She had on a blue vest,
spangled all over with stones, a necklace of glass beads,
and a cap made of the skin of a black lamb, lined
with white cat-skin. She leaned on a staff adorned
with brass, with a round head set with stones, and
was girt with an Hunlandish belt, at which hung her
pouch full of magical instruments. Her buskins were
of rough calf-skin, bound on with thongs studded with
knobs of brass, and her gloves of white cat-skin, the
fur turned inwards."
Swinburne says that “the dress of the Danish
men is after the German fashion; but what appears
ridiculous to strangers is, that many of them, even
during their hot summers, wear great-coats.” “The
ordinary women, in their Sunday clothes, appear ex-
ceedingly awkward,” says the same author, " and their
finery is put off to the best
advantage, or the worst, with
starch and beads, till they seem
to be enclosed in a coat of
mail.”
In Otto Sperling's Obser-
vations, there is a passage which
shews that this warlike people
formerly gave fashions in dress
to those very southern nations
who now govern their taste on
this subject.
The shoes worn in some
parts of Denmark, and other
of the extreme northern nations, for travelling over
AA
354
THE TOILETTE IN DENMARK:
MIL
the snow, are very curious. They are formed of cane,
with a place in the centre for the heel,
and are from three to four feet long,
and from nine to twelve inches wide.
From presenting such a broad surface
they do not readily sink in the snow ;
but, according to travellers who have
used them, they are not at all agreeable,
for they rub the skin off the heel.
Franklin says he might have been traced
for miles by the blood which flowed
from his feet occasioned by the friction of this
chaussure.
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THE TOILETTE IN HUNGARY. ·
CHAPTER XXXIII.
T.
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HE dress worn by the better
classes in most of the courts of
Europe, is swayed by the fashions
of France and England; but the
national costume of Hungary is
well known to the lovers of the
fancy-ball, who often array them-
selves in its sable dress, with
sleeves straight to the arms, and
stays fastened in front with gold,
pearl, or diamond buttons.
Lady Wortley Montague, in
her
Letters," says :
66 The
Hungarian lady's dress is beautiful ; a gown of scarlet
velvet lined and faced with sables, made exactly to fit
her shape, the skirt falling to the feet. The sleeves
are straight, the stays buttoned before with two rows
356
THE TOILETTE IN HUNGARY.
of little buttons of gold, pearl, or diamonds. On their
heads they wear a tassel of gold, that hangs low on
one side, lined with sable or some other fine fur.”
The dress of the female peasants
is not so becoming. The hair in
front is plaited tight, and joined to
the back, which is likewise plaited,
and hangs down behind, in the same
manner as that of the Swiss peasants.
The neck is covered with a white
handkerchief, and a variegated body
and petticoat, with a white apron,
forms the rest of the dress. The petti-
coat is worn short, to shew the yellow
leather boots, with low iron heels.
The men have thick stout blue jackets, strong
thick boots without much shape, lank, uncombed hair,
and a broad-brimmed hat with a low crown.
The costume of the better classes is much admired.
It consists of a hussar jacket and pantaloons, the former
girded round the waist with a sash of some rich manu-
facture. Over this jacket they throw a cloak, or
mantle, which buttons under the arm, so as to leave
the right hand at liberty. The ornaments of their
dress are usually black lace, but sometimes a profusion
of gold lace also is used in the adornment of their
attire, particularly the pelisse, which is generally
crossed by a gold cord. The boots are long, and have
a tassel of black cord or gold bullion in front. On
the head is worn a kalpac, or cap of fur, with a falling
top of crimson cloth, and sometimes a plume of fea-
thers. Spurs on the heels are indispensable to the
costume.
THE TOILETTE IN HUNGARY,
357
The guba, a manufacture peculiar to Hungary, is
also employed for the garments of the lower orders :
it can only be made from long-woolled sheep, and
exactly resembles a sheep-skin. This cloth is only a
yard in width ; but its great peculiarity, which dis-
tinguishes it from other kinds of cloth, is that, after
every four threads, a small lock of the long wool of
the Hungarian sheep is put in with the fingers.
When the guba is finished weaving, it is sent to be
washed in the hot springs at Gross Wardein. It is
then dyed, generally of a black colour, to make great-
coats for the poorer classes, and is most comfortable
for those who are exposed to the inclemency of the
weather. A finer kind of guba is made from the wool
of lambs. When dred blue, it looks very well, and is
used in winter instead of fur.
The Morlacchi, though belonging to Hungary,
differ much in manners and appearance from the in-
habitants of that country. The dress of the women is
very remarkable.
The unmarried females are very
whimsical in respect to the ornaments of the head, but
when married, they are not allowed to wear anything
but a handkerchief tied round it. The girls wear a
scarlet cap, to which they generally fasten a veil,
which falls back over the shoulders ; strings of silver
coins, glass beads, shells, feathers, and artificial flowers,
as well as tremulous plumes of glass, are all employed
to ornament these caps, which, though singular in
their appearance, are often not devoid of elegance.
Their holiday shifts are embroidered with red silk,
and sometimes with gold ; these they work for them-
selves, while tending their flocks, and it is wonderful
how well they are executed.
358
' THE TOILETTE IN HUNGARY.
The use of stays is unknown, nor do they put
whalebone or iron in their stomachers. A woollen
girdle sustains the petticoat, which is commonly decked
with shells, and of a blue colour, whence it derives the
name of modrina. The gown, which is made of serge,
reaches to the ankle, and is bordered with red; it is
called' sadak. In summer the modrina is not worn,
only the sadak without sleeves, and the shift. The
girls always wear red stockings, and their shoes or
opanke, which somewhat resemble the cothurnus of the
ancients, are made of undressed leather, and fasten
with knotted thongs above the ankles. The unmarried
women, even of the richest families, are not permitted
to wear any other sort of shoe, but after marriage
they are allowed to replace it by the Turkish slipper.
The girls keep their hair concealed under their
caps, but the women wear it falling on their shoulders.
Sometimes they tie it under the chin, and always have
beads and coins twisted among it, in the Tartar
fashion.
Both old and young women wear round their necks
strings of various sized beads, and rings of silver,
brass, and tin, on their fingers; they have bracelets
of leather covered with wrought tin or silver, and
they embroider their stomachers or adorn them with
beads and shells.
The dress of the men is much plainer than that
of the women. It consists of breeches of coarse white
serge, which they draw tight round the waist by
means of a woollen string ; a shirt, and a short dou-
blet, called jacerma. In winter they add a short
cloak, made of coarse red cloth, called rabiniza. On
their heads they wear a red cloth cap, and above it
THE TOILETTE IN HUNGARY.
359
the sheep-skin kalpac of the Tartars. They bind
their waist with a fillet of silk or wool, in which they
carry pistols, a tobacco pipe, a horn with powder and
shot, a bag to hold their money and tinder-box,
and a large knife with a brass handle set with false
stones.
THE TOILETTE IN POLAND.
CHAPTER XXXIV.
Men of all ranks in Poland, whether gentle or
simple, formerly shaved off their hair, leaving only
one or two ringlets on the crown
of the head. They seem, how-
ever, to have admired large
whiskers and long moustaches,
which looked very fierce so long
as the nearly bald pate was not
seen ; but when the bonnet was
removed, the face and head
formed a singular contrast.
The vest of the peasants
reaches down to the middle of
the leg, and the sleeves fit quite
tight to the arms. Over this is
worn a gown lined with fur, and confined round the
waist by a sash; but in summer they only wear a shirt
and drawers of coarse linen, without any shoes and
VO
THE TOILETTE IN POLAND.
361
stockings. They wrap the rind of trees round their
legs and feet in winter, and cover their bodies with
sheep-skin cloaks; they have neither neckcloth nor
stock, and wear on their heads a fur cap or bonnet.
The lower orders cover their heads
with a piece of linen, from under which
the hair hangs in long plaits. Many
add to this another long piece of linen,
which, hanging on each side of the
face, and reaching down to the knees,
makes them look as if they were doing
penance in a white sheet.
The costume of the higher classes
is very elegant and becoming, and
much admired by all nations. Their
waistcoat has sleeves, and over it is
worn an upper vest of a different colour, which reaches
to below the knee: the sleeves in warm weather are
tied behind the shoulders. The sash,
or girdle, is generally rich and orna-
mented ; a sabre is suspended from
it, and is a badge of nobility. Their
robes are very rich. In summer they
are made of silk, in winter of cloth,
stuff, or velvet, ornamented and lined
with the most expensive furs. Their
boots are of yellow turkey leather,
very thin, and plated with iron heels,
made in the shape of a half-moon ;
their caps and bonnets are of the
finest furs, and their cloaks, wil en on
horseback, are of sable, or of the skins of tigers or
leopards. Some of the Polish nobles have as many as
litaka
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362
THE TOILETTE IN POLAND.
fifty suits of the richest vests, which descend from
father to son.
An old author asserts that Charles
II. of England thought of introducing
this costume into his court, and after
his restoration he himself wore it for
two years ; not, however, so much
from admiration of its elegance, as
from the patriotic wish of encouraging
the manufacture of broad-cloth.
The habit of the ladies is a long
rich robe, ornamented and lined with
fur, called a polonaise.
THE TOILETTE IN RUSSIA.
CHAPTER XXXV.
iton
URN we now to snowy mountains
and glittering icebergs,—to the
land of the czars, the cold and
dreary clime of the north.
As may be supposed, in so severe
and frozen a country as Russia, skins
and furs form two of the principal
articles of clothing. The ancient dress
of the men was a kind of swaddling
coat of skins, or of coarse linen, lined with skins, furs,
or cloth. Round their waists they twisted a coloured
shawl; they wore trousers and boots, and allowed
their beards to grow very long. Of later years the
men, however, have adopted the dress usual among
the other nations of Europe, and beards are but rarely
364
THE TOILETTE IN RUSSIA.
seen.
Their clothes are generally made of the richest
materials they can afford to procure.
The ancient dress of the women, the reverse of
that of the men, was as short and as tight as decency
would allow, and it continues much the same among
the lower classes to this day. In some respects it
resembles the costume of the Highland women, and
is as gaudy as possible, and much ornamented. The
petticoat is of striped plaid, very scanty in width and
length; the jacket is usually of a different colour,
and the head is adorned with a white cloth, which is
wrapped round it. All, however, who can afford it
ornament their dress with gold lace and jewels.
During the season of festivals in Russia, in spite
of snow, ice, and severe cold, the wives of the wealthy
tradesmen drive about in droskies, with riches upon
their persons " enough," as Rodrigo says, “ to corrupt
a votarist." Their caps are manufactured of matted
gold, pearls, and other precious stones: and the richest
Turkish and Persian shawls, and most brilliant dia-
mond ear-rings, are often seen. But, however costly
the materials, they endeavour, to a certain degree, to
preserve the national costume, of which the jacket
forms a principal feature. The shawl is worn in a
peculiar and very graceful manner; it is thrown over
the head-dress, and falls in elegant folds down to the
feet.
The ladies of high rank follow the French and
English fashions, and wear a profusion of ornaments.
The czar and grandees formerly dressed in the
most splendid Asiatic costumes; and, before the days
of Peter the Great, the court was said to be the most
magnificent in the world. The Earl of Carlisle,
THE TOILETTE IN RUSSIA.
365
when ambassador in Russia, said that he could see
nothing but gold and precious stones in the robes of
the czar and his courtiers. Peter the Great, however,
forced the higher classes of his subjects to discard
their long robes, and to dress after the European
fashion; he obliged them also to cut off their beards,
which, till his accession to the throne, they had re-
garded almost with veneration.
Furs constitute a principal article of dress among
the upper orders, and the most expensive are the
most admired. The lower ranks are of course obliged
to content themselves with the skin of any animal
they can procure, and envelop their persons in them
merely as a defence against the inclemency of the
weather.
The manner in which the lower orders clothe
their feet and legs indicates great simplicity and
antiquity; their shoes are made of the matted bark
of trees, and their legs covered with bandages of
woollen cloth, bound on with ligatures of the same
material, very similar to sandals. These thongs, how- .
ever, do not, of course, add to the beauty of the
ankle, and it is probably in consequence of these nu-
merous bandages (which are, perhaps, necessary to
defend the legs and feet from the cold) that many
writers remark the large size and clumsy shape of the
limbs of the Russian peasants, male and female.
It
may not be uninteresting to our readers to add
the costume of a people that inhabit a small hamlet
in Siberia ; the account is taken from the travels of
M. l'Abbé Chappe d’Auteroche. “The dress of the
women of this tribe” (the Wotiaks), says the writer,
“is most singular. They wear a shift of coarse linen,
366
THE TOILETTE IN RUSSIA.
:
slit in front like a man's shirt, and hemmed
up
each
side of the opening with thread or worsted of different
colours ; there is also a little ornament of a triangular
figure wrought on the right side of the shift. Their
gown is woollen, and bears a great resemblance to
the habit of the Jesuits in college ; the sleeves of the
upper gown are slit in the middle, to give passage to
the arms, and the lower part generally hangs down.
This gown, which reaches to the legs, is fastened
merely by a girdle, curiously wrought. They wear,
also, coarse cloth stockings and sandals, like the
Russians. Their head-dress is very remarkable: they
first wrap their heads in a towel, over which they
fasten, with two strings, a kind of helmet, made of
the bark of a tree, and ornamented in front with a
piece of cloth and with copecs ; the helmet is then
covered with a handkerchief, wrought with thread or
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worsted of various colours, and edged with a fringe.
This head-dress is above a foot high. The hair is
THE TOILETTE IN RUSSIA.
367
divided into two tresses, which fall down upon the
shoulders, with a necklace like that worn by the
Tartars."
The Kamtschatkians, though belonging to Russia,
have a different dress; and being a very uncivilised
people, residing in a wretched, dreary country, desti-
tute of culture, their costume is more fitted for warmth
and comfort than for the display of elegance, variety,
or taste. They still wear the skins of dogs, deer,
sea and land animals, and even the skins of birds.
Very often all these are sewn together, forming a
tout-ensemble as ugly as it is extraordinary. Their
upper garments are made in two ways. Some-
times the skins of which they are formed are of an
equal length, at others they are left long behind, like
a train, with wide sleeves that reach
to the knees, and a hood, which in
bad weather they put underneath
their caps; there is an opening in.
this dress just large enough to
pass the head through, and round
it they sew the skins of dogs' feet,
with which to protect their faces
in cold weather. The skirts and
sleeves of this dress are orna-
mented with a border of white
dog-skins, and others of different
colours, sewn together in patterns.
They generally wear two coats,
the under one with the hair in-
wards, the other side dyed with alder, and the
outer one with the hair uppermost. For this latter
limate
368
THE TOILETTE IN RUSSIA.
garment they use black, white, or speckled skins, the
hair of which is much esteemed.
This is the upper garment of both men and
women ; but the latter also wear very wide and short
trousers, and a waistcoat tied round the body. Their
hats are made of birch, bark, or plaited grass. The
women use a white paint, made of rotten wood, and a
red paint, made from a sea plant boiled in seal's fat,
which they rub over their faces; they also were
formerly much addicted to the wearing of perukes,
some weighing ten pounds each.
A veil is often thrown over their faces when they
go abroad; and though both men and women wrap
their feet and legs in bark, both the Cossac and
Kamtschatkian petit-maitres, when in their best dress,
wear buskins of peculiar elegance; and if an un-
married man appears in them when visiting his
friends, it is immediately concluded that he is about
- paying his addresses to some fur-clad maiden. The
sole of these buskins is of white seal-skin, the upper
part of fine white leather, made from white dog-skins ;
and the part which adorns the legs is of dressed
leather or dyed seal-skin, beautifully embroidered.
The inhabitants of Kasan, another province of
Russia, wear a dress that somewhat resembles that of
the Russians. The Tartars who live in Kasan have
a woollen jacket, which is bound round the waist with
a girdle ; over this is a long flowing outer robe.
They always have boots on their feet, and they shave
their heads, except on one place on the back part,
which they cover with a small piece of leather. They
wear a cap edged with fur.
THE TOILETTE IN RUSSIA.
369
mir
wear
a
The women's dress is much the same as the above,
only they place the girdle above the
robe ; their cap is shaped like a
sugar-loaf, and covered with glass
beads, which they consider as pre-
cious as we do jewels. A large piece
of cloth, also ornamented with beads,
is fastened to the back of the
сар, ,
and hangs down below the waist.
The young girls are not allowed to
wear caps; they only bind their hair
with a fillet of riband.
The Kalmuc
Tartars
round bonnet with
a border of fur,
in the Polish fa-
shion, and a kind of loose coat of
sheep-skin, which reaches to the
middle of the leg. The great people
wear garments made of silk, which
they procure from the neighbouring
nations.
Clarke, in his - Travels in Eu-
rope,” says: “ The dress of the
Tartar noblemen displays as much
taste as can be shewn by a habit necessarily decorated
with gold and silver lace; it is neither heavily laden
with ornament, nor are the colours tawdry. They
sometimes delight in strong contrast, by opposing
silver lace to black velvet for their caps ; scarlet or
rose-coloured silk to dark cloth, for their vests or
pelisses ; but, in general, the dress of a Tartar of dis-
nimalanna
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370
THE TOILETTE IN RUSSIA.
tinction is remarkable for its simple elegance as well
as cleanliness. Their favourite colour in cloth is drab;
and the grey or white wool for their winter caps is,
of all other ornaments, most in esteem."
The costume of many of the
Tartar tribes belonging to Russia
is very picturesque. The Mordvine
women, when married, wear a high
stuffed cap, sewed with many va-
riously-coloured threads, with a flap
hanging down the back, to which
are attached chains and other orna-
ments. Their linen petticoats they
adorn gaily with red and blue needle-
work; they wear an apron hanging
from their girdle, but instead of
being in front, as with most other
people, it hangs behind, and is cu-
| riously embroidered and bordered with fringes, tassels,
and beads. Those who can afford it have a wide
ornamented linen gown, with very short sleeves, gene-
rally dyed a bright yellow. It is fastened closely
round the throat with a small pin, and across the
bosom with a larger one, from which hang such a
quantity of corals, copper buttons, chains, medals,
coins, bells, and indeed any thing that makes a jingling
sound, that the dress of a Mordvine élégante, in holy-
day costume, is of a very great weight. Ear-rings are
always worn; but when they intend to be very smart,
they also have bracelets, twisted several times round
the arm, like those used in India.
The young women have fewer ornaments, but their
dress is the same as we have described above; they,
THE TOILETTE IN RUSSIA.
371
however, wear their hair braided, like the Russians,
in a long tail, with knots of riband and fringes tied
to it. Formerly they plaited the hair in eight or nine
small tresses, those behind the ears being larger than
the others. To these tresses they tied ornaments of
various kinds, and fastened them through the girdle ;
some even plaited sheep's-wool with their hair, till it
resembled a large tail, and fell to the knees. The
men belonging to this tribe wear the Russian dress,
except that their shirts are curiously embroidered.
The Mohschonian costume is not devoid of ele-
gance. The women's caps are not very high, and are
worked with a needle; many wear a band of linen
over the head, with long ends, which hang down the
back. Round the neck they have a collar of net-
work, formed of glass beads ; from the girdle is sus-
pended an apron covered with embroidery, glass beads,
tassels, and Indian shells. Their hair is curled and
frizzed upon short sticks, and sometimes braided into
small tresses; their feet are bound with leathern
thongs.
The inhabitants of a village called Tscherask
wear a costume greatly resembling that of the Scotch.
The women, over the shift, have a petticoat of plaided
callimanco ; their caps are of various colours, bound
with ribands, gaudily worked, which hang down be-
hind their backs. Young girls braid their tresses,
and wind them with much grace round the head :
across the forehead they place a parti-coloured riband,
or bandeau of coral beads.
We will take leave of these singular people, by
giving the dress of the Kirguise. The men wear an
under-garment of cotton, and an upper one of blue
372
THE TOILETTE IN RUSSIA.
linen, open before, but tied across the body with a
cotton belt. Over this they have a leathern belt, in
which they place their guns, shot-bags, and powder-
horns. Their summer-caps are of felt, covered with
stuff, embroidered in silks of various colours, and
lined with velvet : the top of this cap is conical, and
has two flaps, one on each side, which either hang on
the cheeks or are fastened back. The winter-caps are
made of fur. The men shave their heads, but have
moustaches on the upper lip, a pointed beard, and a
small tuft of hair at each corner of the mouth. When
not abroad, they cover their bare skulls with a round
cap of black cloth, ornamented in colours. Their
boots are very clumsy, and made of asses'-skin, the
soles full of large points, and edged with iron. When
out on a hunting-party they wear immense trousers,
fastened under their arm-pits, which, when on horse-
back, give them a shapeless and frightful appearance.
The women's ordinary costume is a blue shift, a
pair of trousers, bands to wrap round the legs and
feet, and a veil of parti-coloured linen. Their head-
dress requires no little time and care to arrange : they
first lay a piece of stuff, three or four yards long, upon
the head, bringing the ends down the sides of the
face, after which they braid their hair in two tresses ;
the ends of the stuff are then crossed under the chinº
and carried up over the head, whence they fall down
again over the ears. This done, they wind a narrow
strip of some other stuff, four or five yards long,
round and round the head many times, till it forms a
turban.
The better classes make this head-dress of fine
striped stuffs, and they also wear an upper robe of
THE TOILETTE IN RUSSIA.
373
silk ornamented with artificial flowers, then a
tippet
to match the turban, and over the whole another open
garment : their necks are covered with worked hand-
kerchiefs.
Another gala head-dress, which is considered very
ornamental, consists of two lappets of flowered muslin,
fastened to the back of the head under the turban
;
above these fall two more lappets, covered with velvet
and black fringe. Married women bring the latter
over the shoulders, but young girls allow it to hang
down their backs. “ Princesses,” says Tooke,
Tooke, “ and
the daughters of illustrious persons, are distinguished
by the necks of herons, which they wear in their hair,
raised up in an ornament upon the head in the shape
of a horn, and the plumage is very beautiful.”
beautiful.” They
also wear silk clothes or rich stuffs, or fine cloth set
off with gold lace and loops, or faced with fur ; and
even velvets are very common among them.
The dress of the Scythians, or ancient Tartars,
resembled that of the Persians. Like them they wore
tiaras, and stockings and breeches all in one piece.
On the column of Theodosius, at Constantinople, is
seen the most ancient representation to be found of
them. They appear to have worn a tunic down to
the heels, and a chlamyde, which was sometimes raised
at the back of the neck, so as to cover the head.
THE
TOILETTE IN TURKEY, WALLACHIA,
ETC.
CHAPTER XXXVI.
ET us now transport our readers to
the shores of the East—the land of
the Sultan—the far-famed city of
Stamboul. Here, within the closely,
guarded chambers of the harem, mid the
perfume of thousands of flowers, the soft
rippling of fountains, and the sweet me-
lody of voices, “Fashion” still holds un-
disputed sway.
Within the gorgeous
chamber, secluded from the gaze of all but her imme-
diate attendants, sits the Eastern beauty, the Rose
of the Garden, the Pearl of the Ocean. Paintings
and gildings adorn the walls, carpets of the richest
dyes are laid over the floors, silken sofas and couches,
whose softness invite repose, are scattered around, and
near them lie cushions, glittering in satin, velvet,
brocade, and embroidery, and tassels and fringes of
gold and silver. To describe her beauty, and the
THE TOILETTE IN TURKEY, WALLACHIA, ETC. 375
dress of Eastern ladies, let me borrow the gifted pen
of Lady Wortley Montague.
“On a sofa, raised three steps, and covered with
Persian carpets, sat the kihaya's lady, leaning on
cushions of white satin embroidered ; and at her feet
sat two young girls about twelve years old, lovely as
angels, dressed perfectly rich, and almost covered with
jewels. But they were hardly seen near the fair
Fatima, so much her beauty effaced every thing I
have seen ; nay, all that has been called lovely in
England or Germany. She was dressed in a caftan*
of gold brocade, flowered with silver, very well fitted
to her shape, and shewing to admiration the beauty
of her bosom, only shaded by the thin gauze of her
shift. Her drawers were pale pink, her waistcoat
green and silver, her slippers white satin, finely em-
broidered, her lovely arms adorned with bracelets of
diamonds, and her broad girdle set with diamonds.
Upon her head a rich Turkish handkerchief of pink
and silver, her own fine black hair hanging a great
length, in various tresses, and on one side of her head
some bodkins of jewels.”
Such was the dress of the lady of the deputy to
the grand vizier, above one hundred years since, and
such is still the dress of the Eastern women; for
though fashion frequently changes the colour of their
garments, and the materials of which they are com-
posed, -now bidding the fair recluse array herself in
pale blue silk, now in deep crimson, then again in
white muslin, fine as the spider's web, pure as the
untrodden snow, still the form of the garments never
changes, and has been the same for hundreds of years.
* A kind of vest.
376 THE TOILETTE IN TURKEY, WALLACHIA, ETC.
Lady Wortley Montague, who while residing in the
East adopted the costume of the country, thus describes
her own dress in a letter to her sister then in England:
“ The first part of my dress is a pair of drawers,
very full, that reach to my shoes, and conceal the
legs more modestly than your petticoats; they are of
a thin rose-coloured damask, brocaded with silver
flowers. My shoes are of white kid leather, embroid-
ered with gold. Over this hangs my smock, of a fine
white silk gauze, edged with embroidery. This smock
has wide sleeves, hanging half-way down the arm,
and is closed at the neck with a diamond button.
The antery is a waistcoat, made close to the shape,
of white and gold damask, with very long sleeves
falling back, and fringed with deep gold fringe, and
should have diamond or pearl buttons. My caftan,
of the same stuff as my drawers, is a robe exactly
fitted to my shape, and reaching to my feet, with
very long, straight, falling sleeves. Over this is my
girdle, of about four inches broad, which all that can
afford it have entirely of diamonds or other precious
stones; it must be fastened before with a clasp of
diamonds. The curdee is a loose robe they throw off
or put on according to the weather, being of a rich
brocade (mine is green and gold), either lined with
sable or ermine; the sleeves reach very little below
the shoulders. The head-dress is composed of a cap
called talpack, which in winter is of fine velvet, em-
broidered with pearls and diamonds, and in summer
of a light silver stuff; this is fixed on one side of the
head, hanging a little way down, with a gold tassel,
and bound on either with a circle of diamonds (as I
have seen several) or a rich embroidered handker-
THE TOILETTE IN TURKEY, WALLACHIA, ETC. 377
chief. On the other side of the head the hair is flat.
and here the ladies are at liberty to shew their fancies ;
some putting flowers, others a plume of heron's feathers,
and, in short, what they please. But the most general
fashion is a large bouquet of jewels, made like natural
flowers; that is, the buds of pearl, the roses of different
coloured rubies, the jessamines of diamonds, the jon-
quil of topazes, &c., and so well set and enamelled
'tis hard to imagine any thing of that kind so beautiful.
The hair hangs at full length behind, divided into
tresses braided with pearl and ribbon, which is always
in great quantity.”
The above is considered a perfect description of
the in-door costume of an Eastern lady of quality;
but when they go abroad they are all obliged to wear
|!11
1.
LAWN
IN
iti
ta
astern
TIL
two dresses, called murlins; these form a complete
disguise, one covering all the face, except the eyes,
378 THE TOILETTE IN TURKEY, WALLACHIA, ETC,
the other quite concealing the head-dress. Besides
these a ferigee is worn to hide the figure ; it has
straight sleeves, reaching to the ends of the fingers,
and, wrapping round them, perfectly conceals the dress
and shape.
All Eastern women, whether of high or low degree,
wear drawers : indeed the poorer classes only wear
these and a shirt. Yet, though half naked, no one is
ever seen without a veil; which, even from the time
of Rebecca, has been considered a necessary part of
female dress; and all but the very poorest contrive
to possess some jewels, for ear-rings, bracelets, and
necklaces.
Although there is a chapter in the Koran which
strictly prohibits adorning of the person with gold,
silver, and jewels, silks, and costly robes, the Turks
do not seem to pay the slightest attention to the ad-
monition for men, as well as women, only esteem
their attire in proportion to the expense lavished
ܪ
upon it.
Any alteration in the fashion of their garments is
unknown among the Turks, although from time im-
memorial points of dress appear to have been con-
sidered of almost as much importance as points of
faith. The long sleeve still worn among the Turks
is mentioned by both Strabo and Herodotus ; while
the turban is stated by Pliny to be in his time uni-
versally worn by the inhabitants of the East, and, as
at present, the high turban was then worn by people
of distinction, while the lower classes were allowed
one not so elevated. Thus the most insignificant
objects of dress in this country are of real import-
ance: for rank and privilege are here designated
THE TOILETTE IN TURKEY, WALLACHIA, ETC. 379
Illin
by the height of a turban and the colour of a
slipper.
The fair imprisoned inmate of the harem, whose
life glides away in all
the dull monotony of
seclusion, whose only
means of cheating the
lagging hours is by
employing them in em-
broidery, or in watc!:-
ing the graceful move-
ments of the dancing
girls, may be pardoned
for devoting so much
time to the amusements
of the toilette.
Shaping the eyelashes with antimony, increasing
the lustre of the eyes by drawing between the lids a
fine pencil dipped in kohol, and dyeing the nails and
ends of the fingers with the leaves of henna, require
much attention and time; so also does arranging the
folds of the dress as to give a graceful and elegant
tournure ; placing the turban skilfully in the exact
position ; braiding the tresses in the proper number
of plaits ; selecting the jewels that match the colour
of the dress; and, lastly, throwing over the head the
light and snowy veil.
Neither do the lordly Osmanlis disdain to bow
their proud and turbaned heads at the footstool of
“ Fashion.". Let me here borrow the words of the
author of " Anastasius," who thus describes a Turkish
petit-maitre : “ His turban attracted the eye less even
by its costliness of texture than by its elegance of
380 THE TOILETTE IN TURKEY, WALLACHIA, ETC.
form. A band of green and gold tissue, diagonally
crossing the forehead, was made, with studious ease,
completely to conceal one ear, and as completely to
display the other. From its fringed extremity always
hung, suspended like a tassel, a rose or a carnation,
which, while it kept caressing the wearer's broad and
muscular throat, sent up its fragrance to his disdainful
nostril. An hour every day was the shortest time
allotted to the culture of his adored moustaches, and
to the various rites which these idols of his vain-
glorious heart demanded ; such as changing their
hue from a bright flaxen to a jetty black, perfuming
them with rose and amber, smoothing their straggling
hairs, and giving their taper ends a smart and grace-
ful curve. Another hour was spent in refreshing the
scarlet dye of his lips, and tinting the dark shade of
his eyelids, as well as in practising the most fascinating
smile and the archest leer which the Terzhana could
display. His dress, of the finest broadcloth and
velvet, made after the most dashing Barbary cut, was
covered all over with embroidery of gold, so thickly
embossed as to appear almost massive. His chest
uncovered down to the girdle, and his arms bared up
to the shoulders, displayed all the bright polish of
his skin. His capote was draped so as, with infinite
grace, to break the too formal symmetry of his cos-
tume. In short, his hanjar with its gilt handle, his
watch with its concealed miniature, his tobacco-pouch
of knitted gold, his pipe mounted in opaque amber,
and his pistols with diamond-cut hilt, all were in the
style of the most consummate petit-maitre.”
This splendid costume is that of, more or less, all
the grandees in Turkey.
We will now describe that
THE TOILETTE IN TURKEY, WALLACHIA, ETC. 381
ܐ ܘ ;
of the lower classes. Their ordinary dress consists
first of a shirt, with very wide sleeves, drawers made
of linen, which join their stockings, – these latter
being formed of the same material,-cloth breeches
or short trousers, a vest which reaches to the knees,
or a jacket ornamented in gold or
silk twist, a robe which falls down
to the feet, and over this a kind
of great-coat, with short sleeves,
and on the feet scarlet slippers.
The Turks of better rank al-
ways wear the long dress, and
over it robes of fine cloth, or pe-
lisses of the most costly furs, while
their poniards and yatagans are
studded with silver and precious
stones. When in-doors they wear
a mestler, which is a thin shoe
without any sole ; when they go
abroad it is thrust into the papoosh, or slipper.
In a work entitled the “Turks and the Russians,
we read the following description of the dress of the
Turks : “ Trousers very loose to the calf, thence tight
to the ankle; a close waistcoat, open at the neck,
and covered below by a shawl tied round the waist ;
a jacket, with very full and short sleeves, shewing the
equally loose sleeves of the shirt; a turban on his
head, and yellow boots or slippers on his feet, form
the usual and very becoming dress of a Turk : the
trousers, waistcoat, and jacket, are of various colours,
and ornamented with embroidery; and the turban is
white, green, or otherwise, according to the rank and
privileges of the wearer.”
382 THE TOILETTE IN TURKEY, WALLACHIA, ETC.
Emirs or shirrefs (descendants of Mohammed's
daughter) are alone allowed the high honour of adorn-
ing their heads with green turbans ; and the Turks
allow none but themselves to appear in yellow slippers.
The men of high rank are in the habit of carrying in
their hands a tespi, or, as Moore calls it, a “ruby
rosary,” which is used as much for amusement as
devotion. Gloves are never worn by the Turks.
All the attendants of the sultan wear splendid
garments, particularly on days of ceremony, when
they appear in dresses of the most gaudy colours, till
at a distance they resemble a garden of tulips.
The immense width of the Turkish garments may
be accounted for by the prevailing custom of sitting
cross-legged.
In Bulgaria the women wear on their heads a
cap somewhat resembling a mitre, ornamented with
pieces of money ; it covers the forehead, and the hair,
plaited with shells, hangs down the back. The robe
is long, and fastened round the waist by a girdle; the
surcoat, which closes tightly round the throat, with a
bow of riband in front, is curiously embroidered, and
often adorned with jewels. Over this garment is worn
a loose robe, not unlike a great-coat; it is shorter
than the under vest, and has long sleeves, which,
though wide at the top, become tight below the elbow
to the wrist : this garment is open underneath the
arms as far as the bottom, and the sides are united
with large bows of riband, placed at distances from
each other. The slippers are very low in the quar-
ters, and made high upon the instep.
The men wear round fur caps, a long robe that
reaches to the knees, and shews the full trousers that
THE TOILETTE IN TURKEY, WALLACHIA, ETC. 383
H.!
meet the stockings, which terminate below the knee;
this robe is quite open, and a shawl, twisted round
the waist à la Turque, retains it in its place. Over
this is worn' a much longer garment, also open, with
large wide sleeves. The legs are covered with bands
of linen, which give them a clumsy appearance, and
the feet are inclosed in sandals, or rather open shoes,
laced across from the toes to the instep.
In Wallachia the women of high rank wear
splendid silk or satin robes, often
embroidered or brocaded in gold
and silver. The upper garment
is full and long, with long tight
sleeves: it is not confined at the
waist, but hangs quite loose ; it
is open at the bosom, and shews
a splendid jewelled stomacher,
and is generally trimmed all round
with fur. Beneath it is an em-
broidered vest, with a collar of
precious stones and velvet en-
circling the throat. On the head
is a cap of fur, made something
in the shape of a turban.
The young girls wear their
hair flat on the temples, and
twisted in a broad plait behind, interspersed with
flowers.
The silk jupe reaches to the feet, the
boddice is sufficiently open to shew an ornamented
stomacher, the sleeves are tight to the hands, and a
coloured scarf, after circling the waist, falls to the
feet. As stays are unknown in these countries a slim
waist is never seen, and a French élégante would be
اد)
ill
ܓܬܐ
384 THE TOILETTE IN TURKEY, WALLACHIA, ETC.
>
shocked at the clumsy tournure of a Wallachian
belle.
She says:
*
*
In Lady Craven’s “Journal” we have an account of
her reception at the Wallachian court.
“In the corner sat the prince, dressed and attended
à la Turque ; over his head were ranged the horses'
tails, the great helmet and feather, the magnificent
sabre, and other arms with which I had seen him
parade the streets at Constantinople.
I
was then summoned to an audience with the princess :
she was sitting à la Turque, with three of her
daughters by her. There were twenty ladies in the
room, one of whom, instead of a turban, had a high
cap of sable put behind her hair, that was combed up
straight over a kind of roll: this head-dress was far
from being ugly or unbecoming. The princess told
me that it was a lady of Wallachia, and that the cap
was the head-dress of the country.”
The men wear a long robe that reaches to the
feet, and a shawl round the waist ; over this is an
upper garment with long tight sleeves, lined through-
out with fur. The head is covered with a fur cap;
no beard is worn, only moustaches; the shoes have
very high heels.
In Macfarlane's “ Armenia” we find the following
description of the dress of an Armenian bride: “Her
figure was enveloped in a robe, that, but for the costly
material of which it was composed, might have been
called a sack. Under the hand and the needle of an
Armenian priest's wife, this wrapper concealed every
member of the body, not permitting even the loose
purple mestler and papooshes—no, not so much as
the toe of the latter to be visible. The same matron
THE TOILETTE IN TURKEY, WALLACHIA, ETC. 385
had bound round her head a linen veil, called a
perkem, so thick that it entirely concealed what it
covered, and had placed over this an additional veil,
composed of tinsel and thin lamina of gold sewed to-
gether, that fell from her crown down to her neck,
like some extraordinary head of hair. The perkem,
or linen veil, reached below the breast in front, and
below the shoulders behind; beyond it projected and
floated the ample folds, not of her tinsel locks, but of
her own luxuriant coal-black hair, which, had she
stood, might have fallen lower than her knees, and,
as if the natural were not long enough, des grosses
tresses - a thick mass of false hair was attached to
it, that looked, as it lay huddled in a heap on the
sofa, like the unpowdered wig of a judge.”
In another part we read : “ The khenna, or well-
known drug used by ladies throughout the East for
painting the nails red, was produced with great so-
lemnity, and it was part of the functions of the chief
Armenian priest's wife to dye the bridal fingers.
When both right and left hand were of the proper
hue, the other presents that always accompany the
khenna were brought forth from their costly envelopes
of silk and gold tissue. These were, a broad piece of
cloth entirely to wrap up the person of the bride, a
feridji, or outer cloak, an ample yasmack, a pair of
papooshes or morocco slippers, and a large wax torch.”
“ The family of the maiden sent to the bridegroom,
on the part of themselves and daughter, a gauze silk
shirt, a pair of drawers, two sashes or stripes of fine
linen cloth, embroidered in gold, to close and support
the drawers; a towel, richly embroidered at the four
corners in worsted and tinsel ; a pocket-handkerchief,
CC
386 THE TOILETTE IN TURKEY, WALLACHIA, ETC.
worked all over with different coloured silks into the
forms of doves, flames, and hearts; stuff of mixed silk
and cotton, for an enterré or long close robe worn
under the beneesh." The bridegroom's dress, con-
sisting of an enterré, a shawl, a calpack, and a be-
neesh, was put on after his having been shaved ; and
we are told that his mother-in-law hung a tress or lock
of tinsel to his calpack, an example which was followed
by the other relatives, till, “ by adding fresh strings
of tinsel and gold thread, his capacious balloon-shaped
hat shewed like a globe with a reversed glory, or
rather like a cooling comet with its tail still radiant.'
“ The Armenian women,” says a modern traveller, ,
“ cover themselves when they go from home with a
large white veil from head to foot. In the house they
still wear the nose-band, which is never laid aside
even in bed. Their dress consists of a silk shift, a
pair of silk trousers which reach to the ankles, a close
garment that fastens at the throat with silver clasps,
and an outer garment generally made of padded
chintz, and open in front. They wear a silver girdle,
which rests upon the hips, and is generally curiously
wrought; their feet are naked, and some of them
have silver rings round their ankles; no hair is seen
except a long plaited tail, that hangs over the back
to the ground. On their heads they place a species
of cushion, which expands at the top.” The same
writer also says, that the Armenian women do not
wear so entire a veil as the Mahomedan; it leaves
the eyes at full liberty, and just encloses the nose, by
which some general idea may be formed of the features
and expression.
The column of Trajan gives a very correct notion
THE TOILETTE IN TURKEY, WALLACHIA, ETC. 387
of the dress of the ancient inhabitants of Turkey
and the neighbouring states. We there see that they
wore tunics reaching to the knees, and also the gar-
ment met with amongst most nations, which formed
breeches and stockings all in one piece. Their shoes
were much like those of the moderns; their chlamyde,
or cloak, was sometimes ornamented
with a fringe all round the bottom, and
was fastened upon one shoulder. Those
who had the head covered wore a
Phrygian cap, with the front bending
over.
Among the “reforms” carried into effect by the
late sultan Mahmoud, and sanctioned and maintained
by his son and successor the present sultan, is one
which has changed the whole character and appear-
ance of Turkish costume. We allude to the substi-
tution of the fez for the turban. The fez is a small
cap of felted wool, dyed of a crimson colour, without
edge of any kind, fitting close to the head, and having
a long tassel of blue silk threads hanging from the
centre of the top. It is now universally worn in place
of the turban.
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
CHAPTER XXXVII.
whantipatiala
MUUMITIRINICIO
This gar-
ÄHE distinguishing
feature of Grecian
dress in ancient times
was
the pallium,
whence the
the people
were frequently called
Palliati.
ment, which
shaped somewhat like a modern cloak, was very wide
and long, so that its ample dimensions enabled it to
be wound several times round the body ; the edges
were sometimes cut out to resemble fringe. The
pallium had no collar, and was worn over the chla-
myde.
was
ܪ
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
389
The chlamyde is a garment about which authors
greatly differ. Some affirm that it resembled the Ro-
man toga, but the greater number reject this opinion ;
whatever its exact shape and dimensions may have
been is therefore uncertain, but it was usually fastened
on the shoulder by a brooch.
The phelone, a dress often mentioned by Greek
writers, differed from the chlamyde only in the quality
of the material of which it was formed, the former
being usually made of a coarse manufacture fit for
wearing in the country.
The under-garments of the Greeks, which gene-
rally were of white woollen stuff, bore the name of
tunics
“ A vest and tunic o'er me next she threw."-Odyssey.
The tunics were of different kinds, and varied in name
according to their shape and texture; they were worn
equally by men and women, the only difference being
that the latter always had the petticoat and sleeves
long, while the common tunic of the men generally
descended no lower than the calf of the leg, and the
sleeves were short and very narrow. Thus, in the
Odyssey,” we read of Ulysses :
“ The goddess with a radiant tunic dress'd
My limbs, and o'er me cast a silken vest.”
The exomide was a tunic without sleeves, generally
worn by servants, and often also by philosophers, who,
to mark their contempt of luxury, sometimes clothed
themselves in the most unostentatious manner.
The calasiris was another tunic made of linen,
390
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
and with a fringe at the bottom. The richest tunics
were made of silk, and they were
fastened at the waist by a girdle or
belt.
The upper - garment worn by
Grecian women was called ampe-
chone; it was a kind of light
cloak.
The Grecian matrons were, like
the ladies of most other nations,
fond of dress and ornament, and
also of perfumes. The following de-
scription of the goddess Saturnia,
given by Homer, is applicable to
them :
“ Swift to her bright apartment she repairs,
Sacred to dress and beauty's pleasing cares.
*
Here first she bathes, and round her body pours
Soft oils of fragrance and ambrosial showers.
Her artful hands the radiant tresses ty’d;
Part on her head in shining ringlets roll’d,
Part o'er her shoulders wav'd like melted gold.
Around her next a heavenly mantle flow'd,
That rich with Pallas' labour'd colours glow'd ;
Large clasps of gold the foldings gather'd round,
A golden zone her swelling bosom bound;
Ear-beaming pendants tremble in her ear,
Each gem illumin'd with a triple star. .
Then o'er her head she casts a veil, more white
Than new-fall’n snow, and dazzling as the light.
Last her fair feet celestial sandals grace.”
The principal occupations and amusements of wo-
!
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
391
men in the earlier ages seem to have consisted in
spinning, weaving, and embroidering. The Grecian
ladies, in particular, were very celebrated for their
skill in all kinds of needlework. At some of the re-
ligious festivals it was the custom to offer, to the god
or goddess in whose honour it was instituted, a gar-
ment wove and embroidered for that purpose. Thus,
at the Athenian fête in honour of Minerva, a robe was
carried in the procession ; it was of a white colour,
without sleeves, and embroidered with gold : upon
it were described the achievements of the goddess.
Jupiter also, and the heroes, had their effigies in it.
Hence, men of courage and bravery are said to be
worthy to be portrayed in Minerva's sacred garment,
as in Aristophanes :
“ We will our fathers treat with high esteem,
Whose brave exploits are worthy Attica,
Fit to be portrayed in Minerva’s vest.”
The garments worn by the Grecian priests were
very costly and magnificent; they differed according
to the gods in whose honour they were officiating.
Those who sacrificed to the celestial gods wore purple,
to the infernal gods they sacrificed in black, and to
Ceres in white garments.
The ancient Greeks generally went bareheaded ;
they had nevertheless a kind of hat, which they called
sciadion, which signifies parasol. Their hair was an
object of great importance, and they devoted much
time and attention to it. The custom of dedicating
the hair to one of their deities, and shaving off some
of their locks for that purpose, seems to have been
general both with the men and women of ancient
392
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
Greece. In Euripides, when Pentheus threatens
Bacchus to shave his hair, the young god tells him it
would be an impious action, because he designed it as
an offering to some deity:
66 This lock is sacred, this I do preserve
As some choice votive off'ring for the god.”
The ancient Athenians, says Ælian, curled their
hair, and dressed it with small golden ornaments
shaped like grashoppers, in token of their being sons
of the earth. Virgil mentions this custom in his
poem entitled “ Circis :"
“ Wherefore she did, as was her constant care,
With grashoppers adorn her comely hair,
Brac'd with a golden buckle Attick wise.”
Fashion seems to have exercised as much influence
over the head-dresses of the ladies, in the ancient days
of Greece, as she does at the present time; gold,
pearls, precious stones, flowers, and ribands, were
employed to ornament the tresses. One of their coif- .
na
fures is described as an immense tower of bows and
curls, and appears to have served as a model for the
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
393
commode already mentioned. False hair seems also
to have been very generally used, and in great quan-
tities, both curled and frizzled.
In Greece, married women were distinguished from
the unmarried by the manner in which the hair was
parted in front.
It seems to have been the custom for women always
to cover their faces with a veil when they went out,
or appeared in public, as we read of Penelope :
" Then from her lodgings went the beauteous dame,
And to her much-expecting courtiers came;
There veil'd before the door she stood.”
A veil seems also to have been worn as an emblem of
mourning by the ancient Greeks:
“ Her face wrap'd in a veil declar'd her woes.”
Nor does this fashion appear to have belonged to
women only, for Theseus thus addressed Adrastus,
when he came to him after his loss at Thebes :
Speak out, unfold your head, restrain your tears."
No part of the dress of the ancients has given rise
to more discussions and disputes than their chaussure,
and the passages we find relating to this subject in
different authors are not sufficiently explicit to throw
much light upon it.
The ancient statues enable
us to judge of the shape, but do not enlighten us as
to the colour of the boots and sandals. Pythagoras
ordered his disciples to wear sandals made of the bark
of trees. Strabo tells us that, these sandals being
found too thin to protect the feet, they were sometimes
made with copper soles ; he also mentions that Phi-
394
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
lotas, a poet, who lived in the island of Cos, being so
very thin and light that he was afraid of being carried
away by the wind, had the soles of his sandals made
of lead!
The cothurnus, or buskin, worn by the Greeks of
both sexes, is said by some to have been invented by
Thespis, a native of Attica, and the first tragic author.
Others assert that Sophocles was the first who intro-
duced it upon the stage, where its high heels were of
much service to those who undertook the part of
heroes. It usually reached up the leg, and was fas-
tened under the knee. Some were richly ornamented,
and they were frequently of a purple colour.
Soccus, which is often used to express a comic
style, as cothurnus does a tragic, was also Greek.
Terence speaks of it, in one of his tragedies, as an
outside covering for the feet : “Uncertain as to what
I should do, I seated myself, and my slaves came to
to take off my soccus.” Gradually, as the love of or-
nament and display advanced, sandals, which at first
were only made of the skins of animals, assumed a
different appearance, and soon no part of dress was
more remarkable for splendour and magnificence;
gold, precious stones, and embroidery, were all em-
ployed to adorn them. Thus, Homer says :
“ And on his foot the golden sandal shone."
Clasp'd on his feet th' embroider'd sandals shine.”
The phasia was a kind of shoe. Appianus, the
Greek historian, mentions that they were made of
white leather, and were worn by the Athenian priests
when they offered sacrifices.
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
395.
Some think that the ancients were unacquainted
with the use of gloves, but we find them mentioned by
Homer in his description of Laertes, king of Ithaca :
66
and gloves against the thorn.”
Among the ornaments worn by the Greeks, the
brooch bore a distinguished place; it was a necessary
as well as an ornamental part of their attire, being
used to fasten the tunics and the chlamydes. It
was of various shapes and materials. Bracelets, which
were worn both by men and women, appear to have
served as a mark of honour as well as of slavery,
for we find them presented to warriors as a recom-
pense for valour, at a period when they are mentioned
by the historian Suetonius as being worn by slaves, in
token of their servitude. The ordinary kinds were
made of copper or iron, the more elegant of ivory,
silver, gold, and precious stones. Homer thus de-
scribes the bracelet presented by Eurymachus to
Penelope :
“ A bracelet rich with gold, with amber gay,
That shot effulgence like the solar ray.”
Necklaces and bracelets also seem to have been
awarded as the prize of courage both in real and
mimic warfare. Homer speaks of “orient necklaces”
-necklaces strung with pearls, and others worked with
art, whence we may infer that the ancients were skilful
in their manufacture. Ear-rings appear to have been
worn only by women and boys : immense sums were
expended upon these ornaments. Seneca observes that
a single pair was often worth the revenue of a rich man.
396
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
Rings were worn both by men and women; they
were made of plain gold, or of some of the inferior
metals; at others they were set with precious stones,
and often had an image engraved upon them. These
latter were used for sealing letters and papers, and
were called signet rings.
Dieаrarchus describes the ancient Theban women
as veiled from head to foot, leaving nothing visible
but the eyes, which peered through two holes in the
drapery that covered their faces. This account cor-
responds exactly with the dress they now wear.
The dress of the modern Grecians differs much in
various parts of the country. The matrons of Athens
wear garments made of red or blue cloth, with very
short waists, and petticoats falling in folds to the
ground. Over the head and shoulders they throw a
thin flowing veil of white muslin, ornamented with a
gold border.
The attire of a maiden of the same
city consists of a long red yest, with a square yellow
satin cape hanging down behind; they walk with
their hands concealed in the pocket-holes at the sides
of their gowns, and their faces muffled.
Chandler, in his “ Travels in Greece," gives the
following elegant description of a Grecian virgin in
her secluded apartment: “There the girl, like Thetis,
treading on a soft carpet, has her white and delicate
feet naked, the nails tinged with red. Her trousers,
which in winter are of red cloth, and in summer of
fine calico or thin gauze, descend from the hips to
the ankle, hanging loosely about her limbs, the lower
portion embroidered with flowers, and appearing be-
neath the shift, which has the sleeves wide and open,
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
397
and the seams and edges curiously adorned with
needlework. Her vest is of silk, exactly fitted to
the form of the bosom and the shape of the body,
which it rather covers than conceals, and is shorter
than the shift. The sleeves button occasionally at
the hand, and are lined with red or yellow satin. A
rich zone encompasses her waist, and is fastened before
by clasps of silver gilded, or of gold set with precious
stones. Over the vest is a robe, in summer lined
with ermine, and in cold weather with fur of a
warmer kind. The head-
dress is a skull-cap, red
or green, with pearls,
a stay under the chin,
and a yellow forehead
cloth. She has bracelets
of gold on her wrists,
and, like Aurora, is rosy-
fingered, the tips being
stained. Her necklace
is a string of zeckins, a
species of gold coin, or
the pieces called Byzan-
tines. At her cheek is
a lock of hair, made to
curl towards the face ;
and down her back falls a profusion of tresses, spread-
ing over her shoulders. Much time is consumed in
combing and braiding the hair after bathing; and,
at the greater festivals, in enriching and powdering it
with small bits of silver, gilded, and resembling a violin
in shape, and woven in at regular distances. She is
painted blue round the eyes, and the insides of the
398
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
sockets, with the edges on which the lashes grow, are
tinged with black.”
The men on the continent of Greece are usually
seen with large blue trousers, naked legs, and red
slippers ; a red sash, sometimes of silk, girding their
waist, and a jacket of cloth, made in the Venetian
fashion, with seams of guimp. Whiskers are uni.
versally worn: beards only by priests. The elder
men shave the head and cover it with a fez, or cloth
skull-cap, and a blue turban; the younger have their
hair full, and turned under a bonnet of scarlet cloth,
which hangs down on one side.
The usual dress of a Greek lady we find de-
scribed by a recent traveller, as follows: “The dress
of the Grecian ladies of rank and wealth, except at
Smyrna, Constantinople, and a few other large com-
mercial towns, does not differ very materially from
that worn by the Turkish ladies. When out of doors,
however, the two classes are easily distinguishable ;
the Turks muffle up and cover their faces in muslin,
and wear yellow morocco slippers; the Greeks show
their faces, and are obliged to wear slippers of a
dingier hue; besides which there are other points
of difference between their promenade dresses. The
usual costume is a scarlet cloth skull cap on the head,
more or less richly worked in gold, with pearls, &c. ;
an open and flowing gown, with very full sleeves,
mostly made of silk, richly embroidered ; an inner
vest, also richly worked, and setting to the body
almost as closely as a man's waistcoat; very wide
muslin drawers, tied above the ankle, and concealed
by the gown ; morocco. bottines, without soles, thrust
into well-soled morocco slippers, or coloured silk
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
399
stockings and loose shoes ; a long and rich veil, put
on with singular gracefulness, and the cestus, or zone
or girdle (a beautiful shawl), which rests upon the
hips, and is kept down in front by two silver clasps
or bosses. This zone is altogether distinct from the
waist, which is formed by the foldings of the dress
below the bosom ; it is, in short, a second waist, and
though very classical, and the image of the ancient
cestus, is one of the few things at once classical and
Greek that strike us as ungraceful. In cold weather
a short satin pelisse or spenser, trimmed and lined
with furs, is worn over the dress."
We find a great variety in the dress of the in-
habitants of the Grecian islands. Their peculiar
customs, infinitely various as they are in what relates
to dress, are scrupulously retained by the social island-
ers; whilst the continental Greeks are but in a small
degree to be discriminated from each other.
The costume of the inhabitants of these sunny
climes is beautiful, various, and elegant.
- The
higher classes,” says a modern author, “ have adopted
the Venetian or Italian dress, and some have even
ventured upon the English and French modes ; but
the lower ranks still retain their own picturesque
costume. The hair is worn very long, and floats upon
the shoulders ; some use the small red Albanian
skull-cap, which just covers the crown of the head;
others wear a cap of white, red, or blue cotton, which
hangs in a bag behind, or on one side; this is the
common head-dress of the men, particularly the pea-
sants. A double-breasted waistcoat, usually made of
velvet, either maroon-coloured or blue, closed at the
400
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
chest with a double row of hanging buttons of gold
or silver, which begin at the shoulders, and approach
each other towards the waist, forms
the principal feature in their attire;
it is generally bordered with gold
lace, and fastened with a sash of
coloured silk. The lower part of
their dress, which is called thoraki,
is deserving of particular descrip-
tion. It resembles a wide sack,
made generally of blue cotton, with
holes at the corners, through which
the legs are thrust, the superfluous
cloth hanging in folds between the
legs; these trousers are supported
by the silk sash already mentioned :
this garment is sometimes exchanged for the short
white Albanian petticoat, unconfined at the knee, and
resembling the Highland kilt, which is a much more
graceful dress than the thoraki.
The legs are covered with white cotton stockings,
and shoes are worn on the feet, with very large
buckles. Another and more elegant covering for the
feet is a sandal made of undressed leather ; it fits the
foot tightly, and is strapped across the instep and up
the lower part of the leg: this sandal, however, is
only worn by the lowest ranks, chiefly the goat-herds.
These last also have a thick cloak, made of the hair
of goats, or the wool of sheep, with the addition of a
hood to protect the head.
The women in these islands wear their beautiful
long hair plaited in many tresses, and it often grows
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
401
with such luxuriance, that it frequently reaches to
the ground ; a handkerchief, folded corner-wise, gene-
rally covers the head. The gown is made like the
vest worn by the men ; it is of purple or maroon vel-
vet, richly embroidered with gold, and with a very
long waist. A beautiful girdle is worn under the vest,
which always floats open ; the girdle
the girdle is fastened with
an immense gold or silver ornament' at each side,
formed in the shape of a shield. The petticoats worn
with this robe are of rich blue or pink silk, beautifully
embroidered and spangled. In these islands stays are
unknown. The most graceful form of the vest is its
fitting quite close to the waist; the female peasants
also wear high heels to their shoes, ornamented with
silver buckles.
Embroidery appears, from all the ancient authors,
to have attained the greatest perfection in these islands.
It was first invented by the Phrygians, and we fre-
quently find it mentioned both in the “Iliad” and the
Odyssey.” Not only were the dresses of the ladies
beautifully worked by their own delicate fingers, but
they also appear to have embroidered pictures or
stories. Thus, the lovely Helen, we are told, was
cupied in this manner :
“ Meantime to beauteous Helen, from the skies,
The various goddess of the rainbow flies;
(Like fair Laodice in form and face,
The loveliest nymph of Priam's royal race);
Her in the palace at her loom she found;
The golden web her own sad story crown'd,
The Trojan wars she weaved (herself the prize),
And the dire triumphs of her fatal eyes."- HOMER.
D D
402
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
The warriors, also, of “olden time,” wore girdles
or belts covered with the richest embroidery:
66 Stiff with the rich ernbroider'd work around,
My vary'd belt repelled the flying wound.”—HOMER.
ކހ.ހހިހިއހރ
The women of Scio, who have always been cele-
brated for their beauty, have a very
picturesque dress, which is thus de-
scribed by Dr. R. Chandler: “They
wear short petticoats, reaching only
to the knees, with white silk or
cotton hose; their head-dress, which
is peculiar to the island, is a kind
of turban of linen, so fine and white
that it seemed like snow. Their
slippers are chiefly yellow, with a
knot of red fringe at the heel ; some
wore them fastened with a thong.
Their garments were of silk of va-
rious colours, and their whole ap-
pearance so fantastic and lively, as to afford us much
entertainment."
In Cyprus the female dress is very becoming. The
head-dress is modelled upon the kind of calathus which
is often seen represented upon Phænician idols and
Egyptian statues : it is worn by all classes. Their
hair, which they dye with henna till it becomes of
a fine brown colour, hangs down behind in a great
many glossy braids or plaits. Round the face ringlets
are arranged in a very graceful manner, and among
the “hyacinthine waves” of these shining curls are
placed the flowers of the jessamine, which are strung
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
403
together upon slips cut from the leaves of the palm-
tree. This coiffure, which is as simple as it is elegant
and beautiful, is much admired by all strangers who
visit the island.
In their dresses they are fond of displaying the
brightest and most gaudy colours. The upper robe
is generally of a rich crimson, scarlet, or green silk,
profusely embroidered in gold; their yellow or scarlet
trousers are fastened round the ankles, and they wear
yellow boots, or slippers. Their love of ornament is
very great, and they adorn the head and neck with
gold coins, chains, and various other trinkets. Around
the waist also they wear a large and massive belt or
zone, clasped in front by large and heavy brass plates :
the waist of the robe is made as long as possible. But
though very handsome, the women of this island are
naturally rather corpulent; and as stays are there un-
known, they of course have no means, even if they
wished it, of diminishing their size.
In Casos the women wear a boddice without
sleeves, opening a little towards the top; a robe of
the whitest and finest cotton, edged with a purple
border four fingers wide, and elegantly embroidered,
descends to their feet, and the waist is loosely girded
by a sash, which floats gracefully around them.
The dress of the men consists of a short jacket
and waistcoat, without a collar, very full breeches,
with a red sash round the waist, a small red cap
fitting close to the crown of the head, and shoes
resembling our slippers ; the legs and throat are
generally bare. They wear moustaches, but never
beards; and though they do not shave the fore
part of the head, like the Albanians, yet the hair is
404
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
made to lie back, and falls down the neck to a great
length.
The women of Cephalonia wear their hair wreathed
in broad plaits over a small thin turban, which is fas-
tened in a knot on one side of the head. The gown,
which discloses the neck and shoulders, is closed at
the breast, and confined at the waist by a shawl; it
flows loosely from the girdle, and is open in front.
Under it is worn a pair of loose white trousers. The
bpákz, mentioned in a fragment of Sappho as being
worn at Mitylene, are supposed to be fac-similes of
these trousers ; they are drawn tight above the ankle,
and leave to view the bare feet, on which are worn a
pair of low light slippers that just cover the toes and
heels.
The dress of the women
of the isle of Ios is simple
and graceful. A light un-
der-dress gives the outlines
of their elegant forms, with-
out incommodingtheir move-
ments. Their petticoats are
00
short, and ornamented round
the bottom and round the
front of the bosom ; they
also wear loose jackets, and
a kind of turban, one end
of which hangs down upon
the left shoulder.
It is the custom in some
of the islands for a bride,
on the day of her marriage,
to wear a veil of red silk. This practice has been
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
405
transmitted from the ancient Grecians, with whom
the flamen, or red veil, was in general use on this
occasion.
The women of Argentiera have the singular fancy
to admire clumsy legs, and those
to whom Nature has denied this
perfection make up for it by
wearing several pair of very thick
stockings; they also have velvet
boots, either embroidered or or-
namented with silver buttons.
Their petticoat, which is very
short, to shew their legs, is white,
with a red embroidered border ;
the rest of their dress consists of
an enormous mass of linen, which
hangs about them without much
shape.
Their gala-dress is very pic-
turesque. It consists of a short
petticoat with a coloured hem ; very wide, open, upper
sleeves, and tight under ones ; a velvet boddice, made
rather low round the bosom, which is veiled by a full
tucker of linen; and a kind of coiffure, between a
turban and a hood, covering the head, and allowing
but little hair to be seen.
The most curious part of the costume is a very
short ornamented apron, which is sewn into the bod-
dice, about half-way between the neck and the waist,
and quite conceals the symmetry and grace of the
latter,
The costume on a jour de fête, or any great occa-
406
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
sion, in the isle of Naxos, is very curious. The head
is covered with a turban of fine white muslin, edged
with embroidery; a white linen vest is clasped round
the throat ; over it is an open boddice with a very
broad ornamented girdle : the sleeves of this boddice
are tight to the wrist, and the petticoat reaches below
the knee. But the extraordinary part of this dress
is a short upper robe, iminensely full, and curiously
arranged in close plaits and folds, in such a manner
that, from the hips, it suddenly spreads out into two
enormous wings or fans, giving the wearer a most
grotesque appearance. A short cloak, richly embroi.
dered, and having holes through which the arms are
passed, the short apron above-mentioned, and shoes
with very thick soles and large bows, complete the
attire, which is ornamented with coloured borders and
embroidery in every part.
In Tinos the dress is very simple. It consists of a
garment not unlike a chemise, which reaches to the
neck and below the knee, and is frequently of white
linen. At the height of the knee, from the bottom, is
sewn a narrow-coloured border. The sleeves of this
robe are very wide and loose down to the wrists, and
are edged round the bottom with embroidery; the
head is enveloped in a kind of veil, which is twisted
into the form of a very small turban, but the ends are
brought round the face, crossed on the neck, and then
allowed to float down the back; the stockings are
neat, and the shoes have high heels. Altogether it is
a simple and elegant costume.
In Patmos the robe is confined at the waist by
a girdle, from whence falls the narrow embroidered
THE TOILETTE IN GREECE.
407
apron; the sleeves are nearly tight down to the wrists,
and an open jacket is worn that reaches as low as
the hips. The head is ornamented with a simple but
elegant turban of very fine white linen. In some of
the islands, and even in some parts of the continent,
unmarried women braid their hair and ornament it
with natural flowers; others adorn their heads with
the most tasteful and elegant-shaped turbans, formed
of light-coloured muslins.
NIO)
THE TOILETTE IN ALBANIA.
CHAPTER XXXVIII.
HO has not read of
VI HIV
“ The wild Albanian kirtled to
his knee,
With shawl-girt head, and
ornamented gun,
And gold embroider'd gar-
ments fair to see ?”
will
These brave and hardy people wear a graceful
and a fanciful costume. The better classes have an
outer mantle, made of coarse woollen stuff, bordered
and embroidered with scarlet threads; this mantle,
being long, falls loosely from the shoulders down the
back, and reaches as low as the knees. Two vests
are always worn, and the higher orders even have
THE TOILETTE IN ALBANIA.
409
C
تم مادر
three: the outer one is open, and the inner one laced
down the middle, and richly figured. In their broad
sash or belt are suspended one or two pistols, the
handles of which are very long, and often curiously
wrought and ornamented in silver. The shirt, made
of coarse cotton, hangs from beneath the belt like a
kilt, and the drawers are of the same
material. Their legs are clothed in
variously-coloured stockings, or high
socks and sandals; they have also
metal greaves or coverings for the
knees and ankles.
The head - dress consists gene-
rally of a small red skull-cap, to
which is added a shawl, wound round
in the form of a turban. The most
remarkable part of an Albanian's
dress, however, is the capote, or
cloak, worn indiscriminately by all
ranks, the lowest as well as the
highest. It is generally made of
white or grey wool, but black horsehair is also used
occasionally. This garment has wide open sleeves,
and a square flap or cape behind, that serves some-
times as a hood. This cloak, which is generally
thrown over one shoulder, gives a theatrical appear-
ance, which is much increased by the stately manner
in which an Albanian always walks.
Unlike the Turks, who are said to leave only one
lock of their hair in its original state of nature, that
Mahomet may draw them up to heaven by it, this
people wear their hair long, in the ancient Spartan
fashion.
410
THE TOILETTE IN ALBANIA.
“ An Arnaout girl, in costly garb, walks with graceful pride.”
This verse of an Arnaout, or Albanian song, shews
that a love of display is not erroneously attributed to
the females of this nation.
The difference between the habiliments of the
higher and lower orders consists only in the splen-
dour of the material, the form of the garments being
always the same. A napkin is fastened tight over
the forehead, falling to the shoulders behind, and on
each side in front, as far as the chin. Quantities of
silver or gold coins hang about the forehead and
under the chin, and are braided into the hair, which
hangs in long tresses down to the calves of the legs.
The shift is embroidered very richly in front, and
entirely covers the arms. The sash or girdle is of
blue stuff. An embroidered jacket is worn over the
shift ; it reaches to the elbows, and is trimmed with
fringe: another rich jacket is also worn, which is
rather shorter than that beneath it, and has no sleeves.
They wear yellow boots and slippers.
The Albanian soldiers are generally splendidly
attired; the ornaments on
the ornaments on their knees and ankles
being of silver filigree, and the sandals studded with
silver stars. The officers frequently wear jackets of
the richest velvet, embossed with gold and silver, till
they are as stiff as a coat of mail.
Mr. Morrit, describing one of the chieftains of
the country of Maina, says: “He wore a close vest,
with open sleeves, of white and gold embroidery, and
a short black velvet mantle, edged with sables; the
sash which held his pistols and his poignard, was a
shawl of red and gold. His light-blue trousers were
THE TOILETTE IN ALBANIA.
411
gathered at the knee, and below them were close
gaiters of blue cloth, with gold embroidery, and silver-
gilt bosses to protect the ankles. . When he left the
house he flung on his shoulders a rich cloth mantle,
with loose sleeves, which was blue without and red
within, embroidered with gold in front and down the
sleeves in the most sumptuous manner. His turban
was green and gold.”
THE TOILETTE IN INDIA.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
THE
HE sweet, harmonious tinkling
of golden anklets now invites
us to repose under the shade
of the sacred banyan, while the
soft balmy breeze wafts towards
us the elegant blossoms of
the oleander, the myrtle, the
jasmine, and “ love's
creeper,
°?* in the land where
Ull
own
- Flowrets and fruits blush over
every stream :”
* The cálamatá (called by Linnæus Ipomea) is the most beau-
tiful of its order, both in the colour and form of its leaves and
flowers; its elegant blossoms are
66 celestial rosy red, Love's proper
hue," and have justly procured it the name of calamatá, or love's
creeper.”—Sir W. Jones.
THE TOILETTE IN INDIA,
413
where we may
“ Gather the rich anana, India's pride
Of vegetable life; beyond whate'er
The poets imaged of the golden age.”
Where the blue water-lilies bathe their azure blossoms
in the crystal waves of the “ Lake of Pearl,” near
whose sunny banks the bird of a “ thousand songs”
serenades his lovely rose, and where the stately elephant
reposes under the shade of the high palmeto and the
spreading tamarind. Such is the far-famed country of
Hindostan—the land beneath whose bosom lie con-
cealed the most precious jewels, and the beds of whose
rivers teem with gold — while the fields, groves, and
gardens are filled with the richest spices, and adorned
with the loveliest flowers.
The ordinary dress of the inhabitants of this
favoured clime is described by Lord as follows : “ In
India a people present themselves to our eyes clothed
in linen garments, somewhat
low descending; of a gesture
and garb we may say maidenly,
and well-nigh effeminate.”
Forbes, in the “ Oriental
Memoirs," tells us that in most
of the Hindoo tribes the men
shave the head and beard,
but leave the moustaches on
the upper lip, and a small
lock of hair on the head. The
better sort wear turbans of fine
muslin, of different colours,
and a jama, or long gown, of white calico, which is
414
THE TOILETTE IN INDIA.
tied round the waist with a fringed or embroidered
sash. The shoes are of red leather, or English broad-
cloth, sometimes ornamented, and always turned up
with a long point at the toe. Their ears are bored,
and adorned with large gold rings, passing through
two pearls or rubies, and on the arms they wear
bracelets of gold and silver.
The princes and nobles are adorned with pearl
necklaces and gold chains, sustaining clusters of costly
gems; their turbans are enriched with diamonds,
rubies, and emeralds, and their bracelets composed of
gold and precious stones.
The dress of the inferior castes usually consists
of a turban, a short cotton vest, and drawers, but
some wear only a turban and a cloth round the waist;
although the poorest among them usually contrive to
purchase a silver bangle, or bracelet, for the arm.
}
The costume of the Hindoo women is peculiarly
becoming. It consists of a long piece of silk or cotton
THE TOILETTE IN INDIA.
415
tied round the waist, and hanging in a graceful man-
ner to the feet; it is afterwards brought over the
body in negligent folds : under this they cover the
bosom with a short waistcoat of satin, but wear no
linen. Their long black hair is adorned with jewels
and wreaths of flowers; their ears are bored in many
places, and loaded with pearls; a variety of gold
chains, strings of pearl, and precious stones, fall from
the neck over the bosom, and the arms are covered
with bracelets from the wrist to the elbow. They also
have gold and silver chains round the ankles, and
abundance of rings on their fingers and toes ; among
the former is often a small mirror. They perfume
their hair with oil of cloves, cinnamon, sandal, mo-
grees, and sweet-scented flowers, and those who can
afford it use the oil or ottar of roses ; they also make
use of henna and antimony, like most other Eastern
nations, to heighten their beauty.
The costume of the Mahomedans in India is much
like that of the Hindoos, especially the turban, the
long white gown, sash, and shoes; but, in addition,
they wear full trousers, usually of satin, with gold and
silver flowers, and a catarra, or short dagger, in their
girdle. The Mahomedan women adorn themselves
with a variety of jewels, worn over a close gown of
muslin, with long sleeves and a short waist; silk or
satin drawers reach to the ankles, and a transparent
veil covers the head.
When the Hindoos and Mahomedans are baptized
into the Christian faith, the women lay aside their
Eastern dress, and put on a jacket and petticoat; and
the men wear as much of the European apparel as
they can, with the exception of a coat and stockings,
416
THE TOILETTE IN INDIA.
22
which are only worn on festivals and days of cere-
mony.
The Brahmins seldom wear a turban in the tem-
ples, and the upper part of their body is usually
naked ; but they never appear without the zennar, or
sacred string, passing over them from the left shoulder,
and a piece of white cotton tied round the waist, fall-
ing in graceful folds below the knees.
The costume of a Mahratta chieftain, described
by Forbes, is gorgeous in the extreme.
“ He wore,"
says that writer, “a muslin vest, and drawers of crim-
son and gold kincob; his turban and sash were of
purple muslin, the former adorned with sprigs of dia-
monds and rubies, and a very valuable emerald ; from
his neck depended two rows of beautiful pearls, sus-
taining a cluster of diamonds; his ear-rings, according
to the Hindoo fashion, were four large pearls, and as
many perforated, transparent rubies, on gold rings two
or three inches in diameter; he wore a rich bracelet
on the right arm ; the handle of his
catarra, or short dagger, was studded
with jewels, the hilt of his broad sword
plain gold.”
The Armenian merchants residing
in India adopt the Turkish dress,
only instead of a turban the men wear
a high cap of black velvet, and the
women conceal the mouth with a mus-
lin handkerchief.
The manners and customs of the
Indians in the time of Alexander, as
described by Arrian, were much the
same as those of the modern Hindoos. He mentions
THE TOILETTE IN INDIA.
417
their garments of cotton of an extraordinary whiteness,
the custom of men wearing ear-rings, parti-coloured
shoes, and veils covering the heads and great part of
the shoulders; the custom of daubing their faces with
colours, and the principal people having umbrellas
held over them. Strabo also mentions most of these
particulars, and Herodotus speaks of their manufac-
turing fine cotton wool for clothing.
-----
EE
THE TOILETTE IN THE MOGUL EMPIRE.
CHAPTER XL.
66 *
*
In ample mode
A military robe of purple flowed
O'er all his frame; illustrious on his breast
The double clasping of the king confest:
In the rich woof a hound, Mosaic drawn,
Bore on full stretch and seized a dappled fawn.
Fine as a filmy web beneath it shone
A vest, that dazzled like a cloudless sun;
A sabre, when the warrior pressed to part,
He gave, enamelled with Vulcanian art;
A mantle purple tinged, and radiant vest,
Affection grateful to an honoured guest."-Odyssey.
HE dress of the princes and
nobles in Homer's time re-
sembled the jama, girdle, and
kincob drawers, flowered with
gold and silver, now worn by
the Moguls, as we find by the
above description of Ulysses
in his royal attire; and it is
worthy of notice that the cus-
tom of making presents of
garments, as mentioned in
the last two lines, has con-
tinued ever since, and is still
prevalent among Eastern na-
tions. In the description of
THE TOILETTE IN THE MOGUL EMPIRE.
419
the reception of the ambassadors sent by the Uzbek
Tartars to Aureng-Zébe, we read that he commanded
there should be given to each of the ambassadors a
seraph, or vesture from head to foot-namely, a vest of
brocade, a turban, and a sash of silk in embroidery.
The dress of Hyder Ali, the most formidable
enemy the English ever met with in the East, like
that of most of the natives of India, consisted of a
robe of white muslin, with a turban of the same. The
vest, which is fashioned much like the gown of a
European lady, is fastened at the body and sleeves by
strings ; the rest of the robe hangs loosely in folds, so
that the grandees of India, when they walk, have a
page to support their train.
Hyder Ali, though so brave a warrior, was greatly
devoted to the duties of the toilette, and generally
bestowed two or three hours every morning on the
adornment of his person, much of which time was
taken up by his barbers. In the army this great
nabob wore a military habit, invented by himself for
his generals. It was a uniform composed of a vest of
white satin with gold flowers, faced with yellow, and
attached by cords or strings of a similar colour ;
drawers of the same materials and boots of yellow
velvet, a scarf of white silk round the waist, and a
turban of red or yellow. Hyder Ali, though so fond
of dress, never wore jewels on his turban or clothes,
neither did he adorn himself with ear-rings, necklaces,
or bracelets. In this particular he followed the ancient
fashions, as well as in his slippers, which were very
large and had very long points turning backwards.
The petits-maitres of his and other Indian courts
adopted the mode of wearing little caps, which scarcely
420
THE TOILETTE IN THE MOGUL EMPIRE.
covered the tops of their heads, and slippers so small
as hardly to admit their toes. Forbes, in his “Oriental
Memoirs,” says that the slippers, girdle, and other
parts of a Mogul dress of both sexes, are embroidered
with gold, silver, and coloured silks, upon velvet, satin,
or scarlet cloth. The jama is often richly embroidered.
This is the name of the muslin robe worn by the
Hindoos and Mahomedans, which falls in full folds
from the waist to the feet. The upper part is made
to fit close to the body, and, crossing over the bust, is
made to tie by the Hindoos on the left side, and by the
Mahomedans on the right.
Forbes gives the following description of the dress
of a Mogul lady:-“Her drawers of green satin, flow-
ered with gold, were seen under a chemise of transpa-
rent gauze, reaching to her slippers, which were richly
embroidered. A vest of pale blue satin, edged with
gold, sat close to her shape, which an upper robe of
striped silver muslin, full and flowing, displayed to
great advantage. A netted veil of crimson silk,
flowered with silver, fell carelessly over her long
braided hair, which was combed smooth and divided
from the forehead, where a cluster of jewels was
fastened by strings of seed pearl. Her ear-rings were
large and handsome—the ring worn in her nose,
according to our idea of ornament, less becoming. A
necklace, in intermingled rows of pearl and gold,
covered her bosom, and several strings of large pearls
were suspended from an embroidered girdle set with
diamonds ; bracelets of gold and coral reached from
her wrist to her elbow, golden chains encircled her
ankles, and all her toes and fingers were adorned
with valuable rings."
THE TOILETTE IN THE MOGUL EMPIRE.
421
The silk net veil of a crimson or purple colour,
embroidered in silver, which the Mogul ladies wear,
either to cover the face or to throw back over the
shoulders as an ornament, is similar to that mentioned
in the “Odyssey” as being presented by Helen to
Telemachus :-
“ The beauteous queen, advancing, then displayed
A shining veil, and thus endearing said:
Accept, dear youth, this monument of love,
Long since in better days by Helen wove;
Safe in thy mother's care the vesture lay,
To deck thy bride and grace thy nuptial day."
The court of Hyder Ali was the most brilliant of
his time in India. His company of comedians was
very celebrated, both on account of their riches and
the beauty as well as the harmonious voices of the
Bayadères or dancing girls. The dimpled cheeks of
these lovely creatures are tinged a yellow colour,
which, though a strange adornment in the eyes of a
European, is much admired by the Orientals. Their
black hair hangs in flowing tresses to the ground.
Their dress is always made of fine gauze, very richly
embroidered with gold, and they are covered with
jewels. The head, neck, ears, breast, arms, fingers,
legs, and toes, have each their own peculiar ornament,
and even the nose is adorned with a diamond. Small
bells are frequently used as ornaments by these fair
maidens.
" A zone of sweet bells
Round the waist of some fair Indian dancer is ringing.”
The Sikhs, the most rising people of modern
422
THE TOILETTE IN THE MOGUL EMPIRE:
India, next come under our observation. Runjeet
Singh, their celebrated chief, like Hyder Ali, had a
great taste for the adornments of fashion, and was
imitated in his love of fine clothes by his whole
court, which was in this respect unequalled in all the
East.
The Sikhs wear a small flat turban, which becomes
them well, and a short tunic, which only descends as
far as the knee, leaving the rest of the leg exposed.
Costly brocades and shawls lined with fur are em-
ployed by the great for these tunics. The Sikhs wear
their hair long ; the ladies of the tribe knot it at the
crown, and throw over the head a robe, which also
envelopes the body and gives them a singular ap-
pearance. They pull the hair so tight to form this
knot that the skin of the forehead is drawn with it,
and the eyebrows are considerably removed from the
visual organs.
The glowing descriptions in the “Arabian Nights”
are not more gorgeous than the realities often met
with in India. Sir Alexander Burnes, in a letter
addressed to General John Ramsay, thus describes the
interview of the “Lion of the Punjab," Maharaja
Runjeet Singh, with the Governor-General of India,
which he justly says rivalled the “Field of the Cloth of
Gold” in splendour and magnificence.
“ Early in the morning of the 26th, Kurruck Singh
crossed the Sutlege, to conduct the Governor-General
to his father's camp. His lordship departed under a
royal salute, accompanied by his personal staff, all the
public functionaries, and the principal European gen-
tlemen present. Runjeet Sing advanced to the water's
THE TOILETTE IN THE MOGUL EMPIRE.
423
edge, about a mile from the camp, where his lordship
left his own elephant and proceeded in the same houda
with the Maharaja. The spectacle which now pre-
sented itself was truly grand. There were seventy
elephants advancing with Sikh chiefs and European
gentlemen in full uniform. The Maharaja's troops
were drawn up at some distance from the road. The
procession was preceded by a band of music, and the
16th Lancers and body-guard closed it. It would be
impossible to give a description of the magnificence
exhibited at the Sikh encampment on this occasion.
Two regiments of infantry were drawn up at right
angles to each other; at the apex of the triangle was
a spacious and lofty triumphal arch, covered with red
cloth and gilded ornaments, lined with yellow silk.
Another arch, more splendid than the first, was erected
a short distance in advance, and proceeding through
both of these we reached the court-yard. His high-
ness's suite of tents occupied a rising ground overlook-
ing the Sutlege, and inside the screen that entirely
surrounded them the troops of the household were
drawn up in order, forming a perfect wall of soldiers.
There was a silence among this mass of men that made
the scene most imposing. On alighting from the
elephants Runjeet conducted the Governor-General to
a pavilion where the court was held, and seated his
lordship between himself and his son. The chiefs
occupied the space immediately behind his highness,
and the European gentlemen sat on two rows of chairs
that formed a street for the approach of the different
personages of rank who were to be introduced. The
whole court was shaded by a lofty arcade of yellow
424
THE TOILETTE IN THE MOGUL EMPIRE.
*
silk. On the floor were spread out the richest carpets
and shawls of Cashmere, and behind the Maharaja
stood a spacious tent glittering with every ornament;
it was composed partly of crimson velvet, yellow French
satin, and Cashmere shawls. It realised
every
notion
of Eastern grandeur. But the Maharaja himself was
a greater object of attraction than this magnificence.
He was robed in green satin ; on his right arm he
wore that splendid diamond the Koh-i-noor,' and
his wrist and neck were encircled by superb pearls.
About three hundred chiefs were intro-
duced. Some appeared in chain armour; and one
individual, Soojet Singh, a raja, and high in favour,
wore a casque surmounted by a white plume, splendidly
adorned with pearls and diamonds; he was the hand-
somest man at court, and on this day the admira-
tion of both Europeans and natives. On a golden
footstool in front of the Maharaja sat a youth, the
nephew of this person, and the only individual in
the Punjab who is allowed the honour of a seat.
He wore the largest necklace of pearls which I have
ever seen, and the intelligent physiognomy of the
little fellow seemed to speak favourably for Runjeet's
choice.”
A scene which took place at the Maharaja's court
at Lahore is also worthy of description. “The hall
of audience is built entirely of marble, and is the
work of the Mogul emperors ; part of the roof was
gorgeously decorated by a pavilion of silken cloth,
studded with jewels. The Maharaja himself wore
a necklace, armlets, and bracelets of emeralds, some
of which were very large; the nobles likewise dis-
THE TOILETTE IN THE MOGUL EMPIRE.
425
played upon their persons vast quantities of jewels,
and all the court was habited in yellow, the favourite
colour of the nation."
The neighbours of the Sikhs, the Scindians,
from religious motives, wear garments of dark colour,
and form their turbans of tight and round folds of
cloth.
The weaving and embroidery of India are justly
celebrated, and have been so for many ages.
The
stuffs of Mooltan and Bhawalpoor are now interwoven
with gold, and frequently of a purple colour ; and we
read that Aureng-Zêbe had a tent lined with Masuli-
patam chintzes, figured with flowers, so natural in
appearance, and of such vivid colours, that the tent
resembled a real parterre.
The muslin drawers worn by the women in India
are frequently most richly and beautifully embroidered
with needlework, and some of them are of so fine
a texture as only to allow of once putting on. Satins
and silks are also embroidered in the hand, in great
quantities. One of the garments worn by Aureng-
Zêbe is described as having been a vest of white
delicately-flowered satin, adorned with a silk and gold
embroidery of the finest texture and the brightest
colours.
In this country men as well as women devote
much time to embroidery; and it is not unusual to
see several of the former seated cross-legged on a mat
employed in a manner that in Europe would be con-
sidered effeminate, and quite below the dignity of
the nobler sex.
But in India the needle does not
belong exclusively to woman ; her prerogative is there
426
THE TOILETTE IN THE MOGUL EMPIRE.
invaded ; and the most delicate patterns of tinted
flowers, or muslins fine as the spider's web, are orna-
mented in gold and silver threads by these industrious
workmen.
.
THE
TOILETTE IN THE BIRMAN EMPIRE.
IN
WWW
CHAPTER XLI.
HERE is no country in which a
more minute attention is paid to
the ornamental parts of dress than
in this division of the East. The
tsaloc, or chain, is the badge of
the order of nobility, of which there
are different degrees, distinguished
by the number of strings or rows
of precious stones which compose this ornament.
These strings are fastened by bosses where they unite.
Three strings of open chain-work mark the lowest
rank; three of twisted wire is the next, then of six, of
nine, and of twelve. No subject is allowed more than
twelve; the king alone wears twenty-four.
428
THE TOILETTE IN THE BIRMAN EMPIRE.
the ear-
With the Birmans many articles of daily use, as
well as of ornament, indicate the rank of the possessor.
The shape of the betel-box, which is carried by an
attendant after the people of distinction;
rings, cap of ceremony, horse furniture, and even the
metal drinking-cup,- all indicate the different degrees
of society; and woe be to him who assumes the in-
signia of a rank to which he has no legitimate right!
The common dress of a man of distinction consists
of a tight coat with long sleeves made of muslin, or of
very fine nankeen, and a silk wrapper fastened at the
waist, The court-dress of the nobility is very be-
coming : it is formed of a long robe, either of flowered
satin or velvet, reaching to the ankles, with an open
collar and loose sleeves. Over this there is a scarf, or
flowing mantle, that hangs from the shoulders; and
on their heads they wear high caps made of velvet, or
silk embroidered with flowers, according to the rank
of the wearer. Ear-rings are an indispensable part of
the attire. Some of them are made of gold tubes
about three inches in length, expanding into a ball at
the lower end; others consist of heavy masses of gold,
the weight of which often drags the ear down to the
extent of two or three inches.
Colonel Symes, in his account of an “
Embassy to
the Kingdom of Ava,” thus describes the appearance
of the Birman king :-“ His crown was a high conical
cap, richly studded with precious stones; his fingers
were covered with rings, and in his dress he bore the
appearance of a man cased in golden armour, whilst a
gold wing on each shoulder did not add much lightness
to his figure. He advanced but slowly, and appeared
not to possess a free use of his limbs. I was informed,
66
THE TOILETTE IN THE BIRMAN EMPIRE.
429
however, that this appearance of weakness did not
proceed from any bodily infirmity, but from the weight
of the regal habiliments.”
White is the royal colour, and the state umbrellas
are always of a snowy hue, richly bespangled with
gold. None of the Eastern courts display more
splendour and magnificence than the Birman. A
European is quite dazzled by the brilliancy of the
officers of state, with their glittering garments, rich
palanquins, and large gilded fans, as well as by the
dancing girls, who are thus described by Moore :-
“Around the white necks of the nymphs who danc'd.
Hung carcanets of orient gems, that glanc'd
More brilliar:t than the sea-glass glittering o'er
The hills of crystal on the Caspian shore ;
While from their long, dark tresses, in a fall
Of curls descending, bells as musical
As those that, on the golden shafted trees
Of Eden, shake in the Eternal Breeze,
Rung round their steps, at every bound more sweet,
As 't were the extatic language of the feet!”
The Birman women have their distinguishing
ornaments as well as the men : their hair is tied in a
bunch at the top of the head, and bound round with a
fillet, the embroidery and jewels of which mark their
respective ranks. Their dress consists of a short
chemise, and a loose jacket with tight sleeves. Round
their waist they roll a long piece of silk, or cloth, which
reaches to the feet, and sometimes trails on the ground.
When women of distinction go abroad, they put on
a scarf, or shawl, made of silk, which they throw
around them with much grace and elegance. Women
in full dress stain the palms of their hands and their
430
THE TOILETTE IN THE BIRMAN EMPIRE.
G
nails of a red colour, and rub their faces with powder
of sandal-wood, or of a bark called sunneka. Both
men and women tinge the edges of their eyelids and
their teeth with black, which in the latter case gives
them a disagreeable appearance. The lower class of
females often wear only a single gar-
ment, in the form of a sheet, which,
wrapped round the body and tucked
in under the arms, descends to the
ankle.
Men of the working classes also
wear a very limited quantity of cloth-
ing; a mantle or vest is, however,
highly prized in the cold season.
Their neighbours, the inhabitants
of Siam, wear very little clothing,
which may, perhaps, be accounted
for by the excessive heat of the
climate. People of rank tie a piece of calico round
the waist, and allow it to hang down to the knees.
The lower classes wear a garment that resembles
breeches: All have a muslin shirt without a collar,
and open in front, with large loose sleeves, and no
wristbands. When the weather is cold they throw a
piece of painted linen over their shoulders, like a
mantle, and twist it round their arms.
The women's dress is much the same. They wrap
a cloth round the waist, and let the ends hang to the
ground ; they also cover the neck and shoulders, but
never wear any ornament on the head. They cover
their fingers with rings, and wear numerous bracelets
and immense ear-rings. All classes have very pointed
shoes, but no stockings.
THE TOILETTE IN THE BIRMAN EMPIRE.
431
The king is distinguished by a vest of rich brocaded
satin, with tight sleeves to the wrist; and it is un-
lawful to wear this dress unless it is presented by the
sovereign as a mark of favour to a subject.
The court wear red dresses, and the king a cap
shaped like a sugar-loaf, surrounded by a circle of
precious stones, and fastened under the chin. Officers
of rank have coronets of gold or silver. In travelling,
hats are used, but in general no covering is worn on
the head : the hair is very thick, and both sexes cut it
quite short to the ears; the women make it stand up
straight from the head. Beards are never worn in
Siam.
THE TOILETTE IN PERSIA.
CHAPTER XLII.
- The moon hath risen clear and calm,
And o'er the Green Sea palely shines,
Revealing Bahrein's groves of palm,
And lighting Kishma's amber vines.
Fresh smell the shores of Araby,
While breezes from the Indian Sea,
Blow round Selama's sainted cape,
And curl the shining flood beneath,
Whose waves are rich with many a grape,
And cocoa-nut and flowery wreath,
Which pious seamen, as they pass’d,
Had tow'rd that holy headland cast."
.
HE Persian women
are strictly confined
to the seraglio, and
pass the whole day at
their toilette, which, with
these beautiful prisoners,
is almost the only amuse-
ment. The Persian ladies take great pains to
heighten their beauty, and call to their aid washes
THE TOILETTE IN PERSIA.
433
and paints, not only of a red, white, and black
colour, but also of a yellow hue. Ornamental
patching, once so much the fashion in Europe, is
still employed by them, and few female faces are to
be seen without one or more khals, as they call these
artificial moles, which are so often mentioned with
admiration by the poets of their country. In the
earliest accounts that we possess of Persia, we find
this fashion mentioned, as well as that of padding the
petticoats to improve the shape of the figure, of
concealing the ruthless attacks of time by the use of
false hair, and of adorning the head with feathered
ornaments.
In an Eastern manuscript, adorned with drawings
of the heroes and heroines of the tales, are represented
several Persian female figures, whose dresses bear in
many respects a strong resemblance to the fashions of
Europe. Some of them are drawn without any orna-
ment on the head, the hair falling in ringlets over the
neck and shoulders; others have round their heads a
kind of diadem set with precious stones, from which
rise one or more tufts of feathers, the quills being set
in sockets of gold or gems. Some of the figures are
adorned with the nose-jewel, that singular ornament
to which the Asiatic ladies were formerly so partial,
and the antiquity of which is indisputably proved, by
its being mentioned among the Jewish trinkets in the
Old Testament. They have also ear-rings attached to
the upper as well as the lower part of the ear, and
necklaces consisting of many rows of jewels of different
kinds.
The dress of most of these heroines consists of a
robe, the upper part of which fits tight to the shape,
FF
434
THE TOILETTE IN PERSIA.
while the petticoat, being long and wide, falls in
graceful folds ; a girdle of great width covered with
embroidery and precious stones; trousers; and a head-
dress like that now generally worn, consisting of a low-
crowned cap, terminating in a point, round which are
wreathed several folds of silk or fine linen: to this is
fastened, with a gold bodkin, a large veil, which shrouds
the whole figure.
In Mr. Morier's “ Travels in Persia," the costume
of the Persian queen is thus described :-“Her dress
was rendered so cumbersome by the quantity of jewels
embroidered upon it, that she could scarcely move
under its weight. Her trousers in particular were so
engrafted with pearls, that they looked more like a
piece of mosaic than wearing apparel. Padded with
cotton inside, stiffened by cloth of gold without, they
were so fashioned as to exclude the possibility of dis-
covering the shape of the leg, and kept it cased up, as it
were, in the shape of a column."
He also mentions that the
queen's daughter, who was cele-
brated throughout the country for
her beauty, was greatly disfigured
in the eyes of a European by the
immense quantity of red and white
paint with which her face was
daubed, and that her eyebrows,
which were arched, were connect-
ed over the nose by a great stripe
of black paint, and her eyelids
and lashes strongly tinged with
antimony.
The ordinary dress of a Persian female consists,
THE TOILETTE IN PERSIA.
435
when in-doors, of a large black silk handkerchief round
the head, a gown which descends to the knees, a pair
of loose trousers, and green light-heeled slippers.
The interview of the English Ambassadress with
the Queen of Persia is mentioned in these words by an
Eastern traveller:-" The ambassadress was introduced
into a large open room, at one corner of which was seated
the queen, dressed out in truly Persian splendour.
Large gilded knots appeared on her head-dress, which
was of great size, and the other parts of her attire,
like that of Zobeide, the Caliph's favourite in the
“Arabian Nights,” were so loaded with jewels, that
she could scarcely walk. In a corner of the room stood
some of the king's children, so stiffened out with bro-
cade, velvet, furs, and jewellery, that they almost looked
like fixtures. Great numbers of women were ranged in
rows without the room, all ornamented with jewellery.”
The bestowing of dresses is a mark of honour con-
stantly practised in Persia, and is one of the most an-
cient customs of Eastern nations; it is mentioned both
in sacred and profane history. We learn how great was
the distinction of giving a coat that had been worn,
by what is recorded of Jonathan's love for David.
“And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was
upon him, and gave it to David; and his garments,
even to his sword, and to his bow, and to his girdle.”
(1 Samuel, xviii. 4.) And in Esther also (ch. vi. 7,8),
we read, “ And Haman answered the king, For the
man whom the king delighteth to honour, let the royal
apparel be brought which the king useth to wear.
The maidens of Yezd, a town situated near the
Ghebers' “ holy mountain,” wear a head-dress com-
posed of a light gold chain-work set with small pearls,
436
THE TOILETTE IN PERSIA.
with a thin gold plate hanging from the side, about the
size of a crown-piece, on which is inscribed an Arabian
prayer, thus described by Moore:-
“A light golden chain-work round her hair,
Such as the maids of Yezd and Shiraz wear,
From which, on either side, gracefully hung
A golden amulet, in the Arab tongue
Engraven o'er, with some immortal line
From holy writ, or bard scarce less divine.”
The females of Khorassan wear ear-rings of very
large dimensions, with great quantities of turquoises
suspended from them, for these stones are of but little
value
“In that delightful province of the sun,
The first of Persian lands he shines upon,
Where all the loveliest children of his beam,
Flowrets and fruits, blush over every stream ;
And, fairest of all streams, the Murga roves
Among Miron's bright palaces and groves."
We must not take leave of the
fair sex of Persia without mention-
ing the Squadanus, or Bebees, the
female descendants of Mahomet,
who
go about veiled, or rather with
a long white robe thrown over the
whole body, having netted orifices
before the eyes and mouth.
The men in Persia pay as much
attention to their beards as the
women do to their hair; they per-
fume them highly, and frequently
dye them of different colours.
The ancient kings of Persia
wore their hair very long. During
Og
THE TOILETTE IN PERSIA.
437
the war between the Romans and Persians, a comet
appeared, which was looked upon by the former as a
bad omen. The Emperor Vespasian, however, laughed
at it, and said, if it portended ill to any one, it must
be to the King of Persia, because, like him, it wore
long hair. The Persians now generally shave their
heads. Men of rank wear very magnificent turbans.
They are very particular about keeping the head
warm, and never take off its covering, even in the
presence of royalty. Among the common orders, a
cap of black lamb-skin is generally worn.
The rest of the costume of all classes consists of a
straight under-garment, open at the chest and throat,
as is also the upper vest, which is fastened round the
waist by a girdle ; over this is worn a short loose kind
of pelisse. The legs are clothed in socks and slippers,
generally of a green colour. The pelisse is cut out
nnder the arms, so that the sleeves can either be
drawn in or thrown behind the back. The material
of these vests consists, with the poorer orders, of coarse
cloth, but with the richer they are formed of the most
expensive furs, and of muslins, and silks richly em-
broidered with gold and silver.
The sash, with the higher ranks, is made of the
finest cashmere shawls. In it is always carried a
dagger, ornamented with jewels of every variety ;
diamonds, rubies, pearls, and amethysts are there seen
glittering in all their brilliancy and splendour, dazzling
the eyes of the beholders.
In a work, called “Sketches of Persia," there is
the following description of the king :-“ His beard
attracted much of our attention ; it was full, black,
and glossy, and flowed to his middle. His dress
438
THE TOILETTE IN PERSIA.
baffled all description. The ground of his robes was
white; but he was so covered with jewels of an extra-
ordinary size, and their splendour, from his being
seated where the rays of the sun played upon them,
was so dazzling, that it was impossible to distinguish
the minute parts which combined to give such amazing
brilliancy to his whole figure."
The jitra, an upright ornament of
jewellery, the distinguishing mark of
Persian royalty, is worn on the front
of the crown.
Another ornament,
which also indicates sovereignty,
called bazubend, is fastened on the
arm above the elbow ; it is always
composed of precious stones of the
greatest value, and is never worn but by the king and
his sons.
In the book of Samuel we read, that the Amalekite
who brought David word of the death of Saul said
unto him, - And I took the crown that was upon his
head, and the bracelet that was on his arm, and have
brought them hither unto my lord;” whence it may
be inferred that a bracelet and a crown were in those
days marks of royalty.
The shoes worn in Persia have iron heels, which
render them no mean instrument of punishment: in
that country they are always considered as vile, and
never allowed to enter sacred or respected places ;
while to be smitten with one is to be subjected to the
greatest ignominy and disgrace.
The author of the “ Kuzzilbash” thus describes
the Persian costume :-“ These people wear first a
very short shirt, without a collar ; it has long loose
THE TOILETTE IN PERSIA.
439
sleeves. Next come a pair of very wide, large trousers,
down to the ankle, and drawn round the waist with a
string. Over this a vest, fitting tight to the shape
as far as the waist, with wide-flowing shirts down to
the ankle. This is cut in the breast to shew the
shirt, which is generally made of gauze or some light,
pretty material. Over this they wear another dress,
made just in the same manner as the former, only
larger in every way. They have short shawl-stock-
ings, and shoes with high heels, and so short, the heel
comes to the middle of the foot. They universally
wear on their heads a black fur conical-shaped cap;
the young beaux have one long curl on each side of
the face, just behind the ear, and all who can, wear
a beard.”
We must not quit Persia without mentioning the
Gheber belt, which distinguishes this sect from the
members of every other religion, thus spoken of by the
poet Moore:
as wild he flung
His mantle back, and shewed beneath
The Gheber belt that round him clung.”
The Ghebers lay so much stress upon their cushee,
or girdle, that they dare not be one instant without it:
it is generally formed of leather, or of woollen cloth.
The peasants in the province of Mazenderan tie
folds of cloth round their legs, and fix them with a
low shoe and lacing cords. The men wear dark
clothes, and the women generally dress in blue or red,
the two colours which are the most easy to dye. Many
of the people wear caps of felt instead of lamb-skin.
In Khorassan the slim, long-faced Kuzzilbash is
440
THE TOILETTE IN PERSIA.
often met, with his fur cap on his head and his ringlets
curling up behind.
Strabo describes the garments worn by the ancient
Persians as the same as those employed by the Medes.
A tiara, or kind of cap, the point of which bent over
in front; a shift, composed of a material which was
white in the inside, and covered with flowers on the
outside ; a tunic, with lined sleeves, reaching to the
knees; a cloak, sometimes of a brilliant scarlet or
purple, and sometimes figured, and of various colours ;
and socks, are the principal garments mentioned by
him, as well as by Xenophon and other ancient
authors, as having formed the Persian costume in the
early ages.
THE TOILETTE
IN
BOKHARA, CIRCASSIA, AND CASHMERE.
CHAPTER XLIII.
...Lihta
wishes 6.14,
HEN Lalla Rookh rose in
» the morning, and her la-
dies came round her to
assist in the adjustment of
the bridal ornaments, they
thought they had never
seen her look half so beautiful. What she had lost of
the bloom and radiance of her charms was more than
made up by that intellectual expression, that soul in
the eyes, which is worth all the rest of loveliness.
When they had tinged her fingers with the henna leaf,
and placed upon her brow a small coronet of jewels
of the shape worn by the ancient queens of Bucharia,
they flung over her head the rose-coloured bridal veil,
and she proceeded to the barge that was to convey her
across the lake,"
442 THE TOILETTE IN BOKHARA, CIRCASSIA, ETC.
So says, or rather sings— for his prose is scarcely
less musical than his verse—the poet Moore.
This favoured land, once the seat of a more pow-
erful empire than that of Rome or Greece,—the
cherished residence of the far-famed Zengis Khan,
who enriched " proud Bokhara's groves" with the
spoils of the Eastern world, is now peopled by nu-
merous wandering tribes. There may be met
66
chiefs of the Uzbek race,
Waving their heron crests with martial grace;
Turkomans, countless as their flocks, led forth
From the aromatic pastures of the north ;
Wild warriors of the turquoise hills, and those
Who dwell beyond the everlasting snows
Of Hindoo Kosh, in stormy freedom bred,
Their fort the rock, their camp the torrent's bed."
East, "
The dress of these various tribes differs consider-
ably. Ponderous turbans formed of innumerable folds
of white muslin are to be seen, as well as the talpak,
or Tartar conical fur-cap. In that paradise of the
holy Bokhara," the general costume of the
men consists of a large white turban, a flowing sash,
and three or four pelisses, the upper one, which is
called chogha, being generally of a dark colour. On
great occasions, this latter garment is replaced by a
mottled vest of silk, called uzrus, made of the brightest
colours.
The higher classes clothe themselves in brocade :
the different gradations of rank may be ascertained by
the texture of this outer garment. Stockings are
never worn; but an inhabitant of Bokhara, whether
mounted or on foot, is never seen without his boots,
which have heels an inch and a half in height, ta-
THE TOILETTE IN BOKHARA, CIRCASSIA, ETC. 443
pering to a point, which renders walking in them
very
difficult to those who are not accustomed to it.
Some men of rank wear a shoe over the boot, which is
taken off on entering a room.
The ladies sometimes appear abroad on horseback,
riding like men, or on foot, but always veiled, not only
with a muslin screen, through which at times a tran-
sient glimpse of a pretty face may be caught, but often
with an impenetrable veil of black hair-cloth. They
wear the same pelisses as the men, only that the
sleeves, instead of being used as such, are tucked to-
gether and tied behind. They also wear, even in the
house, huge Hessian boots made of velvet, and highly
ornamented. They braid their hair, and let it hang in
tresses down their shoulders ; on the head they wear
a large white turban, but a veil covers the face. The
exhibition of beauty, in which so much of a woman's
time is spent in more favoured countries, is here
unknown. A bride wears a rose-coloured veil on her
marriage-day.
Deep blue is the distinctive mark of mourning in
this country.
“ In that deep blue, melancholy dress
Bokhara's maidens wear in mindfulness
Of friends or kindred, dead or far away.”
Strict adherence to the established dress is no-
where more thought of than in Bokhara. The costume
described is nowhere enjoined by the Koran, nor was
it assumed for two centuries after the Prophet, when
the prejudice of some of the caliphs discovered that
the “Faithful” ought to be distinguished from those
who were not Mahomedans. Stockings are the chief
414 THE TOILETTE IN BOKHARA, CIRCASSIA, ETC.
emblem of distinction between the infidel and the true
believer.
Sir A. Burnes thus describes the “Great King :"
-“He was plainly dressed in a silken robe, or udrus,
with a white turban. He sometimes wears an aigrette
of feathers ornamented with diamonds. His suite
did not exceed a hundred people ; most of them were
dressed in robes of Russian brocade, and wore gold
ornamented swords--I should call them knives - the
mark of distinction in this country.”
The Turkomans are a warlike and handsome race.
They wear the talpak, a square or conical black
skull-cap of sheep-skin, which is about a foot in height,
and much more becoming for a warrior than a turban.
They are very partial to bright colours, and generally
choose light red, green, or yellow for their flowing
chumpkans, or pelisses. Long brown boots are uni-
versally worn.
To the ladies of this tribe belonged the beautiful
and delicate Roxana, the bewitching queen of Alex-
ander, that Peri of the East whose beauty, like the
perfume of the rose, is remembered with pleasure long
after the casket which enshrined it is mouldered in the
dust. They wear a head-dress consisting of a lofty
white turban, shaped like a military shako, but still
higher, over which they throw a red or white scarf
that falls in folds down to the waist. As these ladies
are generally rather on a large scale, this head-dress
becomes them.
They attach a variety of ornaments to their hair,
which hangs in tresses over their shoulders. Unlike
most other Eastern women, they do not consider a veil
a necessary appendage to their dress. The rest of
THE TOILETTE IN BOKHARA, CIRCASSIA, ETC. 415
their costume consists of a long gown of a bright
colour that reaches to the ankle and conceals both it
and the waist, those standard points of beauty with
most nations.
And now we must say a few words of
“ The maids, whom kings are proud to cull
From fair Circassia's vales,”:
they whose charms the historian from the earliest
times has immortalised, and the poet sung.
The
costume of these houris is simple, and not remarkable
for beauty. It consists in a long loose gown of divers
colours, tied about the waist with a sash. The hair is
worn in tresses, which hang on each side of the face,
surmounted by a black coif, over which is placed a
white cloth, which passes under the chin, where it is
tied in a bow.
The apparel of the men of Circassia, like that of
the women, is composed of one or more gowns, made
of silk or cotton. They are sometimes ornamented,
and among the higher ranks are frequently of stuff,
woven with flowers of gold and silver in beautiful and
delicate patterns. Their head-dress consists of a high
conical cap, and they wear a cloak
of coarse cloth or sheep-skin.
In Thibet, the country of the
Grand Lama, which mighty per-
sonage resides in a sumptuous pa-
goda on the mountain of Patoli,
near Lassa, and is supposed by his
worshippers to be immortal, the
people wear coarse woollen stuffs
of their own manufacture, which they line with the
446 THE TOILETTE IN BOKHARA, CIRCASSIA, ETC.
skins of any animal they can procure. The better
classes, however, are attired in European cloths,
or in rich China silks, which they line and trim
with American furs of the finest and most expensive
kinds ; thus rendering their attire at once warm,
costly, and magnificent.
Linen is a luxury unknown among these people,
who, however, have made some advance in civilization.
The ambassador of the Deb Rajah, who rules a country
tributary to Thibet, is represented to have been dressed,
on his arrival at Bengal with a letter to the governor,
Mr. Hastings, exactly like a Chinese grandee in
his summer costume, or, at least, like the pictures
we have of that people in their own paintings. His
hat was of a conical shape, his tunic of splendid
flowered brocade, and his feet were encased in thin
boots.
Cashmere, that “paradise of nations,” has long
been celebrated for its manufacture of shawls, which
gives occupation to the entire population of the coun-
try, even down to the children, and thus promotes the
wealth of the nation. There are two sorts of shawls
manufactured ; one is made of the wool of the coun-
try, the other of the hair (called tonz) found on the
breast of a species of goat which inhabits the Great
Thibet. The tonz shawls are much more esteemed
than those made with the native wool. The tonz,
which is softer and finer even than the hair of the
beaver, is of a dark grey colour ; it is bleached by
means of a preparation made of rice flour. The
yarn
made from it, after being dyed, is woven and then
washed. The border, which usually displays a
variety of figures and colours, is attached to the
THE TOILETTE IN BOKHARA, CIRCASSIA, ETC. 447
shawl after fabrication, but in so nice a manner that
the junction is not discernible. The value of these
shawls is often greatly enhanced by the introduction
of embroidery
The unrivalled excellence of the manufactures of
Cashmere is attributed to certain properties in the
water of that country, for though great pains have
been taken to manufacture similar shawls at Patna,
Agra, and Lahore, they never have the delicate texture
and softness of those of Cashmere. Sir A. Burnes,
in the description of his journey through the Vale of
Cashmere, says : “Our approach to the Mahommedan
countries became evident daily, and shewed itself in
nothing more than the costume of the women, many of
whom we now met veiled. One girl whom we saw on
the road had a canopy of red cloth erected over her on
horseback, which had a ludicrous appearance.
It
seemed to be a framework of wood; but as the cloth
concealed every thing as well as the countenance of
the fair lady, I did not discover the contrivance. The
costume of the unveiled portion of the sex had like-
wise undergone a change. They wore wide blue
trousers, tied tightly at the ankle, and which taper
down and have a graceful appearance.
A narrow
web of cloth, sixty yards long, is sometimes used in a
single pair, for one fold falls upon the other.”
Over the hair, which is worn in a single braid,
they place a cap generally of a crimson colour, to
the back of which is attached a triangular curtain
of the same stuff, which falls upon the shoulders and
conceals much of the hair; round the lower edge
of the cap is folded a shawl or piece of cotton or
448 THE TOILETTE IN BOKHARA, CIRCASSIA, ETC.
woollen cloth, which gives it much the appearance
of a turban.
The dress of the men consists of a large turban,
a great woollen vest with wide sleeves, a girdle com-
posed of many folds of cloth, a shirt, and drawers.
THE TOILETTE IN AFFGHANISTAN.
CHAPTER XLIV.
IN Elphinstone's “Caubul” we find
a description of the dress of many
of the inhabitants of Persia, Tar-
tary, and India; among the rest,
of the Affghans. - The dress of
the men,” says the author, “va-
ries; but that now worn in the
west appears to me to be the
original dress of the whole na-
tion. It consists of a pair of
loose trousers of dark-coloured
cotton a large shirt, like a wa-
goner's frock, but with wider sleeves, and only reach-
ing a little below the knee; a low cap (shaped like a
Hulan's cap), the sides of which are of black silk
TS
14
;
GG
150
THE TOILETTE IN AFFGHANISTAN.
Tirt
or satin, and the top of gold brocade, or of some
bright-coloured cloth ; and a pair
of half-boots of brown leather, laced
or buttoned up to the calf: over
this, for a great part of the year, is
thrown a large cloak of well-tanned
sheep-skin, with the wool inside, or
of soft and pliant grey felt. This
garment is worn loose over the
shoulders, with the sleeves hang-
ing down, and reaches to the
ankles.
" The women wear a shirt like
that of the men, but much longer;
it is made of finer materials, and
generally coloured or embroidered
with flowers in silk; in the west it is often entirely
of silk. They wear coloured trou-
sers, tighter than those of the
men, and have a small cap of
bright-coloured silk, embroidered
with gold thread, which scarcely
comes down to the forehead or the
ears; and a large sheet, either
plain or printed, which they throw
over their heads, and with which
they hide their faces when a stran-
ger approaches. In the west the
women often tie a black handker-
chief round their heads over their
caps. They divide the hair over their faces and plait
it into two locks, which fasten at the back of their
heads.
SA
THE TOILETTE IN AFFGHANISTAN.
451
“ Their ornaments are strings of Venetian sequins,
worn round their heads, and chains of gold and silver,
which are hooked up over the forehead, pass round
the head and end in two large balls, which hang down
near the ears. Ear-pendants and rings on the fingers
are also worn, as are pendants in the middle cartilage
of the nose, which was formerly the custom in Persia,
and still is in India and Arabia. Such is the dress of
the married women ; the unmarried are distinguished
by wearing white trousers, and by having their hair
loose."
Another tribe of the Affghauns are thus described :
“ The ordinary dress of the men is a cotton tunic,
made to fit the body down to the
waist, and then loose and full down
to below the knees; it is either
dark blue, or dyed grey with the
bark of the pomegranate - tree.
They also wear a large loose white
turban, a pair of cotton trousers,
and a pair of sandals ; but their
dress is not complete without a
loongee (a handkerchief of blue
silk ,and cotton mixed), which
hangs over the shoulder and
reaches below the middle, both
before and behind. It is some-
times used for a cloak and some-
times for a girdle. They have
always a better suit of clothes for
Fridays and great occasions. The
tunic is then made longer and fuller below, and is
puckered up about the waist in numerous plaits. The
n
452
THE TOILETTE IN AFFGHANISTAN.
rest of the holyday clothes are of silk, except the
turban.
“ The women wear a gown, close over the breast
and very wide below. They wear many gold and
silver ornaments, like those used in India. Neither
sex wear the long shirt that is so common among the
other Affghauns. The women of the Eusofzyes are
carefully concealed, and never leave their houses with
out putting on the cloak called a boorka, which covers
them from head to foot.
“ The Turcomanlees wear the Affghaun camess (a
shirt), and a little cap of wrought silk.
“ The Khyberees wear, in winter at least, dark
blue turbans and long dark blue tunics, sitting close
to the body and reaching to the middle of the leg.
They wear neat sandals of straw or the leaf of the
dwarf-palm.
- In winter the tribes of the Peshawur generally
wear dark blue coats of quilted
cotton, which are thrown aside
as the summer advances, when
a large Affghaun shirt, and a
white and blue turban, form the
dress of the greater part of the
people. A loongee, either twist-
ed round the waist or worn over
the shoulder, is always part of
their attire."
“ The people of the tribe
of Damoun wear long hair and
beards. Instead of the long wide
shirt and cap of the Affghauns,
they wear a close dress of white cotton, tied across the
1
THE TOILETTE IN AFFGHANISTAN.
453
breast, and reaching a little below the knee ; even
in winter they wear turbans, but they are extremely
large and loose, while those of the Indians are
rolled close round their head in a regular shape,
that has little grace or elegance. At that season
they also wear brown and grey woollen great-coats and
posteens.
“ The dress of the Seeaposh Caufirs is composed
of four goat-skins; two of them form a vest, and two
a sort of petticoat. The skins have long hair on the
outside, the upper ones do not cover the arms; the
whole is fastened on with a leathern belt. They go
bareheaded unless they have killed a Mussulman, and
shave their heads, except for a long tuft on the crown
and perhaps two curls over the ears. They also pluck
out the hair from the upper lip, cheeks, and neck,
but wear beards four or five inches long. Those in
good circumstances, and those near the Affghauns,
wear a shirt beneath their vest; and in summer the
shirt forms the whole of their dress, as it always does
with the women. The great do not wear goat-skins,
but cotton cloth or black hair-cloth; some also wear
the sort of white blanket woven in the neighbourhood
of Kaushkaur. The blankets are put on like High-
land plaids, come down to near the knee, and are
fastened with a belt; they also wear cotton trousers,
which, as well as their shirts, are worked all over with
flowers in red and black worsteds : the trousers are
slit at the bottom, so as to make a sort of fringe.
They also wear worsted stockings, or perhaps worsted
fillets, rolled round their legs, and the warriors wear
half-boots of white goat-skin.
454
THE TOILETTE IN AFFGHANISTAN.
« The dress of the women differs little from that
of the men, but they have their hair plaited and fas-
tened on the top of their head, and over it a small
cap, round which is a little turban : they have also
silver ornaments and many cowry shells.
- The Dooraunees wear a cotton shirt, over which
is a tunic sitting close to the body, with skirts reaching
half-way down the leg, which come quite round, and
cross each other in front. This is called the ulk.
haulik. It is generally made of chintz, and that of
Masulipatam, which comes from India by the cir-
cuitous channel of Persia, is most admired. Over
this is a tunic called the kubba, shaped very like the
other, and either made of a very coarse brown woollen
cloth, or of a very strong cloth made of cotton, and
called cudduk. This upper garment is sometimes of
a bright colour, but generally dark, and bottle-green
is the commonest colour. It is tied across the breast,
but the strings are concealed, and a row of covered
silk buttons runs down one side of the front, with a
row of silk loops on the other, though at much too
great a distance to button. The sleeves are closed
with a long row of buttons and loops, which run up
the inside of the arm. They wear wide coloured
trousers of silk or cotton, short stockings in winter,
and Persian shoes, which are round and broad at the
toes and narrow towards the heels ; they are shod
with iron like German boots, and the inner part, on
which the heel rests, has a piece of wood to fit it,
covered with a thin plate of ivory, in which some
figures are inlaid in black. The shoes are made of
brown leather, well tanned.
THE TOILETTE IN AFFGHANISTAN.
455
“ The head-dress is a cap, about six inches high,
made of quilted silk or chintz;
a loongee, or coarse shawl, is
always worn round the waist as
a girdle, and the old men often
twist another loongee round their
caps, like a turban.
Many people of the lower
order wear the ulkhaulik, or
under-tunic, only, without the
kubba, and all wear a cloak over the rest of their
dress. In summer it is made of some light cloth,
and in winter of sheep-skin or felt.
“ The dress of the Uzbek
Tartars is a shirt and trousers
of cotton, a coat or tunic called
chuppaun, of silken or woollen
cloth, tied on with a girdle ;
and over it a gown of woollen
cloth, posteen, or felt. Some
wear in winter a little cap of
broad cloth, lined with fur,
sitting close to the head, and
others a pointed silken cap,
called a calpauk, alone ; but the national head-dress
is a large white turban worn over the calpauk. All
wear boots at all hours; the poor have the same de-
scription as that used in Caubul, but those in easy
circumstances have a kind called mukusee, for con-
stant use, and only put on the others in winter or on
journeys. The mukusee is of thin and light sea-green
leather, without heels or soles, so that the wearer is
obliged to put on shoes when he goes out.
All wear
456
'THE TOILETTE IN AFFGHANISTAN.
bandages round their legs instead of stockings ; even
the women wear boots. The rest of their dress is like
that of the men, but longer. They tie a silk hand-
kerchief round their heads, throw a sheet of silk or
cotton over all, wear golden and silver ornaments,
and plait their hair into a long queue, which hangs
down from the middle of the head like those of the
Chinese.”
A plume of white heron's feathers in the turban
is the distinctive badge of a chief among the Uzbek
Tartars.
The dress of the Parthians, or ancient Affghans,
is often met with on the Arch of Severus. It con-
sisted of a tunic reaching to the knee, with long
sleeves, a belt round the waist, and over the tunic a
cloak or chlamyde, fastened on the shoulder by a
brooch or buckle. Shoes without any shape, almost
like a bag, were generally worn, with wide buskins
resembling gaiters, and a Phrygian cap.
The Medians, we learn from Plutarch, painted
their faces, and wore false beards, as well as false hair.
In this fashion they were imitated by Surena, a king
of Parthia, who, unlike the generality of his country-
men, whose hair and beards were long, flowing, and
untrimmed, wore his curled with the greatest preci-
sion. From the representations of several of the suc-
ceeding kings of Parthia, which are met with on
ancient medals, we find much attention must have
been bestowed on the hair and beard; and in many
instances they appear to be so abundant, that it is
impossible but Art must have assisted Nature to ren-
der them so flowing and luxuriant.
THE TOILETTE IN CHINA.
CHAPTER XLV.
Daun
THE inhabitants of the Celes-
tial Empire seem to agree with
Beauty, in considering that
Fashion mars, instead of im-
proving, the charms of her vo-
taries, for, ever since the days
of the wise and renowned Con-
fucius, they have steadily re-
sisted all her blandishments,
closed their ears to her flatteries, and followed, in
every respect, the ordinances of their great lawgiver
with regard to dress.
By this decree the poorer classes are obliged to
wear their clothes of a dark blue, red, or black colour.
The emperor and princes of the blood are alone
allowed the privilege of having yellow dresses, and
many of the most delicate colours are reserved exclu-
458
THE TOILETTE IN CHINA.
sively for the ladies. Pure white is the emblem of
mourning, among all classes.
So strictly is every thing relating to the toilette
managed among this grave people, that even when
the seasons change they are not allowed to clothe
themselves in thick or thin coverings, according to
their fancy, but must wait with patience to change
the winter for the summer, or the summer for the
winter garb, till the viceroy of the province has per-
formed this important ceremony, when the whole out-
ward appearance of the people alters as if by magic;
and a stranger to their laws, who, the evening before,
had seen the streets of Pekin crowded with people, all
enveloped to their chins in the warmest furs, would
imagine every body struck by a magician's wand,
when, on going forth the following day, he finds the
same people all, by one accord, habited in their sum-
mer attire.
1
&
T
The dress of the men is suitable to the grave de-
THE TOILETTE IN CHINA.
459
portment that they so universally affect. It consists
of a long robe, which reaches nearly to the ground,
and is fastened on the shoulders with gold or silver
buttons. The sleeves, which are wide at the top,
grow narrower towards the wrist, and end in the shape
of a horse-shoe, covering all the hands except the ends
of the fingers. This robe is fastened round the waist
with a broad silk sash, to which are suspended a
purse, and two small sticks, called chopsticks, which
are used as forks.
In the summer they wear trousers made of linen,
silk, or satin ; but during the winter, particularly in
the colder parts of the country, they are made of furs
of different kinds. In the summer also they have
their necks uncovered, but in the winter they are
shielded from the cold by collars of quilted satin or
furs. The higher classes frequently wear a sur-
tout of silk, satin, or velvet; this garment is very
short, has large sleeves, and is lined with the most
costly furs. The men formerly wore their hair as
long as they could induce it to grow, and plaited
in tails hanging down their backs; but now they
only allow two or three tufts on the crown of the
head.
They either wear hats, in shape and size resembling
large umbrellas, or else small conical caps, made of
beautifully wrought cane-work, and frequently painted
in flowers or birds. They also have another cap,
which, though richer in material, is not so graceful
as the former ; it is of the same shape, but made of
black velvet, with blue silk in the middle, and a red
tassel surmounting the top.
The upper dress of the Chinese ladies resembles
460
THE TOILETTE IN CHINA.
that of the lords of the Celestial Empire; but it is
more decorated with rich and
beautiful embroidery. The trou-
sers are tied round the ankle, so
as to give a full view of their
small feet, encased in highly or-
namented shoes. They appear
anxious to conceal, rather than to
display, the elegance of their
figure, though a small waist is
much admired. Their sleeves
being very long, protect their
hands, and render gloves unne-
cessary.
The married ladies tie the
hair on the top of the head;
and, to make the tuft as large
as possible, add a quantity of false hair, and stick it
full of long gold or silver
pins, or bodkins, the ends of
which are frequently highly
ornamented with jewels; while
the young women wear their
jet black ringlets clustering on
each side of the face. Arti-
ficial flowers are also often
used to ornament the head.
But the favourite coiffure,
the object of a Chinese lady's
greatest admiration, is an ar-
tificial bird, formed of gold or
silver, intended to represent
the Fong-whang, a fabulous bird, of which the
1
Lidl!
THE TOILETTE IN CHINA.
461
ancients relate many marvellous tales.
It is worn
in such a manner that the wings stretch over the
front of the head; the spreading tail makes a kind
of plume on the top, and the body is placed over the
forehead, while the neck and beak hang down. The
former being fastened to the body with an invisible
hinge, it vibrates with the least motion.
In a Chinese novel, called by the euphonius title
of “Hung-how-Mung," is the following description of
a Chinese élégante :-“ On her head, her knot of hair
was adorned with gold and silver, and eight precious
stones pendent. It was fastened with a pin of pearls
dropping from five little eagles. An ornament of
virgin gold, enlivened with insects, embraced her
neck. Around her waist was an upper dress of deep
red-coloured silk, on which was embroidered an hun-
dred golden butterflies fluttering among flowers. Over
this a narrow garment made of the skins of stone-blue
mice, and silk of five different colours. Below all was
a petticoat of foreign crépe, of a green colour, sprinkled
with flowers."
The distinctive mark of different ranks among
the mandarins consists in the colour and value of the
button worn in the cap, in the jewels that adorn the
girdle, and in the quality of the embroidery that orna-
ments the robe.
The Chinese wear their nails of an immense length;
and neither men or women are often seen without a
painted fan in their hands, many of them most
beautifully figured.
The extraordinary admiration of this people for
small feet subjects them to much pain and incon-
462
THE TOILETTE IN CHINA.
venience. As soon as a female child in the higher
ranks is born, the toes are bent under the foot, and
tightly bandaged day and night, till the growth of the
foot ceases. This barbarous custom is attributed by
some old writers to Takya, the wife of one of the first
Chinese emperors. She is represented as having been
very beautiful, but haughty and imperious. She per-
suaded her husband to allow her to make what laws
she pleased, and having very deformed feet, she bound
them with fillets, and, ordered all the ladies of the
country to imitate her example; thus attempting to
make a deformity pass for a beauty,
The Chinese people of rank
never go abroad without boots
made of satin or silk, or some-
times even of cotton. They are
made without heels, and fit with
the greatest nicety. Their stock-
ings are of silk stuff, quilted and
lined with cotton, and orna-
mented with velvet or cloth. In
summer they have light slippers, and the common
people black cotton shoes. Besides wearing quantities
of false hair, the Chinese women also employ paint to
heighten the charms of their complexion.
In the “ Journal of the Embassy to China,” by
Henry Ellis, we read that the dress of ceremony of the
mandarins consists of blue gauze or crape, with some
flowered satin beneath ; and that it is plain and not
unbecoming. An embroidered badge, marking their
rank, whether civil or military, is fixed upon their
robe, either before or behind. The peacock's feather,
165
THE TOILETTE IN JAPAN.
463
or more properly tail of peacock's feather, answering
to our orders of knighthood, is worn behind. Two of
these are equivalent to the garter.
In the journal of Dr. Thunberg we find the fol-
lowing account of the dress of the Japanese :—“ The
fashion of their clothes has remained the same from
the highest antiquity. They consist of one or more
loose gowns, tied about the middle with a sash; the
women wear them much longer than the men, and
dragging on the ground. In summer they are very
thin; but in winter, quilted with silk or cotton wad-
ding. People of rank have them made of silk; the
lower class of cotton stuffs. Women generally wear a
greater number of them than the men, and have them
more ornamented, often with gold or silver flowers
woven into the stuff. These gowns are generally left
open at the breast; their sleeves are very wide, but
partly sewed up in front, so as to make a kind of
pocket, into which they can easily put their hands.
Men of consequence are distinguished from those of
inferior rank by a short jacket of thin black stuff,
which is worn over their gowns, and trousers open on
the sides, but sewed together near the bottom part,
into which the skirts of the robe are thrust. Some
use drawers, but all have their legs naked. They wear
sandals of straw, fastened to the feet by a bow passing
over the instep, and a string which passes between the
great toe and that next to it, fixing it to the bow. In
winter they have socks of linen, and in rainy or dirty
weather, wooden shoes.
“ In their sash they fasten the sabre, fan, and to-
bacco-pipe. They never cover their heads but on a
journey, when they use a conical cap made of straw;
464
THE TOILETTE IN JAPAN.
at other times they defend themselves from the sun or
rain by fans or umbrellas. Their hair is universally
black; and such a sameness of fashion reigns through-
out this whole empire, that the head-dress is the same
from the emperor to the peasant. The mode of the
men's head-dress is singular; the middle part of their
heads, from the forehead very far back, is close shaven;
the hair remaining round the temples and nape of the
neck is turned up and tied upon the top of the head
into a kind of brush, about as long as a finger; this
brush is again lapped round with white thread, and
bent a little backwards. The women preserve all their
hair, and, drawing it together on the top of the head,
roll it round a loop, and, fastening it down with pins,
to which ornaments are affixed, draw out the sides till
they appear like little wings ; behind this a comb is
stuck in. Physicians and priests are the only excep-
tions to the general fashion; they shave their heads
entirely, and are by that means distinguished from the
rest of the people.”
THE
TOILETTE IN PALESTINE AND SYRIA.
CHAPTER XLVI.
N Dr. Clarke's “ Manners and
Customs of the Ancient Israel.
ites,” he says, that “the shape
of their dress cannot be exactly
known. There is every reason
to suppose that it was similar to
that of the ancient Egyptians,
which consisted of a tunic, a
pallium or cloak, and a girdle.”
All ancient nations seem to have
had the same costume, formed of
long garments, without much
shape or ornament; and as these
were all much alike, they descended from father to
son for many generations. The colours most valued
among the ancients appear to have been purple, red,
and violet, but white was the most used by the Israel-
ites. Young people wore variegated clothes, like the
H H
466
THE TOILETTE IN PALESTINE AND SYRIA.
coat of Joseph (Gen. xxxvii. 23). 66 And it came to
pass, when Joseph was come unto his brethren, that
they stript Joseph of his coat, his coat of many colours,
that was on him."
Their garments, however, were richly ornamented
with fringes, borders of colour or embroidery, and
jewels ; and they were ordered to put borders on their
robes, to remind them continually of the law of God.
On their heads they wore a sort of tiara, like that of
the Persians, for, among this people, to be bare-headed
was a sign of mourning. Their hair was long, for
shaving the head marked sorrow and affliction.
In the Scriptures, in various parts, we find descrip-
tions of the manner in which the Jewish women attired
themselves. We read in Ezekiel of the fine stuffs of
different colours, a silken girdle, purple shoes, brace-
lets, a necklace, ear-rings, and a crown or mitre;
and in Isaiah, iii. 18, &c. we have a long account of
their costume in all its varieties, when the prophet
reproaches the daughters of Sion for their vanity and
corruption; and truly, at that time, the love of dress
and ornament must have been very prevalent, as we
find by the numerous accessories to their toilette
enumerated by the prophet.
In an old book on Palestine, written by Fuller, in
1650, we have a full account of the Jewish dress,
taken from the Bible, and describing all the forms and
peculiarities of their costume with the greatest pre-
cision. “At first,” he says, “the habits of this
per-
secuted people were made of raw hides, such as sheep-
skins and goat-skins; secondly, leather, as the girdle
of Elijah; thirdly, hair cloth ; fourthly, coarse hemp,
for mourners; fifthly, fine linen, very fashionable in
THE TOILETTE IN PALESTINE AND SYRIA.
467
those parts, silk, cloth, scarlet, wrought gold, woollen,
and jewels. As for the shape and making of the
Jewish garments, they were no affecters of various
fashions, but kept to the same form for many ages.
Indeed, their clothes, being for the most part loose
vestments, not exactly fitting to their bodies, but only
cast over, wrapped about, or girded unto them, the
less curiosity was required in their making. And
because we meet not with the trade of a tailor men-
tioned all through the Scriptures, it seems anciently
no distinct occupation among the Jews, being probable
the men or their wives made their own clothes. Thus
the state and gallantry of the Jews consisted not in
changeable fashions, but in their various changes,
orient colours, costly matter, and curious embroideries."
“ Next to their skins," the same author observes,
“ the Jews wore linen, over that a coat which caſe
down to their very feet, accounted modest, grave, yea,
honourable among them.”
These coats, it appears, were fastened with girdles
about the waist, and had collars at the neck; they
also had a fringe of blue round the skirts. Over this
coat, when they went abroad, they wore a mantle or
cloak.
Different vocations and degrees of people among
the Jews were, however, differently apparelled; and
when the luxuries of the East Indies, such as silk,
came among them, they were not backward in using
them for the adorning of their persons. It is said
that they wore hats, though the shape of this covering
for the head is never mentioned. Their legs were ge-
nerally bare, and on their feet they wore sandals, and in
winter, shoes, frequently made of the badger's skin.
468
THE TOILETTE IN PALESTINE AND SYRIA.
They wore chains, bracelets, and signet-rings, but no
other ornaments.
The dress of the Jewish women was splendid with
gold and embroidery. The Queen of Judea was ar-
rayed in a garment of wrought gold. “Thus,” observes
Fuller, “such gallantry was fashionable amongst the
Jews, long before any thereof was used in the western
parts, or Rome itself; indeed, a mantle of cloth of
gold we find mentioned by Pliny as a great novelty,
though such a one had been worn by the Jewish
queens a thousand years before.”
Their trousers and tunics were made of fine linen,
and rich silks embroidered in gold and jewels ; they
wore also a veil, which fell over the whole person
down to the feet. The anklets of gold or silver,
often alluded to in Scripture, were very heavy, and
made a ringing sound as the wearer walked. The
pride and pleasure that the Jewish ladies took in
making a tinkling with these ornaments, is severely
reproved by the prophet Isaiah. It is supposed that
the caul alluded to by the prophet was intended to
describe the peculiar manner of dressing the hair. It
was at that time divided into tresses plaited with silk
threads, gold ornaments, and golden coins.
Besides the anklets, the Jewish women wore ear-
rings, nose - jewels, chains of silver and gold, and
bracelets. The ear-rings probably contained a verse
from the Scriptures, to serve as an amulet or charm,
in which most Orientals place much faith, as they
believe these amulets have power to avert evils and
obtain blessings. They also wore from the waist
boxes or bottles containing rich perfume ; these they
fastened to a chain and hung to their girdles. The
THE TOILETTE IN PALESTINE AND SYRIA.
469
Jewish women are still very fond of jewels and orna-
ments of every kind, and, wherever they dwell, are
usually as much celebrated for the costliness and
splendour of their dress as for their great beauty.
Since the dispersion of the Jews over almost every
nation of the globe, they have, as might be imagined,
very much adopted the costume of the countries in
which they reside. The only peculiarity to which
they still strictly adhere in some countries, is in wear-
ing their beards as long and flowing as in the time of
the patriarchs. The Jews, however, do not wear their
beards exactly of the form followed by the Christians
and Mussulmans ; for to distinguish themselves from
the rest of mankind, they allow two tufts of hair to
hang over the ears. The Jews of Arabia dare not
wear a turban, but are obliged to be contented with a
small bonnet, and they are only allowed to dress in blue
habits, generally made of cloth ; they are also forbidden
to use the jambea. Indeed, in most countries, some
mark of contempt and contumely have ever been as-
signed to this wandering race, to distinguish them
from the people among whom they reside. A brimless
hat marks the Jew in Turkey ; at Algiers their heads
are wrapped in a black silk cloth ; at Tunis they have
a black turban ; at Tripoli a silk parti-coloured tur-
ban ; and in old times in England they were obliged
to wear a yellow cap of a high square form. The
Jewish women at Tripoli bind a riband round their
brows, and suspend from it pieces of money; sometimes
the whole fortune of the husband is thus worn on the
wife's forehead.
We must give the description of a court-dress,
which is exactly according to the Jewish fashion, and
470
THE TOILETTE IN PALESTINE AND SYRIA.
is borrowed from the “ Tale of Zillah," which, though
a novel, abounds in interesting and faithful records of
the manners, costumes, fashions, and many other de-
tails of the Holy City.
“She accordingly wore the parti-coloured robe,
which she had herself embroidered with flowers and
gold thread, and of which the sleeves were of the
richest gauze, decorated with ribbons and facings,
curiously sewed together. These were blue, which,
being a celestial colour, was in high favour, and
much used for cuffs and trimmings; though it was
not deemed decorous to have the whole apparel of
this hue, since none more was used about the curtains
and veils of the tabernacle. Her under-garment, of
fine linen, reaching to the ankles, and bordered also
with blue, had been decorated by her own skilful
needle with clouded colours, which bore the name of
feather-work. Across her bosom was a pectoral of
byssus, a sort of silk of a golden yellow, formed from
the tuft that grows on a large shellfish of the mussel
species, found on the coasts of the Mediterranean,
for the great men of the earth had not then begun to
rob the silkworm of its covering. Her sandals were
of badger-skin leather, secured with golden clasps.
Her head-dress was of simple and, according to modern
notions, of not very becoming form ; for her black
and luxuriant locks, being drawn behind the head,
were divided into several tresses, their beauty con-
sisting in their length and thickness, and the ex-
tremity of each being adorned with pearls and jewels,
or ornaments of silver and gold, of which latter metal
she also wore narrow plain circlets around her wrists
and ankles.”
THE TOILETTE IN PALESTINE AND SYRIA.
471
In a work published in 1819, called “Letters
from Palestine,” we read : “ The female costume of
Palestine is not particularly graceful. The outward robe
consists of a loose gown, the skirts of which appear
as if hanging from the shoulder-blades; the arms,
wrists, and ankles are bound with broad metal rings,
and the waist is encircled by a belt, profusely studded
with some shining substance, intended, probably, to
resemble precious stones. The crown of the head is
covered with a compact sort of network, interwrought
with plates of gold and silver, so arranged as to con-
ceal a part only of the hair, which flows in profuse
ringlets over the neck and shoulders; yet even this
natural ornament is much injured by a custom very.
prevalent, of interweaving the extremities with silk
ribbons, that descend in twisted folds to the feet.
The supplemental tresses would inevitably trail on
ine yround were it not for the high clogs, or rather
stilts, on which women of condition are always raised
when they appear in public; many of these are of an
extravagant altitude, and, if the decorations of the
head were of correspondent dimensions, a lady's face
would seem as if fixed in the centre of her figure.
The impression made on a stranger by such an
equipage is certainly very ludicrous. There is,
indeed, a whimsical fantasy here, almost universal in
its application, which seems utterly irreconcilable with
all ideas of female delicacy. Not only are the cheeks
plastered with vermilion, the teeth discoloured, and
the eyebrows dyed, but the lips and chin are tinged
with a dark indelible composition, as if the fair pro-
prietors were ambitious of the ornament of a beard.”
The haick forms the principal garment of the
472
THE TOILETTE IN PALESTINE AND SYRIA.
modern inhabitants of Palestine. It is of different
sizes and degrees of fineness, usually six yards long,
and five or six yards broad, serving frequently for a
garment by day and a bed and covering by night.
It is very troublesome to manage, often falling upon
the ground; so that the person who wears it is every
moment obliged to tuck it up, and fold it anew about
the body.
W
Jewish females in the East do not wear stockings,
and generally use slippers of a red colour, embroidered
in gold. They are very much addicted to the use of
ornaments. . From the lower part of the ears they sus-
pend large gold ear-rings, and three small ones, set
with pearls, on the upper part. They load their
necks with beads, and their fingers with rings; their
wrists and ankles also are adorned with bracelets and
anklets of solid silver, and long gold chains hang from
their girdles.
THE TOILETTE IN PALESTINE AND SYRIA.
473
“ The dress of the Arabs in Syria,” says Dr.
Clarke, “ is simple and uniform. It consists of a
blue shirt, descending below the knees, the legs and
feet being exposed, or the latter sometimes covered
with the ancient cothurnus or buskins."
Near Jerusalem the ancient sandal is frequently
met with, exactly as it is seen on Grecian statues.
“A cloak,” continues Dr. Clarke, “is worn, of
very coarse and heavy camel's-hair cloth, almost uni-
versally decorated with broad black and white stripes,
passing vertically doivn the back. This is of one
square piece, with holes for the arms.”
In this we
probably behold the form and material of our Saviour's
garment, for which the soldiers cast lots, being without
seam, woven from the top throughout. It was the
most ancient dress. of the inhabitants of this country.
The women of Syria do not veil their faces so
closely as those of Palestine. They wear robes with
very long sleeves, hanging quite to the ground; this
garment is frequently striped in gaudy colours.
474
THE TOILETTE IN PALESTINE AND SYRIA.
The Druses, who inhabit part of Syria, wear a
coarse woollen cloak, with white stripes, thrown over
a waistcoat and breeches of the same stuff, tied round
the waist by a sash. They cover the head with a
turban, which is flat at the top, and swells out at the
sides.
The women wear a coarse blue jacket and petti-
coat, but no stockings. Their hair is plaited, and
hangs down in tails behind. They wear a singular
shaped head-dress, called a tantoor. Page, in his
“ Travels,” speaks of it as a silver cone, and says it is
evidently the same as Judith's mitre, Dr. Hogg thus
describes one : “In length it was, perhaps, something
more than a foot, but in shape
had little resemblance to a horn,
being a mere hollow tube, in-
creasing in size from the diameter
of an inch and an half at one
extremity to three inches at the
other, where it terminated like
the mouth of a trumpet.” This
strange ornament, placed on a
cushion, is securely fixed to the
upper part of the forehead by
two silk cords, which, after sur-
rounding the head, hang behind
nearly to the ground, terminating
in large tassels. The material of which it is made
is silver, rudely embossed with flowers, stars, and
other devices, and the tassels are often capped with
silver. The tantoor of an unmarried female is gene-
rally made of stiff paper, or some similar material.
On being married it is the custom for the bridegroom
Tlu
THE TOILETTE IN PALESTINE AND SYRIA.
475
to present his bride with one of silver, or silver
tinsel. A veil is thrown over the smaller extremity
of this head-dress, which descends nearly to the feet,
and is drawn over the face when the wearer quits the
seclusion of her home.
Tyre, once the “Queen of Nations," was formerly
celebrated for the renowned purple dye, which is often
mentioned by ancient writers, particularly by Homer
and Virgil, who generally arrayed their heroes in vests
and tunics of Tyrian purple, sometimes plain, at
others ornamented. We read in the “Æneid ” of
“ The vests embroidered of the Tyrian dye;"
and, in another part,-
“ Then two fair vests, of wondrous work and cost,
Of purple woven, and with gold emboss'd,
For ornament the Trojan hero brought,
Which with her hand Sidonian Dido wrought.”
This queen, so celebrated in olden time for being
the supposed foundatress of the renowned city of
Carthage, appears to have possessed the talents of her
countrywomen in the use of the needle ; for Virgil
often alludes to her skill; and probably the scarf she
presented to Æneas was the work of her own fair
fingers. Her dress is thus described :
“ The queen at length appears : on either hand
The brawny guards in martial order stand.
A flower'd cymarr, with golden fringe, she wore;
And at her back a golden quiver bore :
Her flowing hair a golden caul restrains ;
A golden clasp the Tyrian robe sustains."
THE TOILETTE IN ARABIA. .
CHAPTER XLVII.
E learn from various writers, both
sacred and profane, that the an-
cient inhabitants of this sweet-scented
land were the most commercial and
civilized of the world; and “ Araby
the blessed” is honourably mentioned
by Ptolemy, Strabo, and even Eratosthenes.
“ Beautiful are the maids that glide
On summer eves through Yemen's * dales,
And bright the glancing looks they hide
Beneath their litter's roseate veils ;
And brides as delicate, as fair,
As the white jasmine flowers they wear,
Hath Yemen in her blissful clime,
Who, lull'd in cool kiosk or bower,
Before their mirrors count the time,
And grow still lovelier every hour.”—MOORE.
* Arabia Felix.
THE TOILETTE IN ARABIA.
477
The costume of the Arabs, like that of most
Eastern nations, consists of long robes, large trousers,
an embroidered leathern girdle, and generally some
weapon of defence, either a sword, knife, or dagger.
There is, however, a great variety in their dresses.
Notwithstanding the heat of the climate, the men
wear a most preposterous head-dress, frequently fifteen
linen, cloth, or cotton caps, one over the other, the
upper one being gorgeously embroidered in gold, and
a sentence from the Koran worked upon it. Not
satisfied with this curious coiffure, they add to it by
wrapping round the outer cap a large piece of muslin,
ornamented at the ends with silk and golden fringes,
which stream loosely upon their shoulders.
Of so much importance is the coiffure with this
people, that, though when at home they perhaps
allow their heads to feel the luxury of coolness and
lightness, by laying aside twelve or thirteen of the
caps, still, when on any visit of importance or cere-
mony, they dare not appear without the proper
number. Writers on Arabian manners even assert,
that those who wish to pass for men of learning shew
their pretensions to that distinction by the size and
weight of their coiffure.
It has been suggested that these extraordinary
wrappings may be necessary to secure the wearer from
the intense heat of the sun. This opinion is the
more probable, as in ancient Egyptian monuments the
same head-dresses are frequently seen.
The common dress of the Arabs is very simple.
It generally consists of a large white, or white and
blue, shirt ; and over this they sometimes wear a
garment like a great-coat without sleeves: in the
478
THE TOILETTE IN ARABIA.
province of Lachsa, in particular, this robe is worn by
both men and women. The lower orders merely gird
a piece of linen about their loins, and throw another
piece over the shoulders ; but never wear less than
two or three caps, and have neither shoes nor stock-
ings. In the mountains, where the climate is colder,
they have sheep-skin garments.
Persons of the middle class have sandals instead of
shoes; they are single soles, or thin pieces of wood,
fastened to the feet with leathern thongs. Richer
people wear slippers, and the women always use the
latter covering for the feet. In several parts of Arabia
the men do not wear drawers; but these last, with
the addition of a shirt, always form the female dress.
At Hedsjas, as in Egypt, they veil their faces with a
piece of linen, leaving only the eyes uncovered. In
Yemen the veil is much larger, and covers the face,
so that even the eyes are not discernible. At Sana
and Mokha the women wear a transparent gauze veil,
embroidered in gold. They are very fond of rings on
their fingers, arms, wrists, and ears; they stain their
nails red, and their hands and feet of a brownish yel-
low, with the juice of a plant called el henne; they
also paint all round the eyelids, and even the eyelashes
themselves, with kochhel, which renders them quite
black. Men even sometimes imitate this fashion, but
it is considered effeminate.
The women of Yemen make black punctures on
the face, which they consider improves their beauty.
Fashion shews its influence in this country most par-
ticularly in the manner of wearing the hair and beard.
In the states of Sana all men, whatever their rank,
shave their heads; in other parts of Yemen it is the
THE TOILETTE IN ARABIA.
479
XXU
universal custom to knot the hair up behind, and
wrap it in a handkerchief. Caps and turbans are not
in use here. In the mountain districts the hair is left
long and loose, and is bound with small cords.
There is one universal fashion respecting beards
- they are never touched, but are allowed to grow to
their full length ; the moustaches only are sometimes
shortened. In Arabia the men's beards are always
quite black; sometimes, when
whitened by age, they dye them
red, but it is a fashion not
much admired or followed.
We learn from Niebuhr
that, in Arabia, the Bedouins,
or wandering Arabs, wear only
a white robe, bound round the
waist with a leathern girdle,
which is very broad, and made
with one large, and several
small clasps. In both winter
and summer they have a large
goat-skin cloak, striped in black
and white. On their heads they have only a red cap,
surrounded with a piece of cloth of the same colour,
or mixed with white.
The princes also wear the same dress; their cloak
only is different, being almost always black. Their
drawers are of linen, and reach to the lower part of
the leg. They wear slippers when at home, and
half-boots for riding. The labourers wear sandals.
The dress of Arabs of distinction in Yemen con-
sists of a pair of wide cotton drawers, with a shirt
over them. The cutlass is suspended to a broad girdle,
480
THE TOILETTE IN ARABIA.
and they have a vest with tight sleeves, surmounted
by another that is large and flowing. They have no
stockings, only slippers or half-boots. In Niebuhr's
- Travels” the dress of the Iman of Sana is thus de-
scribed : “ His gown was of a bright green colour,
and had large sleeves; on each side of his breast
was a rich filleting of gold lace, and on his head he
wore a great gold turban.”
All Arabians of rank have one curious addition
to their dress. It is a piece of fine linen upon the
shoulder, which, probably, was formerly intended to
keep off the heat of the sun, but is now used only as
an ornament.
Carreri states, that the Arabian women wear black
1
THE TOILETTE IN ARABIA.
481
?
masks, with elegant little clasps; and Niebuhr men-
tions their shewing but one eye in conversation. In
Moore, also, we find these lines :
“ And veil'd by such a mask as shades
The features of young Arab maids,
A mask that leaves but one eye free
To do its best in witchery."
In many parts of Arabia the women wear little
looking-glasses on their thumbs. All the women of
the East are particularly fond of being able to gaze
upon their own fair countenances, and seldom go
without a looking-glass.
The Arabian princesses wear golden rings on their
fingers, to which little bells are suspended, as well as
in the flowing tresses of their hair, that their superior
rank may be known, and they may receive the homage
due to them. The following lines of L. E. L. might
serve for the description of an Arabian princess :
“ Her silken hair, that, glossy black,
But only to be found
There, or upon the raven's back,
Falls sweeping to the ground.
'Tis parted in two shining braids
With silver and with gold,
And one large pearl by contrast aids
The darkness of each fold.
Close to her throat the silvery vest
By shining clasps is bound;
Scarce may her graceful shape be guess'd,
’Mid drapery floating round.
Upon the ankle and the wrist
There is a band of gold,
No step by Grecian fountain kiss'd
Was of diviner mould.
II
482
THE TOILETTE IN ARABIA.
In the bright girdle round her waist,
Where the red rubies shine,
The kandjar's glittering hilt is placed,
To mark her royal line."
And with these graphic verses will we terminate
our account of the Toilette in Arabia ; and, at the
same time, close our “ Book of Costume," in the hope
that it may be found useful and interesting to the
many readers who require general information on
the subject.
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