English Costume Part 34

In 1668 his wife wears a flower tabby suit ('everybody in love with it'). He is forced to lend the Duke of York his cloak because it rains. His barber agrees to keep his periwig in order for 1 a year.

He buys a black bombazin suit.

In 1669 his wife wears the new French gown called a sac; he pays 55s.

for his new belt. His wife still wears her old flower tabby gown. So ends the dress note in the Diary.

JAMES THE SECOND

Reigned four years: 1685-1689.

Born 1633. Married, 1661, Anne Hyde; 1673, Mary of Modena.

THE MEN AND WOMEN

[Ill.u.s.tration: {Two men of the time of James II.; a type of sleeve}]

In such a short s.p.a.ce of time as this reign occupies it is not possible to show any great difference in the character of the dress, but there is a tendency, shown over the country at large, to discard the earlier beribboned fas.h.i.+ons, and to take more seriously to the long coat and waistcoat. There is a tendency, even, to become more b.u.t.toned up--to present what I can only call a frock-coat figure. The coat became closer to the body, and was braided across the front in many rows, the ends fringed out and held by b.u.t.tons. The waistcoat, with the pockets an arm's length down, was cut the same length as the coat. Breeches were more frequently cut tighter, and were b.u.t.toned up the side of the leg. The cuffs of the sleeves were wide, and were turned back well over the wrist.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A MAN OF THE TIME OF JAMES II. (1685-1689)

The body-coat has now become the universal fas.h.i.+on, as have also the wide knee-breeches. Buckles are used on the shoes instead of strings.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: {A man of the time of James II.}]

Of course the change was gradual, and more men wore the transitional coat than the tight one. By the coat in its changing stages I mean such a coat as this: the short coat of the early Charles II. period made long, and, following the old lines of cut, correspondingly loose.

The sleeves remained much the same, well over the elbow, showing the white s.h.i.+rt full and tied with ribbons. The shoe-strings had nearly died out, giving place to a buckle placed on a strap well over the instep.

There is a hint of growth in the periwig, and of fewer feathers round the brim of the hat; indeed, little low hats with broad brims, merely ornamented with a bunch or so of ribbons, began to become fas.h.i.+onable.

[Ill.u.s.tration: {A woman of the time of James II.}]

Swords were carried in broad baldricks richly ornamented.

The waistclothes of Mr. Pepys would, by now, have grown into broad sashes, with heavily fringed ends, and would be worn round the outside coat; for riding, this appears to have been the fas.h.i.+on, together with small peaked caps, like jockey caps, and high boots.

The ladies of this reign simplified the dress into a gown more tight to the bust, the sleeves more like the men's, the skirt still very full, but not quite so long in the train.

Black hoods with or without capes were worn, and wide collars coming over the shoulders again came into fas.h.i.+on. The pinner, noticed by Pepys, was often worn.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A WOMAN OF THE TIME OF JAMES II. (1685-1689)

Notice the broad collar again in use, also the nosegay. The sleeves are more in the mannish fas.h.i.+on.]

But the most noticeable change occurs in the dress of countryfolk and ordinary citizens. The men began to drop all forms of doublet, and take to the long coat, a suit of black grogram below the knees, a sash, and a walking-stick; for the cold, a short black cloak. In the country the change would be very noticeable. The country town, the countryside, was, until a few years back, distinctly Puritanical in garb; there were Elizabethan doublets on old men, and wide Cromwellian breeches, patched doubtless, walked the market-place. Hair was worn short. Now the russet brown clothes take a decided character in the direction of the Persian coat and knickerbockers closed at the knee.

The good-wife of the farmer knots a loose cloth over her head, and pops a broad-brimmed man's hat over it. She has the sleeves of her dress made with turned-back cuffs, like her husband's, ties her shoes with strings, laces her dress in front, so as to show a bright-coloured under-bodice, and, as like as not, wears a green pinner (an ap.r.o.n with bib, which was pinned on to the dress), and altogether brings herself up to date.

[Ill.u.s.tration: {A woman of the time of James II.}]

One might see the farmer's wife riding to market with her eggs in a basket covered with a corner of her red cloak, and many a red cloak would she meet on the way to clep with on the times and the fas.h.i.+ons.

The green ap.r.o.n was a mark of a Quaker in America, and the Society of Friends was not by any means sad in colour until late in their history.

Most notable was the neckcloth in this unhappy reign, which went by the name of Judge Jeffreys' hempen cravat.

WILLIAM AND MARY

Reigned thirteen years: 1689-1702.

The King born in 1650; the Queen born in 1662; married in 1677.

THE MEN

[Ill.u.s.tration: {A man of the time of William and Mary}]

First and foremost, the wig. Periwig, peruke, campaign wig with pole-locks or d.i.l.d.os, all the rage, all the thought of the first gentlemen. Their heads loaded with curl upon curl, long ringlets hanging over their shoulders and down their backs, some brown, some covered with meal until their coats looked like millers' coats; scented hair, almost hiding the loose-tied cravat, 'most agreeably discoloured with snuff from top to bottom.'

[Ill.u.s.tration: {A man of the time of William and Mary; a type of cuff}]

My fine gentleman walking the street with the square-cut coat open to show a fine waistcoat, his stick hanging by a ribbon on to his wrist and rattling on the pavement as it dragged along, his hat carefully perched on his wig, the crown made wide and high to hold the two wings of curls, which formed a negligent central parting. His pockets, low down in his coat, show a lace kerchief half dropping from one of them.

One hand is in a small m.u.f.f, the other holds a fine silver-gilt box filled with Vigo snuff. He wears high-heeled shoes, red heeled, perhaps, and the tongue of his shoe sticks up well above the instep.

Probably he is on his way to the theatre, where he will comb his periwig in public, and puff away the clouds of powder that come from it. The fair lady in a side box, who hides her face behind a mask, is delighted if Sir Beau will bow to her.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A MAN OF THE TIME OF WILLIAM AND MARY (1689-1702)

Strings again in use on the shoes. Cuffs much broader; wigs more full; skirts wider. Coat left open to show the long waistcoat.]

We are now among most precise people. One must walk here with just such an air of artificiality as will account one a fellow of high tone. The more enormous is our wig, the more frequently we take a pinch of Violet Strasburg or Best Brazil, Orangery, Bergamotte, or Ja.s.samena, the more shall we be followed by persons anxious to learn the fas.h.i.+on. We may even draw a little silver bowl from our pocket, place it on a seat by us, and, in meditative mood, spit therein.

We have gone completely into skirted coats and big flapped waistcoats; we have adopted the big cuff b.u.t.toned back; we have given up altogether the wide knee-breeches, and wear only breeches not tight to the leg, but just full enough for comfort.

The hats have altered considerably now; they are c.o.c.ked up at all angles, turned off the forehead, turned up one side, turned up all round; some are fringed with gold or silver lace, others are crowned with feathers.

We hear of such a number of claret-coloured suits that we must imagine that colour to be all the rage, and, in contrast to other times not long gone by, we must stiffen ourselves in buckram-lined skirts.

These powdered Absaloms could change themselves into very fine fighting creatures, and look twice as sober again when occasion demanded. They rode about the country in periwigs, certainly, but not quite so bushy and curled; many of them took to the travelling or campaign wig with the d.i.l.d.os or pole-locks. These wigs were full over the ears and at the sides of the forehead, but they were low in the crown, and the two front ends were twisted into single pipes of hair; or the pipes of hair at the side were entirely removed, and one single pipe hung down the back. The custom of thus twisting the hair at the back, and there holding it with a ribbon, gave rise to the later pigtail. The periwigs so altered were known as short bobs, the bob being the fullness of the hair by the cheeks of the wig.

[Ill.u.s.tration: {A man of the time of William and Mary}]

The cuffs of the coat-sleeve varied to the idea and taste of the owner of the coat; sometimes the sleeve was widened at the elbow to 18 inches, and the cuffs, turned back to meet the sleeves, were wider still. Two, three, or even more b.u.t.tons held the cuff back.

The pockets on the coats were cut vertically and horizontally, and these also might be b.u.t.toned up. Often the coat was held by only two centre b.u.t.tons, and the waistcoat flaps were not b.u.t.toned at all. The men's and women's m.u.f.fs were small, and often tied and slung with ribbons.

[Ill.u.s.tration: {A man of the time of William and Mary}]