British Costume from Earliest Times to 1820 (Dover Fashion and Costumes)

British Costume from Earliest Times to 1820

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The most popular goller was a round shoulder-capelet, frequently of black velvet lined in silk or fur, with a standing neckband; this goller would remain in use in some parts of Germany into the 17th century and became part of national dress in some areas. Narrow sleeves were worn in the earliest years of the century, and were later decorated with bands of contrasting fabric and rows of small panes or strips over puffed linings.

Skirts were trimmed with bands of contrasting fabric, but were closed all around. They would be worn draped up to display an underskirt. From , elements of Spanish dress were rapidly adopted in fashionable Germany under the influence of the imperial court of Charles V. Dress in Holland, Belgium, and Flanders, now part of the Empire, retained a high, belted waistline longest. Italian gowns were fitted to the waist, with full skirts below. The French gown of the first part of the century was loosely fitted to the body and flared from the hips, with a train. The neckline was square and might reveal the kirtle and chemise beneath.

Cuffed sleeves were wide at the wrist and grew wider, displaying a decorated undersleeve attached to the kirtle. The gown fastened in front early, sometimes lacing over the kirtle or a stomacher, and the skirt might be slit in front or the train tucked up in back to display the skirt of the kirtle. As a fitted style emerged under Spanish influence, the gown was made as a separate bodice and skirt; this bodice usually fastened at the side or the side-back with hooks and eyes or lacing.

From the s, French and English fashions featured an open, square-necked gown with long sleeves fitted smoothly over a tight corset or pair of bodies and a farthingale. With the smooth, conical line of the skirt, the front of the kirtle or petticoat was displayed, and a decorated panel called a forepart , heavily embroidered and sometimes jeweled, was pinned to the petticoat or directly to the farthingale. The earlier cuffed sleeves evolved into trumpet sleeves , tight on the upper arm and flared below, with wide, turned back cuffs often lined with fur worn over full undersleeves that might match the decorated forepart.

At the very end of the period, full round sleeves perhaps derived from Italian fashions began to replace the flaring trumpet sleeves, which disappeared by the later s. Fabric or chain girdles were worn at the waist and hung down to roughly knee length; a tassel or small prayer book or purse might be suspended from the girdle. The low neckline of the dress could be filled with a partlet.

Black velvet partlets lined in white with a high, flared neckline were worn pinned over the gown. Partlets of the same rich fabric as the bodice of the gown give the appearance of a high-necked gown. Sheer or opaque linen partlets were worn over the chemise or smock, and high-necked smocks began to appear; toward these might have a small standing collar with a ruffle, which would become the pleated ruff of the next period.

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In France, England, and the Low Countries, black hoods with veils at the back were worn over linen undercaps that allowed the front hair parted in the middle to show. These hoods became more complex and structured over time.

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Unique to England was the gable hood , a wired headdress shaped like the gable of a house. In the 16th century gable headdress had long embroidered lappets framing the face and a loose veil behind; later the gable hood would be worn over several layers that completely concealed the hair, and the lappets and veil would be pinned up in a variety of ways. A simple rounded hood of the early years of the century evolved into the French hood , popular in both France and England; its arched shape sat further back on the head and displayed the front hair which was parted in the center and pinned up in braids or twists under the veil.

German women adopted hats like fashionable men's baretts early in the century; these were worn over caps or cauls colettes made of netted cord over a silk lining. Close fitting caps of fur were worn in cold climates. Linen caps called coifs were worn under the fur cap, hood or hat. In warmer climates including Italy and Spain, hair was more often worn uncovered, braided or twisted with ribbons and pinned up, or confined in a net.

A Spanish style of the later 15th century was still worn in this period: First-time brides wore their hair loose, in token of virginity, and a wreath or chaplet of orange blossoms was traditional. A jeweled wreath with enameled "orange blossoms" was sometimes worn. Women of wealth wore gold chains and other precious jewelry; collar-like necklaces called carcanets , earrings , bracelets , rings , and jeweled pins. Bands of jeweler's work were worn as trim by the nobility, and would be moved from dress to dress and reused.

Large brooches were worn to pin overpartlets to the dress beneath. Dress hooks , of silver gilt for the wealthy and of base metal for the lower classes, were worn to loop up skirts. A fashionable accessory was the zibellino , the pelt of a sable or marten worn draped at the neck or hanging at the waist; some costume historians call these "flea furs". The most expensive zibellini had faces and paws of goldsmith's work with jewelled eyes. However, it should be noted that not all women or men were allowed to wear jewelry because of the sumptuary laws that restricted wearing certain types of jewelry and luxurious fabrics, such as purple velvet, to first royalty and then nobility.

The newly wealthy merchant classes who were not aristocrats could not wear jewelry on their clothing or fabrics restricted to nobles. Gloves of soft leather had short, sometimes slashed, cuffs and were perfumed. Portraits produced during the Renaissance provide an invaluable resource for visualizing and understanding the beauty ideals of the period. Sandro Botticelli's Venus and Mars , painted between depicts Venus as the ultimate amalgamation of female physical beauty.

Women often applied toxic substances to their faces and chests such as mercury , alum , and ceruse to lighten the skin and remove freckles. However, these products, such as ceruse, a lead derivative severely irritated the skin, leaving women's faces blemished and burned. Although safer alternatives existed, women preferred the consistency and coverage offered by ceruse. Not all cosmetics were dangerous, many women relied on lotions and balms containing almonds, olive oil, lemon juice, bread crumbs, eggs, honey, rosewater and snake fat to clarify and cleanse the skin.

Red lips and rosy cheeks were achieved primarily through the application of vermilion ; ceruse mixed with organic dyes such as henna and cochineal a powder made from the ground exoskeleton of insects. In Italy especially, women sought to achieve the light tresses that were viewed as the ideal. Women applied mixtures of lemon juice, alum and white wine and sat in the sun to lighten their hair. In order to produce loose curls, women wrapped hair saturated in gum arabic or beer around clay curlers.

Early in this period, men's silhouette was long and narrow, but gradually it grew wider until by the later reign of Henry the VIII the silhouette was almost square, with shoulder emphasis achieved through wide revers and collars and large sleeves.

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From the s, a narrower silhouette became popular under Spanish influence. Collars were higher and tighter. Shoulders lost their padding and developed a slight slope. Doublet sleeves became fuller rather than tight. Jerkins closed to the neck; their skirts were shorter and slightly flared rather than full, and they displayed more of the hose. Overall the fashion was more rigid and restrained.

Lower class men wore a one-piece garment called a cotte in English, tight to the waist with knee-length skirts and long sleeves over their hose. A variety of hats were worn in the period. The German ' barett , with its turned-up brim, was fashionable throughout the period, and a similar hat with a turned-up round or "halo" brim was popular in the court of Henry VIII.

The flat hat combined a low, gathered crown with a circular brim and was worn in mid-century. Depending on social status, the color could be used in any clothing or would be limited to mantles, doublets, jerkins, or other specific items. The general trend toward abundant surface ornamentation in the Elizabethan Era was expressed in clothing, especially amongst the aristocracy in England.

Shirts and chemises were embroidered with blackwork and edged in lace. Heavy cut velvets and brocades were further ornamented with applied bobbin lace , gold and silver embroidery, and jewels. The origins of the trend for somber colors are elusive, but are generally attributed to the growing influence of Spain and possibly the importation of Spanish merino wools. The Low Countries, German states , Scandinavia , England, France, and Italy all absorbed the sobering and formal influence of Spanish dress after the mids.

Fine textiles could be dyed "in the grain" with the expensive kermes , alone or as an over-dye with woad, to produce a wide range colors from blacks and grays through browns, murreys, purples, and sanguines. By the end of the period, there was a sharp distinction between the sober fashions favored by Protestants in England and the Netherlands, which still showed heavy Spanish influence, and the light, revealing fashions of the French and Italian courts. This distinction would carry over well into the seventeenth century.

Women's outer clothing generally consisted of a loose or fitted gown worn over a kirtle or petticoat or both. An alternative to the gown was a short jacket or a doublet cut with a high neckline. The narrow-shouldered, wide-cuffed "trumpet" sleeves characteristic of the s and s in France and England disappeared in the s, in favor of French and Spanish styles with narrower sleeves. Overall, the silhouette was narrow through the s and gradually widened, with emphasis as the shoulder and hip. The slashing technique, seen in Italian dress in the s, evolved into single or double rows of loops at the shoulder with contrasting linings.

By the s these had been adapted in England as padded and jeweled shoulder rolls. The common upper garment was a gown, called in Spanish ropa , in French robe , and in English either gown or frock. Gowns were made in a variety of styles: Loose or fitted called in England a French gown ; with short half sleeves or long sleeves; and floor length a round gowns or with a trailing train clothing.

The gown was worn over a kirtle or petticoat or both, for warmth. Prior to , the kirtle consisted of a fitted one-piece garment.

The parts of the kirtle or petticoat that showed beneath the gown were usually made of richer fabrics, especially the front panel forepart of the skirts. The bodices of French, Spanish, and English styles were stiffened into a cone or flattened, triangular shape ending in a V at the front of the woman's waist. Italian fashion uniquely featured a broad U-shape rather than a V.

They fastened with hooks in front or were laced at the side-back seam. High-necked bodices styled like men's doublets might fasten with hooks or buttons. Italian and German fashion retained the front-laced bodice of the previous period, with the ties laced in parallel rows.

During this period, women's underwear consisted of a washable linen chemise or smock. This was the only article of clothing that was worn by every woman, regardless of class. Wealthy women's smocks were embroidered and trimmed with narrow lace.

Smocks were made of rectangular lengths of linen; in northern Europe the smock skimmed the body and was widened with triangular gores, while in Mediterranean countries smocks were cut fuller in the body and sleeves. High-necked smocks were worn under high-necked fashions, to protect the expensive outer garments from body oils and dirt. There is pictorial evidence that Venetian courtesans wore linen or silk drawers, but no evidence that drawers were worn in England.

Stockings or hose were generally made of woven wool sewn to shape and held in place with ribbon garters. The true corset , called a vasquine in Spanish, arose in the first half of the 16th century in Spain. The fashion spread from there to Italy, and then to France and eventually England, where it was called a pair of bodies , being made in two parts which laced back and front. The corset was restricted to aristocratic fashion, and was a fitted bodice stiffened with reeds called bents , wood, or whalebone. Skirts were held in the proper shape by a farthingale or hoop skirt.

In Spain, the cone-shaped Spanish farthingale remained in fashion into the early 17th century. It was only briefly fashionable in France, where a padded roll or French farthingale called in England a bum roll held the skirts out in a rounded shape at the waist, falling in soft folds to the floor. In England, the Spanish farthingale was worn through the s, and was gradually replaced by the French farthingale. By the s, skirts were pinned to wide wheel farthingales to achieve a drum shape. A low neckline might be filled with an infill called in English a partlet.

Partlets worn over the smock but under the kirtle and gown were typically made of lawn a fine linen. Partlets were also worn over the kirtle and gown. The colours of "over-parlets" varied, but white and black were the most common. The partlet might be made of the same material as the kirtle and richly decorated with lace detailing to compliment it. Women wore sturdy overskirts called safeguards over their dresses for riding or travel on dirty roads.

Hooded cloaks were worn overall in bad weather. One description mentions strings being attached to the stirrup or foot to hold the skirts in place when riding. Mantles were also popular and described as modern day bench warmers: Besides keeping warm, Elizabethans cloaks were useful for any type of weather; the Cassock , commonly known as the Dutch cloak, was another kind of cloak. Its name implies some military ideals and has been used since the beginning of the 16th century and therefore has many forms. The cloak is identified by its flaring out at the shoulders and the intricacy of decoration.

The cloak was worn to the ankle, waist or fork. The longer lengths were more popular for travel and came with many variations.

The French cloak was quite the opposite of the Dutch and was worn anywhere from the knees to the ankle. It was typically worn over the left shoulder and included a cape that came to the elbow. It was a highly decorated cloak. The Spanish cloak or cape was well known to be stiff, have a very decorated hood and was worn to the hip or waist.

The over-gown for women was very plain and worn loosely to the floor or ankle length. The Juppe had a relation to the safeguard and they would usually be worn together. The Juppe replaced the Dutch Cloak and was most likely a loose form of the doublet. The fashion for wearing or carrying the pelt of a sable or marten spread from continental Europe into England in this period; costume historians call these accessories zibellini or "flea furs".

The most expensive zibellini had faces and paws of goldsmith's work with jewelled eyes. Queen Elizabeth received one as a New Years gift in Folding fans appeared late in the period, replacing flat fans of ostrich feathers. Jewelry was also popular among those that could afford it. Necklaces were beaded gold or silver chains and worn in concentric circles reaching as far down as the waist. Ruffs also had a jewelry attachment such as glass beads, embroidery, gems, brooches or flowers. Belts were a surprising necessity: Lower classes wore them almost as tool belts with the upper classes using them as another place to add jewels and gems alike.

Scarves, although not often mentioned, had a significant impact on the Elizabethan style by being a multipurpose piece of clothing. They could be worn on the head to protect desirable pale skin from the sun, warm the neck on a colder day, and accentuate the colour scheme of a gown or whole outfit. The upper class had silken scarves of every color to brighten up an outfit with the gold thread and tassels hanging off of it.

While travelling, noblewomen would wear oval masks of black velvet called visards to protect their faces from the sun. Married and grown women covered their hair, as they had in previous periods. Later, front hair was curled and puffed high over the forehead. Wigs and false hairpieces were used to extend the hair. A close-fitting linen cap called a coif or biggins was worn, alone or under other hats or hoods, especially in the Netherlands and England.

Many embroidered and bobbin-lace-trimmed English coifs survive from this period. Another fashionable headdress was a caul , or cap, of net-work lined in silk attached to a band, which covered the pinned up hair. This style of headdress had also been seen in Germany in the first half of the century. The ideal standard of beauty for women in the Elizabethan era was to have light or naturally red hair, a pale complexion, and red cheeks and lips. Pale, white skin was desired because Queen Elizabeth was in reign and she had the naturally red hair, pale complexion, and red cheeks and lips.

Also, it was to look very English since the main enemy of England was Spain, and in Spain darker hair was dominant. To further enhance the desired pale complexion, women layered white make-up on their faces. This make-up, called Ceruse , was made up of white lead and vinegar. Women wearing ceruse achieved the white face, however, the white lead that was used to make it is poisonous.

Women in this time often contracted lead poisoning which resulted in deaths before the age of Other ingredients used as make-up were sulfur, alum, and tin ash. In addition to using make-up to achieve the pale complexion, women in this era were bled to take the color out of their faces.

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For the red cheeks and lips, dyes were sometimes used. Cochineal , madder and vermilion were used as dyes to achieve the bright red effects on the face. Not only were the cheeks and lips emphasized; Kohl was used to darken the eyelashes and enhance the size and appearance of the eyes [36]. Men's fashionable clothing consisted of a linen shirt with collar or ruff and matching wrist ruffs, which were laundered with starch to be kept stiff and bright.

Over the shirt men wore a doublet with long sleeves sewn or laced in place. Doublets were stiff, heavy garments, and were often reinforced with boning. During this time the doublet and jerkin became increasingly more colorful and highly decorated. Around , this padding was exaggerated into a peascod belly. Hose , in variety of styles, were worn with a codpiece early in the period. Trunk hose or round hose were short padded hose.

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Very short trunk hose were worn over cannions , fitted hose that ended above the knee. Trunk hose could be paned or pansied , with strips of fabric panes over a full inner layer or lining. Slops or galligaskins were loose hose reaching just below the knee.

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