The Evolution of Fashion Part 5

[Ill.u.s.tration: PRIEST OF THE 10TH CENTURY, WEARING A BLACK DALMATIC EDGED WITH FUR, READY TO SAY REQUIEM Ma.s.s.]

Burial clubs were common among the Anglo-Saxons, and heavy fines were inflicted on those who did not attend the funeral of a member. The corpse was placed on a bier, and on the body was laid the book of the Gospels, a code of belief and a cross as a symbol of hope. A silken or linen pall was used, according to the rank of the dead person. The clergy bore lighted tapers and chanted the psalter, the ma.s.s was performed, and a liberal offering made to the poor.

[Ill.u.s.tration: HIRED MOURNERS.]

From a 9th century MS. in the National Library, Paris, is given a sketch which clearly defines the mourning habit of that period. The gown is evidently of black woollen cloth, trimmed with black and white fur; and a gauze veil of the same sombre tint envelops the head. From the same source a drawing of an Anglo-Saxon priest is given, on account of his wearing a black dalmatic, edged with fur, a vestment only adopted when a requiem ma.s.s was performed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: MOURNING IN SACKCLOTH]

[Ill.u.s.tration: WIDOW'S DRESS OF QUEEN KATHERINE DE VALOIS, IN THE YEAR 1422]

In the Middle Ages black was used for mourning as a rule, though purple and brown were occasionally subst.i.tuted. Chaucer, in "The Knight's Tale," speaks of "clothes _black_ all dropped with tears," and, again, of "widdowes habit of samite _brown_." In many cases, on the death of her husband, the wife retired for a year to a convent, when she a.s.sumed the nun's dress, of which the widow's weeds of the present day are a symbol. The mourning adopted by Katherine of Valois, wife of Henry V., the hero of Agincourt, who died at Vincennes in 1422, may be regarded as the typical widow's dress of that period. It consisted of a black brocade cote hardi, edged with white fur, and further embellished with black gla.s.s beads, which were also used for ornamenting the winged head dress. Her black woollen gown has a deep bordering of white fur. Some mourning habits of this period are represented in a splendid ma.n.u.script "Liber Regalis," still preserved in Westminster Abbey. They are composed of black fabrics in the prevailing fas.h.i.+on, and are furred with ermine.

Froissart relates that the Earl of Foix, on hearing of the death of his son, Gaston, sent for his barber, and was close shaved, and clothed himself and his household in black. At the funeral of the Earl of Flanders, all the n.o.bles and others present were attired in black gowns; and on the death of John, King of France, the King of Cyprus clothed himself in black mourning.

[Ill.u.s.tration: COSTUMES WORN BY KING PHILIP II. OF SPAIN AND HIS ATTENDANTS AT THE FUNERAL PROCESSION OF HIS FATHER.]

At the end of the fifteenth century, it was considered necessary in England to pa.s.s sumptuary mourning laws, owing to the extravagance of the n.o.bility in the superfluous usage of cloth and other items at funerals. Habits and liveries were limited to certain quant.i.ties.

Planche tells us dukes and marquises were allowed sixteen yards for their gowns, sloppes (or mourning ca.s.socks) and mantles; an earl, fourteen; a viscount, twelve; a baron, eight; a knight, six; and all inferior persons, two yards only; but an archbishop had the same privilege as a duke. Hoods were only permitted to those above the degree of esquire of the king's household.

[Ill.u.s.tration: GENTLEMAN'S MOURNING--TIME OF HENRY VII.]

Margaret, Countess of Richmond, the mother of King Henry VII., issued, in the eighth year of his reign, an ordinance for "the reformation of apparell for great estates of women in the tyme of mourninge." "They shall have their surcottes with a trayne before and another behynde, and their mantles with traynes. The queen is to wear a surcotte, with the traynes as aforesaid, and playne hoode, and a tippet at the hoode lying a good length upon the trayne of the mantell, being in breadth a nayle and an inche. After the first quarter of a year, the hood to be lined with black satin, or furred with ermine; and all ladies down to the degree of a baroness, are to wear similar mourninge, and to be barbed at the chin." The surcotte, with trayne, hood, barbe, and tippet, are visible in the sketch of a lady of the sixteenth century, taken from Pietro Vercellio's famous work on costume. The gentleman's mourning of black cloth and fur, is reproduced from a contemporary MS.

[Ill.u.s.tration: FRENCH LADY OF 16TH CENTURY IN WIDOW'S WEEDS.]

Among the obsolete funeral customs, may be mentioned the Death Crier, the lying-in-state of all cla.s.ses, and the waxen effigies of those of royal rank. Before newspapers published obituary notices, it was customary for the Death Crier, armed with a bell and attired in a black livery, painted or embroidered with skulls and cross-bones, to announce to the townspeople, and inhabitants of surrounding villages, that another had gone over to the majority. This functionary was in the employ of the Corporation, or civil authorities, and on the death of a member of the Royal Family, he was usually accompanied by the Guild of Holy Souls, who walked in procession, bearing lighted tapers and other religious emblems. Lying-in-state usually lasted for three days, by which time the arrangements for a simple interment were completed, and the body was placed reverently in the ground. The obsequies of kings and queens, however, were carried over a protracted period, consequently a waxen figure was prepared, which was dressed in regal robes, and subst.i.tuted for the body as soon as decomposition set in. This fas.h.i.+on was in vogue till the time of William and Mary, and in Westminster Abbey there is a collection of waxen effigies, which may be viewed by permission of the Dean. As likenesses they are interesting, and they are also useful as costume studies.

[Ill.u.s.tration: GERMAN WIDOW'S DRESS OF TO-DAY.]

Of late years, in this country, mourning has been considerably modified, particularly for the male s.e.x, who often content themselves with a black hat-band and another on the left sleeve of dark-coloured clothes.

By Scotch law, whether a man dies solvent or insolvent, his widow may claim out of his estate, sufficient for mourning suitable to her rank, and the same privilege applies to each of her children, who are old enough to be present at their father's funeral. This right takes precedence over any debts the dead man may have contracted, and is a distinction not accorded to English, Welsh, or Irish widows.

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE DEATH CRIER.]

In most European countries black is the accepted colour for mourning; though in different parts of the globe white, yellow, red, brown, and even blue garments are prescribed by custom as the emblem of death.

These shades have been selected for the following reasons:--Black is symbolical of the gloom which surrounds one when those who are nearest and dearest are taken. Black and white express sorrow mixed with hope, and white alone the light which follows the night of mourning. Blue, the tint of the heavens, to which it is hoped the spirit forms have taken flight. Yellow is typical of the dead autumn leaf, and brown the earth to which the body returns. Violet, a royal colour, is generally used for the mourning of kings and high dignitaries of the Church. Scarlet is also used for royal mourning occasionally.[A]

[Ill.u.s.tration: ENGLISH WIDOW'S DRESS OF TO-DAY.]

[Footnote A: For permission to reproduce some of the drawings from Davey's "History of Mourning," I am indebted to Messrs. Jay, Regent Street, London.]

CHAPTER VII.

ECCENTRICITIES OF MASCULINE COSTUME.

"The fas.h.i.+on wears out more apparel than the man."

--_Much Ado about Nothing._

"Through tattered clothes small vices do appear, Robes and furred gowns hide all."--_King Lear._

[Ill.u.s.tration: BRITON CLAD IN SKINS.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: BRITON AT THE TIME OF THE ROMAN INVASION.]

"Vanity, thy name is woman," "As vain as a woman," and similar epithets, are hurled at our defenceless heads by our teachers and masters; yet how few of them pause for a moment to consider whether they are altogether free from this human weakness or exempt from that love of dress which they so strongly condemn in others. It does not require a deep study of the history of costume to reveal some curious anomalies in this respect, and the sketches chosen for the purpose of ill.u.s.trating this chapter will only give a faint idea of what has been considered appropriate and becoming to the manly form at different epochs. In Pelautier's "Histoire des Celtes," we learn that "the toilet of the ancient inhabitants of Britain, somewhat resembled that of the North American Indian of the present day, and consisted of a series of elaborate paintings over the whole surface of the body, which were no doubt originally intended to protect the skin, from the inclemencies of the weather, but were afterwards used as a mode of embellishment and a means of distinguis.h.i.+ng the different cla.s.ses, for it was reserved to freemen, and strictly forbidden to slaves. The lower cla.s.ses confined themselves to small designs drawn at a considerable distance from each other; but the n.o.bles had the privilege of ornamenting their persons with large figures, chiefly of animals, subsequently transferred to their s.h.i.+elds, after they adopted a less scanty costume, and this may be looked upon as the origin of family arms." The Picts, who inhabited the north of Britain, were remarkable for their pictorial decorations, hence their name, derived from an ancient word, _picti_, which signifies painted. Our remote ancestors also added to their other charms (which were doubtless irresistible to the belles of that period), by deepening the tone of their naturally ruddy locks, by was.h.i.+ng them in water boiled with lime.

Their clothing was of skins of animals killed in the chase, and they were armed with implements of bone and flint. The Tyrian traders taught them how to construct various weapons of war from a composition of copper and tin, and their flat wicker s.h.i.+elds were superseded by those of metal ornamented with concentric circles. After the Roman Conquest of Britain, the skin garments were laid aside for dyed tunics and close trousers. Over the tunic was worn a sagum, or short cloak, so named by the Romans from _saic_, a word of Celtic origin, which signified a skin or hide. When the head was covered it was with a cap, from the British _cab_, a hut, which, from its circular shape, it somewhat resembled, for the dwelling-places were composed of wattles firmly fixed in the ground and fastened together at the top. A curious remnant of this fas.h.i.+on is the horn-like cap of rushes still made by Welsh children. The hair was usually long and flowing. Men of rank shaved the chin and allowed the moustache to grow to an extraordinary length.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CANUTE.]

The Saxons and Danes are spoken of as wearers of "scarlet, purple, and fine linen," and the latter combed their hair once a day, bathed once a week, and frequently changed their clothing. By these means they found favour in the eyes of the women, and delighted the wives and daughters of the n.o.bility. In a curious MS., written in the reign of King Canute, the monarch is represented in a tunic and mantle embellished with cords and ta.s.sels. The tops of his stockings are embroidered, but he wears simple leather shoes. A vestment presented by Canute to Croyland Abbey was of silk, embroidered with golden eagles, and the rich pall which he ordered to be laid over the tomb of Edmund Ironside, was "embroidered with the likeness of golden apples and ornamented with pearls." From this, we see that the needle played an important part in the ornamentation of clothing, and to it we also owe the splendid Bayeux tapestry, worked by Matilda, wife of William the Conqueror. This priceless curiosity is not only remarkable as a magnificent piece of workmans.h.i.+p, but affords a good idea of the dress of that period--the 11th century. A tunic reaching to the ankle, leg bandages and shoes, a flowing mantle and flat cap, were the chief characteristics of the civil dress of this and succeeding reigns. The Normans, however, were clean-shaven.

[Ill.u.s.tration: WILLIAM THE NORMAN, FROM BAYEUX TAPESTRY.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: GENTLEMAN OF THE 14TH CENTURY.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: PARLIAMENT a.s.sEMBLED IN THE REIGN OF RICHARD II.]

[Ill.u.s.tration: A CAPUCHON OR HOOD, TIME OF EDWARD II.]

During the Middle Ages extravagance prevailed in both male and female costume. Handsome furs were in great request, and several times sumptuary laws were pa.s.sed. Men wore eight indispensable articles of dress, the s.h.i.+rt, breeches, stockings, shoes, coat, surcoat or cotehardie, mantle, and head dress. The coat or under-dress corresponded with the tunic of the ancients, and was entirely hidden, with the exception of the sleeves, by the surcoat. There were two kinds of mantles, one open in the front, the two sides connected by a strap resting on the chest, the other was open on the right side and had one end thrown over the left shoulder. Head coverings were of various descriptions; but many adopted hoods with long points, which were used to attach them to the belt when not in use. The a.s.sembling of Parliament in the reign of Richard II. gives the lay, spiritual, and legal peers in their usual costumes, and is reproduced from Planche's "History of British Costume." The Bishops are in cowls near the throne, the judges in coifs and furred robes, the Earls of Westmorland and Northumberland stand in front. The Duke of Hereford, in high cap, is to the left of the throne, and Exeter, Salisbury, and other peers are seated opposite the judges. During the reign of Richard II., which lasted over twenty years (1377 to 1399), there were many curious fas.h.i.+ons in masculine attire.

The peaked shoes, chained to the knee, were not more ridiculous than the deep, wide sleeves commonly called pokeys, which were shaped like a bagpipe and were worn by all cla.s.ses. Many writers refer to them as the devil's receptacles, as whatever could be stolen was hidden away in their folds. Some were wide and reached to the feet, others to the knee, and they were full of slits. Hose were often of different colours.

Parti-coloured suits were also in favour, and these were frequently scalloped at the edges and embroidered with mottoes and other devices.

Chaucer, who wrote the "Canterbury Tales" towards the end of Richard's reign, describes in the most graphic manner the apparel of his contemporaries. "The haberdasher, carpenter, weaver, dyer, and tapestry worker, all wealthy burghers of the City of London, were clothed in a livery, and the handles of their knives, pouches, and girdles were ornamented with silver. The clergy were not to be distinguished from the laity, and rode on horseback, glittering with gold, in gowns of scarlet and green, fine with cut work. Their mitres embellished with pearls like the head of a queen, and staffs of precious metals set with jewels."

Even the parish clerk is said to be "spruce and foppish in his dress."

The author of an anonymous work called the "Eulogium," of this date, says:--"The commoners were besotted in excess of apparel. Some in wide surcoats reaching to their loins, some in a garment reaching to their heels, closed before and sticking out at the sides, so that at the back they make men seem like women, and this they call by the ridiculous name _gowne_. Their hoods are little, and tied under the chins. Their lirri-pipes (tippets) pa.s.s round the neck, and hanging down before, reach to the heels."

Towards the end of the 14th century men began to wear short clothes made to fit the body so closely that it often required the a.s.sistance of two people to remove them, and it is from this period we can distinctly trace the difference between ancient and modern dress; in fact, our present fas.h.i.+ons--masculine and feminine--resemble to a certain extent those worn during mediaeval times. Then, as now, men wore overcoats with tight sleeves, felt hats also with feathers, worn over a skull cap, and slung behind the back, and closely-fitting shoes and boots.

The Tudor monarchs paid considerable attention to the adornment of their persons, and were responsible for stringent legal enactments calculated to encourage home manufacturers. Felt hat-making--one of our oldest industries--was introduced into this country from Spain and Holland. A great impetus was given to this branch of trade by a law pa.s.sed in 1571 which enjoined "every person above the age of seven years to wear on Sundays or holidays a cap of wool, knit made, thickened, and dressed in England by some of the trade of cappers, under the forfeiture of three farthings for every day's neglect." In 1603 the felt makers became a Corporation with grants and many privileges. Throughout the Middle Ages the upper cla.s.ses frequently engaged in commerce. Bishops, abbots, and n.o.bles personally superintended the disposal of the produce of their estates, and a considerable number of the younger sons of good families were the leading traders of the 15th and 16th centuries.

[Ill.u.s.tration: COSTUME OF THE REIGN OF HENRY VII.]

The "frocke" frequently mentioned, and of which the modern frock coat is the degenerate descendant, was a sort of jacket or jerkin made occasionally with skirts, a style a.s.sociated especially, with Holbein's portraits of Henry VIII. and his contemporaries.

The uniform worn at the present day by the Yeomen of the Guard stationed at the Tower of London, gives us the military costume of the Tudor period. It is the oldest corps in her Majesty's service, and was inst.i.tuted by Henry VII. as the bodyguard of the sovereign. In the dress of the Bluecoat Boys at Christ's Hospital we have that of the citizens of London during the reign of Edward VI. and Mary, when blue coats were habitually used by apprentices and serving men, yellow stockings also were in common use. The badges on the jackets of firemen and watermen date from this time; they were made of metal and placed on the sleeve, in the 16th century, instead of being embroidered on the back or breast of the garment as they had been previously. Retainers in the households of the wealthy, were provided with surcoats and mantles twice a year, of their patron's favourite colour, and this was called the _livree_, from a French word signifying to distribute. Trade guilds and members of the learned professions, also adopted a distinct style of costume. Lawyers, who were originally priests, of course wore the tonsure; but when the clergy ceased to interfere with secular affairs the lay lawyer continued this sign of office, and also wore a coif. Their gowns were capacious and lined with fur: and the Justices of the King's Bench were allowed liveries by the King, of cloth and silk. Budge, or lambskin, and miniver were provided for the tr.i.m.m.i.n.g thereof, and the colour appears to have varied in different reigns, but for a long time green prevailed.

[Ill.u.s.tration: COURTIER IN THE REIGN OF ELIZABETH.]

The courtiers of Elizabeth discarded the "frocke cote" for quilted and stuffed doublets and trunk hose, slashed and ornamented in the most quaint and extravagant manner. Below these were worn stockings embroidered with birds, beasts, and other devices, "sewed up close thereto as though they were all of one piece." Trunk hose were appropriately named, as they were often filled with wool, bran, and other materials. At last they became of such enormous size that it was necessary to construct swings in the Houses of Parliament in place of the ordinary fixed seats, for the accommodation of those wearing this singular article of attire. Enormous ruffs of muslin and lace encircled the necks of dandies of the Elizabethan era, and they appear to have had waists which would excite the envy of the belles of the latter part of the 19th century. In fact, the gallants of that day were even in advance of the fair s.e.x, in their love of fantastic costume; and as Hollingshead, in _The Chronicle_, justly states in reference to the fas.h.i.+ons of the period: "Nothing was more constant in England than inconstancy of attire."

[Ill.u.s.tration: EARL OF SURREY, TIME OF HENRY VIII.]

A few years since, behind some ancient panelling at Haddon Hall, Derbys.h.i.+re, was discovered a was.h.i.+ng bill (with other things appertaining to the 16th and 17th centuries) which gives us a good idea of the various articles of dress then worn. Reference is made to the _ruff_, which is too well known to need description; to _bandes_ made of linen and cambric, from which those now used by the clergy took their origin, and from which we derive the modern word bandbox. There were three kinds--some that stood upright, others were allowed to lie flat upon the shoulders, as shown in the drawings of Charles I. and II., and those which were embroidered and trimmed with lace. The _s.h.i.+rt_ applied to the under-garment of both s.e.xes, and the half-s.h.i.+rt referred to the stomacher over which the dress was laced. _Boot hose_ were made of a variety of materials, and were occasionally called nether stocks; _socks_ were sometimes put over them; and _tops_ were of Holland linen or lace, and formed the lining of the full hanging boots of the Cavaliers.