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    Accessories of Dress: An Illustrated Encyclopedia
    Accessories of Dress: An Illustrated Encyclopedia
    Accessories of Dress: An Illustrated Encyclopedia
    Ebook1,288 pages10 hours

    Accessories of Dress: An Illustrated Encyclopedia

    By Katherine Lester and Bess Viola Oerke

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    About this ebook

    Drawing upon a vast number of historical sources, the authors of this useful reference have created an entertaining account of the forms of personal adornment men and women have used throughout the ages to enhance their wearing apparel. From hats, veils, wigs, and cosmetics, to cravats, shawls, shoes, and gloves, to walking sticks, handbags, fans, and furs, the engaging commentary displays the humor and personal charm of the many-sided story of accessorized apparel. 644 figures and 59 plates.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherDover Publications
    Release dateFeb 19, 2013
    ISBN9780486140490
    Accessories of Dress: An Illustrated Encyclopedia

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      Accessories of Dress - Katherine Lester

      INTEREST

      Part I

      ACCESSORIES WORN ON THE HEAD

      CHAPTER 1

      The Hat

      There came up a lass from a country town

      intending to live in the city,

      In a steeple-crown hat and a Paragon gown

      who thought herself wondrous pretty:

      Her Petticoat serge, her stockings were green,

      her smock cut out of a sheet, Sir;

      And under it all, was seldom yet seen

      so fair a young maid for the street, Sir!

      Roxburgh Ballads, 1685

      THROUGH the centuries the hat has played a varied and, at times, an amusing role in the history of dress. Today it is regarded as an essential detail in the costume of both men and women. In the apparel of women the hat is comparatively modern, whereas in men’s dress, as a simple cap or hood, it dates back to remote times. From this ancient and humble beginning, followed by constant changes through the centuries, it has emerged as the indispensable head covering of moderns.

      All primitive peoples have worn the simple, close-fitting cap. Figure 1. Some form of the cap was worn by the Egyptians, the Greeks, the Romans, the Gauls, the Franks, and the Anglo-Saxons. It was used as early as 4000 B.C. From that distant period down to the fourteenth century it continued to be the accepted head covering for the great mass of the people. Though hats came at a much later date, both the words hat and cap seem to have had their origin in terms used to designate the primitive home. Long before these peoples gave much thought to clothes they built themselves shacks or huts which, according to Planché,¹ they called haet or hutt. Their head coverings imitating the ancient hut were probably given the same name, a term which through the centuries changed to the modern word hat. The word cap comes from the Anglo-Saxon cappe; however, Planché, an early authority writing on the subject of costume, points out that the Belgic Britons had in their language the word cappan, used by later peoples of the same region in describing their conical caps made of rushes and curiously resembling the ancient hut made of wattles tied together in a similar way and called cab, cabban, whence our modern word cabin. So it would appear that some relation seemed to exist, particularly in these early days, between the primitive home and the first head covering.

      The ancient cap made of skins, often with the shaggy side out, of cloth, of woolen stuff, and later of leather, probably at first resembled a loose, hoodlike cap, then took on more or less of a conical shape. This was gradually followed by more fitted shapes. The first recorded use of a hat with a brim comes from ancient Greece, where the petasus and pileus, low-crowned, broad-brimmed hats of felt, sometimes likened to a barber’s basin, were worn by huntsmen and travelers. However, with rustics of this and later periods, the simple cap, sometimes conical, sometimes with side flaps, continued to be worn. By the fourteenth century the popularity of the cap gave way to the hood, which with its long peak lent itself to many interesting arrangements and so helped to prolong the fashion over a considerable period. Hoods were fashionable for both men and women. Previous to this women had been wearing enveloping veils, short coifs, and, later, chin straps and wimples with head veils. It was not until a much later date that both men and women adopted the hat as it is known today. Consequently, in tracing the development of the modern hat it is necessary to go back through the period of veils and hoods to the little cap which innocently enough started the fashion of hats.

      Figure 1. Early Caps Seen in Various Anglo-Saxon Manuscripts of the 9th, 10th, and 11th Centuries

      Figure 2. Head of Rameses III, Showing Wig

      In Egypt, as in other warm countries, the climate and manner of living had much to do with dress development. Though the hat had no place in the Egyptian wardrobe, the various types of headdress served as worthy substitutes. Persons of all classes occasionally wore caps, some of which were large, others close fitting. Men generally, however, preferred the wig. See page 84. Wigs had been adopted at an early date and were worn as a protective covering from the sun. They were usually constructed of human hair or sheep’s wool. The hair was shaved or cut short and the wig, built upon a netlike foundation, allowed the heat of the head to escape. Figure 2. In fact, the wig far surpassed the modern turban which is worn for the same purpose. Another very familiar head covering was the simple cloth or kerchief fitted about the brow in such a way that it fell to the shoulders, sometimes in two broad bands or lappets which framed the face. Figure 3. Dignitaries of Egypt are seen in a helmet cap, apparently of woolen stuff, rising high above the head. Figure 4. These are usually ornamented with emblems symbolic of office or rank. Chief among the princely insignia were the asp, signifying kingly power; the lotus, the emblem of abundance; and the sacred feather, indicating sovereignty.

      Figure 3. Egyptian Head Covering

      Figure 4. Alabaster Head, Ptolemaic Period

      Figure 5. Wigs of an Egyptian King and Queen

      Though hats for women came at a much later date and in an entirely different world, it is interesting to note the elaborate wigs, ornamental bands, wreaths, and ribbon which, in a measure, made up to these women of Egypt for the lack of a hat. During the Old Empire and down to the Eighteenth Dynasty (1583 B.C.), elaborate coiffures falling over the shoulders and entirely concealing the contour of the head were worn. Figure 5. These masses of long hair, either plaited or straight, hung at the back, covering the shoulder blades, while two side pieces fell to the front of the shoulders. These side tresses were secured by combs or an ornamental headband. As stated by many authorities, these large constructions must have been wigs, for the same woman is frequently seen in different coiffures, some of which are long and elaborate, others short. In still others a little of the natural hair is seen under the wig. The wall painting The Deceased Entertained by the Goddess Nut gives a very definite idea of this coiffure of three thousand years ago. PLATE I. The most important ornamental head covering of the early period was the vulture headdress of the Egyptian queen. Both sculpture and painting show the royal lady wearing this emblem of the sacred bird whose plumage covers the head. Figure 6. In marked contrast with this ancient headdress is the tall cap or crown of a much later date worn by Nefertiti, queen of Amemophis IV, who reigned during the fourteenth century, B.C., and whose daughter was the wife of King Tutankhamen. PLATE II. During this later period the former heaviness was abandoned and various styles were accepted. A few examples of the prevailing mode show outstanding bobs; others are long front and back and short on the shoulders. Some show a more natural arrangement of the hair which reveals rather than conceals the contour of the head. Wreaths, ribbon, and the lotus flower turned about the head were used as ornament. Figure 8. It is said that the ribbon which the Egyptian woman tied about her brow, leaving two streamers hanging at the back, is the first sign of the modern hatband.

      PLATE I. The Deceased Entertained by the Goddess Nut . . . . From an Egyptian wall painting

      Figure 6. The Vulture Headdress of an Egyptian Queen, Ptolemaic Period

      Figure 7. Headdresses of Egyptian Women

      Figure 8. Egyptian, a Style Which Succeeded the Heavy Wig

      PLATE II. Queen Nefertiti . . . . Bust, painted in limestoue witch eyes of rock crystal

      Nefertiti, meaning The Beautiful one has come, was the queen of Amemophis IV, 1375-58 B.C.

      One of the most familiar types of ancient cap came from Phrygia in Asia Minor. This has passed into history as the Phrygian bonnet. Figure 9. Originally it resembled a hood with a pointed, extended crown. bent forward, with flaps hanging to the shoulders. When made of pliant material, the crown lay in a soft fold; when made of leather, the crown supported itself, taking on the form of a helmet. It was later worn in Greece and Italy and, during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, was revived in a somewhat similar shape as the hood and worn as a fashionable head covering by both men and women. At this time the tippet or pointed crown assumed many and amusing styles. See page 11. The general shape of the Phrygian bonnet is seen in many later types of headgear. Even in modern times, an occasional molded hat form harks back to this little cap of long ago.

      Figure 9. Forms of the Phrygian Cap

      Figure 10. The Petasus After a drawing by Winckelmann.

      In Greece, coverings for the head were not generally worn. Here again the mild climate and the leisurely life of the people made no particular demands for head coverings. Among the peasant folk the little, close-fitting cap, sometimes with flaps fastened under the chin, was sufficient. Strange as it may seem, it was reserved for the men of Greece to introduce the hat with a brim. This was of felt, tied under the chin and known as the petasus and pileus. Figure 10. Such a hat was worn only by travelers and huntsmen as a protection from the sun. When not upon the head it was pushed back on the shoulders and supported by a string about the neck. The felt used for the petasus as well as for caps, cloaks, and shoes of this day was made by matting together hair or bits of wool while moist. In England, as late as the fourteenth century during the reign of Edward II, a type of felt hat similar to the petasus was worn.

      Greek women are said to have been blessed with beautiful and abundant hair. This is characteristic of southern races. No doubt the vanity of the feminine world of that day found complete satisfaction in the beautiful crowns, diadems, cauls, and tiaras which ornamented the head. At least there is no mention of hats. Instead, when a covering for the head was needed, the himation served the purpose, for it could be easily adjusted about the head and shoulders.

      Figure 11. Large Caps That Came by Way of Byzantium and Rome

      In Rome, the leaders of fashion followed the Greek custom. When necessary they adjusted the toga in such a way that it could be readily pulled over the head. Roman women had no need for hats. Their veils, nets, and adjustable wigs, however, received the same careful attention that a modern woman bestows upon her hat.

      After the conquest of Gaul by Julius Caesar (55 A.D.), Roman civilization was gradually introduced into that corner of western Europe. Later there followed the invasion of the Franks from the north, bringing other influences. The mingling of the Romans, Franks, and Gauls naturally brought about many changes in dress. During the long period of the Middle Ages the cap with its many variations continued to be the favorite head covering for men. Women, too, wore the little cap. It was, however, reserved for the feminine world to make new and interesting changes in this important matter of dressing the head.

      Middle Ages

      Throughout the long period of the Middle Ages, women of all classes favored head draperies of one sort or another. These were usually large, square, oblong, or circular pieces of linen or cotton material falling from the head to the shoulders or below, sometimes reaching the feet. When long, this drapery was known as the palla, a name no doubt taken over after the Roman occupation. Another popular headdress which came by way of Byzantium and Rome was the large, turbanlike cap edged with a roll or pad. Figure 11. Though the crown and roll were usually of different colors, both were decorated with narrow bands set at regular intervals. The hair was completely hidden, for the cap fitted close to the brow, coming well down over the ears so as to leave only the lobes visible. Soon the large cap gave way to one smaller and more snug fitting. The decorative bands were reduced to five, and these were frequently edged with pearls. A jeweled crown or coronet was often worn just above the roll, and a beautiful veil added the finishing note. Though the caps appear to be a very charming headdress and must be considered as a type fashionable during this early period, they were by no means so generally popular as the simple drapery or veil, which has passed into history as the couvrechef.

      Figure 12. Headrail

      After a drawing in Cotton ms., Claudius, B IV.

      Figure 13. Fashionable Coifs of the Middle Ages

      By the tenth and eleventh centuries conditions were rapidly changing. The Romans had introduced weaving, needlework, and dyeing, and materials were becoming more varied. Trade had been established with Britain, and, naturally, various customs and manners were carried back and forth across the channel. In Britain the identical type of head covering had developed under the name headrail. Figure 12. This drapery is considered woman’s characteristic headdress of the early Middle Ages. Under the modernized name it served the woman of the new age with the same degree of comfort and satisfaction as had the palla and veil of old. This drapery seems to have been sufficiently large to have covered the head and to be wrapped about the neck and passed over the shoulder. Head draperies were always in color, never white, and materials, as is evident from the folds, were varied. In some, the cloth falls in innumerable small folds; while in others only a few appear.

      About the year 1100, these head draperies grew smaller and the long, flowing hair was much in evidence. Many early drawings show the hair arranged in two long plaits twined about with colored ribbon. Sometimes ribbon and false hair were braided in with the natural hair with the intention of suggesting long and abundant locks. Another fashion was that of covering the long braids with cases of gay-colored silk, usually finished off with tassels. This attractive coiffure was always completed by the addition of short veils of cotton or linen. Of course these little coifs varied with the distinction of the wearer. Many leaders of fashion adorned the head with transparent veils which sparkled with gold and silver spangles. When the veil was secured by a diadem, a very majestic appearance was given these women of long ago. Figure 13. At this period men’s caps, formed of rush and straw, began to take a definite shape. They resembled loose caps with crowns of various heights. A few of these were given brims and worn with a string attached so they could be pushed back off the head, to hang behind the shoulders. Soon these shapes were repeated in wool, felt, and other materials. The art of felt making is probably as old as that of weaving. It was practiced in both Greece and Rome. The story runs that St. Clement, fourth bishop of Rome, first discovered this property of wool by placing bits of it in his sandals. During his long travels, heat, moisture, and friction wore the wool into a compact mass, which he afterward recognized as a very useful material. Felt hats have been in use to the present day, their rise and fall in popularity being affected only by new and temporarily more attractive materials.

      Figure 14. The Wimple

      One can readily understand how draping the head, adopted so generally by women of the Middle Ages, created the tendency to frame in the face and hide the hair. In the twelfth century (1154-1216) the flattering fashion of the chin strap was introduced. A band of white linen was passed under the chin, and brought up, and pinned at the top or side of the head; another band was bound about the forehead; and over this arrangement of bands was draped the veil. Thus the hair was entirely cov-ered. Sometimes, after the chin strap had been adjusted, the stiffened band about the forehead was so placed that it resembled a little, low, broad-crowned cap. This framing of the face soon ushered in another mode which strongly appealed to the feminine heart. A shaped piece of fine, white or colored material was caught under the chin and, while its fulness draped the throat, was brought up tightly around the face and either pinned to the hair at the side or carried to the top of the head and fastened. Over the head was draped a veil which hung to the shoulders, framing the face. Thus the wimple. was born. Figure 14. Sometimes the complete headdress, veil and wimple, is termed the wimple. Wimples are first mentioned in twelfth century records. A manuscript of that date mentions, small gwimples for ladies’ chyunes, and gwimples dyed saffron, which leads one naturally to suppose that yellow was a popular color. Following the wimple came the gorget (1200 A.D.). Figure 15. This accessory was an ample piece of material carried about the neck several times, and frequently pinned high at the sides to the headdress. In many ways it answered the same purpose as the wimple. The gorget was always tucked in at the neck of the gown and therefore is distinct from the guimpe, which fell outside the neck opening. Though the exact shape of the gorget is not known, an inventory of the time of Henry VIII, listing the apparel of his queen, shows this entry, "A gorget of silver tissue, in length one yard and three quarters." This gives a definite idea of its size, and one’s imagination can readily picture the appearance of this mass of material draped about the neck and shoulders.

      Figure 15. The Gorget

      Figure 16. The Development of the Medieval Hood

      During the twelfth century, men’s head coverings seem limited to the little, close-fitting cap, often with a pointed crown. In this day caps were removed by catching hold of the point; consequently, peaks were a necessity. About 1300, a general revival of the pointed hood, the Phrygian cap of ancient days, set a new mode for both men and women. The medieval hood practically usurped the place of all other forms of headgear and was worn by both men and women. As worn by men, however, it shows an unusually interesting and novel development.

      In its earliest form the hood resembled a long, pointed, open bag, with an oval opening in the side for the face. Figure 16. It was slipped over the head, with the opening adjusted to the face; the cape fell over the shoulders. The cape was sometimes lengthened and, when buttoned down the front, formed a kind of cloak. However, it is the peak of the hood, known in England as the liripipe, which was the unique feature of this new fashion. During the fourteenth century this appendage grew to an exaggerated length and was left hanging at the back. If, however, the fancy of the wearer dictated, it was twisted around the crown so that the shortened end, tucked through the coils, fell at one side of the head. These various adjustments of the hood introduced many and amusing styles. The dagged edge, so fashionable for all garments about 1346, was also applied to the hood. The dagges were made by cutting the edges of material in the form of leaves and scallops. Sometimes the broad, lower edge of the cape with its dagged edge was rolled up around the crown, giving a coxcomb effect, and the long peak falling at the side or back was tucked in at the girdle. Some of the dandies of the period ventured a more fanciful arrangement. After slipping on the hood, the portion intended to cover the shoulders was gathered up and pleated in the form of a fan, and the long peak was then twisted around it to keep the material in place. These arrangements came to be known as the Chaperon, and gradually developed into an odd and picturesque made-up head covering. Figure 17. It took the form of a stuffed roll called a roundlet, which encircled the head and was worn over a close-fitting cap. Material resembling the loose skirt of the hood was gathered and draped over the pad, and a broad piece of cloth suggesting the liripipe, sometimes nine feet in length, was fitted at one side of the roundlet. This was usually twined about the shoulders like a scarf and then tucked in at the girdle. A detail from the tapestry Romance of the Rose shows the roundlet with its mass of material inserted at the crown and the former liripipe, now a scarf, at the side. PLATE III. With this amusing fashion in men’s hats the long peak of the medieval hood gradually passed from the scene. One sees, as a very last vestige of the liripipe, the little round hats of the late century with a scarf attached at one side, the end knotted and thrown over the shoulder. Figure 18.

      Figure 17. The Chaperon with Various Fanciful Arrangements of the Liripipe, about 1346

      PLATE III. Detail, Romance of the Rose The roundlet with the vestige of the liripipe.

      Hoods as worn by women continued long in vogue. Figure 19. Women, too, must have worn the liripipe, for a chronicler in 1346, in describing the appearance of ladies riding to a tournament and affecting masculine dress, remarks, They wore short hoods and liripipes wrapped around their head like cords. In later days (1400), ladies’ hoods were made of silk and velvet, frequently slashed and lined with fur. During the reign of the parti-colored gown, hoods as well as gowns were fashioned half one color, half another, as feminine fancy dictated. An interesting account written ten centuries later, after hats had been definitely accepted, compares the respective value of the hat and hood, much to the disadvantage of the hat:

      Figure 18. The Last Sign of the Liripipe

      Hoods are the most ancient covering for the head, and are far more elegant and useful than the modern fashion of hats, which present a useless elevation, and leave the neck and ears completely exposed.

      PUGIN, Glossary of Ecclesiastical Ornament and Costume

      1300-1500 A.D.

      Over a long period hoods had proved a popular head covering for both men and women. At the same time there were, of course, hats and caps made of felt. For instance, about the close of the thirteenth century (1280), the crowns of men’s felt hats were high and peaked, with brims turned up at the back and at the front drawn out in elongated form. Often a single feather was added at the side, front, or back. Many times this high-crowned hat was seen worn over the hood. See Figure 26, page 19.

      While men of the late Middle Ages were disporting themselves in hoods and high-crowned hats, women, too, were initiating a change. After a period of veiled and hooded heads, it is not surprising that a new fashion was about to step upon the scene. Women, however, were reluctant to give up the covering of the hair; consequently, the new mode devised only a new method for the same old practice. About the year 1300, hairdressing came to be a popular diversion, and in the course of several decades the art was destined to evolve new and surprising creations. In the new fashion the hair was first parted at the back, with the long strands brought forward, plaited, and arranged in either elongated or wheel-like forms at each side of the head. In the earlier stages of this new mode, the wimple and gorget were still frequently worn over the side extensions. Soon, however, the luxurious fashion of a golden network, formed into cylindrical, circular, or other shapes, led the way to the distinct mode of the reticulated headdress, which continued in varied forms for nearly three hundred years (see the Hair Net, page 123). The early nets or cauls were formed of a fine, gold wire, often set at the intersections with pearls and other gems. They were held firmly in place at the sides of the face by a golden headband with projecting sides which fitted over the upper edge of the cauls. In Figure 20, from the drawing of an effigy of 1382, the side cylinders fit over the hair, concealing the ears. The rigid piece across the forehead with extensions on either side caps the top edges of the cauls, holding them securely in position. Though the whole arrangement of net and band is known as the crespine, it was to the band in particular that this term was applied. At the back a net was fastened to the edge of the crespine and the sides brought forward and fastened to the cauls. Frequently a veil, probably known as the crispinette, was added to this elaborate headdress. As the fashion for golden nets continued, from time to time various changes appeared. One of the most elaborate examples of net and veil is that seen in the effigy of Beatrice, Countess of Arundel, who died in 1439. Figure 21. Here the side ornaments are large, the coronet of unusual proportions, and the veil is stretched its full width and probably extended by wires.

      Figure 19. Hood and Wimple

      Figure 20. The reticulated Headdress, 1382

      In the latter part of the fourteenth century, about 1380, a new and striking fashion appeared. No doubt the heads of women veiled, hooded, and netted, prepared the way for this astonishing mode. In their effort to outdo anything that had previously existed, the fair leaders of that distant day fashioned head coverings of great height: towering peaked bonnets, great heart-shaped arrangements, and tall horn-shaped creations. These new styles in headdress usually fitted the head like a little cap, covering the ears and cheeks so that not a wisp of hair could be seen. At first the hair was hidden under a caul or fell loose under the back drape. Though several types of this exaggerated headdress were worn, the hennin and escoffion were the established leaders. Figures 22, 23. The great hennin was a towering, conical cap worn back on the head. To the tall peak a veil of various lengths was attached. In some instances this is known to have reached the extravagant length of ten and twelve feet. Women found the hennin set back on the head difficult to keep in position. This introduced the frontlet, which was made of a rigid wire netting fitted over the head with an extension over the forehead to which the hennin was pinned. Usually frontlets were covered with black velvet or silk, though among the nobility frontlets of gold were often seen. PLATE IV. The escoffion was a kind of two-horned arrangement, each horn being sometimes even a yard in length. The horns were usually a network of gold webbing or a light material well stiffened with starch. Many times the tips of the horns were decorated with little flags, veils, or whisks of fringe, and over these was draped the large veil of fine silk or sheer gauze.

      Figure 21. Headdress of Beatrice, Countess of Arundel, about 1400

      Figure 22. The Towering Headdresses of the Late Middle Ages

      Figure 23. The Hennin and Escoffion

      PLATE IV. Marie, Wife of Potinari

      A very handsome costume of velvet enriched with fur. The hennin is secured by pins to the frontlet. The necklace is an unusual specimen of this early period.

      Figure 24. The Tall Hennin

      From late 14th century ms.

      So ridiculous were these extravagances that they were denounced by preachers and condemned by lay moralists. One bishop preached a sermon against the outrageous fashion and directed the people, upon the approach of a woman so dressed, to cry, Beware of the ram! Beware of the ram! He promised ten days pardon to all who should in this way show their indignation. Other moralists started the cry, War to the hennin! War to the hennin! All these attacks, however, only led to greater extravagance on the part of the ladies. Hennins continued until lovely woman herself decreed the change. A detail from the impressive scene of Joan of Arc at the Court of Chinon, by Boutet de Monvel, presents a group of court ladies wearing the tall headdress, each exquisitely lovely in its daintiness and charm. PLATE V.

      In England the hennin was known as the steeple headdress. Figure 24. About 1340 it changed somewhat to a less extravagant form and has passed into history as the butterfly headdress. Figure 25. In this fashion the hair was drawn back from the face and covered with a close, high-crowned cap, or a netted case made of silk or velvet, sometimes embroidered and ornamented with gems. The veil, measuring about two yards in length, and half as wide, was a stiffened gauze. It was creased in the proper way and pinned to the front hair. Being stiffened, it was easily supported over the gold wires which were attached to the front of the cap.

      Figure 25. The Butterfly Headdress

      After a drawing of the effigy of Isabella Cheyne, 1482.

      Keeping pace with the towering headdresses of women were the peaked bonnets worn by men. As early as the eleventh century the word bonnet had been applied to the little cap. No doubt this came about through the use of a woolen cloth called bonnette, which was at that time a new and popular material. Although the bonnet was at first a close-fitting cap, the crown was gradually raised until about 1380 it attained a peaklike form. Many of these sugar-loaf and elongated crowns had rolled brims of fur; others were without brims. Figure 26. A dandy of the period frequently carried his high hat on his walking stick, and it was considered smart for him to set it upon his head by a dexterous move of the stick. A second detail from the painting by Boutet de Monvel pictures a group of courtiers in the headgear of this period. The variety of hats is interesting. The skullcap, several forms of the hood, and the tall, peaked caps, without brims, are pictured. PLATE VI. It was not long before the high, peaked caps became conical hats with circular brims. Figure 27. At the very end of the century, as if vying with the ladies in splendor, the dandies of the period in both England and France adopted a most singular hat. Over a close cap, usually scarlet in color and covering only the crown of the head, they wore atilt a low, rolling-brimmed hat of medium size decorated with outrageously high-standing feathers (see page 76). These feathers were of various colors, and the stem of each was usually ornamented with rows of pearls and other gems. The bunch of high feathers was set at the front or side of the little hat and, curving backward, presented a very imposing effect. Figure 28. When it was not worn on the head these dandies of long ago let this unusual hat hang behind the shoulders supported by a cord as was the petasus of old. So much for the beaux of the period. Gentlemen more sedate and dignified had adopted a little hat with a low, broad crown. This had originated in Italy and was soon popular in France, Spain, and England, and so generally worn that it has become recognized as a distinct historical type. At this time the future Henry VIII was Prince of Wales, and the drawing, Figure 29, shows the young prince in the fashionable bonnet which subsequently became the popular beret.

      Figure 26. Bonnets, 1280-1380

      Figure 27. Conical Hats, 1400

      Figure 28. Little Hat with Long Feathers Worn by Fashionable Beaux, 1485

      PLATE V. Detail, Joan of Arc at the Court of Chinon .. Boutet de Monvel

      Towering hennins with flowing veils, handsome fabrics, cut velvets and brocades, combined with ermine suggest the luxury of court life in the late 14th century.

      PLATE VI. Detail, Joan of Arc at the Court of Chinon ... Boutet de Monvel

      Tall hats, caps, and the chaperon are much in evidence. Note other details: shoes, hose, and fabrics.

      Figure 29. The Early Bonnets Which Merged into the Beret

      1500-1600

      With the opening years of the new century, women’s fashions took a turn. The height of former years completely disappeared and milady contented herself with a nunlike hood. Hoods were fashionable in Italy, France, England, Spain, Flanders, and Germany. Each differed from the other according to the taste of the nation adopting it. In France, and the other countries as well, the simplest form of hood fell free to the shoulders. Soon variations began to appear. First, the hood was lined with bright, contrasting material, brocade or gold lace, and the front turned back about the face. Next, the sides were cut up some distance, forming long lappets which fell to the front of the shoulders, while the back curtain, termed a fall, fell free. Figure 30. Very shortly the long lappets as well as the fall were turned up and pinned in various ways to the crown. Many were the ways of folding and pinning the lappets, and each presented a new form of hood! Figure 31. When made of linen they were often starched and, arranged in various ways, made a very imposing headdress. The novelty of the English headdress was the pointed or gabled effect given the front, probably by wiring. Though the hair is sometimes seen it is usually concealed in silken cases. The hood-and-veil was always black but the lining was either red or white. Under the hood a white or golden coif was usually worn. This was frequently frilled, and stiffened sides came forward on the cheeks and sometimes curved out and up at the neckline. In PLATE VII, the portrait of Lady Guilford, by Holbein, suggests the richness of material used in the headdress of the period. The hair is here covered with the silken cases and over this is placed the hood. The white lining suggests the coif, though it is not strictly so. The side lappets of a rich woven material are pinned up, and the back fall, which appears to be velvet, hangs free. The broad, low-cut neckline, the chains, pendant, and rings are all characteristic of the period. The costume of Lady Rich (also in PLATE VII) is more simple. Here the stiffened coif is lace edged. The brooch and ring are the only ornaments, and upon these Holbein, that master of detail, put much loving care. Fortunately this headdress of the early century has been preserved to future generations in a large number of portraits of famous women painted by Holbein, who at this time was court painter to the English King, Henry VIII.

      Figure 30. Early Forms of Gable Headdress, 1500

      Figure 31. Two Types of Lappet Arrangements

      The lappets were arranged in various ways. In the left view one side of the hood is turned back and pinned to the crown, while the opposite side hangs free.

      Over the frilled coif in the right view the lappets appear to be turned up and pinned; one side of the hood is then brought up and forward, forming a peak over the front, while the opposite side hangs free.

      Following this fashion of the gabled headdress came the smaller hoods commonly called French hoods. The bonnet of Lady Lee, PLATE VII, shows something of the transformation that had taken place. The hair is no longer covered but is plainly visible. It is parted in the middle and brought down over the ears. The back hair was always hidden in a black velvet bag known as the cale. This velvet bonnet with its pearl ornamentation is very handsome and in perfect harmony with the general richness of the costume. Lady Lee carries the fashionable pomander or scent box without which no toilet of the day was quite complete. By-and-by French hoods grew very, very small and were set back on the head. The portrait of Catherine Howard, PLATE VII, painted by Holbein, shows this version of the French hood and presents a head so charming that it is difficult to conceive of it having been cut off.

      Figure 32. The Marie Stuart Coifs or Caps

      In adjusting the French hood a little coif of white linen or gold net was usually first fitted over the head; over this a stiffened band of velvet or satin was set bonnetlike far back on the head. Sometimes the stiffened band of the hood was flat, or again it might be adjusted to stand at an angle. Strings were usually attached so it could be tied under the chin, and a veil invariably hung at the back. It is said that Anne of Cleves upon her arrival in England wore such a French hood. Henry VIII took possession of all her personal effects, and was graciously pleased to allow her six changes of apparel and six French hoods with edgings of goldsmith’s work, but without a diamond or pearl.

      Presently the little hood was reduced still more. The sides and back were shortened, and the front, probably with the help of wiring, given a dip over the forehead, while the sides curved back to the head in the familiar heart-shaped effect. Mary, Queen of Scots, educated in France, had married Francis II. This little cap coming in during the period 1589-90 received the name Marie Stuart cap and, as such, has passed into history. Figure 32.

      Lady Guilford . . . . Holbein

      The gabled headdress is set over silken cases which confine the hair. The side lappets are turned up and pinned; the fall of velvet hangs free.

      Lady Rich .... Holbein

      The white, lace-edged coif is here still worn under the hood, but over the cases confining the hair. Side lappets are pinned up.

      Lady Lee . . . . Holbein

      This smaller hood without lappets followed the gabled headdress. The hair is no longer confined in cases.

      Catherine Howard . . . . Holbein.

      The hood with veil is set back and tied under the chin. Note cuffs, probably Spanish black work.

      PLATE VII

      As for men’s hats, the introduction at the end of the previous century. of the low, wide-crowned beret literally drove all other hats and caps off the market. This little hat was made of the finest materials—silk, velvet, felt, and cloth. Color, too, played an important part. In a wardrobe account of Henry VIII one item reads, " . . . for making three cappes of velvette the one yalowe, the other orange colour and the thirde greene." Another mentions a "hatte of greene velvette embrowdered with grene silke and lined with grene sarcenette." In the earlier stages of this popular hat, the crown was low and of moderate width with a narrow brim. Gradually the crown grew so broad and flat that it resembled a plate turned down upon the head. Later, the form changed still more: the crown was raised and its fulness came to be supported upon a wire frame. In this form it gradually merged into the tall hat of 1600, Figures 33, 34.

      Figure 33. Various Forms of the Toque

      The earliest of these little berets were made in a very simple way. An oval or circular piece of material was used for the crown. This was sufficiently large so that the outer edge could be pleated in to fit the head. A narrow brim, about three inches deep and cut on the curve, was attached to this crown. Some drawings show the brim turned down; generally, however, the preference falls to the turned-up brim. Many times the brim was cut in tabs held together by cords, or turned up and ornamented with a handsome, jeweled brooch. Often, as in France, the under part of the brim was of a different color. The drawing of Henry VIII as a youth, Figure 29, pictures the early fashion, while his portraits of mature years invariably show the low, platelike beret or the beret with the turned-up brim and the encircling feather.

      Figure 34. Various Forms of the High Hat, Late 1600

      Another variation of the early beret was made by gathering in a circular piece of material around the outside edge. The brim was then formed by turning in the edge the desired width and sewing it down. Figure 35. This made the headband, which was still further defined by a band of gold braid. Still another type was made of two circular pieces of material sewed together at the outer edge. The circular opening for the head was cut in the underpiece, which was fitted to the head and held in place by a band about the opening. It is possible that a wire set about the outer edge on the inside helped to maintain the circular form. Sometimes a low, padded crown was sewed to the center of the upper piece and a feather attached to this. The little beret passed through many changes. It was slashed, jeweled, feathered, and worn at a smart angle; standing plumes, tall and short, set at the back, side, or front, added the note of distinction. In England, the low, encircling feather was patronized by that royal arbiter of fashion, Henry VIII, this mode being continued until the time of Elizabeth.

      By the latter half of the sixteenth century the low beret was relegated to the professions and the use of elderly men who made no effort to follow the fashion. The popular form of the high, soft crown known as the toque was now adorned with a standing plume and worn set well back on the head by both men and women. Figure 33. At the same time the Marie Stuart cap came in for its share of change. A crown was soon fitted to the little heart-shaped coif, giving it the appearance of a heart-shaped hat. Figure 37. All these popular types of the beret and heart-shaped hats have been made familiar by the portraits of both men and women who were conspicuous fashion leaders in this colorful sixteenth century.

      Figure 35. Portrait (believed to be that of Sir Thomas Wyatt) . . . . Flinck

      A form of the early low beret, 1500-45.

      In men’s hats the outside band was, at this period, a very important feature of the hat. Sometimes it was beautifully embroidered, sometimes jeweled, or, again, it was simply a necklace of great value. The hatband is said to be a survival of the ancient fillet with which the women of Egypt bound the brow. In the old manuscripts of the Middle Ages it is shown with two streamers as part of the ecclesiastical headdress. In modern times it is seen in many hat shapes worn by children. The sailor with two ribbon streamers hanging over the brim and the Scotch cap with its ribbons are distinctly twentieth-century survivals of the early headband.

      The inside band is a development from the early practice of drawing up the circular form to fit the head. Later the plain leather, inside band, without lacing, was fitted to the hat. A survival of the custom of drawing up and tying the hatband remains in the little bow which today finishes the modern inside band.

      Figure 36. The Little Beret with a Feather

      Worn over a Handsome Caul

      Figure 37. The Marie Stuart Cap Becomes a Hat

      Toward the close of the sixteenth century, as crowns rose, brims began to widen and the felts of beaver were introduced. True, beaver hats had been worn before the sixteenth century, but it was at this particular period that they were especially prized by those who kept abreast of the fashion. The period in which the fur of the beaver was first used in the manufacture of hats is undecided. Such hats, however, were imported from Flanders before the end of the fourteenth century. Chaucer, in the Canterbury Tales, describes the merchant as wearing:

      On his head a Flaundrish beaver hat.

      Among the effects of Sir John Faslog (1459) was "a hatte of beaver lined with damask."

      Figure 38. High Hats of Puritan Days

      1600-1700

      During the early years of the seventeenth century the beaver hat became a choice and costly accessory of dress, although at first it was the simple, high-crowned beaver, so familiar in the dress of our Puritan forbears. Figure 38. It continued to hold an exclusive place for many years. Indeed, so prized was the beaver that it was frequently left as a bequest in the wills of those who were fortunate enough to possess one. As late as 1674 hatboxes, similar to those of today, were a strict necessity for protecting the valuable beaver. Hats were carefully packed in these when not in use. Philip Stubbes, that able chronicler of his day, has a word to say on the hats of the period:

      Some are of silk, some of velvet, some of taffeta, some of sarcenet, some of wool, and what is more curious, some of a certain kind of fine hair; these they call beaver hats, of twenty, thirty, and forty shillings apiece, fetched from beyond the sea, whence a great sort of other varieties do come.

      Reference is again made to the popular beaver in the diary of the matchless Pepys, under date of June 26, 1661, "This day Mr. Halder sent me a beaver which cost me 4£50s—an enormous price for a hat considering the value of the money at this period."

      Figure 39. Portrait of a Man . . . Hals

      The high-crowned, wide-brimmed beaver and the falling lace-trimmed collar with cuffs to match are typical modes of the early 17th century.

      The beavers of this day were high in the crown—sometimes peaked, sometimes round, sometimes flat—with narrow brims. They resembled the later stovepipe hats of 1820-30. They were worn set back on the head, set high, or atilt. The hatband, too, came in for its share of display. This was very elegant, usually of ribbon encrusted with gems. Jeweled necklaces were frequently twined about the crown, and on one occasion the Duke of Buckingham is reported to have worn upon his hat the Mirror of France—a great diamond, the finest in England.

      The vogue for the beaver hat was of great commercial benefit to the colonies in America. Year after year great hogsheads of these pelts were sent to England and Holland, where they were used in the manufacture of the famous beaver hats. Figure 39.

      It is interesting to note that at this time hats were worn within as well as out of doors. The custom of removing the hat when indoors is distinctly a modern idea, impossible to date. During the later cavalier days when the great, plumed hats were fashionable, the measure of a gentleman was revealed in the ease and grace with which he doffed his hat. No doubt this doffing of the hat gradually led to removing it altogether when indoors. At any rate, in the seventeenth century hats were constantly worn at table, at church, and elsewhere. This custom undoubtedly was a silent reminder of the dignity and authority of the man of the house. Only on one occasion were hats removed—in the presence of royalty. Again, Pepys writing on the subject says, An hereditary honor and privilege granted to one of my ancestors was that he might wear his hat before the king. Today, although hats are generally removed indoors, when visiting the British House of Commons one is surprised to see the members wearing their hats while the house is in session.

      Figure 40. Cavalier Hats, 1600

      During the same century, probably about 1625-1640, a new and distinct shape was given the beaver hat. It had come by way of Flanders, and soon was accepted as the very acme of fashionable dress. The reigns of Louis XIII of France and Charles I of England are always associated with this high-crowned, rolling-brimmed hat set off with plumes. The tilted brim was usually held in position by an ornamental clasp which also secured the feathers. Figure 40.

      Gradually, with the passing of the years, this hat changed in form; the crown became lower and rounder and the brim broader. Vary as it did, however, its curves and flowing lines fitted admirably into the dashing costume of this romantic period. PLATE VIII. The famous paintings of the Dutch master Frans Hals and his Flemish contemporary, Sir Anthony Van Dyck, preserve the grace and charm of this picturesque type of gentleman’s hat.

      While the cavaliers of the early seventeenth century were disporting themselves in plumed hats and other picturesque wearing apparel, the ladies were busy keeping up with the changing fashions. They, too, initiated a change. No longer were the French berets, toques, and Marie Stuart caps the popular styles. Milady again gave her first thought to coiffure. Early in the century the hair was dressed low with little curls hanging at each side of the face. By-and-by the curls grew longer, and later, about 1660, distended on wire frames, were held out at each side of the head, and very appropriately known as heart breakers. With this coiffure hats were impossible; consequently hoods were devised. Women’s headdress of the third quarter of the century is distinctly that of the hood. Figure 41. The most simple form of this hood resembles a length of material thrown carelessly over the head, with the ends twisted loosely and tied under the chin. The portrait of Elizabeth Paddy Wensley, painted between 1670-75, gives a definite idea of one phase of the hood. Here it appears to be worn over a lace-frilled cap. Other details of the costume are characteristic of the fashionable dress of this early period. PLATE IX. Caps were made of various materials, often of one color faced with contrasting hue or fur. Silks and the finest of gauzelike materials were favored by the fashionable, while the less fastidious were content with more durable stuffs. As the coiffure became lower and gradually changed into a more natural arrangement of the hair close to the head, hoods grew smaller. This fashion is reflected in the early hoods worn by Puritan mothers in America.

      PLATE VIII. Charles I .... Van Dyck

      The royal costume illustrates the very height of the mode–high

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