Table of Contents
Introduction
INTRODUCTION THE subject of Historical Costume covers such a multitude of detail that a volume on each century could be written, with…
Prehistoric Dress. Female
THE woman's attire would have been chiefly a shortish skirt or wrap of coarse linen, wool, or leather, gathered in front or folded at one…
The Development of Costume to the Tenth Century. Female
THE female head-dress consisted chiefly of flowing hair banded with a circlet of various shapes, but a development of braiding plaits is…
Tenth to the Fifteenth Century
2 pages
Fifteenth Century. Female
WE have now arrived at the height of eccentric fashion in mediaeval head-dress. The hornlike creations, studded with jewels, and peaks of…
Sixteenth Century Character of Trimmings
BEFORE the 16th century we find the art of decoration in costume had been confined chiefly to applied ornamental bands at the neck, waist…
Sixteenth Century. Henry VIII. Female
2 pages
Sixteenth Century. Elizabeth. Female
The costly splendour of attire is well known in Elizabeth's reign, which began with the same form of hair and headdress as with Mary, the…
James I
THE braiding and small slashing continued of a similar character to the end of the Elizabethan age. The slashing now began to be treated…
Charles I
Many beautifully embroidered caps, jerkins, jackets, and shirts are seen at this period in gold and black or coloured silks. Slashings of…
The Commonwealth
During this short period the character and placing of braiding was the same as in the latter part of last reign; slashing has almost…
Charles II
This may be named the period of ribbon trimmings, though braiding was treated in broad lines on the short jackets and sleeves, and down the…
James II and William and Mary
With the later type of long-skirted coat which began in Charles II's reign, a heavy style of braiding and buttoning came into vogue, all…
Seventeenth Century. James I. Female
We find much the same high forms of set-up head-dress continuing in fashion as in the later years of Elizabeth's reign; but the hair began…
Seventeenth Century. Charles 1
FEMALE.
Male and Female
The same shapes apply to costume during the Commonwealth, though a sterner effect was given by the choice of plain decoration and less…
Seventeenth Century. Charles II
FEMALE.
Seventeenth Century. James II. Female
The hair was still worn full at the sides over a comb, as in the former reign, with curls dropping to the shoulders, but they now began to…
Seventeenth Century. William and Mary. Female
The hair was now mounted high on top and the front parted with two curls, the rest of the hair being bound on top, or a curl was arranged…
CHAPTER VII
THE CHARACTER OF DECORATION AND TRIMMINGS OF THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY. In the early part to the middle of this century the trimmings were…
Eighteenth Century. Anne. Female
The hair was dressed in a simple manner, with two curls parted from the centre of the forehead, and curved inwards on the brow. A loose…
Eighteenth Century. George I. Female
2 pages
Character of Trimmings of the Nineteenth Century
DURING the later part of the 18th century, a great deal of tinsel drawn work was done on fine muslin, and became beautifully treated in…
Nineteenth Century. George III. Female
2 pages
Nineteenth Century. William IV. Female
The hair still retained the high loops on top and the bunch of curls at the sides, poised by a back comb and set with flowers or feathers…
Nineteenth Century. Victoria. Female
The hair was parted in the centre and tightened in a top setting of plaits, with side curls over the ears. This mode was retained by many…
Patterns of Various Reigns from Antique Costume
I HAVE striven to gather as many representative patterns of dress types and accessories as possible, and also give many measurements from…