Costume Reference - History of Women's Costume PDF
Preview Costume Reference - History of Women's Costume
tP^'^ -*4 Costume Reference Womens historyof Costume MARION SICHEL Fashionabledresshasseldombeendesignedfor comfort, themaininfluenceondesignersbeingthe demandforcoquetry. Heretheauthortracesthetrendsoffashionfrom thesoftdraperyofancientGreeceandRoman Britain throughthecenturiesofflowinggowns, closefittingdresses, highwaistlines,lowwaistlines, crinolinesandbusdes, smallhats,extravagant headdresses, throughthefeministmovementwhen womencopiedtheprevailingmalehard-line fashionwearing tailor-madesuits, highstiffcollars andties, totheteagownsofthetwentiesandthe jumpersuitsofthethirties. Foreasyreferenceeachcenturycoversindoorand outdoordaywearforformalandinformal occasions, underwear, footwear, headwear, hairstyles,beautyaidsandaccessories,evening wearand,whereappropriate, sportswear. A concisetextandclearlinedrawijigs, together withaglossaryofcostumeterms, aselect bibliographyandindex,provideauseftilsourceof costumereference. MarionSichelhasworkedformanyyearsin historicalcostumereference,particularlyinthe fieldoftheatricaldesign. Sheisnowafiilltime costumeresearcher. ABATSFORDBOOK BOSTOTSl PUBLIC UBl^RY HISTORY of WOMEN'S COSTUME MARION SICHEL BatsfordAcademic and Educational Ltd London £AiGtlTuW BRANCH © ManonSichel 1984 Firstpublished 1984 Allnghtsreserved. Nopartofthispublication maybereproduced, inanyformorbyany means, withoutpermissionfromthePublisher TypesetbyTek-ArtLtd, Kent andpnntedmGreatBntamby r TheAnchorPressLtd Tiptree, Essex forthepublishers BatsfordAcademicandEducationalLtd animprmtofBTBatsfordLtd 4FitzhardmgeStreet LondonWIHOAH BntishLibraryCataloginginPublicationData Sichel, Manon — Historyofw—omen costume (Costumereference) 1. Costume History I. Title 11. Senes 391'.2'09 GT1720 ISBN 7134 1515 2 Contents Introduction 5 Ancient Greekdress 7 Ancient Roman dress 8 Ancientand Roman Britain 10 Saxons and Normans 11 Mediaeval -twelfth tofifteenth century 1 Sixteenth century 16 Seventeenth century 24 Eighteenth century 30 Nineteenth century 42 Twentieth century 58 Glossaryofterms 70 Bibliography 71 Index 72 Thefull skirtofthetravelling costumewas concealed bya largecloak, c 1880 Both daydresses hadwide puffed sleevesgiving a broaderappearance. Thegirl on the left hasdemi gigot sleeveswith ornate nnancherons. Thefull skirts extendedwith petticoatsareankle length. The daintyshoesaretied with cross ribboning, like ballet shoes, c 1830 Caption toillustrationon titlepage The partlet isfinishedwith a snnall high neck ruff. Theoverskirt isopen in an inverted Vin thefront, being folded backand held in placewith ribbon loops. The backview showsthewideturned-backsleeves and the Englishversion ofthe Spanish farthingaleworn beneath a trained skirt. Italso showsthe back ofthe French hood with theflattube hanging down, c 1560 Introduction In writing a book ofcostume reference it is extremely difficult to decide whattoincludeandwhattoomit, buthopefullythisbookmaynevertheless proveausefulsourceofreference. Fashion establishes its own equilibrium and when something is taken away from one section of dress, something else appears in another to balance the loss. For instance, the introduction ofmasks in the sixteenth centurycoincidedwiththefashionforlowcut bodices. Fashionable dress has seldom been designed for comfort. The main influences on designers have customarily been the demandsofstyle and coquetry. Ease ofwear has usually been ignored. The idea of dressing suitablyforparticularseasonsandoccasionsiscomparatively new. Architectural styles are invariably echoed in the fashionsofthe day. In the 1870s and 1880s, for instance, houses were built with greenhouses attached to the back, giving the effect of bustles. In the early twentieth centuryblousesresembledtheoverhangingbalconiesonhouses. With the risingofthe feministmovementwomencopied the prevailing male fashionforstraw boatersand clothcaps; even the high stiff-collared blousesweresimilartomen'sshirtsandwereoftenwornwithties-atleast untilthe First WorldWar. Ihe sixteenth century was the true age ofthe fashion doll. European travel became freer and what began as an aristocratic whim developed into animportantpartofthehighfashiontradeoftheseventeenthcentury. Dolls, called Pandoras, were first sent out by French fashion houses, not onlyfordetailsofdress, butalso fortheircoiffures. Fashion dolls had already existed as early as the fourteenth century, whenan EnglishQueen had the latest Frenchstylessentoverfrom Paris, thusconfirmingthe earlypre-eminenceofthe Frenchcapitalmtherealm offashion. Then, aslater, dollswerethemostefficientmeansofconveying in detail the prevailing modes. As their importance grew, Pandoras became known as Poupees de la Rue St-Honore. although these fashion dolls started by being slightly larger than dolls as playthings, they eventually became life-size so that the ladies could actually try on the garments, justasmodeldressesare boughttoday. ItISnotthefamousfashionhousesorthedesignerswhosetthefashions; theyjust interpret the prevailingmoodswhichare then madefashionable by the women who follow the modes and are seen to wear designer clothes. Whatlooksbeautifulnowwilllookhideouspresently, forconcepts ofbeautyanduglinessareconstantlychanging. The Fashion Cycle Adressseemsimmodesttenyearsbeforeitstime Shamelessfiveyearsbeforeitstime Danngoneyearbeforeitstime, thenfashionable Unfashionableoneyearafteritstime Hideoustenyearsafteritstime Ridiculoustwentyyearsafteritstime Curiousthirtyyearsafteritstime Amusingfiftyyearsafteritstime Enchantmgseventyyearsafteritstime Romanticonehundredyearsafteritstime Exceedmglybeautifulonehundredandfiftyyearsafteritstime. Grecian headdresses and headwear
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