The Sun.
London, England, 1823-01-02 00:00:00

ANECDOTES of DRESS in Oa LAST CENTURY.

The love of novelty, it has been, truly observed,
is the parent of Fashion. As the fancy sickens,
says a writer on this subject, with one image, it
longs for another. This is the cause of the conti-
nual revolutions of habit and behaviour, and why
we rose so industrious in puriuing the change;
this makes fashion universally followed, and is
the true reason why the awkwardest people are
as fond of this folly as the genteelest. This
passion for novelty, particularly in the article of
dress, seems for ages to have been a predominant
feature in the English character, and with the
exception of our neighbours, the French, may. be-
said to be almost peculiar to it. Most of our
early writers make some allusions to it in their
works, and Dr. Andrew Border in a satirical
tract published by him in the reign of Henry
to show the then excess of the folly, has
prefixed, in a rude wood-cut, the figure of a
naked Englishman with a piece of cloth and
pair of sheers, debating on the fashion he shall
have his clothes made in. Purposing in the few
slight notices which follow, to confine our ob-
servations merely to the costume of the last cen-
tury, we shall pass over the fashions of those
which preceded it, with only quoting some ge-
neral remarks :

" The party-coloured coat," says the author
of a Treatise on Dress, published in 1781, " was
first worn in England in the time of Henry I.—
Chaplets, or wreaths of artificial flowers, in the
time of Edward III.; hoods and short coats
without sleeves, called tabarts, in the time
of Henry IV. ; bats in the time of Henry
VII.; ruffs in the reign of Edward VI.; and
wrought caps and bonnets in the time of Queen
Elizabeth. Judge Finch, introduced the baud
in the reign of James I.; French hoods, bibs,
and gorgets were discontinued by the Queen of
Charles I. ; the commode, or cover, was intro-
duced in the yeas 1687; shoes of the then fashion,
in 1633 ; breeches instead •of trunk hose, in
1634; and perukes, were first worn after the
Restoration.
• About the year 1700, the ladies wore Hol-
land petticoats embroidered in figures, with dif-
ferent coloured silks and gold, with broad or-
rices at the bottom. Muffs were at this period in
use, but very different in shape and materials
from those of the present day, being in general
very small, end frequently made of leopard skin.
Diamond stomachers adorned the ladies' bosoms,
which were composed of that valuable stone set
in silver, in a variety of figures, upon black silk,
and which must be admitted to'have been a brit-

liant, if not elegant ornament. Satin gowns were
lined with Persian silk ; and handkerchiefs, and
Spanish leather-shoes, lined with goldl were
common with persons of respectability. o these
different articles the ladies added bare necks,
with gold and other crosses suspended from them.
Those odd little circular pieces of black silk
called patches prevail also at this period to
a most extravagant degree. These were stuck
on different parts of the female face, and varied
in size. Frequent allusions are made to these,
fancied 44 beauty spots," by early comic writers.
In 1709, a radios' dress is thus described in an
advertisement to recover one that was lost : A
black silk petticoat, with a red and white calico
border ; cherry coloured stays, trimmed with
blue and ; a red and dove-coloured damask
gownsap
roily ltroi:vnenri eecdl I‘vv tth lah
whrg
ee trees;a ye
Persian
mul yellow satin
d
cloths, with crows-Not edging ; double ruffles,
with fine edging; a black silk furbelowed scarf,
and a spotted hood." In 1711, a lady's riding
dress is advertised for sale, in the Spectator, of
blue camblet, well laced with silver ; being a
coat, waistcoat, petticoat, bat, and feathers. And
another advertisement, In 1712, mentions an
Isabella coloured Kincob gown, flowered with
green and gold ; and a dark coloured do% gown
and petticoat, with two silver orrices ;. a purple
and gold atlas gown, a scarlet and gold atlas pet-
ticoat, edged with silver; a wrought under petti-
coat, edged with gold ; a black velvet petticoat ;
allegah petticoat, striped with green, gold, and
white ; a blue and silver silk gown and petticoat ;
a blue and gold atlas gown and petticoat, and
clogs, laced with silver. A Mrs. Beale, at the
same period, advertizes her loss of a green silk
knit waistcoat, with gold and silver flowers all
over it, and about fourteen yards of gold and
silver thick lace on it ; with a petticoat of rich
strong flowered satin, red and white, all in great
flowers or leaves, and scarlet flowers with black
specks brocaded in, raised high, like velvet or
shag.

The ladies wore hooped petticoats, scarlet
cloaks, and masks, when walking. The hoops
were fair game for the wits, and they spared them
not:—

" An elderly lady, whose bulky squat figure,
By hoop, and white damask, was render'd much bigger,
Without hood, and bare neck'd, to the Park did repair,
To shew her new cloaths, anti to take the fresh air
Iler shape, her attire, rais'd a shout and loud laughter ;
Away waddles madam, themob hurries after.
Quoth a wag, thus observing the noisy crowd follow,
As she came with a hoop, she's gone oil with a hollow 1"
An advertisement, in 1703, gives a whole-
length portrait of a youth in middle life. Such
a figure would attract much wonder in the streets
of London at present.—" He is of a fair corn.
plexion, lights brown lank hair, having on a dark
brown frieze coat, double breasted on each side,
with black buttons and button-holes ; a light
dregget waistcoat, red shag breeches, striped with-
black stripes, and black stockings."
The ridiculous long wigs of 1710 were very
expensive. One was advertised as stolen that
year, said to be worth live guineas. This, how-
ever, was a trifle ; for Dristnver's " fair wig," in
the Taller,_ cost " forty guineas." But, lest it
should be supposed that the gentlemen only were
expensive in decorating the head, take the prices
from the Lace Chamber on Ludgate-hill:--
cs
One Brussel's Head, at 401.; one Ground Brus-
sel's Head, at 301.; one. looped Brussel's Head,
at 301." Wigs maintained their ground, though
not so enormously large, in 170 ; at which pe-
riod white hair for them was all the fashion, and
bore a monstrous price. They were still a more
[important article of dress in 1734 ; but the fa-
vourite colour had then changed—those of" right

1

gray human, hair" were four guineas each ; light
grizzle ties three guineas ; right grey human hair
4‘ cue perukes," from two guineas to fifteen shit.
lings each, which was ,the price of dark ones;
and right grey bob perukes, from two guineas and
a half to fifteen shillings, the price only of dark
bobs ; those mixed with horse hair were much
lower. It will be observed, from the gradations
in price, that right grey hair was most in vogue,
and dark hair of no estimation.
A ladyi corresponding with her friend, whim-
sically describes the dress of the box-lobby
loungers of 1738 ; from which it will be seen,
whatever we may think of them, that our ances•
tors were by no means behind band with us is
folly.—" Some of them," she says, " wore those
loose kind of great coats which the vulgar called
' wrap-rascals ;' with gold-laced hats slouched,
in humble imitation of coachmen ; others aspired
at being grooms, and had dirty boots and gpurSp
with black caps on long whips; and a third sort
wore light scanty frocks,- little shabby hats, P°l
on on one side, and clubs in their bands."
In 1760, the ladies are stated to have worn the
following species of caps :—The French ',Wit
cap ; the Ranelagh •mob ; the Mary Queen of
Scots cap, anal the fly cap. The latter we mar
suppose was the most esteemed, as the late Queen
Charlotte, when she landed in England in 1761,
was, in compliance with the English costume,
habited in "a gold brocade, with a white ground ;
had a stomacher ornamented with diamonds, and
2
wore a fig-cap, with richly-laced lappets."
The London Chronicle for 176 enumerates
the following articles of male attire,, on which it
indulges several witty remarks. Of hats, there
were, the Kevenhuller.; the sailors, described as
i
11
uniformly tacked down to the Crown, '5
laughably said to look as if they carried a Ulan'
gular apple party upon their heads ; the aav
ker's hat,, which is said to spread over their hob
like a pent-house, darkened the outward mail: t°
signify they have the inward light. Soinearo
described as wearing their hats (with the come;
that should come over their foreheads in a dirirt

line)
.pointed in the air. These were
" Gawkies." Others are said to not above hat
brows, to expose a piece of blank forehead, tl'o;f
Cover their heads,' but between 'beaver and e/.e:
looks like a sandy road in a surveyor's plat'•
trip then in use,
Pare satirized, among otheti!
" the 'prentice minor bob, or hair cap ; the chit,
zees sundry buckle, or bob major ; the aViehe
cary's bush; the physical and chirurgical tyo ;i`the
scratch, or the blood's skull covering) an;',itio
John's. jerniny, or White and all white., is 1,110
curls liken fine fleece on a lamb's. back. 140
last is the species of wig now frequent',
by a gentleman's coachmen.",
Taking the fashions generally within the last
or fifty years, find the ladies heads `t.
„t
vered with a cushion as it was termed, generani:3
lastformed of horse hair, and something like a Vrt`i
Ini
knot set upon the ends ; over this the hair orfl
combed straight, the sides curled, and the '0
turned up, and the whole powdered ;
caps of gauze, adorned with ribbands, and mino'
,
ture hats, generally, of black silk trimmed,
stuck on the tower of hair ‘s ith long pins. 'l,
waist was covered by a loirOudied gown, drs::,l
exceedingly close over stays laced still do%
the hips sometimes supported,: a. hell hoop
shoulders alternately small cloaks and cardi"3,i
the former of muslin-and and the luitc'
most always 'of black silk, richly laced. fs
This description of dress altered by degretl'(,
the present fashion. The head insensibly loiir
ed ; the horse-hair first gave place to huge,
tural curls, spread over the lace and ears;
cap enlarged Coen enormous size, and the
swelled in proportion. Silks became anfaihi;
able, and printed calicoes,' and the Iffiest 1011;f
muslins, were substituted,' !loops were elltir)
discontinued, except at Court. • These wereo
improvements; but it is only of late years to
the ladies, much to their honour,. have -tiote
aside most of the hateful attempts to suPPlfiti
tare's deficiencies, and now appear in that
grace and proportion which distinguishes ao'
lisp woman. The hair cleansed from all e,%11
neous matter, shines in beautiful lustre 01'0;0
turned round the head, in the manner' ablio
by the most eminent Grecian sculptors; anti
form appears through their snow-white dral4to
in that fascinating. manner, which excludesoi
least thought of impropriety: T Their 110941,11
bonnets of straw, chip and beaver, If son
velvet pelisses, shawls, and silk
elt
spencers t
less, would, be extremely becoming; -01."
contrived to improve, rather than injure
form.
4°
The male dress, like the female, ehangtO
most insensibly from formality to ease. tho
was effected merely by altering the cut °lel
clothes ; the materials are the same as they or,
a hundred years ago ; the colours; howeverive
io
more grave. Instead of
." clatet-coloured ClO,lO,
Pompadours, light blue, with silver bunirift
holes,' bc.; deep blue, dark browns, tt!ls`j
tpt
and blacks, are now worn by the. sedate an o,
gay, the 'young, and the old, In point of, oil:
there is, and always will be, a continueu 00'
tlon. The hat has many different forrllfoi
denominations as it had in the times weiiipti,
been speaking of, though not of the. sameAttOlf
The modern neckcloth should not be c""1110
especially as it has been more ridiculed 60 " ~'op
parts of the male dress. It is eno4ll,l°olo
though some have considerably reforaleoA tot
this particular, that it has been :compare"
towel tied under the chin. .41
Too much. praise cannot be given to the
Lion of the unnatural custom of wearing 00
powder. The appearance of this, in Y
person at least, though only discontinued
years, is becoming now quite Gothic.

ElOi
EXTRAORDINARY ACCOMMODATION.---A-
W
is advertised in a neighbouring Count,'
wickshire to be let. The situation is state"tif:
a good one for a ladies' school ; and ao3°°Foiel)
numerous advantages it possesses, is one octr„.011
of a novel Character for such an- establie
viz—Foxhounds and harriers are kept in thenif
'h
bourhood !
_
lb
Printed and Published for the PitOPILINTOROI id
Ogice, No. ILI, Strand, by J. 13. CAUSTAIP"