A custom arrived of wearing boots more frequently, and there was the
tall, square-toed, high-heeled boot, fitting up the leg to just below
the knee, without a turnover; the stiff, thick leather, blacking boot
with broad, stiff tops, also not turned back; and there was also the
result of the extraordinary melting, crumpled dismissal of all
previous stiffness, whereby the old tall boot drooped down until it
turned over and fell into a wide cup, all creases and wrinkles, nearly
over the foot, while across the instep was a wide, shaped flap of
leather. This last falling boot-top was turned in all manner of
ways by those who cared to give thought to it.
[Illustration: {Sixteen types of boot and shoe}]
[Illustration: A MAN OF THE TIME OF CHARLES I. (1625-1649)
He has wrapped his blue cloak over his arm, a usual method of
carrying the cloak. He is simply dressed, without bunches of ribbons
or points.]
The insides of the tops of these boots were lined with lace or silk,
and the dandy turned them down to give full show to the lining--this
turning of broad tops was such an inconvenience that he was forced to
use a straddled walk when he wore his boots thus.
Canes were carried with gold, silver, or bone heads, and were
ornamented further by bunches of ribbon.
Coming again to the head, we find ribbon also in use to tie up locks
of hair; delicate shades of ribbon belonging to some fair lady were
used to tie up locks to show delicate shades of love. Some men wore
two long love-locks on either side of the face, others wore two
elaborately-curled locks on one side only.
The hats, as the drawings will show, are broad in the brim and of an
average height in the crown, but a dandy, here and there, wore a hat
with next to no brim and a high crown. Most hats were feathered.
There is a washing tally in existence of this time belonging, I think,
to the Duke of Rutland, which is very interesting. It is made of
beech-wood covered with linen, and is divided into fifteen squares. In
the centre of each square there is a circle cut, and in the circle are
numbers. Over the number is a plate with a pin for pivot in the
centre, a handle to turn, and a hole to expose a number. Above each
circle are the names of the articles in this order:
Ruffs. Bandes. Cuffes. Handkercher. Cappes.
Shirtes. Halfshirts. Boote Hose. Topps. Sockes.
Sheetes. Pillowberes. Table Clothes. Napkins. Towells.
Topps are linen boot-frills, and halfshirts are stomachers.
There remains little to be said except that black was a favourite
dress for men, also light blue and cream-coloured satin. Bristol paste
diamonds were in great demand, and turquoise rings were very
fashionable.
For the rest, Vandyck's pictures are available to most people, or good
reproductions of them, and those, with a knowledge of how such dress
came into being, are all that can be needed.
THE WOMEN
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account