Swords were carried in broad baldricks richly ornamented.
The waistclothes of Mr. Pepys would, by now, have grown into broad
sashes, with heavily fringed ends, and would be worn round the outside
coat; for riding, this appears to have been the fashion, together with
small peaked caps, like jockey caps, and high boots.
The ladies of this reign simplified the dress into a gown more tight
to the bust, the sleeves more like the men's, the skirt still very
full, but not quite so long in the train.
Black hoods with or without capes were worn, and wide collars coming
over the shoulders again came into fashion. The pinner, noticed by
Pepys, was often worn.
[Illustration: A WOMAN OF THE TIME OF JAMES II. (1685-1689)
Notice the broad collar again in use, also the nosegay. The sleeves
are more in the mannish fashion.]
But the most noticeable change occurs in the dress of countryfolk and
ordinary citizens. The men began to drop all forms of doublet, and
take to the long coat, a suit of black grogram below the knees, a
sash, and a walking-stick; for the cold, a short black cloak. In the
country the change would be very noticeable. The country town, the
countryside, was, until a few years back, distinctly Puritanical in
garb; there were Elizabethan doublets on old men, and wide Cromwellian
breeches, patched doubtless, walked the market-place. Hair was worn
short. Now the russet brown clothes take a decided character in the
direction of the Persian coat and knickerbockers closed at the knee.
The good-wife of the farmer knots a loose cloth over her head, and
pops a broad-brimmed man's hat over it. She has the sleeves of her
dress made with turned-back cuffs, like her husband's, ties her shoes
with strings, laces her dress in front, so as to show a
bright-coloured under-bodice, and, as like as not, wears a green
pinner (an apron with bib, which was pinned on to the dress), and
altogether brings herself up to date.
[Illustration: {A woman of the time of James II.}]
One might see the farmer's wife riding to market with her eggs in a
basket covered with a corner of her red cloak, and many a red cloak
would she meet on the way to clep with on the times and the fashions.
The green apron was a mark of a Quaker in America, and the Society of
Friends was not by any means sad in colour until late in their
history.
Most notable was the neckcloth in this unhappy reign, which went by
the name of Judge Jeffreys' hempen cravat.
WILLIAM AND MARY
Reigned thirteen years: 1689-1702.
The King born in 1650; the Queen born in 1662; married
in 1677.
THE MEN
[Illustration: {A man of the time of William and Mary}]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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