The Heritage of Dress: Being Notes on the History and Evolution of ClothesWebb, Wilfred Mark
History
The Heritage of Dress: Being Notes on the History and Evolution of Clothes
Webb, Wilfred Mark
Clothing and dress; Clothing and dress -- History
Though we are not discussing armour at the moment, we may say while
speaking of military head-dresses that metal helmets are still in use in
a few regiments. The helmet also of the fireman deserves attention, as
it is practically of the same type as that worn by the ancient Greeks.
(See Figure 62.)
[Illustration: FIG. 62.--A fireman's helmet (of the ancient Greek
type).]
[Illustration: FIG. 63.--Buttons so arranged that the broad brim of a
hat can be fastened to the crown, thus forming a temporary "cock"
(Hudibras after Hogarth).]
The cocked hat should also claim our attention, and it gives us
another instance of temporary alterations which have ultimately become
permanent. The picture of Hudibras shows an early stage in the history
of cocking. The strings which connect the brim of a bishop's tall hat
to the crown are evidently connected with this practice. In the modern
cocked hat more of the right side is turned up than of the left.
A little careful examination will render its development from the
broad-brimmed hat easily understood, while the representatives of the
hat-band and the details of the cocking will be soon discovered.
The cock of the hat formed a convenient spot in which to fix an
ornament, and the name cockade has come to be applied to such an
addition, borne on the hat, as a mark to distinguish the wearer.
The part which cockades have played in history is considerable, but as
they are now chiefly associated with the liveries of men-servants they
will be considered later on in the book. Before, however, we leave, for
the present, the subject of head coverings, we ought to mention that a
piece of woven material as primitively used without even a restraining
band, still survives in the shape of the small shawl which north-country
girls and women very generally wear over their heads. The head-dress of
the nun is another case in point, and recalls that in vogue in Tudor
times, while the sun-bonnet of the barge and market women, though more
highly developed, still consists to a considerable extent of simple
drapery.
VII
SHOES AND STOCKINGS
EARLY FOOT-GEAR--THE ORIGIN OF THE CLOCK--A MODERN IMITATION OF
TATTOOING--GAILY COLOURED GARTERS
Many persons still go barefoot, so that ancient as foot-gear may be, the
stage preceding its adoption is even now represented. Moreover, sandals,
which are very primitive, have been much in use of recent years, and
have especially been worn by children.
If we turn to ordinary boots and shoes we shall not find many obvious
points about them which lead up to their history. Still we shall see in
the case of a large number that in places where one piece of leather
laps over another, it is perforated with rows of holes which form a kind
of simple ornamentation. (See Figure 64.)
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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