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
Even more intimately connected with dress are pockets, and they may be
touched upon here, for they are intended for carrying small objects. We
have seen how the flaps of pockets which have become ornamental survive
after the pockets themselves have disappeared (see Figure 21), and it is
worthy of note that clothes in various countries lend themselves to the
transportation of commodities. It has been pointed out by Mr. Otis T.
Mason[9] that the Oriental, especially the Korean, has pockets in his
sleeves having the capacity of half a bushel; while the Turk and Arab
can stow an equal amount in the ample folds of their robes. The writer
also remembers hearing the account of a journey in Asia from a traveller
who, when riding in wide trousers fastened at the ankle, used to keep
all his clean linen in one trouser-leg and his dirty clothes in the
other.
We are reminded by the name given to the upper part of a lady's dress,
namely, the yoke (see Figure 105), of another means of carrying burdens,
which still survives in London, where a few milk-women even now carry
round their pails on a yoke. Their costume, which includes a small shawl
and an apron, can be compared with that of the barge-girl, though the
picturesque sun-bonnet of the latter is lacking.
XII
ORNAMENTS
PRIMITIVE NECKLACES--FINGER-RINGS--THE ORIGIN OF THE HAIR
COMB--BUTTONS--STUDS--FLOWERS--FEATHERS--AMULETS
We have touched upon one or two objects which may have a decorative
character, but we now come to a consideration of ornaments themselves.
Roughly speaking, they owe their survival to one of two reasons: either
the deep-rooted instinct which exists in even the lowest races for
adorning their person, or, secondly, the adoption of various objects
which have been worn as charms or amulets.
Dr. E. B. Tylor[10] has pointed out the tendency of higher civilization
to give up savage ornaments. Not the most primitive possibly, but
seemingly the most barbarous, are the ornaments which are fastened into
the body in special orifices which are pierced to receive them. It is
true that in this country we do not make holes in our lips for the
insertion of wooden plugs two or three inches across, and the only nose
ornaments which we see are on the faces of the Hindu ayahs who have come
over from India with their white nurselings; but still many among the
population pierce their ears for the reception of earrings. In the
higher social ranks ear-drops are now worn which do not require the ear
to be perforated for their reception; but among the lower orders--as,
for instance, those who live in canal-boats--the ears of men, women, and
children are still pierced.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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