The Historical Child: Paidology; The Science of the ChildChrisman, Oscar
History
The Historical Child: Paidology; The Science of the Child
Chrisman, Oscar
Children; Manners and customs
Children were clothed in about the same manner and the same styles as
their elders, there being no great distinguishing marks in the dress of
the younger and older people.
The girdles, which were so necessarily an important part of the dress,
were often highly ornamental and very costly. They were sometimes made
of silk, lined with fine leather, and ornamented with gold and silver
and precious stones. The garments of both men and women were at times
embroidered, having armorial devices, mottoes, initials of the owners,
and other designs. They were also lined and trimmed with fur, many kinds
of fur being used.
The men wore their hair long and then again very short; it was cut off
short at the forehead and at another time allowed to grow long till it
almost fell into the eyes. Sometimes they wore a full beard and
sometimes they were clean shaved. At a late time in the period wigs came
into use, and they were thought to be indispensable by every man of
social standing. They wore hoods and then caps and hats of various
styles. The women wore their hair loose down the back or braided and
coiled and put into a net of gold wire. At one time great headdresses
were the fashion, one style rising up horn-like from the head, another
being like a steeple, running to a high point. There were also
heart-shaped erections, turban-shaped, crescent-shaped, one like an
inverted lamp-shade, and still another shaped like a butterfly.
Shoes were of various styles, one style having very sharp-pointed toes
and even projecting far beyond the foot and then turned up and fastened
to the knee with a silver or gold chain. Then the shoes were changed
from length to breadth, till Parliament passed a law limiting the width
of the toes to six inches. There was one kind made of fine, soft leather
cut into beautiful designs and worn over bright-colored stockings that
showed through the openings.
Jewelry was used quite a great deal. Caps and girdles and other garments
were sometimes decorated with precious stones. They wore chains about
the neck with pendants in the shape of crosses, medallions, and the
like. Reliquaries (little cases containing relics) were also sometimes
hung on neck-chains. There were beads of gold and silver and ivory.
Brooches and clasps and rings of gold and silver studded with jewels
were quite common and other jewelry was worn.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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