Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 4.djvu/629

TO 1760] and ornamented, with which they combed them out as they walked on the mall, or appeared in the boxes of the theatre, or whilst engaged in conversation or flirtation, just as our modern dandies twirl their moustaches. The broad-brimmed hats were now cocked up, either all round and trimmed with feathers, or on three sides. Others followed the particular cock of some leader of fashion, as one cock was called the Monmouth cock, after the unfortunate duke of Monmouth. The shoes were cut high in the instep, and were fastened by a strap, which passed over the instep, and buckled somewhat on one side with a small buckle.

The dress of the common people underwent little change. The military costume also remained much the same. The carbineers of William III. still wore the breast and backplates, and had iron skull-caps sewn into the crowns of their hats. William himself appears with his steel breastplate, his hat turned up at the sides and feathered, and the locks of his flowing wig falling on his armour.

The costume of the ladies felt the influence of some Dutch fashions. The bosom, which had been indelicately exposed, was again concealed by the kerchief. The elegant full sleeve of the gown gave way to a tight one, with a hanging cuff above the elbow, as was the case with the coats of the gentlemen; but whilst the arms of the gentlemen were clothed by an under-sleeve to the wrist, finished by a lace frill, those of the ladies had a profusion of lace, in the shape of ruffles or lappets falling from the short sleeve. In other cases, as is seen in the portrait of queen Mary by Visscher, the ladies wore long gloves on their arms. Their gowns were carefully looped back to display a rich petticoat, ornamented with several rows of flounces and furbelows—or, as they were called, "falbalas." Their hair was once more raised into a lofty fabric, as in queen Elizabeth's time, being combed upward from the forehead, and surmounted by piles of ribbon and lace in a succession of tiers, the ribbons being formed into high stiffened bows, à la giraffe, crowned sometimes with rich lace, which streamed down each side of the tower, as it was termed—or more generally the commode—being a most incommodious affair. Muffs, which were very small, frequently of leopard-skin, were worn by both sexes. The clergy, who had hitherto worn their hair short, and had often made rude onslaught on the long hair of their auditors, now assumed the flowing wig, and archbishop Tillotson set the example.

In the reign of queen Anne, says Planche, vanished every relic of our chivalric costume except the sword, which still completes the full dress of the court of St. James's. The square-cut coats and long-flapped waistcoats with pockets in them were still the mode, with the large hanging cuffs and lace ruffles. The skirts of the coat were stiffened out with wire or buckram, from betwixt which peeped the hilt of the sword, deprived of the broad and splendid belt in which it swung in the preceding reigns. Blue and scarlet stockings, now frequently worn under instead of over the breeches' knees, and with gold or silver clocks, lace neckcloths, square-toed, short-quartered shoes, with high, red heels and small buckles, very long and formally-curled perukes, black riding wigs, bag-wigs, and nightcap-wigs, small, three-cornered hats, laced with gold or silver galloon, and sometimes trimmed with feathers, were the fashion of noblemen and gentlemen. The wigs were enormously expensive; one is mentioned in the "Tatler" worth forty guineas, and five guineas was a common price. The materials of dress were altogether extremely luxurious. A Mr. John Osheal was robbed, in 1714, of a scarlet cloth suit, laced with broad gold lace, lined and faced with blue; a fine cinnamon cloth suit, with plate buttons, the waistcoat fringed with a silk fringe of the same colour, and a rich, yellow-flowered, satin morning gown, lined with cherry-coloured satin. Dancing-shoes are described as having heels four inches in height, and periwig boxes were not allowed to be carried in the coach-box gratis, of more than three feet in length. Some who had fine hair now wore it, but long and combed, like the wigs, and there were already dyes for converting red or grey hair into brown or black.

We may form an idea of the dress of men of the middle class by the advertisement after a lost youth: — "He is of fair complexion, with light brown lank hair, having on a dark brown frieze coat, double-breasted on each side, with black buttons and button-holes; a light drugget waistcoat, red shag breeches, striped with black stripes, and black stockings."

The dress of the ladies for the greater part of the reign of queen Anne continued much the same as in the reigns of James II. and William III. The towering head-dress still flourished, and all the flounces and furbelows on gown and petticoat, so that the "Spectator" compared a lady in full dress, with everything in curl, to a Friesland hen, all of whose feathers curl upwards. In 1711, however, there was a sudden revolution. The towers fell, and the heads of the ladies resumed their natural dimensions. Powder, however, still disfigured the heads of many belles, though the queen set the example of leaving her chestnut locks unsullied by the abomination.

In public, the ladies now wore the sacque and hood. The hood, which, in the previous reign, had been generally black, was now of all colours; blue, yellow, green, and pink hoods were worn at the opera in 1711, and in the following year cherry-coloured hoods were all the rage. Spotted hoods were not unfrequent. Patches of black on the face, variously disposed, were becoming fashionable, and were soon used to denote the politics of the wearers.



But the excrescence which bad disappeared from the ladies'