Page:Fancy dresses described, or, What to wear at fancy balls (1887).djvu/73

 this "And a French hood, too—now 'tis out of fashion, a foolscap would be better." Ruffs went out too. The dress that succeeded it was the falling collar, the plain graceful skirt and full sleeve, and the curls resting softly on the face. Another style of hair-dressing must have been borrowed from the Dutch; the hair combed straight back and the curls at the side only. Hollar represents a woman thus dressed in his "Ornatus Muliebris Anglicanus," date 1645. She wears a long pointed bodice laced across the front, with an upper robe caught up in a species of panier at the hips, a tippet of linen, and long gauntlet gloves. It was in the reign of Charles I., that patches first began to be worn, which Bulwer, in 1650, speaks of as "a vaine custom of spotting their faces out of an affectation of a mole to set off their beauty." When this absurd fashion came in, patches do not appear to have been tiny round circles of plaister, such as later on were worn with powder, but sometimes they were scattered all over the visage in a variety of shapes—stars, crescents, and even a coach and horses,—and this folly lasted many years.

CHARLES II., PERIOD OF. The women's dress of this period is familiar from the bevy of beauties associated with it at Hampton Court in négligé attire. The bodices alone are stiff, but they expose rather than cover the bust and neck; the curled locks fall on the shoulders, and are simply confined by a row of pearls round the head; the arms are bare from the elbow; a train and distinct front breadth form the skirt, and there is a plethora of lace. More homely women wore plain skirts, an upper one of a contrasting tone; pointed bodices, high to the throat, with a plain turn-down collar from the throat: the full sleeves to elbow are caught up with jewels at the bend of the arm; the shoes high on the instep, and very high in the heel, with roses or buckles. The following is a good dress:—Blue and gold brocade, with flounces of gold embroidery and point d'Alengon lace, and train of old gold satin; puffed petticoat looped at the side with bows, pearls, and lace; bodice low with sleeves fastened in to elbow with diamond ornaments; diamond tiara, and ornaments. The skirt made plain and long, the bodices low, with lace turning downwards from shoulders. Hair in ringlets, with bandeau of pearls.

'''CHARLES VI. OF FRANCE''' (1380-1422). Rich