Preclassical to DirectoireHISTORY OF COSTUME I

How it all beganCHAPTER I

LOIN CLOTH: a piece of garment that covers the genitals and buttocks

SCHENTI: a piece of woven material used as a loin cloth and kept in place by a belt during the Old Kingdom(before 1500 BC). For kings and dignitaries it was pleated and stiffened and sometimes embroidered.

SARONG: a small rectangle of cloth wrapped around the waist. The simplist method of using cloth as clothing. The primitive form of the skirt.

KALASIRIS: a semi-transparent fringed tunic that allowed the loin cloth to be seen underneath worn by Pharoahs under the New Kingdom (1500 BC to 332 BC). It was made of a rectangular piece of material and was sometimes woven in one piece, producing, when worn by women, a tight-fitting garment finishing below the breasts and kept in place by shoulder straps. A short cape sometimes covered the shoulders, or else the throat was encircled with a wide, jewelled collar, leaving the breasts exposed.

IMAGES(left to right): schenti, kalasiris, sarong

Greeks & RomansCHAPTER II

CHITON: a simple rectangle of cloth folded around the body, worn by men and women, that can be adjusted in various ways. Men can fasten it with a brooch or a pin on the left shoulder, leaving the right bare, or it could be fastened on both shoulders. It could be worn with one or two cord or belt around the waist.Later on, it was made of two pieces of cloth sewn together and was sometimes provided with sleeves.

CHLAMYS: a short cloak usually fastened on one shoulder worn over the chiton, mainly by young men in general and horsemen in particular.

HIMATION: a large rectangle, as much as eight feet by six, of fabrics that wrapped around the body made to be worn for the cold weather.

PEPLOS: the female form of chlamys. Was worn over a chiton which reached the woman’s feet. As luxury increased, the peplos was sometimes made of very fine material, even of silk.

TIARAS: a jeweled ornamental band worn on front of a woman’s hair.

TUNIC ROBE: a kind of toga made of a semicircle of cloth characteristic of the period from 700BC - 575BC. Sometimes it was rectangular and formed a kind of cloak. This was worn by men, while women wore a long, tight fitting robe, without a girdle, with half-sleeves and sometimes slit at the back, closed by ribbons when the garment was put on over the head. Over the robe was worn a long, rectangular cloack which, when required, could be drawn over the head.

TOGA: a Roman garment borrowed from the Etruscans that grew more voluminous in its Roman form. This garment was essentially a garment for the upper classes, especially for senators, with who it was always white.

TOGA PRAETEXTA: a toga with a purple border about two to three inches wide worn by the young sons (until the age of 16) and daughters (until age 12) of the nobility and by certain adult magistrates and high priests.

TOGA VIRILIS: a plain white, undecorated toga made of wool worn by the ordinary male Roman citizen after the age of sixteen.

IMAGES(clockwise): toga praetexta, toga virilis, pallium, pileus

PALLIUM: a diminished in size version of the toga after AD100.

PILEUS: a felt rimless cap.

STROPHIUM: an unstiffened bust-bodice.

TUNICA PALMATE: an embroidered tunic

SUBACULA: the tunic next to the skin when two tunics are worn

TUNICA EXTERIODUM: the second layer of tunic worn when two tunics are worn. This second layer grew gradually longer, reaching to the ankles from about AD100.

CAFTAN: an ankle lengthed open bodiced gown with long, wide sleeves.

ECCLESIASTICAL: of or pertaining to the Church

SOCCUS: women’s slippers worn indoors

STOLA: worn over a tunic, a garment of similar shape but with sleeves

PELLA: a voluminous cloak, like a toga but rectangular in shape, draped over stola

IMAGES(clockwise): strophium, subacula and tunica exteriodum, caftan, stola and pella, soccus

TUTULUS: a cone in which hair was arranged within it.

CARBATINA: a sandal made of a single piece of untanned hide, overlapping the outline of the foot and kept in place by leather thongs

CALCEUS: a sophisticated form of the carbatina.

STEPHANOS: diadem set with precious stones and long strings of pearls hanging down on either side

IMAGES(clockwise): tutulus, carbatina, stephanos, cakeus

Early EuropeCHAPTER III

GONELLE: a knee length tunic embroidered at the edge and caught in at the waist with a belt.

BRAIES: breeches, ankle-length trousers kept in place by a cord threaded through thte top, rather low over the hips.

STOLA: long tunic with embroidered bands

PALLA: a kind of scarf draped over the shoulders.

KIRTLE: tunic worn over a smock and put over the head.

ROC: super-tunic also put on over the head and sometimes hitched up over the girdle to show the garment beneath (it had embroidered borders at neck, hem and sleeves).

DALMATIC: long wide sleeved tunic.

IMAGES(clockwise): gonelle, braies, dalmatic, kirtle

LEG-BANDAGES: bound spirally or criss-cross over stockings that had ornamented tops, visible below the tunic.

GIPON: also known as a “doublet” was padded in the front to swell out the chest and was worn much shorter, so short indeed that the moralists of the period denouced it as indecent. It was worn very tight, with buttons down the front and with a belt low over the hips.

CHAUSSES: hose/stockings cut to the shhape of the leg out of wool or linen cloth.

GORGET: fine white linen or silk that covered the neck and part of the bosom, and was sometimes tucked into the top of the gown, the ends being then drawn up and pinned to the top of the head under the veil to frame the face.

PHRYGIAN CAP: a pointed cap.

WIMPLE: conseals the lower part of the face

BARBETTE: a linen band passing under the chin and drawn up over the temples.

IMAGES(clockwise): chausses, phrygian cap, barbette, gipon, gorget

COTE-HARDIE: low-necked and tight-fitting and buttoned down the front super-tunic. The cote-hardie of the lower classes was looser and, having no buttons, was put on over the head. The length of the fashionable cote-hardie gradually diminished and the edge was often dagged. The sleeves were tight to the elbow but then flared out, becoming wide enough to hang down to the knees or even lower. About 1375 the cote-hardie began to have a collar.

HOUPPELANDE: a characteristic garment from about 1380-1450, known today as the ‘gown’. It fitted in the shoulders and was loose below, with a belt at the waist. The length varied, being longest for ceremonial occasions. The sleeves were extremely wide and sometimes so long as to reach to the ground. It had a high upright collar, sometimes reaching to the ears, and its edge was dagged into fantastic shapes.

STOMACHER: a decorated triangular panel that fills in the front opening of a woman’s gown or bodice.

DECOLLETAGE: the cutting away of the top of the robe to reveal part of the bosom.

CRESPINE: a kind of hairnet worn with the barbette and the fillet.

CUSHION HEADDRESS: a padded roll worn over a hairnet. IMAGES(clockwise): ccte hardie, houppelande, stomacher,

decolletage, crespine, cushion headdress

HORNED HEADDRESS: a headdress with a wire structure like the horns of a cow on which draped the veil that came about in 1410.

HEART-SHAPED HEADDRESS: a headdress in a heartshape.

TURBAN HEADDRESS: a descriptive label for an elongated tilted backward headdress.

CHIMNEY-POT HEADDRESS: a descriptive label for an elongated tilted backward headdress.

HENIN/STEEPLE HEADDRESS: a headdress much worn in France, but in England it took the shape of a truncated cone and was therefore not very different from the chimney-pot headdress.

BUTTERFLY HEADDRESS: a headdress with a wire structure attached to a small cap or caul in which the hair was enclosed. It rose high above the head and supported a diaphanous veil in the shape of butterfly’s wings. It was a very popular fashion up to about 1485.

IMAGES(clockwise): horned headdress, heart-shaped headdress, turban headdress, chimney-pot headdress,

henin/steeple headdress

CHAPERON: a circular padded roll to which was attached a gorget consisting of folds of material cut in decorative shapes. “Ready-Made” headdress that required no arranging and could be put on and off without difficulty. A male headgear.

POULAINES: a type of shoe that had spies or points that reached the length of eighteen inches or more. Name is a corruption of Poland. Poland was then part of the Kingdom of Bohemia, and the names are explained by the fact that King Richard II married Anne of Bohemia and the gentlemen who came in her suit to England wore shoes with extremely pointed toes.

CRACKOWES: a type of shoe that had spies or points that reached the length of eighteen inches or more. Name is a corruption of Cracow. This shoe is more curled at the toes.

IMAGES(clockwise): butterfly headdress, chaperon, chaperon with decorative cut-outs, (top) crackowes

(bottom) poulaines

The Rennaissance CHAPTER IV

BOURRELETS: stuffed and padded hairstyles that were draped with veils in Northern Europe.

JERKIN: a jacket worn over the doublet either double breasted or closed down the front with laces or buttons.

DOUBLET: the main male garment that was sometimes long enough to fall to the knee. It had an opening in the front through which could be seen the codpiece. The sleeves grew gradually wider and were often paned or slashed. Sometimes double sleeves were worn, one pair handing loose and of a different colour. Materials most in favor were velvet, satin, and cloth-of-gold.

KIRTLE: a skirt and a bodice sewn together.

RUFF: the small fabric ruffle at the drawstring of the neck of the chemise.

SLASHING: cuts made in sleeves so that the white chemise underneath could be seen.

IMAGES(clockwise): bourrelets, slashing on sleeve, slashing on pants, ruff, jerkin

POINTS: laces threaded through eyelet holes in the nether garments and the doublet and tied in small bows. These points were made of linen or silk thread lipped with metal tags.

FARTHINGALE/VERTINGALE: an underskirt distended by hoops of wire, wood or whalebone, growing larger towards the bottom of the skirt. Resembled the 19th century crinoline in its construction.

ROLL FARTHINGALE/BUM ROLL: a padded roll of cloth in the shape of a polony, or boiling sausage, the two ends being joined together at the front of the body with tapes.

DUCK-BILL (SHOES): extremely broad shoes with flat heels, the soles made of leather or cork, the uppers of leather, velvet or silk. Shoes were often slashed and adorned with jewels.

SCHAUBE: an overcoat shaped like a cassock but generally without sleeves worn by every prosperous citizen. Named by the Germans. It was often lined with fur, and became the typical garment of the scholars.

BOMBAST: the stuffing used in doublets and hose in order to swell them out, eliminating all folds and creases. It consists of rags, flock, horsehair, cotton or even bran.

CUIRASSE: holds the wearer upright using padded and stiffened garments.

COPOTAIN: a high conical crown made of stiff or stiffened materials.

PALISADOE: a wire support for hairdressing styles.

STOMACHER: front of the bodice stiffened with buckram or pasteboard held in place by busks, often of wood.

IMAGES(clockwise): duck-bill shoes, schaube, copotain, roll farthingale/bum roll, farthingale/vertingale

COAT: a loose jacket worn for warmth.

CASSOCK: a loose jacket reaching to the hips with loose, open sleeves.

MANDILION/MANDEVILLE: originally a military habit, it was a loose hip-length jacket with standing collar and hanging ‘coat’ sleeves and wings. The side seams were open, producing a front and back panel. It was buttoned from collar to chest only, and put on over the head. The garment was thus worn sideways, with the front and back panels draping the shoulders, while on sleeve hung down in front and the other behind.

TRUNK HOSE: puffed out breeches.

CANIONS: breeches worn underneath the trunk hose (often of another material) and reaching to the knee so stockings can be pulled over them.

GAUNTLETS: above the wrist glove, with side, flaring cuff. The cuff may be cut in one with the glove, or as a separate piece that is sewn to the glove.

GALLIGASKINS/GASCOYNES/SLOPS: very very baggy breeches fastening below the knee with buttons or points.

CLOCKS: patterns on hosiery made of colored silk and gold thread.

CORDWAINER: fashionable variety of boots originating from the leather-dressing craf from Cordoba, Spain.

FROCK: a loose gown.

IMAGES(clockwise): mandilion/mandeville, canions, trunk hose over canions, gauntlets

The Seventeenth Century CHAPTER V

PEASCOD DOUBLET: these doublets had tabs that were longer and curved down in front to a sharp point. The garment was provided with a high-standing collar buttoning in the front, but generally concealed by the ruff.

FUNNEL BOOTS: boots with wide turnovers sometimes trimmed with lace. These were predominanty riding boots, but from about 1610 they were worn in town and indoors.

CHOPINES: wooden clogs covered in leather, worn under the shoes and sometimes with soles so thick enough to qualify as stilts.

PIECE/PLASTRON: the cover of the lacing of a bodice.

FICHU: a lace head covering.

ROUNDHEADS: nickname given to the Parliament men in England for their short hairstyles.

IMAGES(clockwise): funnel boots, chopines, fichu, roundhead

CRAVATS: neckband of lace or muslin. The early beginning to men’s neck accessories like today’s tie.

PERIWIG: a wig where men had to cut their hair close to the scalp to have the wig fit.

FULL-BOTTOMED WIG: a large and heavy wig.

FONTANGE: hair tied with a ribbon with the bow in front. Lace was added later on, and then a cap was added to the lace, and then a wire frame to support the ever increasing height of the structure.

COMMODE: an extremely tall fontange. A frame of wire two or three stories high, fitted to the head, and covered with tiffany or other thin silks being now compleated into the whole headress.

FRENCH HAT: wide brim and shallower crown, adorned with even more feathers than before.

COCKING: one portion of the brim was turned up either at the front, at the back, or on one side of the head.

THREE-CORNERED HAT: hat turned up in three places.

NEGLIGEE: a studied negligence. An elegant deshabille is the prevailing character of the costume in which they are nearly all represented; their glossy ringlets escaping from a simple bandeau of pearls or adorned by a single rose, fall in graceful profusion upon many necks unveiled by even the transparent lawn of the band or the parlet; and the fair round arm, bare to the elbow, reclines upon the voluptuous satin petticoat while the gown of the same rich materials piles up its voluminous train in the background.

PATCHES ON THE FACE: ladies’ vain custom of spotting their faces out of an affectation of a mole, to set off their beauty; and it is well if one patch will serve to make their faces remarkable, for some fill their visages full of them, varied into all manner of shapes such as stars, crescents or even a coach and horses, cut out of black ‘court plaster’. The strange fashion lasted for more than fifty years.

MANTEAUX: tucked-up skirts for women.

PALATINE: a kerchief that covered bare shoulders out of doors.

WAISTCOAT: vest almost as long as the coat, coming nearly to the knees and buttoned all the way down almost concealing the breeches. Coat was rather plain, embroidery reserved for the inner garment.

The EighteenthCentury CHAPTER VI

PERRUQUE A CRINIERE: full-bottomed wig used not to conceal the lack of natural hair, but as an essential item in the dress of evey upper-class man.

SACQUE/SACK: a comfortable, rather shapeless garment, with small box pleats behind for women.

PANIER: French for basket. The skirt distended sideways, somtimes as much as 15 feet, by means of whalebone or rods of osier . The distended skirt resembles the form of a basekt.

OPEN ROBES/CLOSED ROBES: The closed robe was a dress consisting of a bodice and petticoat (sometimes forming on garment) with no opening in the front of the skirt. The more characteristic open robe had a gap in the front of the skirt in the shape of an inverted V which allowed the petticoat to be seen beneath.

CHEMISE-SLEEVE: The characteristic 18th century sleeve ended just above or just below the elbow and was wide enough for the cheise-sleeve to emerge from it, with its ruffle or lace.

DETTINGEN HAT: a type of a three cornered hat with a wide brim aimed at an effect of military swagger. Named after the Battle of Dettingen in 1743.

KEVENHULLER HAT: a type of a three cornered hat with a wide brim aimed at an effect of military swagger. Was fashionable in the 1740s.

MACARONIS: Wore very thin shoes with enormous buckles made of gold, silver, pinchbeck or steel and set with real or imitation stones. They affected very large buttons on their coats. Their hats were extremely small, but their wigs were dressed high on their head, prodigiously curled.

EXAGGERATED HEADDRESSES FOR WOMEN: a towering toupee pulled up all but by the roots and strained over a cushion on the top of her head, formed the centre of the building; tiers of curls served for the wings; a hanging chignon behind defended her occiput like a buttress; and the whole fabric ws kept tight and water proof by a quantity of long single and double black pins.