CLOTHING COSTUME. 



wore a white coat and blue hood, a sword and 

 buckler, and red-cloth holiday-hose ; and the hats, 

 caps, and bonnets of all classes were very fantas- 

 tical. Knives, ornamented with silver, and purses, 

 were worn by most classes in their girdles ; and 

 shoulder-belts, with bells, were a mark of rank. 



Gentleman of Fourteenth 

 Century. 



Lady of Fourteenth 

 Century. 



Liveries are also now mentioned as worn by sub- 

 stantial artisans, as well as by menial servants ; 

 but the ploughman appears only in a tabard or 

 sleeveless coat, and the mechanic in a tunic. The 

 hair was worn long and curled, and the beard 

 forked. 



In the female costume of this reign the fantastic 

 party-coloured dresses were retained, with the 

 embroidered jupons and kirtles, hip-kirtles, and 

 long tippets from the elbow ; and the surcol, or 

 external corset, faced with fur, and terminating in 

 a train sometimes so long as to be carried over 

 the arm, or shorter, opened up the side, and 

 bordered with ermine. The head-dress continued 

 as in the preceding reign. The attire of the car- 

 penter's wife in the Canterbury Tales, with a silk 

 girdle and head-fillet and brooch, indicates the 

 condition of this class of females. 



The costume of the fifteenth century was equally 



Gentleman of Fifteenth 

 Century. 



Lady of Fifteenth 

 Century. 



gay and foppish, but perhaps more neat in form. 

 The above engraving represents a gentleman of 



the reign of Henry V. : he is dressed in a short 

 tunic, buttoned in front, with girdle, large loose 

 sleeves, tight hose; forming pantaloons and stock- 

 ings in a single piece, peaked shoes, and head- 

 cloth or cap. About this period, silks and velvets 

 of divers colours came into use among the higher 

 classes, by whom gold chains were generally 

 worn. The dress of ladies was of the richest 

 kind. Gowns were embroidered and bordered 

 with furs or velvet ; and the bodice, laced in front 

 over a. stomacher, now first appeared. But the 

 greatest eccentricity was the lofty steeple head- 

 dress, shewn in the annexed portrait ; this con- 

 sisted of a roll of linen, covered with fine lawn, 

 which hung to the ground, or was mostly tucked 

 under the arm. 



Richard III. (1483-1485), according to his 

 wardrober's books, was a right royal fop, for we 

 find him wearing a blue cloth-of-gold doublet 

 and stomacher, 'wroght with netts and pync- 

 apples,' and crimson and purple-velvet robes, 

 embroidered and furred, and crimson satin 

 hose, and tissue cloth-of-gold shoes, at his 

 coronation. The nobles in this reign had their 

 hose tied by points to the doublet, which was 

 sometimes worn open, but laced like a bodice ; 

 and over it was worn a long or short gown, the 

 former hanging loose, and the latter plaited before 

 and behind, and girded about the waist ; and both 

 gown and doublet were slashed. The general 

 head-dress was a closely fitting cap or bontt 

 (bonnet), with a single feather in it ; and scarlet 

 hats and hoods were worn. The boots had very 

 long-pointed toes, and reached to the middle of 

 the thigh. 



Hitherto, the authorities for costume have been 

 illuminated manuscripts, tapestry, and monu- 

 mental effigies, in which there is often perplexing 

 indistinctness. Now, painting comes to our aid ; 

 and the portraits by Holbein are the best illus- 

 trations of the costume of the two succeeding 

 reigns. The male costume of the wealthier classes 

 in the reign of Henry VII. consisted of a fine 

 shirt of long lawn, embroidered with silk round 

 the collar and wristbands. The sleeves of the 

 doublet were slashed at the elbow, as in the reign 

 of Edward IV. ; or they were in two or more 

 pieces, fastened at the shoulders and elbows with 

 laces or points, through which the shirt protruded. 

 The doublet was laced over a stomacher and 

 petticoat, the male costume thus resembling that 

 of the females in name as well as form. The 

 outer garment was a long coat or gown, with 

 loose hanging sleeves, and a broad turn-over 

 collar of velvet or fur. The long hose were dif- 

 ferently coloured in the upper and lower portions, 

 and in the former, slashed or puffed ; the shoes 

 were absurdly long and broad-toed, and high 

 boots were worn for riding. I n the head-coverings, 

 there was great variety. The hoods were aban- 

 doned to official habits, and instead were worn 

 broad felt hats. or caps, and bonnets of velvet 

 or fur profusely decked with ostrich feathers ; or 

 the large plumed cap was slung at the back, and 

 a smaller cap of velvet or gold net worn on the 

 head. The knave of our playing-cards has a cap 

 peculiar to this period. 



In these distracted times, colours were worn 

 distinctive of political party. Thus, the family 

 colours of the House of Lancaster were white and 

 red ; those of York, purple and blue ; and those 



M 



