CIIAMBERS'S INFORMATION FOR THE PEOPLE. 



of Tudor, white and green. Buttons also bore 

 partisan figures or emblems. 



The female costume of the reign of Henry VII. 

 is distinguished by the square cut of the bodice 

 in the neck, and embroidered and jewelled stom- 

 achers, belts, and girdles hanging in front nearly 

 to the feet ; the sleeves were large and full, and 

 when confined at the wrist resembled 'the bishops' 

 sleeves' imitated in England, from the French, some 

 years since. These sleeves were slashed, divided, 

 and joined like those of the men. The head- 

 dresses were close caps and cauls, from beneath 

 which the hair hung down to the waist ; and 

 several kinds of capuchons were worn. In the 

 dress of the humbler classes we find mentioned a 

 'furred flocket and gray russet rocket,' 'kirtle 

 bristow red,' ' blanket hose,' ' Lincoln green,' &c. 



At the close of this century the mourning habits 

 had become so sumptuous as to be limited by 

 law ; the principal article being a barb or veil, 

 used at funerals, which was tied on above the 

 chin, by duchesses and countesses, and lower by 

 all other ranks. 



Throughout the above period, the principal 

 material of the clothing of the middle classes 

 must have been abundant ; for, in the reign of 

 Edward III. our woollen manufacture almost 

 rivalled that of the Flemings, and our exports to 

 the continent were very large ; there appears, 

 however, to have been little or no linen made at 

 this period in England. 



Sixteenth Century. 



In the sixteenth century the upper part of the 

 long hose began to be worn loose, or slashed with 

 pieces of different colours let in, and the arms 

 and shoulders of the doublet or jacket were 

 fashioned in a similar style. Boots were also 

 worn loose on the leg, with the upper part falling 

 down ; hence the origin of the buskin. Ruffs or 

 ruffles, collars, and velvet bonnets with feathers, 

 came likewise into use, as may be seen from the 

 paintings of Henry VIII. Hall the chronicler 

 describes several of Henry's superb dresses, and 

 among them zfrocke, or coat of velvet, embroidered 

 all over with gold of damask, the sleeves and 

 breast cut and lined with cloth of gold, and tied 

 together ' with great buttons of diamonds, rubies, 

 and orient pearls.' The cloaks and mantles were 

 of corresponding magnificence. The shirts were 

 pinched or plaited, and embroidered with gold, 

 silver, or silk. The term hose continued to 

 be applied to the entire vestment from the waist 

 to the feet, throughout this century : the material 

 is more distinctly stated, for Henry wore knit silk 

 as well as cloth hose ; the precise period of the 

 separation of the hose into breeches and stock- 

 ings is not so clear as the derivation of the 

 latter term from the ' stockying of hose ;' 'that is, 

 adding the lower part that covered the legs and 

 feet to that which was fastened by points to the 

 doublet,' and was called the stocks. The shoes 

 and buskins were of the German fashion, very 

 broad at the toes, and of velvet and satin, slashed 

 and puffed. The hats, caps, and bonnets were of 

 almost endless forms and colours. 



Henry passed sumptuary laws, directing that 

 cloth of gold and tissue should be used only for 

 dukes and marquises, and that purple should be 

 kept for the royal family. Earls might use 

 embroidery, and commoners of distinction silks 



794 



and velvets ; and it was even thought necesss 

 to restrict the commonalty and serving-men to 

 cloth of a certain price, and lambs' fur, and to 

 forbid them wearing any ornaments, or even 

 buttons, save the badge of their lord or master. 

 The king, likewise, forbade his courtiers' wearing 

 long hair, according to the general fashion, and 

 made them poll their heads, which led to the 

 introduction of the peruke, afterwards written 

 periwig, and more shortly wig. The masques, or 

 plays in masquerade, in Henry's reign, were very 

 splendid ; and in the ladies' dresses worn at one 

 of them are mentioned 'demy sleeves, naked 

 down from the elbows,' which M. Planchd con- 

 siders to have been the first appearance of bare 

 arms since the time of the ancient Britons. 

 Gloves were not unknown, for Henry left a pair to> 

 one of the executors of his will. They were some- 

 times finely perfumed, and brought from Spain 

 and Italy as presents. In this and the preceding 

 reign the head-dresses assumed a different charac- 

 ter, having long lappets or ear-pieces hanging 

 down below the shoulders, and when made of 

 velvet studded with pearls, jewels, and gold, they 

 were truly superb. Three-cornered caps of min- 

 ever were also worn throughout the reign ; and 

 the close-fitting cap reaching to the ears, and 

 known as ' Mary Queen of Scots' cap,' was first 

 worn about this period. The ladies' hunting dress 

 differed but little from the riding-habit of the 

 present day ; across it was usually slung, from the 

 right shoulder to the left side, a horn resembling a 

 bugle. 



In this reign, pins were first brought from 

 France, and used by Catharine Howard, before 

 which time the different parts of the dress were 

 kept together by ribbons and loopholes, laces 

 with points and tags, clasps, hooks-and-eyes, and 

 skewers of brass, silver, and gold ; but the poorer 

 classes used the natural thorn for the above 

 purpose. 



The dress of the middle ranks in this reign may 

 be seen in prints of the time ; plain russet coats, 

 and white kersey sloppes, 

 or breeches, with stockings 

 of the same piece, were the 

 ordinary suit ; and the 

 London apprentices wore 

 blue cloaks in summer, and 

 gowns of the same colour 

 in winter, as badges of 

 servitude ; for this appears 

 to have been the age of 

 domestic distinctions the 

 relics of the feudalism of 

 the middle ages. The 

 women wore sheep, russet, 

 or long woollen gowns, 

 worsted kirtles (hereafter 

 called petticoats), and white 

 caps and aprons ; and milk- Man and Woman of the 

 white under-linen came into Sixteenth Century, 

 general wear. The engrav- 

 ing shews a man and woman in the ordinary dress 

 of this period. 



The principal novelty of the reigns of Edward 

 VI. and Mary was the flat round bonnet or cap, 

 of plain velvet or cloth, worn on one side of the 

 head, and decorated with a jewel and single 

 ostrich feather. The bonnet itself is preserved in 

 the caps worn at the present day by the boys of 



