CLOTHING COSTUME. 



it originated, it may be allowed to be one of the 

 greatest improvements in the style of dress which 

 has yet occurred in the nineteenth century. 



We have adverted to the absurd article of 

 women's attire, the farthingale, as introduced from 

 Spain under Queen Mary, and to its reappearance 

 in the eighteenth century. We now come to the 

 development of this fashion about the middle of 

 the present century ; which began with crinoline 

 (Fr. from L. crints, hair), a fabric made of horse- 

 hair, first in the form of the inelegant ' bustle ' in 

 the upper part of the skirt, then the whole petti- 

 coat Instead of the hair-fabric, some used, for 

 economy, cotton, thickly corded and starched. 

 At length, about 1856, people were startled by the 

 question : ' Have you heard that Miss So-and-so 

 actually wears a hoop ?' and it became apparent 

 that the fashion of Queen Anne's time had re- 

 turned upon us, only that the structure was some- 

 what lighter and more pliant ; being usually com- 

 posed of a series of horizontal small steel hoops, 

 held together either by vertical bands, or by being 

 sewed into a kind of petticoat. Unlike former 

 times of hoops and farthingales, the fashion de- 

 scended even to maid-servants, so that where the 

 dining-room was small, table-maids have been 

 known to give warning because they could not 

 clear the space between the table and the fire ; 

 and the newspapers were continually announcing 

 * Accident from Crinoline/ or 'Lady burned to 

 Death from Crinoline.' The Spectator dealt out 

 much cutting, though playful raillery on the hoops 

 of his day, but apparently with little effect; and 

 equally unavailing were the satires of Punch 

 and other caricaturists of the nineteenth century 

 against the hideous fashion of crinoline. The 

 hoops were sometimes made with a circumference 

 of four, and even five yards. At last, after indig- 

 nation and ridicule had for years assailed the 

 monstrosity in vain, and when people had given 

 over speaking about it, the inflation began about 

 1866, without any apparent cause, to collapse ; and 

 rushing to the opposite extreme, ladies might be 

 seen walking about as slim as if merely wrapt in 

 a morning-gown or bathing-dress. The sole relic 

 of this kind of expansion now to be seen is a 



Chignon. 



structure of lappets, called a pannier, projecting 

 behind, immediately below the waist. 



But women, it would seem, can never rest con- 

 tented without adding, in one direction or another, 



to their proper dimensions ; for the former crino- 

 line was soon supplanted by great cushions or pads 

 of frizzled hair, applied chiefly to the back of the 

 head, and covered over by the natural hair, or by 

 artificial tresses. Such a cushion was known as a 

 chiton (Fr. the neck or neck-hair). This fashion 

 was not new, but was carried to greater extra- 

 vagance than ever before, the head being some- 

 times rendered three times its natural size. 



But it is vain to expect that female attire will 

 ever be reasonable and in good taste ; and, on the 

 whole, that of the present day is probably as 

 chaste and becoming as it ever has been, or as 

 we are ever likely to see it ; from which com- 

 mendation, however, we must except the ever- 

 changing and never very classic-looking bonnet. 

 The male attire of our time is plain, and for the most 

 part in good taste, except the 'dress-coat' and 

 hat, both of which are as unnatural in shape as 

 they are uncomfortable to wear. And yet, though 

 convinced of an occasional absurdity in the matter 

 of costume, it is the wiser course rather in so far 

 to follow than attempt to lead in an altogether 

 different direction. 'A man,' says Fcltham, and 

 he says wisely, ' ought, in his clothes, to conform 

 something to those that he converses with, to the 

 custom of the nation, and the fashion that is 

 decent and general, to the occasion and to his 

 own condition ; for that is best that best suits 

 with one's calling and the rank we live in. And 

 seeing that all men are not CEdipuses, to read the 

 riddle of another man's inside, and that most men 

 judge by appearances, it behoves a man to barter 

 for a good esteem, even from his clothes and 

 outside. We guess the goodness of the pasture 

 by the mantle we see it wears,' and ' the apparel 

 oft proclaims the man.' 



PROVINCIAL PECULIARITIES. 



The Welsh, as a relic of an ancient Celtic 

 people, possess remarkably few external traits of 

 their original They have, like the Irish, become 

 Anglicised in costume, and we should in vain 

 search amongst them for the breacan, or checkered 

 clothing, of their Celtic ancestry. The most re- 

 markable part of the Welsh costume is the hat 

 worn by the women. All females in parts of the 

 country not modernised wear round black hats. 

 like those of men ; and this fashion is supported 

 to a small extent by ladies of the higher rank. 

 This use of the hat is not Celtic ; the fashion is 

 derived from England, and is only two or three 

 centuries old. 



The Irish at an early period wore the same 

 Celtic fashion of attire as was preserved till recent 

 times in the Scottish Highlands ; but, as in 

 Wales, everything of the kind disappeared as the 

 country became Anglicised. A primitive species 

 of attire, including coloured mantles, kirtles, and 

 other fanciful garments, remained in use till the 

 sixteenth century, when laws were passed by 

 Henry VIII. enjoining the use of caps, cloaks, 

 coats, doublets, and hose of English cut, but of 

 Irish or any other materials. The general dress 

 in Ireland, at the present day, rarely varies from 

 that in England. There are, however, some 

 interesting peculiarities of costume amongst the 

 peasantry of the southern and western counties. 



The costume of the Lowland Scotch has gener- 

 ally resembled that of the English in all its 



