DRESS 



1861 



DRESS 



ing the reign of Queen Elizabeth, both men 

 and women of fashion wore a stiffly-starched 

 collar reaching from shoulder to ear the ruff 

 of time -honored tfBk!''"1!l|l 



fame. A gentle- 

 man at the court 

 of Queen Bess 

 was a much-pad- 

 ded man: his 

 sleeves were 

 puffed out until 

 no one could tell 

 the shape of his 

 arms ; his hose 

 were padded from 

 thigh to knee ; 

 and his doublet 

 was likewise gen- 

 erously stuffed. 

 The whole suit 

 was made of rich 

 satins and vel- 

 vets of many dif- 

 ferent colors. By 

 the time of King 

 Charles I 

 gentlemen were 

 wearing short breeches, foppishly trimmed 

 with fringe and ribbons of many hues. 



The modern tendency toward simplicity in 

 men's dress dates from the close of the French 

 Revolution, late in the eighteenth century. 

 Men began to discard the powdered wig for 

 their own hair, which they wore short and with 

 its natural color, and the knee breeches be- 



DOUBLET, HOSE AND 



CAPE 



Correct dress of the Eng- 

 COurt lish nobleman of the Eliza- 

 bethan period. 



OTHER ELIZABETHAN COSTUMES 

 Woman in court costume and rich merchant of 

 London. 



came the modern trousers, reaching from waist 

 to ankle. Women's dress has undergone strik- 

 ing changes in detail, but it has retained many 



of the decorative features now discarded by 

 the men (see FASHION). The interest that the 

 modern woman takes in athletics and out-of- 

 door sports has helped to bring about whole- 

 some changes in the matter of dress (see 

 subhead below). 



It is characteristic of modern races that they 

 wear many more garments than did the 

 ancients. Stockings and underwear are almost 

 wholly of modern origin, and it is believed that 

 the custom of wearing hats was very littlo 

 practiced by the nations of antiquity. Sandals 

 were used generally in ancient times as a cover- 

 ing for the feet, but a form of footwear similar 

 to the modern boot was known to the Egyp- 

 tians, Greeks and Romans (see Boors AND 

 SHOES). 



Dress Reform. Woman's dress in modern 

 times has called forth severe criticism because 

 of features that violate the principles of hy- 

 giene. These criticisms have been directed 

 chiefly against high heels that promote an 

 unhealthful and unnatural carriage, tight stays 

 that restrict the breathing capacity and injure 



GREEK SANDALS 



the internal organs, and long skirts which col- 

 lect dirt and disease-producing germs. In the 

 United States, about the middle of the nine- 

 teenth century, a movement for a more rational 

 dress for women began to take form, and a 

 National Dress Association was organized to 

 carry on the work of popularizing hygienic 

 clothing. About two decades later a similar 

 movement originated in England under the 

 name of the Rational Dress Movement. 



The most notable of the early American cru- 

 saders was Mrs. Amelia Bloomer, whose name 

 is perpetuated in the loose Turkish trousers 

 which she advocated as the most sensible drc.*s 

 for women. The "bloomer" costume is now 

 worn chiefly in the gymnasium, though a few 

 courageous women adopted it for use while 

 riding the bicycle, when that vehicle was at 

 the height of its popularity. The participation 

 of women in out-of-door sports has been one 

 of the most important factors in the hygienic 

 dress movement. Girls who play tennis and 

 golf must don clothing which permits free and 



