THE STORY OF COSTUMES 



and except in times of war this is still not the only 

 consideration. 



Nevertheless we are undoubtedly progressing from 

 the complex to the simple, just as our ancient ancestors 

 progressed from the simple to the complex. 



SOME CURIOUS FASHIONS EXPLAINED 



As was said a moment ago the caprices of fashion 

 are usually inexplicable; such, however, is not always 

 the case. Some fashions have been established for 

 very definite reasons. Thus the custom of wearing 

 long-pointed shoes, which remained popular for several 

 centuries, resulting in the most grotesque and incon- 

 venient footwear imaginable, originated with Count 

 Fulk of Anjou, who sought to hide his deformed feet. 

 Being afflicted with bunions he sought to cover his 

 misshapen members by wearing extremely long, pointed 

 shoes. What the count did, his followers must do; and 

 hence the resulting grotesque and inconvenient fashion 

 in shoes. 



Richard III of England, being deformed, wore 

 garments padded and puffed to hide his deformity, 

 and this fashion was adopted and elaborated by his 

 courtiers. And it is more than likely if we could but 

 fathom the secret, that numerous other absurd fash- 

 ions originated in some subterfuge to conceal bodily 

 defects in some pampered leader of fashion. 



Once a thing became fashionable, it was no easy 

 matter to break the established custom, no matter 

 how foolish or inconvenient it might be. Hoop- 



[61] 



