COSTUME
FANCIFUL, HISTORICAL, AND THEATRICAL
[Illustration]
[Illustration: COQUELIN, AS CYRANO DE BERGERAC, FROM A WATER COLOUR
DRAWING BY PERCY ANDERSON.
(_Reproduced by special permission._)]
COSTUME: FANCIFUL,
HISTORICAL
AND THEATRICAL
COMPILED BY MRS. ARIA
ILLUSTRATED BY PERCY ANDERSON
[Illustration]
London
MACMILLAN AND CO., LIMITED
NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY
1906
_All rights reserved_
[Illustration:
_To the dear Memory
of
Sir Henry Irving
by whom I was inspired
with a love for
all things beautiful._
]
_INTRODUCTORY NOTE_
_"It is merely a question of head," said Percy Anderson to me one day,
whilst we were discussing some easy method of solving a problem in fancy
dress._
_And he continued:_
_"Indeed, I would say that, broadly speaking, of all costume. The fashion
of any period is distinguished primarily by the way its wearer dresses
her hair."_
_"And chooses her sleeves," I suggested, and received his approval._
_We agreed then that we were both most keenly interested in dress,
regarding it as one of the fine and essential arts; and we decided that
we would try to preach its best doctrines and traditions to the world
at large, while we did not ignore the fact that many more worthy had
previously enriched literature with the same object. Realising this
most acutely, it came to pass that I found myself searching libraries
for information which could serve to point my moral, while Mr. Anderson
consented to adorn my tale and help me in my endeavour to present
concisely, and with as little ceremony and as much simplicity as
possible, the main facts of the fashions which have obtained through the
centuries._
_A few practical details and suggestions are included in the hope that
they may obviate some difficulties of those who fret their hour on the
stage or at the fancy-dress ball, while, for the benefit of the next
generation, I have devoted a small space to personal reminiscences of
theatrical heroes and heroines, and to some facts of theatrical dress,
as it has been expressed in classic and popular dramas produced by the
leading actors and actresses of our time._
_E. ARIA._
CONTENTS
PAGE
CHAPTER I
IN CLASSIC TIMES 1
CHAPTER II
IN EARLY MEDIÆVAL TIMES 10
CHAPTER III
IN THE THIRTEENTH CENTURY 19
CHAPTER IV
IN THE FOURTEENTH CENTURY 28
CHAPTER V
IN THE FIFTEENTH CENTURY 37
CHAPTER VI
IN THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY 49
CHAPTER VII
IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 66
CHAPTER VIII
IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 78
CHAPTER IX
IN THE NINETEENTH CENTURY 92
CHAPTER X
OF BRITISH PEASANTS 106
CHAPTER XI
OF SOME FOREIGN PEASANTS 115
CHAPTER XII
OF SOME FOREIGN PEASANTS (_continued_) 130
CHAPTER XIII
OF ORIENTAL DRESS 147
CHAPTER XIV
OF ORIENTAL DRESS (_continued_) 163
CHAPTER XV
OF FANCY DRESS 178
CHAPTER XVI
OF DOMINOES AND MASKS 190
CHAPTER XVII
OF MATERIALS, THE CORSET, AND THE CRINOLINE 201
CHAPTER XVIII
OF CEREMONIAL AND BRIDAL DRESS 211
CHAPTER XIX
OF DANCING DRESSES, EUROPEAN AND ORIENTAL, ANCIENT AND
MODERN 225
CHAPTER XX
OF THEATRICAL DRESS 236
ILLUSTRATIONS
COLOURED
PAGE
Coquelin, as Cyrano de Bergerac. (From a Water-Colour
Drawing by Percy Anderson) _Frontispiece_
In Ancient Greece _To face_ 5
In the Twelfth Century " 12
In the Thirteenth Century " 22
The Queen of Richard II. " 28
A German Student in the Fourteenth Century " 32
Varieties of the Hennin " 40
In the Eighteenth Century " 78
Albanian Peasants " 120
In Corfu To-day " 126
In China of Old " 147
The Seville Orange " 180
An Egyptian Dancer " 226
Isolde " 240
Lewis Waller as Henry V. " 250
Othello " 254
IN THE TEXT
Two Hand-Mirrors 4
A Roman Head--A Greek Head 6
A Roman Lady 7
A Dress laced in the Front--A Dress laced at the Back 11
A Coronet--A Brooch 13
A Plain Wimple 14
A Shoe 15
Dagged Costume in the Twelfth Century 16
A Clasped and Jewelled Girdle--A Cloak-Fastener 18
Henry III.'s Queen 20
A Simple Buttoned Gown 21
A Quaint Wimple 34
The Head-dress of Henry IV.--A Head Drapery held with
Plaited Hair 35
Embroidered Gloves 36
An Elaborate Head-dress in the Reign of Henry V. 38
Elizabeth of Woodville 39
The Horned Head-dress 41
Head-dress of Jewelled Velvet and Lawn 42
The Houppelande 43
A Girdle--A Pointed Shoe 44
Elizabeth of York 45
In the Time of Henry VII. 52
A Trio of Ruffs 55
Queen Elizabeth in Full Dress 56
A Chemisette 58
An Italian Lady 59
Two Italian Coiffures--An Italian Gentleman 60
A Spaniard in the Sixteenth Century 61
A Shoulder-Jacket 62
The Cape with Buttoned Sleeve 63
Maximilian 64
A Feather and a Chicken-skin Fan 67
A Full Apron 68
The Lace Commode 70
Clogs and Chopines 71
A Mob-Cap 73
Glove with Jewelled Gauntlet 75
A Riding Costume 76
Madame de Pompadour 79
Marie Antoinette 82
A Peignoir 83
A Coiffure 84
A Variety of Head-dresses adopted in the Eighteenth Century 85
A Cap and Hood 87
Some Sticks 89
Some Quaint Examples of Nineteenth-Century Headgear 93
Lady Blessington 99
Lady Blessington--Lady Dalmeny 101
Two Coiffures--Early Victorian Styles 102
In the Nineteenth Century 103
The Austrian Peasant-Bride in Black 123
A Croatian Peasant 124
A Croatian Peasant 125
A Greek Peasant in Mediæval Days 127
A Greek Peasant--A Greek Peasant Woman--A Greek Priest--A
Greek Brigand 128
A Westphalian Peasant 142
A Hungarian Peasant in the Seventeenth Century 144
A Chinese Actor 152
A Chinese Peasant 153
An Egyptian Peasant Woman 159
An Egyptian Water-Carrier 160
An Egyptian Peasant 161
An Old Indian Festival Dress 165
A Botticelli Dancing-Dress 181
An Eighteenth-Century Pierrot 183
A South Sea Islander 186
The Knave of Diamonds 187
Miss Ellen Terry as Mistress Page 239
George Alexander as Guy Domville 245
Julian L'Estrange as Hermes 247
Beerbohm Tree as Malvolio 249
Miss Constance Collier as Viola 251
Miss Gertrude Elliot as Desdemona 253
Véronique 255
CHAPTER I
IN CLASSIC TIMES
Fashion, even under exalted patronage, had scant chance to distinguish
herself in the bad old days of the Romans. She, who now must be obeyed,
was forced then to take a back seat enwrapped in the toga, and all who
would have preached or practised the doctrine of diversified dress
remained mute, inglorious modistes. It is not on record that any great
personage invented any particular garment, or was accorded the honour of
standing godmother to a favoured style. Such privileges as those of Queen
Alexandra, who, at the indiscretion of any draper, may be sponsor to a
ruffle or a petticoat, or of Queen Victoria Eugénie, whose name has been
snatched to honour a face-cream, were not in vogue. This seems a pity
when one comes to consider the alliterative allurement of such a title as
the "Boadicean blouse," and to remember that the "Poppæan pomade," which
might have been justified in the observance, was deliberately committed
in the breach.
There was sorry opportunity for any who would have liked to stamp
individuality on their costume. Style was a cut-and-dried affair,
and save in the elaboration or simplicity of adornment variety was
practically without the pale. There was but subtle distinction between
the form of the tunic and the stola, yet perchance in the deftness of
the adjustment of the drapery of the toga and the exact position of the
girdle, taste could play some part. But the world of costume was a dull
table-land exalted to a scene of battle only when the stringent laws
relating to extravagances were liberally disregarded. It seems to have
been a custom throughout the ages for some historian, ruler, or priest
to interfere with the existing facts of fashion. One can find traces of
such want of sympathy even in the eighteenth century. The Roman laws were
arbitrary, and Numa actually forbade any woman to have more than half an
ounce of gold on her robes, while he also prohibited the garment of many
colours. It is pleasing, however, to realise that his strictures were not
taken very seriously.
The one sartorial fact with which my youthful mind was burdened was that
the earliest Britons stained their tattooed bodies with woad. Chroniclers
are not in accord as to the precise shade of this blue dye, proving that
the habits of chroniclers change but little, since fashion-writers of
to-day may be accused of like conduct; and as woad is more correctly
described as an undress uniform than as an article of clothing, I will
not now discuss the question of its exact colour, but note contentedly
that all authorities agree that the Britons clad themselves in skins
decorated with beads and flowers, which, in conjunction with their
painted and punctured persons, lent them a ferocious aspect, quite
attractive.
Much as Boadicea detested the Romans, she preferred their graceful
garments to those worn by her own countrywomen, and when she led her
troops into battle, she was attired in all the glory of a multi-coloured
tunic, and her hair fell unbound over her neck and shoulders. Wily
Boadicea, her unbound hair proved the woman in the warrior, who would win
her triumph as best she could, though history is careful not to attribute
to her any but the most legitimate methods!
In those days the Roman women made a rule of wearing a toga, which,
hanging from the neck or the head, fell over the shoulders and touched
the ground at the back. The toga was either white or yellow for persons
of rank, when the border was purple, but the lower orders had the toga
dyed, and in times of mourning chose it in black. Within doors the toga
was discarded altogether in favour of the simple tunic, which was worn
with or without the girdle, and made either of woollen material or cotton
or thin gauze. Towards the latter part of the Empire the tunic was
lengthened, and bore sleeves adorned with buttons according to Hellenic
fashion; indeed, the sleeve seemed then, as now, to indicate style, for
the earlier types reached only to the elbow, and gradually they extended
to the wrist, and finally to the ground.
When the stola became popular it was always white, bearing long sleeves
ornamented with a wide border, and over it fell a mantle with a hood
round the shoulders. White was the favourite colour for a long time,
and even in those days the Gauls inspired the fashions. They taught the
Britons to spin and weave and dye, and purple and scarlet herb dyes were
employed with considerable success, though the chief colouring matter
was woad. The Roman women allowed their taste in colour to run riot, and
purple, scarlet, green, yellow, hyacinth, and blue were all in favour, as
well as chequered materials.
The foot-gear at this period was of two kinds, either reaching to the
middle of the leg and covering the whole foot, or only protecting the
sole of the foot and being secured by leather thongs. Women's shoes were
but little less costly than those worn by the men, and were gay with
ornament of gold set with pearls and other precious stones.
[Illustration: A HAND-MIRROR.]
[Illustration: A HAND-MIRROR.]
Jewellery was a great feature; ear-rings, bracelets, armlets, torques and
necklaces, and rings of gold, silver, and baser metals, were often set
with precious stones, or engraved with the portrait of some dear friend
or the representation of some historical event. Such rings, being used
for sealing letters and documents, would usually be bequeathed by a Roman
on his death-bed to his nearest friend. Ear-rings were a very favourite
form of adornment, and three or four would dangle picturesquely from each
ear, but only women and boys wore them. The wearing of rings, however,
was general. Iron, copper, and ivory played their part in the making of
the bracelets, and in the long pins for the hair, which were decorated
with massive heads mostly significant, including such odd designs as a
fish bearing in its mouth two precious stones, and a hanging basket with
a greedy bird pecking at its floral contents. The serpent found his
way to favour as an armlet and again as a diadem. The Greeks, indeed,
were fond of adorning their garments with beasts and birds, which they
embroidered or wove in gold and silver and coloured threads.
[Illustration: IN ANCIENT GREECE.]
The Greek female dress consisted of the pallium, a cloak-like garment
very long and ample, worn plain, or bearing a fringed border, and under
this was a chlamys, bearing close kinship in form to the Roman toga,
and fastened to the shoulder by a brooch. The Grecian women cut their
hair close to their heads, and the married were distinguished from the
unmarried by a parting in front, but no Grecian woman ever went without a
veil, covering the face. The head-dress and ribbons of matrons differed
from those of the virgins, and there was a change in the shape of the
tunic before and after marriage. Ribbons in the hair were preferred as
decorations by the modest women, while the courtesans covered their heads
with a mitre, and carried oval hand-mirrors, which distinguished them, as
it were significantly, from their more virtuous sisters, who made use of
fans of leaves or feathers.
The art of beauty, it seems, was studied with much interest. The use of
cosmetics was greatly favoured. White lead was employed to whiten the
skin, and vermilion to produce the rosy bloom of youth; and we have most
of us been impressed by the fact that Nero's wife discovered a pomade for
the preservation of her complexion--no doubt her urgent needs led to this
heroic effort! Much time and attention were bestowed on the hair, and the
use of false tresses was very general, slaves being employed to curl the
hair, while experts supervised the process. The structures were adorned
with pearls and other precious stones, crowns of gold and flowers,
ribbons and fillets, while the embroidered net, known as the caul, also
had a full share of patronage. The Roman women would paint their hair a
gorgeous yellow.
[Illustration: A ROMAN HEAD.]
Men and women alike wore the cothurnus, which reached to the knee, where
it was fastened, purple being the favourite colour for this. It could not
have been possible to obtain a great variety in a costume, and, save in
the decoration of the tunic, which was ornamented with spots or scrolls,
and in the arrangement of the girdle, of two varying widths, the one
placed above the other so that the folds of the gown could pouch between,
every one must have appeared very like his brother and his sister.
One of the divergences in the fashion of the tunic worn by the women and
that worn by the men was in the former always reaching to the feet and
covering the arms.
[Illustration: A GREEK HEAD.]
The actual shape of the garments varied but little, and between the
tunic and the stola there would have been some difficulty in seeing any
difference, but the stola was worn over the tunic, and it came as low
as the ankles, and was fastened round the body by a girdle, broad folds
being above the breast: the essential distinction between the two in
cut being that the stola always possessed an instita or flounce.
[Illustration: A ROMAN LADY.]
It is a curious fact, and one worthy of note, that the dress of the boys
was marked by a change after the age of seventeen. Then they laid aside
the purple-bordered toga in favour of the toga purely white, white being,
presumably, the insignia of liberty. Boys wore, too, about their necks
a hollow ball or boss, the higher classes having this in gold, and the
poorer citizens in leather. This boss was also adopted as an ornament for
belts or girdles, but in the very ancient days the Roman men had no other
clothing than the toga, and it was thought effeminate to appear abroad
carelessly girdled.
The Romans in later days wore a chiton, a short woollen shirt without
sleeves, and they also bestowed patronage upon long linen garments
bearing sleeves, while above the toga they adopted a sort of coat, open
in front and fastened with clasps and buckles, this sharing favour with
the greatcoat or surtout, which bore a hood and was chiefly used for
journeys or by the soldiers. The military robe proper of the Romans was
a woollen garment called a sagum, and the men at first wore neither
stockings nor breeches, but enwrapped their legs and thighs with pieces
of cloth. Later they tried socks of goat's hair and shoes of unwrought
leather.
The shoes of the senators flaunted a gold crest on the top, and black was
the most general colour, though scarlet and red were also in use.
Gloves too were amongst the possibilities of this early moment, and it is
set down that some of these were cut with fingers, and that others were
of the pattern of a mitten.
In grief the Romans allowed their hair to grow, even as the Jews did, and
the first growth of the beard in youth was consecrated to some god. The
hair was treated altogether with much respect, valued and considered with
care. Every lady of distinction possessed her own hair-dresser, curling
irons were in demand, and a popular shape of head-dressing was copied
from the helmet.
For the rest, let my illustrations speak. The coloured specimen
represents the classic Greek garb under its simplest aspect, made in
white home-spun bordered with yellow, and falling in folds somewhat
disguiseful to the figure, and quite simple to achieve. The Roman lady
having flattered the Grecian sleeve to the point of imitation, proudly
bears her toga traced with purple and crowned with jewels. The two
head-dresses are characteristic, and amongst things easy to understand.
Taking the so-called classic period altogether, it must be admitted that
among the ancient Greeks and Romans were born the best principles of the
art of dress--an appreciation of outline and a sense of grace in drapery.