Ladies in the last century wore dresses and decorations many of which
were of an inconvenient nature; yet no one can deny them the merit of
a certain dignity and grace. How fine it must have been to see, as an
old gentleman told me he had seen, two hooped ladies moving along the
Lawnmarket in a summer evening, and filling up the whole footway with
their stately and voluminous persons!
Amongst female articles of attire in those days were calashes,
bongraces, capuchins, negligées, stomachers, stays, hoops, lappets,
pinners, plaids, fans, busks, rumple-knots, &c., all of them now
forgotten.
The calash was a species of hood, constructed of silk upon a framework
of cane, and was used as a protection to a cap or head-dress in walking
out or riding in a carriage. It could be folded back like the hood of a
carriage, so as to lie gathered together behind the neck.
The bongrace was a bonnet of silk and cane, in shape somewhat like a
modern bonnet.
The capuchin was a short cloak, reaching not below the elbows. It was
of silk, edged with lace, or of velvet. Gentlemen also wore capuchins.
The first Sir William Forbes frequently appeared at the Cross in one. A
lady’s _mode tippet_ was nearly the same piece of dress.
The negligée was a gown, projecting in loose and ample folds from the
back. It could only be worn with stays. It was entirely open in front,
so as to show the stomacher, across which it was laced with flat silk
cords, while below it opened more widely and showed the petticoat. This
latter, though shorter, was sometimes more splendid than the gown,
and had a deep flounce. Ladies in walking generally carried the skirt
of the gown over the arm, and exhibited the petticoat; but when they
entered a room, they always came sailing in, with the train sweeping
full and majestically behind them.
The stomacher was a triangular piece of rich silk, one corner pointing
downwards and joining the fine black lace-bordered apron, while the
other two angles pointed to the shoulders. Great pains were usually
discovered in the adornment of this beautiful and most attractive
piece of dress. Many wore jewels upon it; and a lady would have thought
herself poor indeed if she could not bedizen it with strings of bugles
or tinsel.
Stays were made so long as to touch the chair, both in front and rear,
when a lady sat. They were calculated to fit so tightly that the
wearers had to hold by the bedpost while the maid was lacing them.
There is a story told of a lady of high rank in Scotland, about 1720,
which gives us a strange idea of the rigours and inconvenience of this
fashion. She stinted her daughters as to diet, with a view to the
improvement of their shapes; but the young ladies, having the cook in
their interest, used to unlace their stays at night, after her ladyship
went to bed, and make a hearty meal. They were at last discovered, by
the smell of a roast goose, carried upstairs to their bedchamber; as
unluckily their lady-mother did not take snuff,[169] and was not asleep.
The hoop was contemporary with, and a necessary appendage of, the
stays. There were different species of hoops, being of various shapes
and uses. The pocket-hoop, worn in the morning, was like a pair of
small panniers, such as one sees on an ass. The bell-hoop was a sort of
petticoat, shaped like a bell and made with cane or rope for framework.
This was not quite full-dress. There was also a straw petticoat, a
species of hoop such as is so common in French prints. The full-sized
evening hoop was so monstrous that people saw one-half of it enter
the room before the wearer. This was very inconvenient in the Old
Town, where doorways and closes were narrow. In going down a close or
a turnpike stair, ladies tilted them up and carried them under their
arms. In case of this happening, there was a _show petticoat_ below;
and such care was taken of appearances that even the _garters_ were
worn fine, being either embroidered or having gold and silver fringes
and tassels.
The French silks worn during the last century were beautiful, the
patterns were so well drawn and the stuff of such excellent quality.
The dearest common brocade was about a guinea a yard; if with gold or
silver, considerably more.
The lappet was a piece of Brussels or point lace, hanging in two pieces
from the crown of the head and streaming gracefully behind.
Pinners, such as the celebrated Egyptian Sphinx wears, were pinned down
the stomacher.
Plaids were worn by ladies to cover their heads and muffle their faces
when they went into the street. The council records of Edinburgh abound
in edicts against the use of this piece of dress, which, they said,
confounded decent women with those who were the contrary.
Fans were large, the sticks curiously carved, and if of leather,
generally very well painted—being imported from Italy or Holland. In
later times these have been sometimes framed like pictures and hung on
the walls.
All women, high and low, wore enormous busks, generally with a heart
carved at the upper end. In low life this was a common present to
sweethearts; if from carpenters, they were artificially veneered.
The rumple-knot was a large bunch of ribbons worn at the peak of the
waist behind. Knots of ribbons were then numerous over the whole body.
There were the breast-knots, two hainch-knots (at which there were
also buttons for looping up the gown behind), a knot at the tying of
the beads behind the neck, one in front and another at the back of the
head-gear, and knots upon the shoes. It took about twelve yards or
upwards to make a full suit of ribbons.[170]
Other minor articles of dress and adornment were the _befong_
handkerchief (spelt at random), of a stuff similar to what is now
called _net_, crossed upon the breast; paste ear-rings and necklace;
broad black bracelets at the wrists; a _pong pong_—a jewel fixed to a
wire with a long pin at the end, worn in front of the cap, and which
shook as the wearer moved. It was generally stuck in the cushion over
which the hair was turned in front. Several were frequently worn at
once. A song in the _Charmer_, 1751, alludes to this bijou:
‘Come all ye young ladies whose business and care
Is contriving new dresses, and curling your hair;
Who flirt and coquet with each coxcomb who comes
To toy at your toilets, and strut in your rooms;
While you’re placing a patch, _or adjusting pong pong_,
Ye may listen and learn by the truth of my song.’
Fly-caps, encircling the head, worn by young matrons, and mob-caps,
falling down over the ears, used only by old ones; pockets of silk or
satin, of which young girls wore one above their other attire; silk
or linen stockings—never of cotton, which is a modern stuff—slashed
with pieces of a colour in strong contrast with the rest, or gold or
silver clocks, wove in. The silk stockings were very thick, and could
not be washed on account of the gold or silver. They were frequently of
scarlet silk, and (1733) worn both by ladies and gentlemen. High-heeled
shoes, set off with fine lace or sewed work, and sharply pointed in
front.
To give the reader a more picturesque idea of the former dresses of the
ladies of Edinburgh, I cite a couple of songs, the first wholly old,
the second a revivification:
‘I’ll gar our guidman trow that I’ll sell the ladle,
If he winna buy to me a new side-saddle—
To ride to the kirk, and frae the kirk, and round about the toun—
Stand about, ye fisher jades, and gi’e my goun room!
I’ll gar our guidman trow that I’ll tak the fling-strings,
If he winna buy to me twelve bonnie goud rings,
Ane for ilka finger, and twa for ilka thumb—
Stand about, ye fisher jades, and gi’e my goun room!
I’ll gar our guidman trow that I’m gaun to dee,
If he winna fee to me twa valets or three,
To beir my tail up frae the dirt and ush me through the toun—
Stand about, ye fisher jades, and gi’e my goun room!’
* * * * *
‘As Mally Lee cam’ down the street, her _capuchin_ did flee;
She coost a look behind her, to see her _negligee_.
And we’re a’ gaun east and wast, we’re a’ gaun agee,
We’re a’ gaun east and wast, courtin’ Mally Lee.[171]
She had twa _lappets_ at her head, that flaunted gallantlie,
And _ribbon knots_ at back and breast of bonnie Mally Lee.
And we’re a’ gaun, &c.
A’ down alang the Canongate were beaux o’ ilk degree;
And mony are turned round to look at bonnie Mally Lee.
And we’re a’ gaun, &c.
And ilka bab her _pong pong_ gi’ed, ilk lad thought that’s to me;
But feint a ane was in the thought of bonnie Mally Lee.
And we’re a’ gaun, &c.
Frae Seton’s Land a countess fair looked owre a window hie,
And pined to see the genty shape of bonnie Mally Lee.
And we’re a’ gaun, &c.
And when she reached the palace porch, there lounged erls three;
And ilk ane thought his Kate or Meg a drab to Mally Lee.
And we’re a’ gaun, &c.
The dance gaed through the palace ha’, a comely sight to see;
But nane was there sae bright or braw as bonnie Mally Lee.
And we’re a’ gaun, &c.
Though some had jewels in their hair, like stars ’mang cluds did shine,
Yet Mally did surpass them a’ wi’ but her glancin’ eyne.
And we’re a’ gaun, &c.
A prince cam’ out frae ’mang them a’, wi’ garter at his knee,
And danced a stately minuet wi’ bonnie Mally Lee.
And we’re a’ gaun, &c.’