The C u t of Women's Clothes

1600-1930
 by the same author

THE C U T OF MEN'S CLOTHES 160O-19OO

This page intentionally left blank
1612. Portrait. Artist unknown. Private collection
The Cut of Women's Clothes
1600-1930

NORAH WAUGH

with line diagrams by Margaret Woodward

Published by Routledge Published in Great Britain by
First Published in 1968 by Routledge
Theatre Arts Books Taylor & Francis Group
Taylor & Francis Group 2 Park Square
270 Madison Avenue Milton Park, Abingdon
New York, NY 10016 Oxon OX14 4RN

This edition published 2011 by Routledge:

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New York, N Y 10017 Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN

© 1968 byNorah Waugh

Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group
A Theatre Arts Book

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 Editor's Note

I have completed, and seen this book through the press, out o f
a deep personal affection and respect for the work o f m y
colleague the late Miss Norah Waugh, who died suddenly, at
Easter 1966. I hope that this has been achieved i n the way she
would have wished.

Margaret W o o d w a r d
This page intentionally left blank
 Acknowledgments

For permission to use extracts i n the 'Quotations from Contemporary Sources' sections,
grateful acknowledgments are due to:

His Grace The Duke o f Northumberland for two extracts from The Diaries of a Duchess:
Elizabeth Duchess o f Northumberland, published by Hodder & Stoughton;
Sir Harold Nicolson for an extract from The Diary of Lady Anne Clifford, published by
W i l l i a m Heinemann;
Miss Ilka Chase for passages from Always in Vogue by Edna W o o l m a n and Ilka Chase,
published by Victor Gollancz;
The Directors o f Punch Publications for two verse extracts from Punch o f 1909.
Also to the authors and editors, or their executors, and to the publishers o f the following
books:

Remember and Be Glad by Cynthia Asquith (Barrie & Rockliff);

Edwardian Hey-Days by George Cornwallis-West (Putnam & Co.);
Sophie in London by Sophie de la Roche (Jonathan Cape);
Georgiana Duchess of Devonshire: Extracts from Correspondence (John Murray);
The Farington Diary (The Hutchinson Publishing Group);
Discretions and Indiscretions by Lady D u f f Gordon (The Hutchinson Publishing Group);
With Dearest Love to All: The Life and Letters o f Lady Jebb, edited by M a r y Reed Bobbitt
(Faber and Faber);
Edwardian Daughter by Sonia Keppel (Hamish Hamilton);
Women 's Dress in the Jazz Age by James Laver (Hamish Hamilton);
Betsy Sheridan'sJournal edited by W i l l i a m Le Fanu (Eyre & Spottiswood);
Goodbye Piccadilly by W . Macqueen-Pope (Michael Joseph);
Champagne from My Slipper by Ruby Miller (Herbert Jenkins);
Memoirs of Susan Sibbald, edited by Francis Paget (The Bodley Head);
7
8 Acknowledgments

En Habillant I'Epoque by Paul Poiret (Editions Bernard Grasset). The quotation is from the
English edition published by Victor Gollancz under the title My First Fifty Years.
Period Piece by Gwen Raverat (Faber and Faber);
The Russells in Bloomsbury by Gladys Scott Thomson (Jonathan Cape);
More Letters from Martha Wilmot: Vienna 1819-1829 (Macmillan);
A Century of Fashion by Jean-Philippe W o r t h , translated by Ruth Scott Miller (Little,
B r o w n & Co., Boston, U . S . A . ) ;
My Two Worlds by N o r a Wydenbruck (Longmans, Green & Co.).
Grateful acknowledgments are also made to the following: Mrs. P. Anthony; M . Parguez;
Major Ralph Verney; The Victoria and Albert Museum; The London Museum; The Gallery
o f English Costume, Manchester; The Museum o f Costume, Bath; The British Museum; The
Metropolitan Museum, N e w Y o r k ; The Kungl, Livrustkammaren, Stockholm; Leeds C i t y
A r t Galleries; Centre de Documentation du Costume, Paris; Cheltenham Museum; The
Central School o f A r t and Design, London; The Tailor and Cutter; The Lady; Weldons;
Vogue.
 Contents

Editor's Note page 5

Acknowledgments 7
Introduction 20

Part One: Seventeenth Century

1600-1680
1600-1625 23
Formal Dress
Jackets
Gowns
Materials, Decorations, etc.
1625-1645 27
The Gown
Basqued Bodice
Skirt
Materials, Decorations, etc.
1645-1680 30
Bodices, Jackets
Skirt
Gown
Riding Habit
Materials, Decorations, etc.

C O N S T R U C T I O N O F S E V E N T E E N T H - C E N T U R Y DRESSES 33
CUTTING DIAGRAMS 35
S E V E N T E E N T H - C E N T U R Y DRESS PRODUCTION 42
S E V E N T E E N T H - C E N T U R Y TAILORS' PATTERNS 47
QUOTATIONS FROM CONTEMPORARY SOURCES 52
9
10 Contents

Part Two: Eighteenth Century

c. 168o-c. 1795
1680-1720 page 65
Mantua
Other Types of Dress
Court Dress
Materials, Decorations, etc.

1720-1770 68
Sack
Mantua
Petticoat
Other Types of Dress
Materials, Decorations, etc.

1770-1795 72
Sack, or Robe a la Française
Mantua, or Robe a l'Anglaise
Polonaise
Other Types
Chemise de la Reine
Court Dress
Materials, Decorations, etc.
C O N S T R U C T I O N OF E I G H T E E N T H - C E N T U R Y DRESSES 75
CUTTING DIAGRAMS 79
E I G H T E E N T H - C E N T U R Y DRESS P R O D U C T I O N 101
E I G H T E E N T H - C E N T U R Y T A I L O R S ' A N D D R E S S M A K E R S ' P A T T E R N S 105
QUOTATIONS FROM CONTEMPORARY SOURCES III

Part Three: Nineteenth Century

1795-1890
1795-1810 131
Round Robe
Open Gown
Court Dress
Other Types
Materials, Decorations, etc.

1810-1828 135
Dress
Materials, Decorations, etc.
 Contents II

1828-1840 page 137

Dress
Materials, Decorations, etc.

1840-1869 T H E C R I N O L I N E 139
1840-1850
1850-1860
1860-1869
Materials, Decorations, etc.

1869-1890 T H E B U S T L E 143
1869-1875
1875-1882
The Tea-Gown
1882-1890
Materials, Decorations, etc.

CONSTRUCTION OF N I N E T E E N T H - C E N T U R Y DRESSES 148

CUTTING DIAGRAMS 151
NINETEENTH-CENTURY DRESS PRODUCTION 183
NINETEENTH-CENTURY TAILORS' AND DRESSMAKERS' P A T T E R N S 191
QUOTATIONS FROM CONTEMPORARY SOURCES 210

Part Four: Twentieth Century

1890-1930
1890-1908 227
1890-1898
1898-1908
Materials, Decorations, etc

1908-1930 233
1908-1915
1915-1930
Materials, Decorations, etc.

CONSTRUCTION OF TWENTIETH-CENTURY DRESSES 238

CUTTING DIAGRAMS 241
TWENTIETH-CENTURY DRESS PRODUCTION 264
TWENTIETH-CENTURY TAILORS' AND DRESSMAKERS' PATTERNS 267
QUOTATIONS FROM CONTEMPORARY SOURCES

Notes O n The C u t t i n g Diagrams 303

Glossary o f Materials 315
Bibliography 320
Index 323
Cutting Diagrams and Tailors' Patterns

CUTTING DIAGRAMS

Part One: 1600-1680

i G o w n c. 1600. Victoria and Albert Museum page 36
ii Embroidered Jacket c. 1610. London Museum 38
iii Embroidered Jacket 1625-30. Victoria and Albert Museum 38
iv Bodice c. 1635. London Museum 39
V Bodice 1650-60. London Museum 39
vi Dress 166o's. Museum of Costume, Bath 40
vii Bodice 1650-60. Victoria and Albert Museum 41
viii Bodice 1670-80. Privately owned 41

Part Two: 1680—1795

ix Mantua c. 1700. Metropolitan Museum, New York 80
X Casaque 173o's. London Museum 81
xi Robe Battante (sack) 1725-35. Centre de Documentation du Costume, Paris 82
xii Mantua 1735-40. London Museum 83
xiii Mantua (large panier) 174o's, Victoria and Albert Museum 84
xiv Mantua 1740-50. Victoria and Albert Museum 85
XV Sack Dress 1740-50. London Museum 86
xvi Mantua 1740-50. Leeds City Art Galleries 87
xvii Mantua (large panier) 1750's. London Museum 88
xviii Sack Dress 1755-60. Leeds City Art Galleries 89
xix Sack Dress 1770's. London Museum 90
12
 Cutting Diagrams 13

XX Sack Dress (large panier) late 177o's. Victoria and Albert Museum page 92
xxi Polonaise late 1770's. Victoria and Albert Museum 94
xxii Robe à l'Anglaise 1775-80. Leeds City Art Galleries 95
xxiii Polonaise style Jacket, early 1780's. Leeds City Art Galleries 96
xxiv Pierrot Jacket, late 178o's. London Museum 97
XXV Chemise Dress c. 1785. Gallery of English Costume, Manchester 98
xxvi Robe à, l'Anglaise, early 1790 s. London Museum 99

Part Three: 1795—1890

xxvii Stays, mid-eighteenth century, after Leloir 152

xxviii Corsage o f Marie Antoinette 1780's. M . Parquez 152
xxix Corset o f Lady Hamilton 1790's. Victoria and Albert Museum 152
XXX Jacket 1760-70. Gallery of English Costume, Manchester 153
xxxi Riding Coat 1750-70, Victoria and Albert Museum 153
xxxii Round Robe c. 1795. London Museum 154
xxxiii O p e n Robe c. 1797. Museum of Costume, Bath 155
xxxiv O p e n G o w n c. 1795. Victoria and Albert Museum 156
xxxv Robe w i t h 'bib' front c. 1803. Cheltenham Museum 157
xxxvi Bodice o f Dress c. 1810. London Museum 158
xxxvii Evening Dress 1816-19. Gallery of English Costume, Manchester 158
xxxviii D a y Dress 1816-19. Privately owned 159
xxxix Pelisse c. 1820. Central School of Art and Design, London 160
xl Evening Dress c. 1825. Gallery of English Costume, Manchester 161
xli D a y Dress c. 1834. Privately owned 162
xlii D a y Dress c. 1837. Museum of Costume, Bath 163
xliii Bodice c. 1839. Central School of Art and Design, London 164
xliv Bodice, early 1840's. Central School of Art and Design, London 164
xlv Evening Dress, early 1840's. Privately owned 165
xlvi Summer Dress, early 1850's. Central School of Art and Design, London 166
xlvii Carriage Dress, late 1850's. London Museum 167
xlviii Evening Dress, early 1860's. Central School of Art and Design, London 168
xlix Afternoon Dress c. 1868-9. Privately owned 170
1 Bishop Sleeve 171
li late 'Pagoda' Sleeve 171
lii Evening Dress (bustle) c. 1870. Central School of Art and Design, London 172
liii D a y Dress (bustle) 1873. Cheltenham Museum 174
14 Tailors' Patterns

liv Afternoon Dress (bustle) 1878. Central School of Art and Design, London page 176
lv Afternoon Dress (bustle) c. 1883. Gallery of English Costume, Manchester 178
lvi Day Dress (bustle) c. 1888. Victoria and Albert Museum 180

Part Four 1890—1930

lvii Evening Dress 1893-4. Privately owned 242
lviii 'Leg o' Mutton Sleeve 1895 243
lix Day Dress c. 1895. Privately owned 244
lx Bolero c. 1895. Privately owned 245
lxi Blouse c. 1898. Central School of Art and Design, London 245
lxii Afternoon Dress c. 1901. Central School of Art and Design, London 246
lxiii Evening Dress 1905-6. Central School of Art and Design, London 248
lxiv Bolero Jacket and Skirt 1906-7. Victoria and Albert Museum 250
lxv Tub Frock 1910-11. Victoria and Albert Museum 252
lxvi Afternoon Dress 1910-11. London Museum 253
lxvii Afternoon Dress (Lucile) 1911-12. London Museum 254
lxviii Afternoon Dress 1916-17. Privately owned 256
box Afternoon Dress c. 1918. London Museum 257
lxx Evening Dress 1920-1. Privately owned 258
lxxi Evening Dress (Poiret) 1922. Centre de Documentation du Costume, Paris 259
lxxii Day Dress (Weldons) 1924. Gallery of English Costume, Manchester 260
lxxiii Evening Dress (Vionnet) 1925. Centre du Documentation du Costume, Paris 261
lxxiv Evening Dress c. 1926. London Museum 262
lxxv Evening Dress 1925. Privately owned 262

TAILORS' PATTERNS

1. A Farthingale 1589. Libro de Geometrica Practica y Traca. Juaan de Alcega 48

2. A woman's dress 1589. Libro de Geometrica Practica y Traca. Juaan de Alcega 48
3. A loose gown o f cloth, with full sleeves 1589. Libro de Geometrica Practica y Traca.
Juaan de Alcega 49
4. Three high necked bodices with sleeves 1618. Geometrica y Traca. F. de L a Rocha
Burguen 49
5. A dress with a fitted bodice and a gored skirt, also a loose gown w i t h full sleeves
1618. Geometrica y Traca. F. de L a Rocha Burguen 50
6. A dress w i t h a fitted bodice, a gored skirt with a train, and full sleeves 1618.
Geometrica y Traca. F. de L a Rocha Burguen 50
 Tailors' Patterns 15

7. A fitted gown, cut without a waist seam 1618. Geometrica y Traca. F. de L a

RochaBurguen page 51
8. T w o full length cloaks 1618. Geometrica Practica y Traca. F. de L a Rocha Burguen 51
9. The Stay-Maker 1769. Description des Arts et Metiers. M . Garsault, Paris 106
10. The Stay-Maker, English Stays 1769. Description des Arts et Metiers. M . Garsault,
Paris 107
11. The Mantua-Maker 1769. Description des Arts et Metiers. M . Garsault, Paris 109
12. The Milliner 1769. Description des Arts et Metiers. M . Garsault, Paris 11o
13. Bodice without the usual seams 1796. The Taylor s Complete Guide, or A
Comprehensive Analysis of Beauty and Elegance in Dress 192
14. Pelisse, Sleeve, Habit, Spencer, Collar, Habit skirt 1822. The Tailor s Friendly
Instructor, J . W y a t t 192
15. Bodice, Sleeve, Cape and Corset 1834. Petit Courier des Dames 193
16. Composite Bodice pattern 1834. Journal des Demoiselles 194
17- Bodices for D a y and Evening wear 1844. Lehrbuch der Modernen Bekleidungskunst fur
Damen 195
18. Sleeve variations 1844. Lehrbuch der Modernen Bekleidungskunst fur Damen 196
19. Mantles and Paletots 1844. Lehrbuch der Modernen Bekleidungskunst fur Damen 197
20. Shawl, Mantles and Dolmans 1844. Lehrbuch der Modernen Bekleidungskunst fur Damen 198
21. A Tailored Jacket 1850. The Gentleman's Magazine of Fashion 199
22. Ladies Paletot 1850. The Gentleman's Magazine of Fashion 199
23. Skirt 1871. Die Modernwelt 200
24. Double Breasted Alexandra Pelisse 1876. The Gentleman's Magazine of Fashion 200
25. Skirt and Plument Petticoats 1878. Myra's Journal of Dress and Fashion 201
26. A Ladies Fashionable Coat 1884. The Ladies Tailor 202
27. The Gladys W r a p 1885. The Ladies Tailor 203
28. Ladies Fashionable Dress Bodice 1885. The Ladies Tailor 204
29. Bathing Dress 1885. The Ladies' Tailor 205
30. H a l f Crinolines 1885. Myra's Journal of Dress and Fashion 206
31. Ladies R i d i n g Habit 1885. The Tailor and Cutter 207
32. Foundation Skirt and Shaped skirt band 1889. The Cutters' Practical Guide 208
33. Measures and h o w to take them 1893. The Cutters' Practical Guide 209
34. N e w Style o f Skirt c. 1893. The Cutters' Practical Guide, W . D . F. Vincent 268
35. W a l k i n g Skirt 1897. The Direct System of Ladies' Cutting, T . H . H o l d i n g 269
36. Skirted Jacket c. 1893. The Cutters' Practical Guide, W . D . F. Vincent 270
37. Zouave Jacket c. 1893. The Cutters' Practical Guide, W . D . F. Vincent 271
38. Cape w i t h additional Short Full Cape c. 1893. The Cutters' Practical Guide,
W . D . F. Vincent 272
16 Tailors' Patterns

39- The Marlow Shirt c. 1893. The Cutters' Practical Guide, W . D . F. Vincent page 273
40. A Blouse for Spring 1896. The Ladies' Gazette 274
41. Highland Jacket 1897. The Direct System of Ladies' Cutting, T . H . Holding 276
42. Eton Jacket 1897. Tfte Direct System of Ladies' Cutting, T . H . Holding 277
43- The Deerstalker 1897. The Direct System of Ladies' Cutting, T . H . Holding 278
44- Ladies' Ulster 1897. The Direct System of Ladies' Cutting, T . H . Holding 279
45- Patterns from The Lady, 1891-1913 280-1
46. Bolero, Gored Skirt, Long Coat, Corselet Skirt and Short Boleros usually worn
with the Corselet Skirt 1903. The Ladies' Tailor (The Tailor & Cutter) 282-3
47- Skirt variations, Costume with Corselet Skirt and Straight Coat, Harem Skirt
1909,1911. The Ladies' Tailor (The Tailor & Cutter) 284-5
48. "The Coat o f the Season'—inspired by the Directoire styles 1909. The Ladies'
Tailor (The Tailor & Cutter) 286
49- The straight-line costume 1911. The Ladies' Tailor (The Tailor & Cutter) 286
50. Kimona Promenade Costume 1915. The Ladies' Tailor (The Tailor & Cutter) 286
51. Fashionable Braided Costume 1915. The Ladies' Tailor (The Tailor & Cutter) 288
52. Coat with Magyar sleeves 1923. The Ladies' Tailor (The Tailor & Cutter) 288
53- A smart Russian Costume, Magyar Coat, Coat Frock 1921. The Ladies' Tailor
(The Tailor & Cutter) 289
54- Coat, Dress, Skirt Yoke, Costume Coat, Costume Skirts c. 1929. The Cutters'
Practical Guide (The Tailor & Cutter) 291
 Plates

1612. Portrait. Artist unknown. Private collection colour frontispiece

plates 1 to 17 between pages 32 and 33

1. c. 1605. Anne o f Denmark, wife o f James I. Engraving. Victoria and Albert Museum
2. 1623. Duchess o f Richmond and Lennox. Engraving. Victoria and Albert Museum
3a, b. c. 1600. Embroidered jackets. Victoria and Albert Museum
4. c. 1610. H i p rolls. Caricature by I. de Vos and Galle. F r o m a Dutch Engraving
5. 1607. Lady i n Grey. Artist unknown. By courtesy of the Hon. M. L. Astor
6. c. 1628. Countess o f Southampton. Artist unknown. H a m House, Richmond
7. 1634. Henrietta o f Lorraine by V a n Dyck. Kenwood House, Highgate, London
8a, b. 1639. T w o ladies from the well-known engravings by Hollar
9. c. 1640. Marchioness o f Winchester. Artist unknown
10. 1645. Corset o f cherry red satin, bound w i t h turquoise ribbon. E. Wilson Filmer
Collection. Art Gallery, Hull
11. 1660-5. Bodice o f i v o r y silk. Verney collection, Clay don House, Bucks
12. c. 1650. L a Toilette. G . Ter Borch. Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
13. c. 1660. Frances Courtenay, Countess o f Andover. Artist unknown. By courtesy of
the Earl of Aylesford
14. c. 1670. Monument, Sir Richard and Lady Atkins. St. Paul's Church, Clapham,
London
15. 1660-70. F r o m The Seasons. Artist unknown. Museo del Prado, Madrid
16. c. 1670. Katerina Agatha von Rappolstein by T . Roos. By courtesy of the Earl of
Southesk
17. 1670-80. Lady i n town dress. I. D . de St. Jean
17
18 Plates

plates 18 to 39 between pages 112 and 113

18. c. 1700. Mantua and matching petticoat. Metropolitan Museum, New York
19. 1686. Engraving. I. D . de St. Jean
20. 1693. Lady wearing a Steinkirck. I. D . de St. Jean
21. c. 1690. Riding Habit
22. c. 1690. Madame la Duchesse Electoral de Bauierre. H . Bonnart
23a, b, c. 1727. Collection o f divers Fashions
24. c. 1730. Lady wearing a mantua with back draping. Gravelot
25. c. 1740. Lady wearing a quilted petticoat. A . Devis. By courtesy of M. Bernard
26. c. 1745. Lady Caroline Leigh. A . Devis. By courtesy of Major and the Hon. Mrs. R. N .
Macdonald-Buchanan
27a. 1751. Coronation robes o f Queen Louisa Urica o f Sweden. Royal Armoury, Stock-
holm
27b. Pattern o f Coronation robes. Kungl, Livrustkammaren, Stockholm
28. 1750's. Maria Carolina o f Naples. A . R. Mengs. Museo del Prado, Madrid
29- 1755- Madame Pompadour. F. Boucher. Wallace Collection
30. 1760-70. Sack dress. Victoria and Albert Museum
31. 1770's. Cream satin sack dress with matching petticoat. Victoria and Albert Museum
32. Late 1770' s. M r s . Cadoux. British School, Tate Gallery
33. Late 1770's. L a Sortie de L'Opera. G . Malbeste after Moreau
34. 1779. L a Gallerie des Modes
35. 1780. L a Gallerie des Modes
36. c. 1780. Madame de Mongirand. J . L . David. By courtesy of Mrs. P. Denman
37. c. 1790. Jeune Femme avec des fleurs bleues. Louis-Leopold Boilly. Private collection
38. 1791-3. Fashion plates
39. c. 1790. Antoine Laurent Lavoisier and his wife. J . L . David. By courtesy of The
Rockefeller University, New York

plates 40 to 57b between pages 144 and 145

40. 1794. Fashion plate. N . Heideloff

41. c. 1803. From Le B o n Genre
42. 1799-1809. Fashion plates
43. 1803-5. Muslin dress. Gallery of English Costume, Manchester
44. 1815-23. Fashion plates. Costume Parisien
45. 1827. Day dresses. Costume Parisien
46. 1830. D a y dress. Costume Parisien
47. 1836. M o r n i n g and Evening dresses
 Plates 19
48. c. 1840. M o r n i n g dress, Evening dress and Evening bodices
49. 1855. D a y dresses
50a. 1862. Outdoor dresses. Ladies Magazine of Fashion
50b. 1862. D a y dress, B a l l dress and Opera cloak. Ladies Magazine of Fashion
51a. 1870. Outdoor costume. Le Monde Elegant
51b. 1870. B a l l dress. Le Monde Elegant
52. c. 1876. Outdoor costume. The English Woman'sDomestic Magazine
53. 1876. Fashion plate. The Gentleman' s Magazine of Fashion
54. 1881. Outdoor and Indoor dress
55. 1883. Outdoor costume. The World of Fashion
56. 1885. Outdoor costume
57a, b. 1890. W a l k i n g costume

Plates 58 to 71 between pages 240 and 241

58. 1895. Evening dress. The Queen

59. 1895. Outdoor costume. Le Salon de la Mode
60a. 1897. Outdoor costume. Le Journal des Modes
60b. 1897. Outdoor costume. Le Journal des Modes
61. c. 1900. Outdoor costume
62. 1903. Outdoor costume. Le Journal des Modes
63. c. 1908. Afternoon dresses. Chic Parisien
64a. 1909. D a y dress. Journal des Demoiselles
64b. 1909. Outdoor costume. Journal des Demoiselles
65. 1912. D a y dresses. Journal des Demoiselles
66a. 1914. Afternoon dress. The Gazette du Bon Ton
66b. 1914. Dinner dress (Worth). The Gazette du Bon Ton
66c. 1914. Outdoor costume. The Gazette du Bon Ton
67. 1916. D a y dress. The Gazette du Bon Ton
68. 1917. Outdoor costume
69. 1925. Coats and dresses. Chic Parisien
70. 1927-8. Evening dresses. Chic Parisien
71. 1929. D a y dresses. Chic Parisien
 Introduction

U n t i l the middle o f the nineteenth century there was a certain similarity i n design and
proportion between men's and women's costume. The style o f men's clothes was repeated i n
women's dress with, however, much greater exaggeration and much greater variety. The
leisurely life o f the lady o f fashion, her more malleable body and the much wider choice o f
materials at her disposal, gave her a greater freedom o f interpretation o f the fashionable line.
Each century, with short transition periods between, has produced its o w n distinctive style,
the fundamental cut remaining constant over a number o f years. Changes i n details, such as
trimmings, draping, accessories, etc., followed one another incessantly. They were used to
emphasize the fashion line and to give variety, and they reflected personal taste and the social
and artistic background o f the period. Changes i n cut were much slower, each one evolving
from the previous style, and were influenced to a great extent by new textures in materials.
The diagrams given here have been chosen as far as possible from existing specimens i n
order to show a sequence o f cut. Dresses also have been selected which give a good period
shape and are not too overburdened with decoration; i n this way the slowly developing changes
o f cut can be readily observed. The illustrations show the dresses as they would have been
worn, with the trimmings, hair styles and accessories essential for the complete picture o f a
well-dressed woman.
 PART O N E

Seventeenth Century
1600-1680
Engravings b y Jacques Callot. c. 1630
 1600-1625

W o m e n ' s fashions o f the last years o f Queen Elizabeth's reign continued to be w o r n for a time
after James I came to the throne; yet during the first quarter o f the seventeenth century there
came a period o f transition bringing with it a gradual elimination o f the earlier extravagances.
A t the beginning o f the century there were, i n addition to the formal dress w i t h its wide
farthingale and high standing ruff, several rather more informal types, a loose gown with
petticoat, a loose gown w i t h jacket and petticoat, or sometimes simply a jacket and petticoat.
These were w o r n w i t h a modified version o f the wheel farthingale or, more usually, w i t h the
french farthingale (cul postiche or b u m roll). This was a roll padded w i t h cotton or horsehair
which was tied round the waist over the hips. It might consist o f a single roll, large or small, or
several narrow rolls held together with tapes and arranged to form a circle whose outside r i m
was strengthened by a strip o f cane or whalebone. After about 1615 the large wheel farthingale
began to be discarded, though it lingered on into the 1620's. Small hip rolls, however, continued
to be w o r n . N o farthingales or farthingale dresses seem to have survived until the present day
but fortunately there are a few gowns and jackets still, from which the cut o f seventeenth-
century clothes can be deduced.

FORMAL DRESS

The farthingale dress w o r n on formal occasions consisted o f a separate bodice and skirt. The
bodice o f this dress had a circular basque which spread out horizontally over the wheel farthin-
gale, and the skirt was w o r n open i n front to show the underskirt. In the seventeenth century
the bodice was called a 'body' or 'pair o f bodies'. The underskirt retained its name o f ' k i r t l e '
for a while, but later became 'petticoat', a name which was also used until the end o f the
eighteenth century for any skirt closed all round. During the first part o f the century, the large
padded sleeves o f the earlier bodice were replaced by simple straight sleeves w i t h additional
long hanging sleeves, over the top o f which were set epaulettes (wings). The early bodice had
usually been w o r n open i n front, each side being attached to a long central triangular piece o f
23
24 1600-1680

material known as the 'stomacher'. The stomacher was discarded and the front bodice was n o w
cut i n one w i t h a l o w U-shaped neckline. The skirt, which now hung straighter than the earlier
one, was not so open i n front and was often closed all round. As a rule the dress would be
carried out i n one material only, the same trimmings being used for bodice and skirt. The l o w -
necked bodice could be cut from two pieces o f material, front and back, joined together
towards the back by two side seams running from the armhole down to the waist with a very
slight inward slope, like a man's doublet. The back was always cut high to the neck, where a
small stiffened collar would support the ruff. If the front o f the bodice was to be w o r n high to
the neck, extra seaming was necessary. There would have to be either a centre front seam shaped
to take the bust, or two side seams that followed the line o f the earlier front w o r n w i t h the
stomacher, that is, running from the shoulders over the bust and inclined inwards to the waist
centre front. (On a large woman the l o w necked bodice might also require front seams.)
The sleeves were cut i n two pieces like those i n a man's doublet. The bodice always had a
strong interlining and was w o r n over a heavily stiffened under-bodice-'the whalebone body'.
This also was cut from two pieces o f material with two side seams shaped into the waist w i t h a
long pointed front. The sides were cut two or three inches longer than the waist, and were slit
up into tabs to allow for the curve o f the hips, or separate tabs were added from the waist to
which the farthingale was tied.
Unlike the earlier skirt which was circular i n cut, the skirt accompanying this bodice would
have been made from several widths o f material, each unshaped, or only slightly gored on each
side, and gathered or pleated on to the waistband. The skirt fullness could also have been
attached to a small circular yoke fitting over the top o f the farthingale.
About 1615 the waistline began to rise. If the bodice had front-side seams, these n o w moved
down from the shoulders to start from the armhole, and sloped i n towards the centre front,
which was slightly pointed. The back seams also moved towards the centre back at the waist;
the shoulder seams widened, and the basque was discarded. This bodice could be cut from four
pieces: front, back and two underarm pieces. Sleeves were unchanged, though occasionally the
front seam was left open. The skirt, whether open or closed, hung rather straight over small hip
pads. This was the style o f dress w o r n i n England until c. 1625. See frontispiece and plates 1, 2.

JACKETS

Jackets, known as 'waistcoats' throughout the seventeenth century, were informal wear for
ladies o f quality and the habitual costume o f other classes. The early specimens which have
survived are the beautifully embroidered ones dating from the end o f the sixteenth century to
c. 1630. These jackets are a distinctive English fashion, and reflect the Englishwoman's skill i n
embroidery and her love o f gardens. Most o f them are o f white linen and embroidered all over.
The early designs, worked i n black or coloured silks, are coiling stems enclosing conventiona-
 1600-1680 25
lized flower and fruit motifs, sometimes w i t h birds and insects i n addition. Later designs are
more fluid, and i n one colour only. In the more elaborate jackets, gold and silver threads are
used, as w e l l as sequins, and they are edged w i t h gold lace.
The basic cut is the same throughout. The two front pieces, with centre front shaping, are
joined to the back by two side back seams. The jacket is cut a few inches below waist level to
form a basque which is achieved by slitting the bottom and inserting triangular gussets. In the
earlier jackets the back seams run from high i n the armhole slightly i n to the waist; there is one
gusset centre back, and three or more each side, set to a l o w waist; usually there is a collar. The
sleeves are cut from two similiarly shaped pieces, straight to the elbow and then curved forward
to take the bend o f the arm, w i t h a front seam set well forward and inserted at a point high into
the armhole. The sleeves are wrist length, w i t h a small cuff. Later jackets follow the broader
fashion line; that is, the shoulder seams widen, and the back seams, set lower i n the armhole,
slope i n and are from two to three inches apart at waist level. The gussets are set to the higher
waistline, and the collar is omitted. The sleeves are often very wide, cut from one piece o f
material and gathered top and bottom. The neckline may be quite high or very low.
One jacket only has been preserved w i t h an accompanying petticoat. This is also white, but
o f heavy cotton, and the design is larger i n scale and more coarsely worked. It is cut straight,
gathered to the waist, and embroidered all over except for a few inches round the top which is
covered by the jacket-basque. In portraits and miniatures o f the period these jackets are shown
w o r n w i t h long loose gowns, the petticoat being o f a different material.
Skirts, or petticoats, for simpler styles o f dress were cut from several unshaped widths o f
material and gathered or pleated into the waist. For a more elegant line both back and front
w o u l d be cut slightly circular; that is, w i t h the waist curving upwards each side and with
gored side seams. They were ground length, without trains. The skirts given i n the Spanish
books are o f this type (pages 48-51). See plates 3,5.

GOWNS

From mediaeval times a garment that hung loose from the shoulders was called a gown, and
in France a robe, a distinction which lasted until the gown became incorporated w i t h the dress in
about the middle o f the seventeenth century. Women's gowns were ground length, sometimes
w i t h a slight train. They were cut without a waist seam and were w o r n loose or held i n to the
waist by a sash or ornamental girdle. Usually they were sleeveless, but sometimes they had long
hanging sleeves, and they always had epaulettes. Earlier gowns were often w o r n closed i n front
from neck to waist, but i n the seventeenth century this had become a fashion for older women
or merchant's wives. The gown was cut w i t h two fronts and one back piece, w i t h side seam
towards the back. W h e n w o r n open, the fronts were narrow at the top and the width round
the bottom was arranged by having extra fullness pleated into the armhole under the arm. The
26 1600-1680

sides were straight or gored. The back was cut wide, and the fullness was pleated into the neck
and shoulders. A small stiffened collar at the back o f the neck supported the ruff. Loose gowns
were also w o r n as what we now term dressing-gowns but which then were called 'night-
gowns'. This is a somewhat misleading term as it was also used for informal dress w o r n during
the day. The French were more logical-they called a dressing-gown a robe de nuit and an infor-
mal dress a robe de chambre. See plate 5; Diagram I.

MATERIALS, DECORATIONS,ETC.
The best silks, velvets, damasks, cloth o f silver and gold, etc., also lace, came from Italy and
were very expensive. In both England and France laws were continually being passed prohibi-
ting their import. Very little silk was made i n England and French silks were not o f a high
quality. They were therefore often enriched by slashing, pinking, embroidery, etc. As w i t h the
men's doublets o f this date, all the bodice seams might be outlined with two or more rows o f
narrow braid, the same trimming being repeated on the skirt. Skirts w o r n w i t h elaborately
embroidered jackets often had a deep border o f rich embroidery as well as having the hem
edged with lace or fringe. The borders o f the gown and epaulettes were edged w i t h braid or
embroidery, but very often just scalloped.
A l l dresses had some form o f neck wear. The farthingale low-necked bodice had the high
standing fan-shaped ruff which needed to be supported by a frame made from wire or buckram.
The closed Elizabethan ruff was still worn, usually with high-necked bodices. The standing
band was a semi-circular collar, also with a wire frame. The falling ruff-several goffered layers
attached to the top o f a deep neck band-was more customary with informal dress. 'Band' was
the contemporary name for a collar. Collars were often attached to the 'partlet': this was a false
front, or chemisette, which filled i n the l o w neck o f the bodice. Ruffs and collars were made
from fine linen, lawn or lace, or lawn edged with lace. The laces used were heavy needlepoint
such as reticella, point de Venise, and by the end o f the period bobbin laces were also worn. L o n g
aprons o f gauze or o f fine lawn, often beautifully embroidered, were fashionable informal
wear. These were at first w o r n under the basque or the jacket, and later over it, to give the
higher waistline. Short circular capes, and longer ones for travelling, were w o r n throughout the
century. The 'safeguard' was an extra skirt, or part of a skirt, which protected the dress when
the wearer was travelling or on horseback.
 1625-1645

A l t h o u g h there is always a great similarity between English and French modes, the simplicity
that English clothes had achieved by the early 1620's was not evident i n France. A t the begin-
ning o f the seventeenth century the French bourgeoises wore the jacket, petticoat and gown like
their English contemporaries, but the farthingale dress continued for formal and Court wear
into the 1620's. Here also the neck became very l o w but was more V-shaped. Sleeves continued
very full but they began to be set i n a series o f puffs all down the arm, the puffs often being
slashed. B y the m i d 1620's these puffs had been reduced to two, one on the upper and one on the
lower arm. They were plain or slashed, and required a padded and whaleboned or caned inner
sleeve to balloon them out. These sleeves (manches hallonnees) were w o r n w i t h the new fashion
o f fitted gown, which appeared c. 1625 when, as i n England, the waistline had risen and the
silhouette broadened-a fashion that was probably introduced into England when the French
princess, Henrietta Maria, became Queen o f England i n 1625. See plate 6.

THE GOWN

The fronts o f the new gown were cut i n one piece, usually without a waist seam. The back,
however, was n o w always separated at the high waistline and a very full trained skirt added.
The bodice was cut w i t h wide shoulder seams and wide neckline; the back side seams, which
almost met at the waist centre back, ran out to the armhole to continue i n an unbroken line over
the shoulder. The very full sleeves were set into this line, thus giving a very deep armhole to
allow for the large under-sleeves. The gown sleeve was a half sleeve, usually slit i n front and
caught at the elbow. The shoulder line was emphasized by the narrow epaulettes placed over it.
This setting o f the sleeve far into the back was continued throughout the seventeenth century
and, w i t h some modification, during the eighteenth century as well. The early style o f jacket
w o r n under the gown was n o w replaced by a bodice fitting tightly over the boned body, or the
boned body itself might be w o r n when it w o u l d be covered w i t h a rich material. It retained its
original shape-that is, the long stomacher front and side tabs. The full balloon double sleeves
might be attached to this bodice; they were often cut as one long sleeve, slashed, or i f plain
27
28 1625-1645

usually w i t h open front seam, and caught to the arm above the elbow. The fronts o f the gown
were pinned each side o f the bodice down to the high waistline, or were caught across by
narrow ribbon ties or straps. This type o f gown continued to be w o r n for some time, but even-
tually, by the m i d 1640's the bodice was cut separately from the skirt all round and was boned,
a separate stomacher piece filling i n the open front. The sleeves lost their bulk, and various
styles o f under-sleeve were added. See plate 7.

BASQUED BODICE
Another style which developed i n the late i62o's was a more fashionable version o f the jacket.
Here again, the man's doublet may have been the inspiration. The short high-waisted bodice
was cut like that o f the new gown, but the skirt was replaced by a basque. The basques varied.
They might still be cut like those o f the embroidered jacket-with triangular gussets-but more
frequently they were made from several wedge-shaped pieces called tabs, or tassets, which either
hung separately or were joined together. This bodice also was open i n front, the sides being
pinned or laced across the stomacher. Sleeves were very full, and were cut either i n one straight
piece, or from two pieces slightly curved. In both cases the front sleeve seam was placed well
forward, and was inserted into the bodice high i n the armhole. It was fashionable to leave this
seam open to show the undergarment. There was emphasis and variety i n sleeves; many were
ballooned above and below the elbow, being either plain or slashed. Others were simply
gathered into the armhole and again halfway down the forearm into a wide band, which was
loose enough to show the frill chemise sleeve which hung below. For formal wear the bodice
matched the skirt.
In the 1630's a short bodice without basques was also worn. The centre front was usually cut
in one piece, without a stomacher and with a very l o w neck and slightly pointed waist. This
style as a rule had voluminous sleeves.
This period had a very characteristic neckline. It was cut very l o w and narrow i n front, and
the side pieces sloped out to give a broad neckline. This, together with the wide shoulder seams,
large sleeves, epaulettes and high waistline all emphasized the fashionable trend towards
breadth, which reached its peak 1630-1640. After 1630, although there was no change i n cut,
there was a lessening o f rigidity i n construction. The boned body was discarded, the boning
being transferred to the lining o f the short bodice or gown bodice. The stiffening from the
sleeves and stomacher was reduced. This was especially noticeable i n England, where the whole
interpretation o f the fashionable silhouette was softer and more fluid. See plates 8, 9.

SKIRT
The full skirt, w o r n over hip pads, was cut either unshaped as before, or, for more formal
wear, the front slightly circular with gored sides, deep pleats being set each side centre front to
 1625-1645 29
simulate the side skirts o f the gown. This style w o u l d have a slight train. The petticoat o f the
g o w n w o u l d be cut unshaped, and the fullness kept to sides and back. See plates 6, 7, 8, 9.

MATERIALS, DECORATIONS, ETC.

The 1625 g o w n was made from damask, velvet, silk, etc., and seems invariably to have been
black, w i t h the under-bodice, sleeves and petticoat made usually o f a light-coloured contrasting
material. A t the beginning silks and satins were still pinked and slashed. Trimmings and em-
broidery were being less used. Ribbons were not so lavishly applied as they were on men's
clothes, though bows, rosettes, and ribbon ties round the sleeves and high waist gave touches
o f bright colour. In the 1630's the fashionable Englishwoman began to wear her formal dress,
o f basqued bodice and skirt o f plain silk or satin, completely untrimmed, though quite often
the neckline, the edges o f the basque, and the bottom o f the skirt were scalloped. Collars,
etc., were often discarded and only a narrow fold o f fine lawn, or the chemise frill, softened
the neckline. The full chemise sleeves o f fine lawn ending i n a frill appeared below the bodice
sleeves; sometimes the frill was replaced by ruffles, that is, several layers o f lawn or lace frills
mounted together and sewn to the bottom o f the bodice sleeves. This simplicity was an admir-
able foil to the only decoration used, the glowing colours o f jewelled pieces made from a single
precious stone or groups o f stones w i t h pearls. One piece was w o r n centre front, or jewelled
buckles replaced the stomacher lacing, and the open sleeves were caught together at intervals
w i t h jewels. This new design i n jewellery was the result o f the discovery o f rose-cutting early
i n the seventeenth century; the faceting o f precious stones so enhanced their beauty that they
were set w i t h very little metal work. A string o f pearls and pearl ear-rings were invariably
worn.
The low-necked bodice meant, o f course, that a great variety o f neckwear was still w o r n .
W i t h the 1625 gownit was either the large closed falling ruff, or a standing collar, nownarrower
but o f greater length, adjusted to follow the broad neckline. B y the 1630's this collar had
collapsed and lay flat round the back o f the bodice, just coming over the shoulders to the front.
W h e n made o f lawn it was cut straight and shaped to a slight curve w i t h pin tucks, and fre-
quently bordered w i t h lace; the matching turn-back cuffs were also shaped w i t h pin tucks. For
humbler wear the chemise itself filled i n the neck; otherwise there were partlets w i t h collars
attached, closed to the throat or opening into a V-shape. This style might be w o r n inside or
outside the bodice. The neckerchief, either a square or oval-shape, was folded diagonally and
w o r n round the shoulders open or caught at the throat. The neckline and bottom o f the sleeves
were frequently edged w i t h a lace border over which a transparent lawn collar, or a necker-
chief-or both-and cuffs, were w o r n .
 1645-1680

D u r i n g the 164o's the change o f silhouette back to a slender line reduced the volume o f material
used and lengthened the waist.

BODICES, JACKETS

B y 1650 the waist was quite l o w and i n order to balance the design the tabs or basque became
smaller. The stomacher was still worn, but bodices w i t h plain fronts were becoming more
usual. Although still cut on the same principles, these longer bodices required more fitting. The
back was shaped as before with two back side seams starting at the armhole, curving to within
an inch each side centre back and continuing i n parallel lines down to the waist. The front might
be cut w i t h a centre front seam shaped i n to the waist and with an underarm seam; more
frequently, this bodice also had two side front seams starting from the armhole and curving
over the bust to run i n two parallel lines ending i n a blunt point which by 1660 was very long.
This cut also frequently had an underarm seam. The neckline was n o w oval, running round the
outside edge o f the shoulders straight across the back and dipping slightly i n front. T o ensure a
good fit round the top o f the bodice the shoulder pieces were cut separately, from straight pieces
o f material, with a seam i n front and a l o w diagonal seam at the back. The sleeve was cut from
one piece, or from two shaped pieces, the fullness being reduced and set top and bottom i n
small regular pleats or with pin tucks taken from inside. The fashionable sleeve, was gradually
moving up the arm, and by the m i d 1670's was quite short. The fashionable bodice was always
mounted on a very heavy boned lining whose seams, i n order to facilitate this boning, were
always straighter than the more subtly shaped ones o f the covering material. W h e n w o r n with
matching skirt, the bodice was cut longer than the waist and the sides were slit into tabs. These
side tabs went under the skirt waistband, with the long centre front point outside, and the bodice
was closed by centre back lacing. Sometimes the boned bodice stopped at the waist, when small
tabs or a short basque would be added. The latter style was more usual i n informal bodices and
in continental dresses. These informal bodices were more lightly boned w i t h a centre front
30
 1645-1680 31
lacing. D u r i n g the transition period 1670-1680, when the bodice was w o r n underneath the
mantua, the lines o f the bodice seams straightened; sometimes there were two or more seams
each side centre front and the same each side centre back. See plates 10-17; Diagrams V , V I .

SKIRT
For formal wear the skirt matched the bodice. It was cut like the earlier one but w i t h less
fullness and was set i n very regular pleats round the waist. In the 1660's formal dress began to
have an additional overskirt, slit up the centre front and falling into a long train at the back.
A little later the front skirts were slightly draped on each side, eventually being arranged i n
folds round the hips and caught up to the centre back. The underskirt was always called a
petticoat. See plates 14, 16, 17.

GOWN
The fitted gown w i t h stomacher had gone out o f fashion but the looser gown, the robe de
chamhre, was being w o r n for informal wear more often. (In this connection it must be remem-
bered that during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries the room where a person slept was
also used as a reception room.)

RIDING HABIT
Some women adopted the man's doublet for riding. W h e n i n the 1660's the man's riding
coat was becoming fashionable wear, women also began to appear i n it. It was w o r n for hun-
ting but also sometimes for travelling by coach.

MATERIALS, DECORATIONS, ETC.

Colbert, Louis X I V ' s astute minister, satisfied his young monarch's love o f magnificence by
developing industry and commerce i n France, and towards the end o f the seventeenth century
Italy lost her long supremacy i n the production o f luxury dress materials and accessories. The
new French silks, laces, etc., lavishly displayed at the French Court established a high standard
for fashion which was to be copied throughout Europe. In England also, largely owing to the
influx o f French Protestant weavers, a flourishing silk industry was being developed.
Although there was little change i n cut during the third quarter o f the seventeenth century,
the increasing richness o f materials and trimmings transformed the simplicity o f the 1650's. A t
that time the bodice and skirt, w o r n as formal or Court dress, was still made from plain silks or
satins and was untrimmed except by jewelled pieces. The long centre front might be worn, like
the sleeves o f the bodice, open to show the chemise, the sides being caught at intervals w i t h
jewels. The shoulder seams, too, might be left unstitched. Later these dresses were carried out i n
32 1645-1680

figured silks, brocades, etc. Exquisite lace collars were worn, or the neckline might be draped
with transparent gauze caught at intervals with tassels o f pearls or jewels. Strings o f pearls or
precious stones were looped round the neckline, draped across or laid down the seams and
round the waist. The bodice seams were also outlined by lace borders or embroidery, sometimes
the same decoration being repeated on the petticoat up the centre front and round the hem. The
overskirt was caught up with jewels. For less formal wear ribbon bows and rosettes replaced
the jewels.
The chemise sleeve, now less voluminous, was trimmed with lace ruffles and ribbons, the
fullness being caught round the arm with ribbon ties. Simpler bodices had the plain chemise
visible above the neckline and below the bodice sleeves, or were w o r n w i t h collars, necker-
chiefs and cuffs, the quality o f the linen varying according to the status o f the wearer.
I. c.1605. Anne of Denmark, wife of James I. Engraving. Victoria m1d Albert Museum
This dress shows the extension of Elizabethan modes into the early years of the seventeenth century, modified
only in detail by such items as the low U-shaped neck line, the narrow sleeves, and the slightly higher waist
with its simple closed bodice
2. 1623. Duchess of Richmond and Lennox. Engraving. Victoria a11d Albert Museum
The drum-shaped farthingale has been discarded, and the skirt is now held out at the hips by
means of a padded hip roll
3a. c. r6oo. Jacket (back view). Embroidered in silver thread 3b. c. r66o. Jacket. Pink silk, embroidered
and plaited silk braid with sequins blue thread
Two examples of the informal jackets worn at the turn of the century, they are embroidered
in an allover pattern and left unboned. Both from the Victoria and Albert Museum

4· c. 1610. Caricature. From a Dutch engraving

Ladies bolstering out their skirts with hip rolls
5· 1607. Lady in Grey. Artist unknown. 6. c. 1628. Countess of Southampton. Artist unknown.
By courtesy of the Hon. M. L. Astor Ham House, Richmond
Lady wearing an informal jacket very similar to Plate 3a. A gauze The full slashed sleeves (manches ballonnees) and the widening lace
apron covers her petticoat and the gown she wears resembles Cutting collar all emphasize the width across the upper part of the body. In this
Diagram I formal dress the bodice with its higher waist still retains its stiffness,
and the basque has become divided into tabs