During the latter half of the 17th century, France, more than ever, gave the law to Europe in dress, and the typical style of the period is known as that of Louis XIV — although, for accuracy, a distinction must be made between the gay and brilliant and the sombre parts of his reign, in the latter of which a tendency toward sober plainness not unlike that of the English Puritans was felt. The result of long struggles with inconveniences of dress was a nearer approach to the modern masculine dress of three pieces, coat, waistcoat and trousers. The richly laced and embroidered doublet was long and loose, and had large puffed-out sleeves reaching a little below the elbow. The rest of the arm was covered by the full sleeves of the shirt. The long, loose, sleeveless waistcoat showed beneath the doublet, and the wide, ruffled breeches were fastened at the knees with bunches of ribbon. The doublet had buttons and buttonholes for its entire length, thus be coming a coat. Instead of the lace collar the long, square-ended cravat was worn. In the early part of the 18th century this dress became more exact in shape and sober in tone. The doublet, now a coat, fitted the body. The absurd wide °petticoat breeches* were exchanged for close-fitting garments tied below the knee. The broad-brimmed hats were turned up on two sides, later on three, and edged with feathers or ribbons. Wigs, which had been some time in use, were worn still longer than before, hang ing down in front or flowing upon the shoulder. The coats of the 18th century were of velvet, silk, satin or broadcloth and of fanciful colors. Hogarth's favorite color was sky-blue, Reynolds' deep crimson, and Goldsmith rejoiced in plum color. Meanwhile women's dress had also be come more stiff and formal. Long bodices were tightly laced over very stiff corsets; overdresses were bunched up in the neck and on the hips; and the hoop-skirt, as outrageous as the farth ingale of the 16th century, was generally worn. About the middle of the century the sacque came into style— a loose gown, resembling the mantle of antiquity, which was looped over the hoop-skirt and furbelows or left trailing behind. Heavy towering headdresses replaced the simple ringlets of the previous century. Small muffs, flowing veils and fans were important acces sories. Muffs were carried for a time by men.
The formalities of the 18th century received a severe blow from the general tendency of the French Revolution toward simplicity. In the 10 years from 1790 to 1800 a more complete change was effected in dress by the spontaneous action of the people than had taken place in any previous period in the century. The change began in France, partly to mark contempt for old court usages, and partly in imitation of cer tain classes in England, whose costume the French mistook for that of the nation generally. It consisted of a round hat, a short coat, a light waistcoat and pantaloons reaching to the ankles and fastened by buttons. A handerchief was tied loosely around the neck, with the ends long and hanging down, and showing the shirt collar above. The short hair d la Titus was un powdered, and the shoes were tied with strings in place of the buckles which had before been universal. This comparatively simple form of dress found many admirers in England and soon became common among the young men. The abandonment of hair-powder followed the im position of a tax on its use, and with the giving up of wigs and powder came the fall of the cocked hat. Pantaloons which fitted closely to the legs remained in general use until about 1814, when the wearing of looser trousers, already introduced into the army, became fashionable, though many elderly persons still held to knee-breeches against all innovations. The general simplifying of dress subsequent to 1815 was not allowed to pass without a last effort to retain the elaborate fashions of the preceding period. The macaroni of the 18th
century was now succeeded by the dandy, who prided himself on his starched collars, his trouser-straps, and the flashy bunch of seals which dangled from his watch-chain. The period covered by the Regency in England was indeed the heyday of this kind of dandyism; but even later it characterized not a few leading public personages.
The end of the 18th century witnessed a signal change in the style of women's dress. The gown no longer consisted of two dresses, an under and an outer one. The formal styles which had prevailed throughout the century and brought into use stiff materials such as solid damasks, velvets, satins and silks, were replaced by the fashion of the short-waisted clinging gown made of muslin and soft silk. This Empire mode characterized the dress of the first quarter of the 19th century. Large, loose, warm coats and cloaks were used for outdoor wear. Elaborate hats, turbans and caps were worn on all occasions. In the twenties there was another revolution. Skirts were shortened and trimmed with flowers, puffs and ruchings; sleeves became fuller, and the waist came nearer its natural position. Then the sleeves began to widen and stiffen, and the hats grew larger and more cumbrous. From these wide skirts the crinoline was evolved in 1854. In the seventies the skirt became narrower again, worn with a polonaise of a different color. Meanwhile the size and shape of the sleeve was not constant for more than a year.
But it would be both impossible and profit less to follow the minute variations of changing fashion. To return to general principles, it is safe to say that neutrality is becoming more and more the basis of costume, at least for men. Extravagance in dress, especially among the Anglo-Saxon nations, has become a note of bad taste; and man's dress, which was formerly characterized by gorgeous display, is little more than a uniform which, with certain variations prescribed by etiquette, adapts itself to different functions and amusements. As a result of the general modern abandonment of formality, and the opening of new employments for women, together with their invasion of the realm of athletic sports, the simplicity which character izes the masculine dress has come to exist more and more also in the feminine. Fashion is forced nowadays to accommodate itself, to some extent at least, to health and convenience; and only the artist and the antiquarian will be found to regret that the picturesque costumes of bygone days are to be seen only among the peasantry of distant and isolated lands.
Bibliography.— Racinet, 'Le costume his torique) (1:•:•:) is the best general work.
Ferrario, III costume antico e modern' (22 vols., Milan 1815-34) is also valuable. For the pre-Christian period, consult especially Layard, 'Monuments of Nineveh' (1850); Hope, 'Cos tume of the Ancients) (1841); Evans, 'Chap ters on Greek Dress) (1893). For later de velopments, Hefner-Alteneck, 'Trachten, Kunst werke, and Gerithschaften vom friihen Mittel alter bis Ende des 18ten Jahrhunderts) (1879 89) ; Jacquemin, 'Iconographic mithodique du costume du IVe au XIXe siede) (1876); Lacroix, 'Manners, Customs and Dress of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, and the Eighteenth Century, Its Institutions, Customs, (Eng. trans. 1877, 1887); Chevig nard and Duplessis, 'Costumes historiques des XVIe, XVIIe, et XVIIIe slides) (1867) • Blanche, 'Cyclopedia of Costume' (1876-79) and 'History of British Costume) (1874); Fair holt, 'Costume in England' (1885); Earle, 'Costume of Colonial Times' (1895)•; 'Two Centuries of Costume in America) (2 vols., New York 1904) • Pauquet, 'Modes et costumes historiques' (1862-64) ; Rosenberg, 'Geschichte des Kostiims) (Berlin 1905) ; Von Heyden, Tracht der Kulturvolker Europas bis zum Begin des 19. Jahrhunderts' (1889) ; Quincke, 'Handbuch der Kostiime) (1896).