A History of Costume

by Carl Köhler

Overview

Egypt, Babylon, Greece up through 19th-century Europe; based on surviving pieces, art work, much more. Includes many clear, measured patterns for reproducing historic costumes. Full text. 595 illustrations. "Landmark in the field of Western European costume . . . exceptional value for its price." — American Artist.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780486210308
Publisher:	Dover Publications
Publication date:	06/01/1963
Series:	Dover Fashion and Costumes
Pages:	512
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x (d)
Age Range:	9 Years

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A History of Costume

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By Carl Kohler, Emma von Sichart, Alexander K. Dallas

Dover Publications, Inc.

Copyright © 1963 Dover Publications, Inc.
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-486-13605-9

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CHAPTER 1

A HISTORY OF COSTUME

INTRODUCTION

In this book I have tried to show by practical examples the history of the development of dress. This attempt is based on the conviction that nothing but the original costume, if that be accessible, can be considered definitive for the conception we may legitimately entertain regarding the ideas about dress that prevailed in any period. We are far too ready to carry back to the costumes of bygone days our modern conceptions of what is becoming, and in our reproductions of historical costumes so to obliterate their peculiarities of style that the results have only a superficial resemblance to the original model. It was therefore my endeavour with the modern auxiliary of photography to rescue the various precious original garments from the perishableness that inheres in every material thing and faithfully to preserve their peculiar charm for the benefit of later ages. Of course, the further back we go the more difficult it becomes to secure original specimens. For the costume of the people of the Bronze Age, as well as for that of the early Teutonic peoples and of the inhabitants of North-west Europe from the thirteenth to the fifteenth century, we have, thanks to research, a number of perfect specimens, although even here there are also many large gaps.

With reference to the knowledge derived from works of art regarding the dress of ancient times there is this to be said. The artist frequently uses a motif of dress which belongs to an earlier style, either because he likes this better or because his own environment has not kept pace with the universal evolution of fashion. The period to which a work of art belongs has therefore sometimes very little connexion with the costume that work portrays. For this reason works of art are not always reliable sources of information. The artist's imagination is at work in them, supplementing and embellishing points of the dress that are unpleasing to it, with the result that it rarely produces a picture that is completely accurate. This is specially true in the case of great masters—even of the greatest. We are very apt to picture to ourselves the people of a period in the styles portrayed by these masters, but who would find fault with a Titian or with a Raphael for not keeping strictly to the fashion ? The case is different with those others to whom the history of art has awarded a lower place in the scale of excellence. These are in many cases of great importance for the history of dress. Their carefulness in reproducing the fashionable details and accidentals of dress more than makes up in the eyes of the student of costume for their slighter artistic value.

When handling ancient original costumes I was frequently struck with the great difference between the stature of the people of earlier centuries and that of those of our own day. Men and women have apparently grown stouter and taller. Very few men or women of today can don the ancient clothing. This is the case even with garments of the nineteenth century. Clothes of the Empire period and those of the Biedermeier style are astonishingly small, and numerous alterations have to be made before they can be put on by a model to-day. Even more astonishing are the small measurements of the sixteenth-century clothes discovered in the Wittelsbach mausoleum at St Martin-in-Lauingen in Würtemberg.

It arouses a peculiar sensation to handle these heaps of garments belonging to days long past. One seems to see the river of time flowing past with all the happenings and experiences it brings to mankind. The clothing from the mausoleum at Lauingen belonged to a collateral branch of the royal house of Wittelsbach, the Dukes of Neuburg, Counts-Palatine of Sulzbach. For two hundred years these princes had lain at rest with their wives and children in their coffins of tin ; in 1781, in 1846, and again in 1877 they were disentombed, and their raiment was rescued from decay. The ladies were dainty; their children, who had died young, were small and weakly. Along with the clothing were found the beautiful ornaments which are reproduced in these pages. The young unmarried Countess Maria Magdalena of Hilpoltstein had still round her neck the beautiful tiny pendant with the greyhound in white enamel, set with small pearls and rubies. All these Dukes of Neuburg seem to have been fond of fine jewels. One wore an armlet inscribed with the initials of his dearly beloved wife, the letters being separated by black links patterned with gold ; another had an armlet of thick gold chains set with polished spherical rubies. Beside the slim Duke Otto of Sulzbach was found a heart-shaped hatpin of gold, between the sprigs of forget-me-not and clover-leaves of white, blue, and green enamel was inset the monogram DM in rubies—a delicate token of homage to his dearly loved wife. The earrings, in comparison with present-day fashion, were very small, but the garments were liberally studded with the gold buttons which were a favourite form of ornament at the time. The wide sleeve, lined with green silk, of a leather jerkin in the Bavarian National Museum has on the right upper arm a sword-cut, testifying to a duel or a knightly adventure. And the owner of a waistcoat patterned in red of the eighteenth century must have been wearing this beautiful garment when he met his death, for the ragged, dark-stained rent low down on the left side speaks of the shot that cost him his life. Carefully treasured children's garments, coloured stockings and garters with gallant inscriptions, gloves of polished rose-coloured leather, shoes of red and green velvet with gold embroidery and high heels, fans ornamented with miniatures —all this dainty finery brought joy to the hearts of these men and women in their day.

I also give illustrations of costumes and suits from the well-filled wardrobe of Ludwig I of Bavaria, of which the National Museum possesses a complete collection. The King himself had carefully preserved all these garments, together with some attire belonging to his consort Theresa, and had with his own hand written full descriptions of them. He was tall and handsome, but slim, as his clothes prove, and the clothes themselves show an amazing precision in cut and perfect tailoring. We reproduce a "Polish" coat that belonged to him, a dress coat in dark blue with breeches of silk stockinette, a tall straw hat, and a double-breasted coat and tall silk hat. His travelling cloak and his leather travelling cap are also in the museum. To whom would these not recall those journeys to Italy which this art-loving prince undertook ? It was on his return that he presented to his subjects the treasures of the Pinakotheks and of the Glyptothek and those buildings to which Munich owes its renown as a centre of art. Not far from these garments is a suit of his unfortunate grandson, Ludwig II—a black walking-suit and an umbrella whose clumsy shape is hardly in keeping with one's conception of that artistic monarch. This suit belonged to his last years, when illness had robbed his figure of its Apollo-like beauty.

When one compares the clothing of these two men, grandfather and grandson, one cannot fail to be struck with the baneful effect produced by the sewing-machine as compared with skilled hand-sewing. By the year 1859 the sewing-machine had gradually replaced sewing by hand, and one grieves to have to say that men's clothes of this period made a somewhat sorry show when compared with the carefully made garments of earlier times. It was not only the splendid colour of the rococo period and its gradual evanescence in the Empire period that gave charm to the clothing of those eras. It was the technical perfection, the careful handwork that produced the smart appearance and that still distinguishes the Biedermeier dress coats in spite of their plainer materials.

Neither Carl Köhler nor Max von Boehn undertook to describe working-class dress or national costume. I too have omitted these from this work. The careful reader will quickly see how numerous are the points of contact between historical dress and that of the people: how rustic fashions retain styles and forms of cut that really belong to periods long past (these are technically called "fossils"), and how connecting threads from distant centuries persist into modern times. Ecclesiastical and clerical dress also betrays similar connexions with bygone styles. For example, the attire of monks, nuns, and clergymen retains many features of the costume of the Middle Ages. We come upon very close connexions between distant Eastern civilizations and Western types of dress, and even more deep-reaching associations between peoples are disclosed. Some of these peoples, though contemporaries, were separated by large distances ; others were separated in time by centuries ; but they hand on from age to age old-time ideas in dress that alter only slowly, either for convenience sake or from aesthetic motives.

The tailor's art is one of proportionate measurements. Every curtailment or change of a garment in one way is compensated by a lengthening or an emphasis in another way. To carry out these adjustments and adaptations and to bring about the universal use of the types thus produced—that is what we mean by a fashion. The transitions from one style to another take place gradually. They exhibit an organic growth, reaching at times to the extreme limit of possibility and again slowly retrogressing. And then in some other point of style the same process is repeated in obedience to an unwritten law.

The clothing of humanity is full of profound significance, for the human spirit not only builds its own body, but also fashions its own dress, even though for the most part it leaves the actual construction to other hands. Men and women dress themselves in accordance with the dictates of that great unknown, the Spirit of the Time.

CHAPTER 2

THE PEOPLES OF ANTIQUITY

THE EGYPTIANS

TO judge from the most ancient representation that we possess, the Egyptians of the Old Kingdom (c. 3000 B.C.) wore a loincloth (Fig. 8) made of woven material, which was wrapped several times round the body and kept in place by a girdle. In addition to this a wrap or a speckled skin was hung over the shoulders. This costume continued right up to the time when the so-called Old Kingdom reached its highest brilliance, and the beauty and costliness of material and draping were the only marks that distinguished monarch and nobles from the lower classes. By and by another item of dress was added—a somewhat close-fitting, one-piece skirt of expensive material, which was similarly fastened by means of a girdle. The so-called kalasiris (Figs. 3—5), a garment for both sexes, which was introduced shortly after the establishment of the New Kingdom (c. 1000 B.C.), was a long robe quite unlike those just mentioned, differing from them both in cut and in the materials of which it was made.

There was apparently more than one style of this garment. It was either a coat covering the body from the hips or the procardium to the abdomen, supported by a band passing over one shoulder, or it even reached as far up as the neck. Some forms of it were sleeveless (Figs. 2 and 3), while others had short and narrow or long and fairly wide sleeves.

This garment also varied in width. Sometimes it was wide and full, sometimes so close-fitting that it is difficult to understand how the wearer could walk.

Most probably, therefore, there were two ways of making the kalasiris. Either it was woven or knitted in one piece so as to impart to it some elasticity and cause it to cling closely to the lower limbs of the wearer even when he moved ; or it was made of pieces cut separately and sewn together at the sides. In the former case it resembled a narrow bag of the same width throughout its whole length, sometimes with sleeves fitted to it or knitted in it. This elastic type of kalasiris seems to have been made of material which was in most cases of close texture, but occasionally very loose and transparent. It is of course possible that the transparency was due to the stretching of material that was originally close in texture and to the consequent tearing of the threads or stitches.

The sewn type of kalasiris was a short garment somewhat resembling a woman's petticoat. The width of the material determined the length of the garment, so that there was only one seam. The numerous folds were distributed at equal distances round the body. In some instances it was worn in apron fashion, and in that case it was not sewn at all.

The long type of kalasiris that covered the body up to the neck was made from a rectangular piece of material twice as long as the garment (see Fig. 4). It was folded in the middle, and a hole was cut out to allow the head to pass through. The sides were then sewn together, gaps being left unsewn at the top to serve as armholes.

When the garment was meant to be worn without a girdle the cut was slightly altered so as to make the material over the shoulders narrower than that lower down. This is indicated by the interior lines in Fig. 4.

For the sleeved kalasiris the sleeves were either cut separately and sewn on or a slight change was made in the garment itself (Fig. 5). The material on both sides of the opening for the head was left as wide as the intended length of the sleeves. The lower edges of the portions forming the sleeves were sewn together when the sides of the garment were sewn. The clothing of Egyptian women covered and concealed the person to a far greater extent than did the clothing of the men. The close-fitting, elastic type of kalasiris was the ancient national costume of the female population of the country. There were slight variations of style, but in all cases the garment was long enough to cover the ankles. In some it extended up to or beyond the breast (being held in place by shoulder straps), or even up to the neck. This last style was provided with sleeves.

The working class wore the same style of garment. In order to obtain greater freedom of movement they adopted various methods of tucking it up, and wore it much shorter than the upper classes did.

In addition to the garments described above, various kinds of capes were worn both by men and women of the upper classes. The earliest type, which was in regular use as far back as the time of the Old Kingdom, was an almost circular shoulder-cape (Fig. 6), either closed or made to fasten behind. It varied in width, but never reached lower than the shoulder, and was made either of linen painted in diverse colours or of very costly network.

Another style of cape, made only of transparent materials, fell from the shoulders to a little below the elbows. This cape was either almost circular in shape, with a hole in the centre to allow it to be passed over the head (Fig. 6), or rectangular (Fig. 7). In the latter case the strips forming the cape were laid over the shoulders, gathered on the breast, and held in place by a clasp, so that the ends hung down loose.

In putting on the almost circular cape just mentioned the narrow sides on breast and back were gathered, thus giving rise to diagonal folds.

As in the case of all ancient dress, the most important feature of the dress of the Egyptians was the draping. Each people had its own characteristic way of putting on garments that closely resembled each other in cut and style.

THE ETHIOPIANS

The dress of the Ethiopian peoples, whose territory lay to the south of Egypt, was on the whole identical with that of the Egyptians, although it had its own peculiarities largely due to racial separateness. Their original costume was a simple loincloth of wool or leather with a cloak-like garment worn over it. This costume gradually became more varied—girdles and jackets were added, the latter being of the elastic textile material already mentioned.

This was the usual wear of the people, but, as in Egypt, the dress of the upper classes was different, especially at a later period. As civilization advanced there was gradually evolved a style of dress entirely different from the Egyptian style. It had more of the character of the Asiatic or, more precisely, the Assyrian style. The loincloth came to be retained by the upper classes merely as a ceremonial dress; on ordinary occasions long garments were worn.

This clothing was made of opaque material, and at first did not extend higher than the breast. It was worn by both sexes, and consisted during the early period of a longish rectangular piece of cloth wide enough to cover the body from breast to feet. This was draped round the body and legs and was fastened over the shoulders and round the hips with straps or belts.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from A History of Costume by Carl Kohler, Emma von Sichart, Alexander K. Dallas. Copyright © 1963 Dover Publications, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of Dover Publications, Inc..
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Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION
THE PEOPLES OF ANTIQUITY
The Egyptians
The Ethiopians
The Syrians and Phœnicians
The Hebrews
The Assyrians and Babylonians
The Medes and Persians
The Scythians
The Parthians
"The Sarmatians, Dacians, and Illyrians"
The Cretans
The Peoples of Asia Minor
The Greeks
The Estruscans
The Roman
The Dress of the Byzantine Emperors
THE TEUTONIC PREHISTORIC PERIOD
TEUTONIC BRONZE AGE
THIRD TO FIRST CENTURIES B.C.
EARLY TEUTONIC COSTUME
THIRD AND FOURTH CENTURIES A.D.
THE MIDDLE AGES
THE ELEVENTH TO THIRTEENTH CENTURIES
Germany
German Royal Costume
France
Men's Dress in the Thirteenth Century
England
"Norse Relics discovered at Herjolfsnes, Greenland"
THE FOURTEENTH AND FIFTEENTH CENTURIES
France
England
Germany
Italy
Spain
THE SIXTEENTH CENTURY
Spain
France
Germany
Italy
THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY
Spain
France
The Netherlands
Germany
THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY
France
THE PERIOD
MEN'S DRESS
The Dress Coat
Trousers
The Waistcoat
The Cravat and Necktie
The Cloak or Mantle
Headgear
WOMEN'S DRESS
Neckwear and Sleeves
The Cloak
Hats and Caps
Styles of Hairdressing
Footwear
BIBLIOGRAPHY
INDEX