LADIES' FASHION

by Prenditia von Poot

Gowns

The outermost garment should ideally be voluminous, being moulded to the waist then expanding over the hips in massive folds with an ample skirt. Alternatively, it may be loose fitting, and be caught tight around the waist by a belt or girdle.

The decolletage should always be square cut, with a short or waist-length V neckline behind. In the latter case, the gown should be laced across the back over the kirtle. Otherwise, the gown should be laced invisibly down the front with hooks and eyes. Alternatively, if you wish to display a particularly decorative frock or kirtle, the gown can be slit down in a V right down the front to below the waist or even as far as the hem. Ribbon ties are then used to hold the gown together.

The sleeves should be close fitting at the shoulder, and expand down to a wide opening at the wrist, which should be turned back to reveal a decorative cuff lining and the kirtle sleeve. Some ladies do prefer closer fitting sleeves, however, generally with turned back, funnel-shaped cuffs. Loose sleeves, although worn occaisionally by some, are really not very becoming.

The skirt should be at least floor length, and preferably longer, extending into a long train behind. The train should be turned up to the waist and either caught up under the girdle or pinned by a brooch. This allows the coloured lining to be brought up to view. An alternative you might like to consider is hitching the skirt up at the front with clasps on the girdle (or use a separate belt) so as to reveal the skirt of the kirtle. This style should, naturally, never be used while wearing a frock, for it would look plain in the extreme!

Fur, silk and satin are ideal materials for the lining, especially if they have been stiffened so as to look full. Bands of velvet or some similar material should trim the neck border with a central band running from the neck to the hem.

Frocks

The frock is worn underneath the gown. They should ideally be one piece, although some, quite unfashionably, have a separate bodice and skirt tied together by points!

A frock is simpler than a kirtle, and so should always be hidden by the gown skirt. It is fastened down the front to the waist by hidden hooks and eyes. An important rule to remember is that although the fastenings on a gentleman's clothes should be visible and brightly coloured, they should never be visible on a lady! Buttons or laces are sometimes used instead of hooks, but these are to be avoided by the well dressed lady.

The neck should be medium to low, with a square cut or rounded decolletage. Sleeves should be close fitting to the wrist with a small cuff; large cuffs being reserved solely for gowns. The chemise cuff may be allowed to project beyond the frock sleeve, but if so, make sure that it is suitably frilled.

It is not essential to wear a girdle with a frock, but it is generally to be desired.

Kirtles

An alternative to the frock, a kirtle has a close fitting rigid bodice fastened down the left side from the armpit to the waist. Although these are perhaps less comfortable than frocks, they are certainly worth the discomfort, being much more attractive. A girdle should always be worn with this garment.

The decolletage should be square and lined by lace, although a decorative chemise may sometimes make a good substitute. The neckline should form an open V at the back.

A perennial question is how exactly the space above the kirtle neckline should be filled in. Three solutions to this conundrum are considered acceptable. The most common is to wear a bulky necklace with a pendant under the chin. This should be twisted twice around the neck and draped down over the bosom.

The other traditional alternative is to wear a high necked collarless chemise done up by a single button. Embroidery silk can be put to good use on the neck. The newer fashion, however, is to use either a stomacher, which is an inverted triangle of stiff material reaching to the waist, or else a partlet, which is a separate piece of material covering the upper chest and buttoned down the front. Partlets should ideally be of rich material and much decorated. These days they can often be purchased with matching detachable sleeves, an offer surely not to be missed!

Sleeves can be worn with or without an oversleeve. If you opt to do without, the sleeves should be very full, but closed at the wrist and finished with the frill of the chemise. The upper seam should be open for the full length of the sleeve and caught up at intervals by aiglets or jewels. The chemise can then be puffed through the gaps between the fastenings. Alternatively, the seam could be covered by a band of embroidery. Some sleeves are nowadays made with the lower seam designed in a similar way.

If an oversleeve is used, it should be tight fitting at the shoulder and expanding into a wide bell at the elbow with a deep turn-back cuff, which should be made of rich material or covered in fur. The undersleeve, which can be made separately, and attached to the kirtle by buttons or points should be fairly close fitting to the wrist and made of stiff or quilted material. The upper seam is left open and tied up at intervals by ribbons, aiglets or jewels with the chemise puffed up through the gap. It goes without saying that this style of kirtle should be worn with a sleeveless gown.

The skirt should be full and gathered, sweeping to the ground with a train behind. It can be hitched up at the front with clasps or fall in a simple funnel to the ground. A triangular opening at the front can expose a decorative petticoat beneath.

The chemise can be either decollete or high, depending on the other clothing to be worn over it; one would not want to show bare skin, after all! The wrists should be frilled and pulled out beyond the wrists on the over-garment.

Girdles

There are three types of girdle to chose from. The simplest is a long narrow sash or cord, preferably with tasselled ends. This should be knotted at the front, and the ends left hanging. It can be held by ornamental rings on the kirtle or frock.

The second type is a decorative belt fastened by a buckle or clasp. This should again be buckled at the front, always remembering to leave a single long, hanging, end. I find trefoil buckles to be particularly attractive, but many other designs also exist.

Finally, a demicient, or half-girdle, can be worn. This is much the same as the first type, save that only the front half is decorated. I find these to be a somewhat vulgar attempt to save money.

Legwear

Long tailed stockings should be worn beneath the skirts, with a knotted or buckled garter over the knee. Shoes are of much the same design as for men, although naturally they will not usually be visible! Boots should never be worn by a lady.

Hoods

The choice of hood is a difficult one, for there are four different styles available, even if one excludes those items of headwear better described as bonnets or cauls.

The most popular and simple style is a long hood, draped over the head, and falling in folds well below the neck, with a triangular slit over each shoulder. The edge should be turned back to reveal the bright inner lining or the undercap. Most hoods are edge with embroidery, which presents a particularly pleasing effect.

A second, and more elaborate design is the so-called gable arch hood. Here, the hood hangs in thick folds to the shoulders, and it supported over the head  by a pointed frame of stiff material or wires. Long lappets hang down the front, and should ideally be trimmed with a line of embroidery or jewels which also extend across the top of the gable. Whereas a normal hood should, of course, conceal the hair completely, with the gable hood, the hair should be visible under the arch, and it must be worn with a centre parting.

For the older woman, a similar design exists, where the hood itself is stiffened to form the arch, and is otherwise much the same shape as the simple hood, without lappets. Often, the triangular shoulder slits are also absent, so that there is simply a long falling curtain behind, which may be turned back over the head if desired. It is customary, although not essential, to wear a barbe or wimple with this style of hood. Certainly, these bibs should not be worn with any other type of headwear, for they look most undesirable.

Finally, a new innovation has recently reached our country, and enjoys some small success here among the avant garde. Personally, I find them quite attractive, and hope that their popularity is soon to increase. The hood is smaller than usual, and has a stiff foundation with a horseshoe shaped curve over the crown. The front fits closely and is curved forward to end over the ears. This type of hood should be worn quite far back on the head, and should freely expose the hair.

Other Headgear

Bonnets are no longer very fashionable, but I shall include them here for the sake of completeness. The best design is the 'lattice cap', which should be made of ermine or some similar material. It is a large bonnet with a triangular crown, like that of a gable hood. It is close fitting in front and cut back over the temples, showing the hair, before curving forward over the ears and ending level with the chin.

Alternatively, flat masculine style caps or bonnets with a halo brim are worn by some women. They do not look particularly stylish.

A caul is a close fitting cap worn over the ears. It should be reticulated with gold thread or the like, and preferably embroidered with jewels. A good fashion tip is to wear a caul together with a frontlet, which is a separate ornamental band worn across the forehead.

A crespin is a fine linen caul which is crimped and worked in gold. Ideally, they should be edged with an ornamental roll. A coif is a small loose fitting cap tied under the chin. They are not embroidered, and look quite depressingly plain.

Undercaps

Typically, the undercap should be shaped to the hood and be made of plain linen. If a bonnet is worn, however, a different type of undercap must be worn with it. This is shaped like the newer type f hood, but with lower side pieces and made of linen, velvet or some similar soft material. It is a nice idea to embroider these, but in general, it is better to wear a hood in any case.

The idea of headwear, of course, is to conceal the hair. However, some of the more modern styles are intended to show it off, and I cannot help but feel that this a move to be approved of. Hair in this case should be worn straight and smooth.

The one exception to this rule, of course, is for brides, or for queens at their coronation. Here, the hair should be worn loose, and be caught up by a gold fillet or decorative wreath.

Accessories

Gloves and handkerchiefs are always popular, even if only for decorative purposes. However, the best finshing touches to the ensemble are the various items hanging from the girdle:

• Small flat purses with tasselled strings - embroidered of course!

• Pomanders made of gold or silver and either a flat circular box or a ball. They are perforated and filled with perfume or fragrant herbs.

• Strings of beads

• A very few women even carry a small dagger on their girdle, but I find this to be somewhat masculine and lacking in taste.

Fur stoles are popular, and the best are made of sable or marten lined with silk. The ends should be tipped with jewels or gold. Stoles can be suspended from the girdle by a chain but they can also naturally enough, be worn about the neck.