The seventeeth Century

Question 1

Petticoat breeches

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Answer 1

By the middle of the century, breeches became “fantastically unmasculine”. These breeches, known as petticoat breeches, were decorated with hundreds of yards of ribbon

Question 2

Clocks

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Answer 2

the clocks (embroidery on the stockings around the ankles)

Question 3

Shoe roses

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Answer 3

the shoe roses (decorations on top of the shoe). These shoe roses were later replaced by bows.

Question 4

Boots decorated with quatrefoil spur straps

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Answer 4

Boots were also very popular. The tops of these boots were very broad (figures 105, 107, 109 in Laver). The boots were usually decorated with a large quatrefoil spur strap.

Question 5

Ruff

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Answer 5

the ruff (also worn during the previous century)

Question 6

Wisk (golilla)

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Answer 6

the wisk (also called a golilla), a large collar, often embroidered and edged with lace (figures 104 and 107)
 the underpropper, a wire frame that supported first the ruff and later the wisk

Question 7

Falling band

Answer 7

the falling band (figure 101), which looked very much like an ordinary collar

Question 8

 Limp or unstarched ruff

Answer 8

the limp or unstarched ruff

Question 9

 Cravat

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Answer 9

the cravat, a linen strip usually ending in lace, was held in place by a ribbon bow at the neck (figures 117 and 119). The cravat is important, as it was the precursor of the tie worn by men today.

Question 10

Steinkirk

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Answer 10

The Steinkirk was a variation of the cravat (Figure 120)

Question 11

Baldric

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Answer 11

The baldric was also popular during the seventeenth century. This was an embroidered strap, long and wide, worn over the right shoulder to support the sword under the left arm.

Question 12

Love lock

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Answer 12

During the first half of the seventeenth century, hair was worn with longer strands on the left to form a lovelock. At the close of the seventeenth century large powdered wigs became popular.

Question 13

VanDyckbeard

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Answer 13

The small pointed beard called a Van Dyck beard was worn during the first half of the seventeenth century (figures 104 and 110).

Question 14

Closed and open ruff as worn by women

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Answer 14

We can distinguish between four different types of neckwear for women:
1 the closed ruff (figures 99 and 101, left)
2 the open ruff (figure 101, centre)
3 a large, flat collar (figures 111 and 112) that was closed at centre front

Question 15

Large flat collar as worn by women

Answer 15

We can distinguish between four different types of neckwear for women:
1 the closed ruff (figures 99 and 101, left)
2 the open ruff (figure 101, centre)
3 a large, flat collar (figures 111 and 112) that was closed at centre front

Question 16

 Medici collar

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Answer 16

the open standing collar, similar to the open ruff but without any pleating. This was known as a Medici collar and can be seen worn by Marie de Medici.

Question 17

Bustle

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Answer 17

Towards the end of the century the bustle became popular.

Question 18

Fontange

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Answer 18

By 1690 a strange-looking headdress called the fontange was worn. This consisted of a very high white vertical cap decorated with ruffles, lace and ribbons.

Question 19

Chopine

Answer 19

These were wooden clogs, sometimes with very thick soles, worn over the shoe as protection when going outdoors. In Venice they were already worn during the sixteenth century.