| Brooke Bond | PG Tips tea cards offered in the interest of education | British Costumes


	01 DAY CLOTHES about 1050 This picture of a man and woman was taken from a manuscript illustrated about 1050 just before the Norman Conquest in 1066. They wear the basic mediaeval garments a tunic probably of wool slightly fitted with a high neck and long sleeves usually worn over a linen shirt. The lady's tunic similar to the man's but longer has a semi-circular mantle fastening on the shoulder. The lady covers her long hair with a hood held by a band and carries a travelling pouch; the man wears loose hose and leather shoes The Anglo Saxons were known for their skill in embroidery and braid weaving like that trimming the man's tunic
	02 DAY AND trAVELLING CLOTHES about 1150 Fashions changed slowly in mediaeval times. The man and woman from this 1150 manuscript still wear the semi-circular shoulder fastening mantles and tunics like those of a century earlier differing only in being more closely fitted and having long flowing cuffs. Long hair has an Angle Saxon fashion borrowed by the Normans and the woman has hers braided into cloth-covered plaits under her hood. The man is dressed for travelling in a hooded fur cloak and pointed hat. He wears cloth bound leggings instead of hose. His feet are bare here but some contemporary shoes were quite decorative.
	03 DAY CLOTHES about 1250 By 1250 manuscript illustrations show men's and women's tunics cut with a wide upper sleeve. Most men except the elderly preferred tunics short cloaks were usually held by a cord at the shoulder. A variety of loose over gowns were also popular and these had sleeves with two openings allowing them to hang loosely like the university gown based on them and still seen today. The woman's plaits are coiled in a bun at each ear sometimes covered with a net and the hat head-band is kept in place by a veil or 'wimple' drawn closely under the chin
	04 DAY CLOTHES about 1350 By 1350 manuscript illustrations show the tunic as tight fitting cut to reveal the figure. Women wore theirs long with a low wide neckline and long right sleeves trimmed at the elbow with dangling cuffs. Some had vertical pocket slits with contrasting borders and often loose low-cut sleeveless over gowns were worn. Hair bands were sometimes jewelled but 'wimples' were reserved for widows and the elderly. Men's tunics were also tight but short with tiny buttons used as trimmings. Sometimes clothes were banded or partly coloured with edges cut into patterns. A caped head with long tails was a common head covering
	05 MAN'S DAY CLOTHES about 1430 The rich clothes of this earl Renaissance man are taken from a tapestry of about 1430 His carefully made fur-trimmed tunic is pleated on to a lining and has baggy sleeves with the embroidered shirt showing at neck and wrists. His hood is worn as a 'chaperon' (a beret-like hat) with his head through the shoulder opening while the remainder is twisted decoratively out of the way. He wears a heavy jewelled collar and belt which is useful for holding his pouch and dagger. Weavers of the day were highly skilled and much richly patterned silk and velvet was made in Flanders and Italy
	06 LADY'S DAY DRESS about 1430 This lady wears the elaborate clothes of the early Renaissance. She is taken from the same tapestry as the gentleman on card 5. Her gown is carefully made with a tight low bodice wide flowing sleeves and full trained skirt. It is a rich flower patterned Flemish or Italian silk trimmed with fur. The waist is high marked by an elegant belt. Her hair is nearly concealed with side coils dressed high at the temples almost like horns and completely covered in a rich opaque material over which is draped a wire stiffened veil.
	07 FORMal CLOTHES about The lady taken from a manuscript wears a fitted dress with a revealing neckline. The trained skirt flares from the small high waist emphasised by a wide gold belt. Her sleeves are tight with flaring cuffs and her cap is very high. The cap is made of velvet with wires to support the transparent veil so that it floats like butterfly wings. Her hair is completely hidden and her brow plucked to look wider. Her companion wears a short tunic or 'doublet' (carefully stitched and pleated an to a lining) with square padded shoulders Note also his painted shoes and that he wears a cap and not a hood. This formal and sophisticated dress is typical of the courtly styles introduced from Burgundy and France.
	08 LADY'S DAY DRESS about 1490 This lady of about 1490 Wears a rich gown of thick material brocaded with gold and is copied from a manuscript. This line foreshadows the severe styles of the court of the early Tudors with a low waist and high neckline. Her skirt has a train but is pinned up at the back for convenience when walking and to show off the fur lining. Her sleeves are in a new fashion funnel shaped and faced with fur. She wears a hood with cape dangling like a curtain front turned up and stiffened and worn over a wired and Jewelled under cap almost concealing her scraped-back hair. Her shoes have very broad toes. Materials are rich and heavy many imported from Flanders and Italy.
	09 MAN'S DAY CLOTHES This young man wears clothes in the 'Italian Fashion' much less enveloping than those of his lady in card 8. He is taken from a manuscript. His doublet reaches only to his waist and is very tight with slits on the chest and sleeves giving room to move and an opportunity for his fine shirt to be seen. His hose are tied to the waist with 'paints' (laces) and fasten in the front with a 'cod piece' (flap). For riding he nears protective leather stockings and his shoes have broad toes. This style replaced peaked shoes in about 1480. His short loose gown with long hanging sleeves is cut to hang open and show the contrasting facings. His hair is shoulder length and his flat hat has a jewelled brim.
	10 IRISH CHIEPIAIN about 1545 This Irish chieftain is from a drawing of 1545. He wears a saffron yellow tunic and a richly decorated doublet with hanging sleeves a survival from the fashionable dress of about 1470- His semi-circular mantle is probably the Irish 'brat' woollen and fringed to shed rain. This chieftain's legs are bare although others sometimes wore 'trews' or breeches. He carries the Irish ring handled sword. Women sometimes wore similar long mantles and large linen held dresses. Distinctive Irish lapsed following the English occupation. Present day national dress is a modern revival the women's bared on 18th century Connemara costume.
	11 LADY'S FORMal DRESS about 1545 This lady taken from a portrait painted about 1545 sears a rigid and long waisted gown. Underneath is a stiffened corset and farthingale petticoat. The over gown has short wide fur sleeves while the under sleeves (slit to show the fine embroidery) of the lady's undergarments and petticoat are probably separate and pinned or stitched in position materials are rich and heavy. With this formal dress is worn a small 'French' hood stiffened and jewelled. Ordinary women would have warn similar dress but with the older-fashioned flowing skirt law neck covered with a linen 'partlet' and either a hood or linen cap and veil
	12 MAN'S FORMal CLOTHES about 1548 This gentleman from a portrait painted about 1548 by Guillim Stretes wears an over gown with full upper sleeves adding breadth to his shoulders fashionable from about 1520. His doublet is loose with a seam at the waist and skirts and his upper stocks (breeches) are separated from his hose for greater comfort and case of making. He has a padded 'cod piece' and his shirt is embroidered in black silk with small frills at the neck which eventually develop into the ruff. His cap is softer and wider than previously and his shoes are less broad in the toes than in the early years of Henry VIII.
	13 MAN'S FORMal CLOTHES 1600 This gentleman is based on a portrait of one of Queen Elizabeth's attendants painted around 1600. He wears a padded doublet with pointed waist and short padded breeches with tapering 'canion' at the knee over which the stocking is pulled. His 'Spanish' cloak is heavily embroidered. Possibly Sir Walter Raleigh threw down a similar one to protect Queen Elizabeth from the mud. His suit however is not so brightly coloured or richly trimmed as others of the period. He wears a starched and gathered ruff developed from the shirt neck frill after about 1560. His jewellery includes the collar of the Order of the Garter. His hat would have been conical.
	14 LADY'S FORMal DRESS This lady based on a portrait painted around 1610 shows the dress which first appeared in the later portraits of Qecn Elizabrth about 1580 and remained fashionable in the reign of James 1 The bodice is very long pointed and stiff and the wide skirt is supported by hip 'boulsters' of the 'drum farthingale'. The sleeves are wide and the neckline low with ruff open to frame the face. It is trimmed with lace newly introduced from Italy and Flanders. Her pleated fan is a new fashion from China. Fashionable ladies no longer wore a cap and her uncovered hair is dressed high with ribbons and feathers.
	15 Lady's DAY DRESS about 1634 This illustration is based on a portrait of Henrietta Maria painted in 1634 by Anthony van Dvck. She wears a soft satin walking dress with the short waist and full flowing skirt fashionable from around 1620. Her bodice is cut almost like a man's doublet and equally masculine are her wide-plumed hat and long 'lovelock' on her short naturally curling hair. She wears a fine wide Flemish lace collar veiling the gold braid on her bodice. Fur formal occasions the neck would be left bare and the hair dressed with jewels. Ordinary women's dress was similar but they except when riding wore a close lace trimmed cap
	16 MAN'S DAY CLOTHES 1629 This dress is based on that worn by Charles I in a portrait by Daniel Mytens 1629. It is a suit with the new softer line. The short waisted doublet with long skirts has slits on the chest and sleeve allowing for movement (emphasised finely embroidered braid). The knee-length breeches full but not padded are supported by hooks inside the waistline. The ribbon 'points' at waist and knee are decorative survivals of the lacing hose supports of late mediaeval times. The lace-trimmed ruff falls to the shoulders and the hair is long with a 'lovelock'. Boots and gloves are of soft leather the latter embroidered.
	17 MAN'S DAY CLOTHES about 1650 This gentleman is based on a portrait by Gonzales Coques painted about 1650. He wears a suit based on the Dutch fashions then popular. It has a short unstiffened jacket and wide breeches hanging loose to the knee. Dark colours were generally worn and not confined to followers of Parliament. Matching braid provides trimming. About 1660 ribbons became very popular trimmings and hundreds of yards could be used on a suit at shoulder waist and knee and for the bows on the square-toed shoes. He has a fine square lace collar fashionable around 1650-70 a cloak and a narrow-brimmed conical hat.
	18 SCOTTISH CHIEFTAIN about 1660 This Scottish chieftain taken from a portrait painted about 1660 wears a fashionable doublet and wig with a traditional belted plaid long mantle pleated and wound round the waist with the spare material thrown over the shoulder. Difficult to arrange it began to be divided into separate kilt and plaid about 1720. In this painting he wears neither 'trews' nor 'sporran' nor is his soft 'bonnet' of traditional blue. He wears short stockings with 'brogues'. Tartan patterns and colours were only systematically ascribed to clans late in the 19th century.
	19 LADY'S FORMal DRESS 1674 This lady from a group painted in 1674 wears formal dress showing how long the waistline had become since 1640. Her bodice is low and stiffened and the short sleeves show much of her lace and ribbon-trimmed shift. The skirt is made to wear open displaying the elaborately trimmed petticoat Unpatterned silks and satins were popular hut much trimmed especially with braid and ribbons. False curls were sometimes added to the wide-dressed hair. It is difficult to find a portrait of an English lady full dressed most at this time preferred to be painted informally in their undress bedgowns over their shifts.
	20 MAN'S FORMal CLOTHES 1674 This gentleman from a group painted in 1674 wears a new more comfortably styled coat and waistcoat introduced from France in about 1660. A fitted coat with low set pockets and short sleeves showing the lace trimmed shirt cuff which developed from a loose country overcoat is worn over the doublet now the waistcoat. Both are fastened with many small buttons. The shoulder knot recalls the formerly popular ribbon trimming. He wears a long full wig and a gathered lace cravat instead of wide square collar. His embroidered sword belt hangs over his shoulder. His breeches stockings and square-toed shoes are little changed from the previous period.
	21 LADY'S FORMal DRESS about 1690 Late l7th century dress as this copy from a contemporary fashion plate shows had become stiff formal and based on French court fashions. The dress has become an over gown pinned over the stiff corset to show the 'stomacher' and gathered back at the hips to show the embroidered and fringe-trimmed petticoat. Lace frills on the shift show at neck and sleeves. The most characteristic feature is the hair beginning to be dressed high in the 1680's. This style was named after Mlle. de Fontanges a favourite of Louis XIV who is believed to have originated it. The lady wears gloves and carries the fashionable muff.
	22 MAN'S DAY CLOTHES 1738 This gentleman from a portrait by William Hogarth of I738 wears a smart summer suit with the coat more tightly fitting than at the end of the 17th century. It is made of plain cloth embroidered on edges and pockets which are raised to hip level. The waistcoat is plain and the breeches are tighter and fasten below the knee. The shirt is frilled at the cuff and around the neck is a knotted muslin or lace cravat. He wears his own hair. For formal occasions a powdered wig tied back with a bow would be worn and his coat and waistcoat would be of patterned silks or possibly embroidered.
	23 LADY'S DAY DRESS about 1750 This lady from a portrait by Arthur Devis about 1750. Wears a 'sackback' dress developed from the flowing under gowns of the 17th century. Beneath are a stiff corset and cane side hoops supporting the skirts. The frills of her shift show at the neck veiled in a muslin 'kerchief' and at the opening of her wing like cuffs which are typical of the 1750's. She wears a round muslin cap the central pleat recalling the 'fontange' (1690-1710). For formal dress she would wear richly brocaded or embroidered silks.
	24 LADY'S DAY DRESS about 1760 By about 1760 as this illustration from a portrait shows the dress to be seen on card 23 although unchanged in cut has lost its wimple outline and acquired much trimming. Frills have been applied to the opening of the 'sackback' open robe and to the contrasting- petticoat supported by small side hoops as well as to the cuffs of the elbow-length sleeves. The 'stomacher' of the stiff boned corset is decorated with ribbons and partially veiled with lace possibly made in France. Her hair is piled high and draped with a scarf. For formal occasions her hair would be elaborately dressed with flowers feathers and fanciful decorations.
	25 MAN'S DAY CLOTHES about 1770 This gentleman from a portrait by John Zoff any around 1770 wears a plain coat tightly fitting and cut away forming curving tails. The Waistcoat is shortened to just below- the waist and the breeches are longer and tighter than before. His coat has a band collar and he wears a rather stiff stock instead of a cravat. He wears his own hair but for formal occasions would have a powdered wig dressed high and tied at the back. Embroidery and trimming were no longer fashionable except for formal wear and were smaller and more delicate in design
	26 COUNtrY CLOTHES about 1780 These English country folk were taken from sketches drawn about 1780 by Samuel Hieronmous Grimm. Fashion news travelled slowly and anyway country folk were too poor to buy fashionable clothes. Consequently their dress was utilitarian and old fashioned The woman wears a drab homespun gown probably over a durable leather corset She has a linen neckerchief and her petticoat is shielded by an apron. Under her shady hat is a linen cap. She wears a caped hood traditionally- of scarlet- the original 'red riding hood'. The man wears a linen smock frock originally a protective overall. Its only decoration is the embroidered smocking which holds the pleats in place.
	27 LADY'S DAY DRESS about 1780 This dress from an engraving of 1780 is typical of the simple countrified styles a which became fashionable towards the end of the century. It is a 'redingote' or riding coat modelled on a man's coat. The waist has become shorter and the bosom is padded by a muslin 'bouffant' neckerchief and the hips by a 'false rump'. The hair is dressed in a mass of loose curls and the lady wears ears an immense plumed hat inspired by a mid-17th century riding hat. Woollen cloth cotton and linen had become fashionable materials while silks here worn for evening as here small hoops since wide ones were only worn for court.
	28 LADY'S FORMal DRESS 1802 This lady's dress figures in an early set of fashion plates - Heideloff's 'Gallery of Fashion' for 1802. There was great interest at the time in ancient Greece and Rome and she wears 'fashionable full dress' the style based on the drapery - of classical statues. The waist is high and uncorseted and the materials light in colour and texture. Muslin had become a fashionable fabric. Her gown is still 18th century in cut but for day wear it would have bodice skirt and petticoat in one piece like some of today's dresses. Her accessories are varied she carries a huge swansdown muff wears long white gloves has a tasselled girdle and a feather-trimmed turban.
	29 WELSH COUNtrY DRESS About 1830 This Welsh girl from a painting of about 1830 shows how fashions lag in remote places. She wears a gown of 18th century cut over a stiff corset a printed neckerchief and a petticoat protected by a check apron. Her dress is probably made from Welsh woollen material her mittens and stockings being knitted. Some trace her high crowned hat back to 17th century fashions. Many wore a red caped cloak no different from that worn by English countrywomen in the 18th and 19th century. This and the hat are the two essentials of Welsh national dress as we know it today.
	30 MAN'S DAY CLOTHES 1805 Informal day dress is shown in this illustration taken from a sketch portrait of George (Beau) Brummell the fashionable ideal of his age. He persuaded men to think that dark well-cut and fitted clothes were smarter than colourful ostentatious ones. He usually wore a cut-away cloth coat with brass buttons plain waistcoat matching his pantaloons (which replaced shorter breeches in about 1805) Hessian riding boots and a hard conical riding hat introduced in the late 18th century. Great care was taken in the laundering and tying of his stiffly starched cravat. For evening he wore a black coat and silk pantaloons instead of old fashioned knee breeches.
	31 EVENING CLOTHES about 1806 In these designs from contemporary fashion plates the lady wears a one-piece dress introduced at the end of the 18th century. Its design was inspired by the new interest in classical works of art. It has a high waist straight skirt unsupported by petticoats and very short sleeves. Contemporaries found it daring and immodest. The material is light and striped. For warmth she has a shawl wears long gloves and carries a muff. Ha companion's cut-away tail coat of fine cloth with velvet collar silk stockings tie wig and bicorne hat recall day clothes of the 18th century and foreshadow evening styles of the 20th century. Formal dress is usually a day style which persists remaining unchanged though long since out of fashion.
	32 DAY CLOTHES 1825 This illustration from a fashion plate of 1825 shows the lady's dress assuming a new outline. The waist has dropped to natural level and sleeves and skirt are wide and full. The colours are bright trimmings elaborate and much jewellery is worn. Accessories are varied the most noticeable is the vast hat trimmed with many ribbon bows. The man wears elegant walking dress also with a slight fullness at the shoulder and a waistcoat with lapels. He wears tight pantaloons acceptable for day wear after about 1805 and carries a higher 'top' hat.
	33 DAY CLOTHES 1848/9 The lady taken from a contemporary fashion plate nears a dress with a long tight pointed bodice and full skirt supported on many petticoats. The sleeves are tight and only the line of trimming on the upper arm recalls the big sleeves of the 1820's and 1830's which had subsided about 1836. For warmth she wears a shawl. On her head is an enveloping bonnet almost covering her face. She carries a parasol. This restrictive and demure line is typical of the sari Victorian period 1837-50. Her companion wears the new fashioned short lounge jacket with wide trousers introduced for country wear around 1800. His collar is loner and a bow replaces the starched cravat.
	34 DAY CLOTHES about 1856 This dress is based on that worn by the couple who appear in the middle of William Frith's painting of Derby Day in 1856. The girl's dress has a full flounced skirt supported by numerous stiff horsehair and starched petticoats. Sleeves have become wider since 1850 and the openings filled with muslin cuffs. A shawl drapes her shoulders. For young women the hat began to replace the bonnet. The man wears a light overcoat over a 'frock coat' with full square tails not cut away and a contrasting waistcoat with lapels and loose straight drab trousers. He wears a bow tie introduced about 1840 and the now universal top hat.
	35 LADY'S DAY DRESS 1967 Modern industrial invention entered fashion in the 1850's This dress from a fashion plate of 1867 has its wide triangular skirt supported on a steel with 'artificial crinoline's introduced about 1856 to replace the numerous starched petticoats. The dress has probably stitched on the sewing machine which came into general use in the 1850's The bright green owes much to the aniline dyes introduced at this period. The dress is plain with a high neck and long sleeves while the skirt is trained and the trimming foreshadows the bustle. The hat had completely replaced the bonnet.
	36 DAY CLOTHES 1872 This dress is described as a 'seaside costume' in a fashion plate of 1872. A gathered 'overskirt' supported on a 'crinolette' makes the back the most important feature. The materials are light and the sewing machine has made it possible to attach quantities of pleated trimming. The jaunty hat perches on a huge bun probably made in part from false hair. Evening dresses only difference in being low necked and almost sleeveless. The man wears an informal lounge suit the shape based on a cut-away coat. He nears the more comfortable turn down collar with knotted tie and low crowned 'bowler' like hat.
	37 LADY'S EVENING DRESS 1876 This lady's dress is based on one painted by Frederick Tissot in about 1876. The ball dress has the skirt 'tied back' draped tightly in front and firming a long train. The waist is long shaped by the tight corset. Like all mid-Victorian evening dresses the dress is made with a very low neck and almost no sleeves. Typical of the 1870's are the light sheer materials and contrasting trimming. Gloves and fans were invariable evening accessories. Day dresses were elaborate made in heavier materials with square necks and elbow-length sleeves. The tight long skirt made walking difficult.
	38 LADY'S DAY DRESS about 1885 This day dress from a fashion plate of 1885 has a bustle to support the weight of the heavily-trimmed overdress. The skirt pleated and fairly wide was thought to be an advance in comfort although the corset was very tight and the dress cumbersome. The need to balance the high hat tight collars and sleeves further restricted movement. Many women preferred the masculine styled plain 'tailor-made'. No wonder the Rational Dress Society was founded in 1880 with the aim of making dress healthier and more comfortable. Some finding contemporary dress ugly preferred the flowing 'aesthetic' costume based on the mediaeval gown.
	39 DAY CLOTHES 1896 This lady from a fashion plate of 1896 wears tailored 'walking dress'. Typical of the middle of the 1890's is the great 'leg of mutton' sleeve the tight bodice the small back frill (all that remains of the bustle) and the smooth flaring skirt all emphasised by braid decoration. The small high hat and collar suggest the original Tudor inspiration of the style. The gentleman wears the top hat and frock coat that have become established formal dress for over ferry years. Black is established as the standard colour for formal dress and little else has changed except details like the length of the lapel and the curve of the rails. He wears a high starched collar.
	40 DAY CLOTHES 1901 The figure of the lady wearing this smoothly tailored walking dress (shown in a fashion plate of 1901) has been altered by her adoption of the straight-fronted corset believed to be healthier and less restrictive. It throws her chest forward and emphasises her hips. The skirt is gored and flared the sleeves tight but the full cuff at the wrist was to increase in size over the next three years. The hat is perched on a puffed and padded coiffure. Her companion wears high curved top hat with a double-breasted 'frock overcoat' on top of his formal jacket and striped trousers.
	41 LADY'S DAY DRESS 1906 This summer dress from a fashion plate of 1906 though worn over a 'hygienic' straight fronted corset is far from plain. It is made in soft pale material trimmed with much embroidery lace and ribbon. Since 1904 there had been new emphasis on the shoulders and until 1908 sleeves were to be puffed out almost square. The smoothly flowing skirt is supported on petticoats almost as pretty as the dress itself. Hats were always worn perched on the puffed out coiffure. The parasol was a popular accessory. She carries a leather handbag a fashion introduced at the beginning of the 19th century and revived at the end.
	42 LADY'S DAY DRESS 1909 The line has changed in this summer dress drawn from a fashion plate of 1909 It is straighter and short-waisted with a new severity of outline. The band of trimming at the ankle of the narrow skirt suggests a 'hobble' and makes it look difficult to walk which was rather an odd fashion for women who were fighting for freedom and equal rights. Another fashionable feature was the new 'low' straight neckline marking the passing of the high-boned collar. The most important accessory was the hat very large and much trimmed. Colours were bright sometimes clashing and influenced by the Orient.
	43 DAY CLOTHES 1916 This lady from a fashion plate of 1916 wears the new high-waisted flared dress just replacing the tight draped styles. It is short reaching only to the ankles and gave the hither to unknown freedom of movement necessary in a war (1914-18) during which women's equal rights to work became accepted. The gentleman wears a 'lounge suit' with a long loose-flaring jacket and high-button lapels. His trousers taper slightly. Bowler hats were very common and for evening he could wear either the less formal more comfortable dinner jacket introduced in the 1890's or the more formal cut away 'tails'.
	44 DAY CLOTHES 1920 In 1920 the shorter low-waisted dress shown in this fashion plate became established. It is loosely cut concealing not defining; the figure. Flat chested women were about to become fashionable. Hats were small worn over neatly coiled hair. Evening dresses were often low cut supported only by shoulder straps and made in exotic materials and colours. The man's lounge suit fits tightly and still retains its long jacket. The trousers are straight but shorter generally with the turn-up introduced about 1904 He wears the new soft felt hat and spats protecting his shoes introduced in the middle of the 19th century.
	45 DAY CLOTHES about 1927 This lady from a fashion place of 1927 shows how plain straight loosely-fitting and low-waisted dresses had become. They became shorter from 1920 and by 1925 legs clad in beige flesh-coloured stockings were visible to the knee. Women looked as free and easy as boys with their flat figures and new short 'bobbed' hairstyles covered in tight cloche hats. The man's suit is still high waisted with a rounded jacket. Men's trousers were full sometimes widening at the turn-up to form 'Oxford bags'. Contrasting sports jackets were beginning to be worn for leisure.
	46 DAY CLOTHES 1929 By 1929 the line had begun to soften as this fashion plate shows. The dress is cleverly cut to cling to a figure more rounded and 'girlish' than flat and 'boyish'. The waist was becoming shorter and the dress longer first at the back and by 1930 all the way round. Beige stockings became standard. Evening dresses were clinging and almost reached the floor they were sleeveless with necks even lower at the back than at the front. The hairstyle still short was less straight. The man wears a dark suit with a high waist but the trousers have become narrower. For semi-formal occasions men's clothes were generally in dark colours.
	47 DAY CLOTHES 1938 In 1938 outfits as shown in this illustration taken from a fashion plate had become square at the shoulder with a fairly tight natural waist and full flaring skirt. Styles were varied and inspired by French designers like Elsa Schiaparelli and Gabrielle Chanel and by what the film stars wore. Evening dresses were 'classical' in satin and sequins or 'romantic' with full skirts. Hats were still small tilted over the eye and much trimmed. Men's suits as this drawing of a fashion plate shows had become much broader and more padded at the shoulder with a long jacket and wide straight trousers. Narrow pin' striped materials were popular. The soft felt hat generally replaced the bowler.
	48 DAY CLOTHES 1941 This lady's suit now in the Victoria and Albert Museum was designed in 1941 when materials were restricted because of war. Modelled on the soldier's battle dress the jacket is waist-length with flapped pockets. The line is still pre-war with its square shoulders natural waist and flaring skirt. Hair was worn curled sometimes in a long eye-covering style. For comfort and warmth many wore 'slacks' and head scarves. This man's suit from a fashion plate has a new longer waist and fits more loosely. Sports jackets with contrasting trousers gave variety and economised on the 'coupons' that were issued to everybody when clothes were rationed.
	49 DAY CLOTHES 1947 In 1947 the 'New Look' promoted by the French designer Christian Dior brought a reaction against austere restricted wartime styling. Clothes as shown in this illustration from a fashion plate became romantic based on mid-Victorian modes with narrower sloping shoulders tightly fitting jackets tiny waists and full sweeping skirts often pleated. For evening low-necked or 'strapless' styles in rich stiff materials were popular. Men's clothes were influenced by the USA. This drawing shows the shoulders as broad the jacket loose and long waisted. Trousers still straight began to taper. Special clothes for evening reappeared but they were still the almost unchanged dinner jacket and tails evolved in the 19th century.
	50 DAY CLOTHES 1967 These two young people are wearing the free and easy clothes of 1967 The girl has a simple natural hairdo but exotic makeup. She is boyishly slender and wears over a minimum of underclothing a short mini skirted semi-fitted tunic made of linked Fairy coloured plastic discs one of many new materials. The cut is simple and variety of texture pattern and colour are all important. Her friend bored with the utilitarian short hair dark coats and trousers and white shirts men have worn for a hundred and fifty years has grown his hair and returned to flamboyant materials bright stripes velvet trimmings and flower patterns on his shirt. He blends a Georgian type cravat mid Victorian tail coat and military trimmings.
*Source material provided by DVLC - Dave's Vertiable Loft Centre*	Illustrated By Michael Youens Described By Madeleine Ginsburg

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