Headwrapping and head covering - historically

(Topic: Historical Fashion)

Hi Friends!

A friend of mine recently started wearing headwraps, and I ended up trying them too, after someone suggested they may help with my anxiety (mixed results: once they are on, I at least perceived a certain amount of comfort from them, but getting them on sometimes was more stressful...).

Well, with my interests, it seems only natural that I should explore some of the historical uses of headwraps and head coverings! They are all over the place, in many cultures, eras, religious traditions, and even high fashion! My knowledge of historical fashion is mostly limited to Europe, which for much of history has been Christian, though, so most of my examples will be from that demographic. However, many many other times, religions, and places have their own twist (ha!) on head coverings, too, so do some digging! You'll find lots of beautiful people with beautiful head wear!

To be clear, I'm going to focus on women, and on head wear that was for the whole day (not just when going out, like a hat or bonnet, or for specific occasions, like a wedding veil). I will be focused on Europe but will include a few other regions, and focused on more recent eras from the middle ages to nearly now, but will throw in a few older examples too.

Note: there are many eras, regions, and cultures in which having fancy hair was the thing, even in "ancient" cultures, and many where it was usual to cover the hair. There are also many where men and women did not wear head coverings, and many where both did. It varies widely. Even today, it varies widely, even if you are only looking at the western world: In the US, some observant Jews wear head coverings, as do some segments of African American society, as well as Christian nuns, the Amish and some Mennonites, and some conservative Christians cover their hair with a pinned on piece of lace or a small kerchief. However, we largely no longer always cover our heads when leaving the house (which used to be what everyone did). Since the 1960s, it's no longer de regure to wear a hat when away from home.

Fig. 1, from Source B, pg 41. "Head-dress of Shub-ad (Pu-abi), Queen of Ur". Ancient Mesopotamia (Sumerian), about 4th Millennium BC.

Fig. 2, from Source A, pg 172.
Ancient Mesopotamia (Sumerian), about 4th Millennium BC.

Fig. 3, from Source A, pg 80. "Marble statuette of a goddess. Late Minoan" 1580-1450 BC

Fig. 4, from Source A, pg 97. "Woman's head-dress from Thebes. Eighteenth Dynasty" 1580-1320 BC Egypt

Fig. 5, from Source F, pg 66. Etruscan, with shawl. 800-200 BC

Fig. 6, from Source A, pg 112. Etruscan, 700-575 BC

Fig. 7, from Source F, pg 75. Statue from 1st Century. Palla.

Fig. 8, from Source F, pg 93. Byzantine, late 5th Century.

Fig. 9, from Source A, pg 177. "Countess Uta, Naumberg Cathedral" 13th Century

Fig. 10, from Source F, pg 108. Fillet and barbette, and coif. Ca. 1225-1250

Bonus picture: me wearing a fillet and barbette! No coif (cap) underneath, though. Sometimes a veil is worn on top, too.

Fig. 11, from Source F, pg 130. 14th Century

Fig. 12, from Source A, pg 201. 15th Century

Fig. 13, from Source F, pg 158. Early 15th Century. Peasant.

Fig. 14, from Source A, pg 208. From Roger van der Weyden's "Portrait of a Woman", painted 1433

Fig. 15, from Source A, pg 190. From Jan van Eyck's "Jan Arnolfini and his Wife", painted 1435. Frilled/stacked veils.

Fig. 15, from Source F, pg 174. France, ca. 1500 "coif with lappets"

Fig. 16, from Source F, pg 163. Early 16th century. Turban-like head-dress

Fig. 17, from Source F, pg 182. Flemish, ca. 1535. Coif, small hood.

Fig. 18, from Source F, pg 182. Late 16th, by Anthonis Mor von Dashorst, "Portrait of Margaretta of Parma". Coif.

Fig. 19, from Source A, pg 289. From J.D. de Saint-Jean's "Peasant Woman from the Paris Region", late 17th Century

Fig. 20, from Source F, color section. "Mrs. Elizabeth Freake and Baby Mary" unknown artist, Massachusetts settlers. ca 1674

Fig. 21, from Source F, pg 230. late 18th century. Cap, from the back.

Fig. 22, from Source A, pg 334. "Formal toilette in muslin, toupée head-dress, 1797"

Fig. 23, from Source A, pg 371. Carl Begas' "The Begas Family" painted 1821. Note only the older/married woman wears a cap.

Fig. 24, from Source E, pg 12. ca. 1842, Sophia Jones Ireland, age 69

Fig. 25, from Source D, pg 54. Ca. 1847. Daycap.

Fig. 26, from Source C, pg 11. 1860s. Velvet ribbon hairnet.

Fig. 27, from Source C, pg 10. Fine net, worn over dressed hair. 1860s.

Fig. 28, from Source C, pg 15. Older hairstyle on an older woman. Daycap with large lappets/ties. 1860s.

Want to learn more? AWESOME! First off, your local public library is a great place to start. If they don't have historical fashion books, they can probably get them by borrowing them from another library for you, called "interlibrary loan" (there are several systems they may use to do that... just ask a librarian for help if you are not familiar with how to do it). You can start off with overviews of history, but I highly recommend you look for one that has photos of original artifacts, museum pieces, and paintings, rather than one that uses drawings and tracings, since you can't see what they are based on. Once you find an era that you are interested in, find books specifically about fashion in that era, since they will be much more in-depth. And most important: have fun!

Here are the sources I used for this post:


Source A:
Barber, Elizabeth Wayland. Women's Work: The First 20,000 Years: Women, Cloth, and Society in Early Times. W. W. Norton & Company, 1994.

Source B:
Boucher, François. 20,000 Years of Fashion: The History of Costume and Personal Adornment: Expanded Edition. Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers, 1987.

Source C:
Leisch, Juanita. Who Wore What? Women's Wear 1861-1865. Thomas Publications, 1995.

Source D:
Severa, Joan L. Dressed for the Photographer: Ordinary Americans & Fashion, 1840-1900. Kent State University Press, 1995.
Source E:
Severa, Joan L. My Likeness Taken: Daguerreian Portraits in America. Kent State University Press, 2005.

Source F:
Tortora, Phyllis G. and Keith Eubank. Survey of Historic Costume: A History of Western Dress, 4th Ed. Fairchild Publications, Inc. 2005.


Yours,

Sarah

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Plaid Ball Gown

Dear Friends,

I have recently had the pleasure to have a ball gown made by Sarah Crow, of The Preacher Wife's Gowns and Carr Antiquities (Facebook)!

She and I discussed options, the primary limiting factor being that we would work only with fabric I already owned, with minimal purchases for trim. I had a lovely red/gold plaid silk (with small stripes in navy and green, as well). Using some period images as inspiration, we agreed on a bertha-style, with puff sleeves, and then lace trim with ribbon work. Here are a few of the inspiration images:

1) Just a similar plaid. Since we weren't doing a day dress, this was more to help me picture my flat piece of fabric as a fully formed dress. This pin was originally from Ebay (I think it was a CDV), so there is no link to its original location.

2) Again, a day dress. Yet the way the trim is on the hem and the whole collar/bodice trim was very similar to what I had in mind. There's no good link to an original source, so if you happen to know where this is from, I'd love to cite the source.

3) Day dress.This one is just such a scrumptious blue stripe! Right??? Ok, but seriously, some ideas for a waist treatment (how to attach the skirt). Note that the original Pinterest post is no longer connected to a proper source, so if you know where this is from, please let me know so I can give proper credit/citation!

4) This neckline. This neckline trim. The pleats. The lace. YUM YUM YUM. Note that this Pinterest link also doesn't lead further. Again, if you know the source, please let me know so I can include it!

The sneak preview she sent me... ;)

The bertha was originally going to be a pleated sheer silk, and would be shaped in similarly to image 4 above. Instead, it became a separate piece that sits higher on my shoulders and lower in front, with a higher neckline on the true bodice, and the pleating, believe it or not, is actually the same silk as the dress, just pleated carefully to show only the gold!

Beautiful scrumptious work in progress! This was my main fitting. The minor adjustments I'll make are mainly things like moving a few of the hooks and eyes, since we didn't get a last fitting right before the ball to check those types of things.

And done! This is at the February Ohio Regimental Military Ball (ORMB) in Canton, OH.
I absolutely ADORE all the lacy lace! I felt so beautiful wearing it.

Happy dancers :)

My seamstress friend from The Young Sewphisticate and I, enjoying being beautiful! She also gets credit for loaning me the fluffy lovely cap I'm wearing.

Thank you so much to my friend Sarah Crow for making me this gorgeous gown!

Yours,

Sarah

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1860s-Style Mourning Dress

Hi Friends,

As some of you know, we recently experienced a loss in our family. This led me (of course!) to looking into historical customs of mourning, specifically for the American Civil War era (1861-65).

Garment Data:
- Type: Dress, specifically for mourning or half mourning, depending on the accessories
- Date made: August 2016
- Pattern: My personalized Civil War "Day Dress" pattern, drafted by my friend Karen, adjusted slightly at the neckline, and with sleeves I drafted myself. Also, assisted by the Dressmaker's Guide by Elizabeth Stewart Clark
- Fabric/Materials: Linen, cotton lining/hem facing, polyester chiffon for the veil
- Trim: Nylon velvet ribbon (1-1/2" and 3/8"), lace (poly?), cotton hem tape (1" twill tape), plastic buttons, 2 pants hooks for waist closure
- Accessories: Brooch, Belt, Belt buckle, Headband, Veil, Hairnet, Shoes
- Time to finish: approximately 3 days

I was originally intending to make this dress from a light-weight or even sheer wool. However, I could not find it easily locally, and since I had a timeline in which I wanted to make it (I wanted to wear it to the Hale Farm (Ohio) reenactment on August 13th), I needed fabric to be available quickly. As it turned out, I knew someone who had over 6 yards of black linen - and, bonus, a roll of 3-1/2" black lace! I did a little bit of research to see if that would work. Linen was rare by this point, so it is a bit of a stretch but still possible.

Due to time constraints, as well as budgetary ones, here are the corners I cut:
- I used linen, a material no longer much in use in the 1860s for dresses
- I used a blue print for the lining rather than a polished cotton
- I did not make or use a bias piping on the armscye
- I did not make/cover a bonnet (though I did buy some of the materials...)
- I forgot pockets
- I used poly chiffon instead of crape

In all, though, it came together well! Here are the pictures:

Cutting the skirt. I based the number of panels on the yardage I had left after cutting the bodice and sleeves. I had enough length left for 3 panels, and they are about 60" wide, so that was fine.

Adding the hem facing at the bottom of the skirt.

Completed skirt (inside out) showing the hem facing.

Nearly completed bodice back. Note that the sleeves are still uncuffed.

Nearly completed bodice front. Note that I have not yet added darts or finished the front edge.

Shoe options at Goodwill. I realized last minute I had no black footwear that would be even halfway passable!!! I went with the top pair due to the overall look and that they were black. The bottom pair had a thick heel and were gray, which I didn't like.

Pinning on the trim. Note that I had already gathered the skirt at this point, using 2 layers of aligned gathering stitches in anticipation of gauging (is that the same as cartridge pleating?). I had tried larger pleats but noticed that the fabric was too bulky, so despite time constraints, I was going to have to gauge the skirt.

Laying everything out to make sure I had everything I needed :)

Completed dress!!! Just in time... this is the night before. I would still have to add the waist hooks in the morning, and complete the headdress and belt, but I had the bulk done! Hurrah!

At Hale Farm. I am wearing a ribbon headband, a hairnet, veil; period glasses, reproduction brooch, gloves; velvet ribbon belt with reproduction buckle; and the dress. The funny wrinkle-tuck at my waist is because I realized that the way I did the waistband of the dress caused the bodice to be too long. I pinned it up for the duration of this event, and will take it in permanently when I have the chance.

Here you can see the line of hem tape as well.

Detail of trim lines at bottom of skirt. They are all sewn on along the upper edge.

Dearest husband is the one taking the pictures! :)

The reproduction brooch by Elizabeth Aldridge, and the matte plastic shank buttons.

Velvet ribbon belt with reproduction buckle by Elizabeth Aldridge. You can see that my "fly" is gaping a little and I had to pin it shut. Not sure how to remedy that. You can also see my hasty pinned tuck to shorten the bodice. I can fix it much more elegantly, but that worked for the day!

Close up of the gauging along the waistband. I folded about 3" of the skirt down, then did pleating stitches in black thread, that stay in the skirt (two parallel lines of stitches, lined up with each other). I then pulled it tight, and matched the skirt to the waistband. I then whip-stitched one side of each pleat to the waistband from the inside, so only the outside edge of the pleat would show from the outside. Time-consuming, but I love the finished effect!!!

Most sincerely yours,
~ Sarah