18th century cloaks – Part III

Into the History
by Johnna McEntee
Hidden Dirk Mercantile – 18th century clothing reproductions

18th Century Cloaks – Part III

(continued from 18th century cloaks – Part II) 

Cloaks were generally made of  what was considered in the 18th century to be wool broadcloth, which was very tightly woven to that it would hold its edge well and be water-resistant.  Lower class cloaks would almost always be unlined, and may or may not have included a hood, while more fashionable cloaks could be lined with fur or thick wadding.  

Cloak hoods were cut generously to accommodate tall hairstyles, caps or hats and were sometimes adjusted with a drawstring. In many upper class cloaks the hoods would either be fully lined with silk, or lined partially on the outer edges where the hood interior would show. Some lower and middle class cloaks achieved a similar effect by trimming the outside edge of the hood with a silk binding. 

Some cloaks had both a small cape and a hood attached to the neckline, where the collar could lay on the outside of the hood (as seen on the garment pictured right from the Metropolitan Museum of Art) or the inside of the hood and would be turned up against the neck for added warmth. Again, upper class examples show collars with the side that would be touching the skin made of silk.

Whether your cloak is short or long, wool or silk, red or gray, one of ours or one you make yourself – we hope you stay toasty warm this winter in a fashionable 18th century cloak of your own!

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18th Century Cloaks – Part I

Into the History
by Johnna McEntee

18th Century Cloaks – Part I

According to weather experts, a “Little Ice Age” was taking place from about the 16th-19th centuries, making winters even colder for our counterparts in the past. We’ve all seen the painting of George Washington crossing the Delaware on Christmas of 1776 with icy chunks bashing against his boat—the General looks stoic, but you can see that it’s cold. In the winter of 1780, New York Harbor froze over so completely that people could walk back and forth from Staten Island to Manhattan. That’s cold.

Picture Caption: Washington Crossing the Delaware, Leutze, Emanuel (1851)

For those who have participated in winter camps, you know there is no escaping it – no matter how close you sit to the fire or how much you stoke the stove, some part of you is always, somehow, still frozen.

Enter the 18th century cloak: cold weather gear sturdy enough to brave even the most bitter New England winter.

In the 18th century, a “cloak” was the name for the outer-garment, which could be a shorter, hip-length garment or a longer, full-length version. A “cape” in the 18th century was the name for the modern-day collar, or a smaller, shorter piece of fabric over the longer layer that covered the shoulders (see General Washington’s cloak for an example of an attached cape in the painting above) . As cloaks became shorter and shorter and multiple layers of capes were added to the garment, the terms “cloak” and “cape” came to be synonymous.

-Part II of this short, three-part series, will look more into cloak color popularity.-

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Twelfth Nigh Traditions – Part II

Today we continue our look at Twelfth Night traditions from Johnna McEntee’s article through the “Into the History” series at Hidden Dirk Mercantile.

Into the History
by Johnna McEntee

Twelfth Night Traditions – Part II

(continued from Part I)…  These actors and dancers, often wearing masks and costumes, would travel the streets and visit homes unannounced and beg for drinks and sweets. It is thought that this tradition started when the early Church absorbed the pagan Saturnalia celebration, when some of the “new” Christian faithful would wear caricatured and grotesque masks that would mock the old Roman gods. This led them to be called “mummers” (from the French “momer,” which means wearing a mask). 18^th century mummers’ masks and costumes were of a wide variety, including dressing as animals, and the ever popular “straw man.” While traveling the streets begging for holiday goodies, the mummers might spontaneously break into an impromptu play, performed in the street to whoever would listen.

Raucous singing and group dancing were other popular pastimes for mummers during the Twelve Days. Morris Dancing, Sword Dancing, Step Dancing and other folk dances from the “old country” could make an appearance during the mummer’s outing. One of the popular Twelfth Night dancing traditions were “Molly dancers.” Molly troupes were made up entirely of men, with many of their members dressed in women’s clothing. Often, their performances ended with the men asking for coins…or beer.

As could be guessed, the well-to-do weren’t all that impressed by the rowdy – and often bawdy – antics of the village mummers. One of the Pennsylvania gentry wrote  that the mummers in his town “were a set of the lowest blackguards, who, disguised in filthy clothes and ofttimes with masked faces, went from house to house in large companies, …obtruding themselves everywhere, particularly into the rooms occupied by parties of ladies and gentlemen, (and) would demean themselves with great insolence.”

Photo Caption: Mummers at a barn party. As you can see, some of the guests in attendance are thoroughly enjoying the show, while others are clearly not amused.

Though “mumming” through the streets in early January isn’t a popular (or should I say “sanctioned”) activity today, you can see all aspects of the 18^th century mummers during our modern celebration of Mardi Gras in New Orleans – complete with masks, costumes, dancing, singing, parades, and general tom-foolery.

Tomorrow, in part three of the four-part series, we’ll look at how Twelfth Night and New Years celebrations entwined and the food and festivities that went with them.

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