CHRISTIANNE BAKEWELL COSTUME DESIGN
  • Portfolio
    • Design
    • Construction
    • Sketches
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blog

Hennins/Boqtas-Curious Fashion History

4/27/2020

0 Comments

 
During the later middle ages young women wore cone shaped head wear called "Hennins". These hennins were either single or double cones worn on the head and sometimes draped in a veil. This often hall hat was held on the wearer's head by a small metal strap or tab that rested on the forehead to counteract the weight of the hat. 
Picture
Mary of Burgundy, 1528 is wearing a single cone hennin. As the entire hennin isn't in the frame of the portrait it could be considered a "Steeple Hennin" which could reach as high as 45"!
Picture
"Portrait of Isabella of Portugal," ca. 1450 Isabella is wearing a double cone hennin aka "Butterfly Hennin".
So, some of those medieval movies throughout history with their "princess hats" are somewhat correct! Maid Marion in Disney's 1973 animated Robin Hood wore a butterfly or double cone hennin. Her character designer, Ken Anderson, cheekily used her ears to create the shape. 
​Your dress up "princess hat" is actually older than the medieval times as mentioned in a Smithsonian Magazine article. It is believed, at least the single cone hennin was designed with heavy influences from the Mongol married women's head coverings known as Boqta. These headdresses sat more vertically and according to some historical accounts made it very difficult for Mongol women to enter and exit their tents! Most were made out of wool or flannel, but some of the richer women had them made with red silk.
Picture
This plate from "Mongol Court Dress..." shows women wearing the very tall Boqta while at court. It is believed they did not wear them for riding or other manual labor.
Why did ancient and not as ancient women want such tall head pieces. I can only imagine the headaches that came along with them.
But, even more recent women have worn headpieces that added to their verticality. Fontages in the 1700s were so tall that some women DIED after they caught fire from the candelabras and chandeliers overhead. I guess what they say in Texas is right, "The taller the historical headpiece, the closer to the fashion god" ...or something like that. 
References:
  • Why'd They Wear That? By Sarah Albee
  • Met Museum
  • Smithsonian Magazine
  • Mongol Court Dress, Identity Formation, and Global Exchange By Eiren L Shea
  • Killer Fashion By Jennifer Wright
0 Comments

Overalls-Curious Fashion History

4/6/2020

0 Comments

 
While quarantining in my apartment during Covid-19 in New York I have made a habit of wearing a pair of plum cotton overalls to be comfy but to also wear actual clothes instead of a pair of joggers or my pajamas. This got me thinking, "What is the history of the overall?"
In the US we call the garment that consists of trousers with a front bib and over shoulder straps "overalls". They are traditionally made out of canvas or denim and used as a work garment, but they can also be made of cotton or another fabric. "Overalls" are not to be confused with "coveralls" which is like a "onesie" or "boiler suit". "Coveralls" are an all-in-one garment that includes sleeves and can be seen as a uniform for mechanics, painters, etc. 
Picture
Ad from a California newspaper (c. 1890) for Levi Overalls
The western idea of overalls is thought to have been created during the gold rush when Levi Strauss (you know, Levi jeans) created a work trouser for miners to wear that was sturdy and long lasting. 
Although we pair denim overalls with the birth of the garment, the term "overalls" has been around since the 18th century. It derived from the practice of people wearing protective clothing over their more expensive/nicer clothing. A form of trouser was worn as an outer layer over a second garment as protection. 
"Slops" could be considered the first iteration of overalls in history, even before Mr. Strauss created his denim marvels. Workers, uniformed personnel, and the lower class tend to wear the style of garments once worn by the upper class decades before. The "slops" I am referring to are oversized trousers worn by workers and sailors in the 1700s; not the high court "slops" or "gallygaskins" of the men of court in the early 1600s. They were worn as protection while working in fields, or sailing (as not to soil their sailor uniform).
Overalls were a piece of work wear from their inception until roughly the 1940s when young boys and some girls would wear the garment as play clothes. They were considered outdoor wear still, but made less rigid and a little more "in fashion" with the time. 
Picture
Today overalls are still worn by toddlers and children as they are an easy outfit to be put in and if your child is extra active, tends to stay on better than a pair of trousers and a shirt. 
​Overalls have also made their way onto runways and into high fashion as well as street wear. Brands from Madewell to designers like Yojhi Yamamoto have created their own versions of overalls for both men and women. Hip hop artists of the 80s and 90s wore them as well as the  influencers and celebrities of today.
Join me while staying at home and wearing overalls. Pair them with an oversize comfy jumper for a cozy cuddle, or add a sharp button front blouse/shirt to feel a more "at work" while working from home.  Whether they are denim, cotton, or jersey, pop them on and enjoy! 
References:
  • Levi.com - History
  • Survey of Historic Costume by: Phyllis G. Tortora and Keith Eubank
  • Worth Point
  • Vintage Dancer
0 Comments

    Topics

    All
    Collaboration
    Curious Fashion History
    Graduate School
    History's Halloween Costumes
    Planet Friendly Costuming
    Sample Pack Makeup History
    Theatre News/History
    Thoughts
    Wigs

    Archives

    July 2021
    January 2021
    October 2020
    September 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    December 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    May 2016
    December 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    March 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013
    July 2013

Picture
Portfolio
About
Contact
Blog
  • Portfolio
    • Design
    • Construction
    • Sketches
  • About
  • Contact
  • Blog