beadnet dress
A decorative sheath dress made of beads worn in ancient Egypt.
Category: term definition
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bloomers
Bloomers are a bifurcated garment that were worn under dresses in the 19th century. They soon became a symbol of women’s rights because early activist Amelia Bloomer wore drawers long enough to stick out from under her dress.
bum roll
A roll of padding tied around the hip line to hold a woman’s skirt out from the body in the late 16th and early 17th centuries.
busk
A flat length stay piece that was inserted into the front of a corset to keep it stiff from the 16th century to the early 20th century.
bustle
A pad or frame worn under a skirt puffing it out behind.
cage crinoline
A hooped cage worn under petticoats in the 19th century to stiffen and extend the skirt.
carrick coat
The carrick coat is an overcoat with three to five cape collars popular in the 19th century and mostly worn for riding and travel–sometimes called a Garrick or coachman’s coat.
chiton
An ancient Greek garment created from a single piece of cloth wrapped around the body and held together by pins at the shoulders.
chlamys
A chlamys is a rectangular cloak fastened at the neck or shoulder that wraps around the body like a cape.
codpiece
Originally created as the join between the two hoses at the groin, the codpiece eventually became an ornate piece of male dress in the 16th century.
cuirass bodice
A form-fitting, long-waisted, boned bodice worn in the 1870s and 1880s–almost gives the appearance of armor as the name suggests.
dagging
An extremely popular decorative edging technique created by cutting that reached its height during the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
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