C | Fashion History Timeline

buff coat

A leather version of the doublet that was often, but not exclusively, worn by people in the military in the 17th century.

robe en chemise

1780-1789, 18th century, C, R, term definition

A dress fashionable in the 1780s, constructed out of muslin with a straight cut gathered with a sash or drawstring.

chopines

16th century, 17th century, C, term definition

High platform shoes worn mostly in Venice in the 16th & 17th centuries.

cuirass bodice

1870-1879, 1880-1889, 19th century, B, C, term definition

A form-fitting, long-waisted, boned bodice worn in the 1870s and 1880s–almost gives the appearance of armor as the name suggests.

cage crinoline

19th century, C, term definition

A hooped cage worn under petticoats in the 19th century to stiffen and extend the skirt.

codpiece

15th century, 16th century, C, term definition

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.

chiton

ancient, C, term definition

An ancient Greek garment created from a single piece of cloth wrapped around the body and held together by pins at the shoulders.

Spanish cape

16th century, 17th century, C, S, term definition

Originating from Spain, an outer wrap often cut in a three-quarter circle.

frock coat

18th century, 19th century, C, F, term definition

The frock coat is a collared man’s coat worn through the eighteenth to the twentieth century. It rose to prominence mainly in the nineteenth century, especially Victorian England. It is characterized as a knee-length overcoat, buttoned down to the waist, that drapes over the lower half of the body like a skirt.