-----Original Message-----
>From: Janyce Hill <vpll.librar...@gmail.com>
>Sent: Sep 14, 2011 11:29 AM
>To: Historical Costume <h-cost...@indra.com>
>Subject: Re: [h-cost] Need information on "sacque" garments (NOT the dress)
>
>In later years the word "sacque" comes up freqently in the french fashion
>journals I have. Most often under the term "dressing sacque" or "combing
>sacque". From the illustrations that are in the journals the dressing
>sacque is a long loose gown that falls from the shoulders, meant to be worn
>after undergarments are put on - but before the actual dress or other outer
>garment was put on. One supposes that if you were puttering around in your
>bedroom before finishing dressing - you'd slip one of these on. In the
>pictures that I looked at, they were all very plain and without
>embellishment - as opposed to "dressing gowns" which are highly embellished
>in the illustrations.
>
>The "combing sacque" is a garment that is only waist-length, and fastenes at
>the center front neckline. These are mostly plain, but sometimes have a
>little inserted lace or a yoke. According to the descriptions, they were
>meant to be put on after you were dressed, and while you were combing or
>brushing your hair. Their purpose seems to be to prevent shed hair from
>ending up on the clothing you were wearing out in public.
>
>I suspect that this usage (1890 - 1903) is probably derived from your older
>garments.
>
>Janyce Hill
>Vintage Pattern
>Lending Library
>www.vpll.org
I don't offhand see any mention of what these "sacques" are made of. Are they
white linen?
If so, as a medievalist, of course my reflex would be to simply consider these
as shirts, smocks or chemises -- the nearly universal innermost layer of
medieval/renaissance underwear, and hence present in large quantities in most
wardrobes. But I don't know enough about post-renaissance clothing to guess how
late the fashion lasted for this type of undergarment.
____________________________________________________________
0 Chris Laning
| <clan...@igc.org>
+ Davis, California
http://paternoster-row.org - http://paternosters.blogspot.com
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