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1760s – 1780s Neck Cloths

Methods of Wearing Neck Cloths:

1760s – 1780s

As we enter the 1760’s there is a sudden and sharp turn of fashion away from the usual colour of white.
There are still many images of woman wearing their white neckcloths in the same way as from the 50s, but this distinct new fashion is a clear and definite one. From very early on in the 60’s we suddenly see a burst of black – these black neck cloths appear in their droves; from years and years of a majoriaugusta-saxe-gotha-ramsay-c-1760-68(1)ty of white, we now are a-wash with blacl. We are left a-wondering why…

On October 25th 1760, George II passed away. Charmingly the poor man died of an aneurysm while on the toilet but we think this neck cloth fashion is either something like a stage of mourning, a nod towards his death in portraiture or what could also be simply a renewed reminder of how nice black is due to the sudden mourning wear. This new fashion tends to be worn in a ‘Loose Method’ and the cloths tend to be woven with a pattern within and fairly see-through. Some had frill at the edge like our portrait of Augusta, Princess of Wales by Allan Ramsey – see right (dated vaguely 1760-68) or a scalloped edge like the 2nd image below. Mourning wear is a whole in-depth area of fashion we haven’t really begun to study. We know from letter’s we’ve read that they mention things like ‘Second Mourning’ or certain fabrics like ‘Bombazeen’ and ‘Crepe’ etc etc; hinting at a change of fabrics and of stages of severity of what was worn and when. And as black was one of the key colours involved in mourning, perhaps it makes sense to in some way, attribute this new fashion to the King’s death.

The next following images are taking a closer look at this fashion.

So, to start this study we’ll begin with Augusta Princess of Wales, previously mentioned and situated on our right here (and kinda above). She wears an interesting coloured gown – a kind of firm and warm rust, and it features furbelows at the skirt’s edge and along the petticoat at knee high and down. This is very typical of 1760s fashion. She has a fantastic version of a Wing Cuff with what looks like furbelow trim on it. and a long, very long set of lace edged ruffles. We have no idea what the thing at here forearm is – possibly a kind of Sleeve Knot in black mourning style (???). We also realise we cant really see the front of her to see which way her cloth is being worn but the reason why we’re classing it as ‘Loose Method’ is that it’s obviously not been tucked in anything as we can see the edge of it, there ‘s no knot or evidence of pinning the loose ends at the back for the Cross over Method, and all in all, it looks like a Loose Method.

possibly Harriet Churchill by Jean Ettiene Liotard c.1760s, I need a dressmaker who makes historical costumesThe next image is guessed to be Harriet Churchill by Jean-Ettiene Liotard and dated c.1760s. You can see here the black shawl – she also wear a black silk bergere with gold-looking trimming and a black choker. The Neck Cloth looks to be almost like a lace as a fabric but in a dense pattern. She has a frill/scalloped style edge to it. She wears it in a blend between the ‘Crossed Over Method’ and ‘Loose Method’

Our following image is of Baronness Winterton, painted in 1762 by Allan Ramsey. It’s a fab painting with some lovely details. For example she is wearing her hair swept back with an apparent plait going over the Baroness Winterton-1762-Ramsay, neck cloths and how they were worn in the 1700stop of her head and worn with flowers. It’s very pretty. She also wears a pearl choker with central pendant amazingly high up her neck – how did she get it to stay there if this is not exaggerated by the artist!!! She wears 3 x layers of lace ruffles and a Bosom Flowers (Cunnington’s ’64). You can see a thin slither of what we’re assuming is her shift and her stomacher is beautifully furbelowed – such detail! Her robings come flatly over the top and the rest is covered by her Neck Cloth; – which by the way is worn in the ‘Loose Method’.

Another image of the Black Cloth is a ‘Portrait of a Woman’ by Grooth, dated c.1760. Her cloth is a plain cloth with a black lace frill edging it. Her method of wearing it is most strange, and although we are classing it as ‘LPortrait of a Woman-Grooth- ca. 1760oose’ it’s possibly not absolutely loose as it appears connected at the top. It’s also not very long. Her dress is of a beautifully light and floral silk and she is wearing her robings undone – another fashion style we’re gleaning info on! We’ve read with some historians that this was a form of Undress and a casual ‘At home’ or ‘At her Toilette’ look but the real definitions behind it are still a bit vague.
She has two, wonderfully painted ruffles, gathered into a standing band and basted onto her sleeve and decorated with Fly Trim. And beneath these is another double set of lace ruffles – quite long and in two distinct layers. Her cap is being held on by a ribbon and one that we don’t yet know the name for and have not seen any in the museums to study yet, but it does appear to have lappets which have been pinned back onto the top of her head and is made of lace. Perhaps a Round Eared? The definition in the Cunnington’s book is a bit vague so this could meet the requirements.

The next image is that of Lady Alston; painted by Gainsborough and dated somewhere between 1760 and 1765. It’s a grand image. Hair worn in natural colouLady Alston - Gainsborough 1760-65r and elegantly pinned up. She wears a little pearl decoration and what looks like drop earrings. Her choker is fantastically broad – a good 1 1/4″ or 1 1/2″ we’d say, and she wears her super fine – possibly lace shawl wide over her shoulders. It has a deep frill gathered at it’s edges and a narrower at the front edge and is worn in a ‘Loose Method’ technique. She interestingly has two bands on her wrists matching her choker – this is not often seen in the images from the 18th c. She also has massive lace ruffles pouffing out from her sleeves which are virtually hidden by them. There is a small glimmer of a Sleeve Knot (Cunnington’s ’64) and though her stomacher and petticoat is of a blue and of what looks like a ruched or crinkled effect, her outer Sack back gown is of Ivory silk and has a long train – which was an apparant renewed fashion in the 60s. It’s a rare and interesting image really. See how short her petticoat is too – you can clearly see her shoes which have been decorated in some kind of similar blue flowjan josef horeman - concert in interior, 1760s fashion by Handbound costumes, 18th c black neck cloths, music in the 18th c imageser and yet this contrasts with the trailing train.

Our next image still showing this black neck cloth fashion, is a detail from the painting ‘Concert in Interior’ by Jans Josef Horemans and painted in 1764. It’s only a small image but you don’t need a very large one to be able to see the black neck cloth around her neck. She wears a beautiful sack back gown and, really, we’d like to see a better image of her cap but for now this image serves it’s purpose.

One final image now for the black cloth fashion and that is a family painting of Mr and Mrs Thompson and their sister-in-law. Both ladies are wearing black cloths though neither wear them in the ‘Loose Method’. Both, in fact are wearing them in forms of the ‘Through the Lacing’ Method. The lady standing (which we are assuming is the beloved Sister-in-law) has hers tucked beneath a Breast Knot (Cunningfamily history images, what was life like in georgian times, 1760s fashion, how was the neckcloth worn, a study into black neck handkerchiefs in the 18thcton’s ’64). She also wears no cap but a little something perched on the top of her natural hair. She also wears intriguing earrings. Her gown looked to be an ‘Anglais’ as she has no fabric billowing from her back. She is possibly wearing a broad ribbon round her neck tied as a bow at the back of her neck – which is intriguing. The lady sitting, a.k.a Mrs Thompson, looks to be wearing a gown of non-descript as we can barely see it. She wears is with a quilted petticoat and long ruffles, and a lappet cap pinned under her chin. This frilled lappet cap also seems to be blending in with a lace choker around her neck. Her gown is in the basic stomacher and robings style and it has what looks like organza lacing drawing over the stomacher. It’s this that the black neck cloth is tucked into. Both ladies wear aprons – though Mrs Thompson’s is a heavier white whilst the Sister-in-law’s is beautifully and delicately embroidered. Though this is a study on neck cloths we might as well describe our gent here. He’s in a lovely red and, wonderfully lined coat. You can tell it’s silk from it’s painted thinness and you can see the growing general trend towards the more fitted style in all of his garments, but you can also see the much-talked-about shortening waistcoat and the cut-away coat. Most interestingly, he wears his hair natural. Well we’re assuming it’s natural – you can see a receding hairline and no appearance of a wig and yet it’s long and and in a pony tail. Most interesting because if that is his natural hair it’s taken a while to grow that long.

Back to White…

arthur devis paintings, 1760s images, period costume and historical dressmaking, accurate 18th c georgian costume, reenactment clothingThat is all the images we are using for our Black Neck Cloth examples, but, so as to show you that the 1750s methods were till being worn, we have the following images for you.

First off is the family painting of Francis Vincent with his wife Mercy and their daughter Ann. Mrs Vincent is wearing a lovely blue – this subtle, super plain but rich in monotone furbelows dress is very classic of the 60s style fashion. The Cunningtons explain how Furbelows re-came back into fashion in the 50s and by the 60s they’d taken on this wonderful style to them. The petticoats seem to frequently have the larger furbelows, matching the same but smaller style on the robings and skirts of the gown. You can see this style in the first image: ‘Augusta Princess of Wales’ and in the third image:neck cloth research, how the 18th c neck cloth was worn, handbound hand made bespoke historical costumes‘Baronness Winterton’ on this page. However, our lady here decorates hers ever-so-gently with a very fine neck cloth, worn in what looks like a ‘Crossed Over Method’.

The next image is by our favourite artist – Paul Sandby. It’s dated 1760-70 and though, is in essence a sketch you can still see the real outline of her neck cloth. She wears it ‘Through the Lacing Method’ and she is a fine example of a fashionably wide gap for stomacher, has 2 ties going between the robings, and she looks so fab in her outfit. She also has a thin, black choker. Her cuffs are vague but possibly a loose cuff and pinched up. She also appears to be wearing atleast 2 layers of petticoat. Her over gown is swept to the side, her apron pulled up so the layer just beneath her knees must be her petticoat, which makes the final layer an Under-petticoat. It also looks quilted which is quite a nice useful surprise.

The next image is that of Mr (?) Burdett and his 1st wife. It is dated 1765 and was painted by Joseph Wright of Derby. It’s actually a fantastic image and they both have real character in this painting. Interesting details includejospeh wright of derby images, example of 1760 costume, englis historical costume images, what was fashionable in the mid 1700s his yellow striped Double waistcoat. His newly fashionable Frock Coat (Cunnington’s ’64) with it’s deep Round Cuffs. Her lilac and yellow contrasting gown and also her crazy earrings. She also appears to be wearing some sort of bracelet but needless to say, the main use of this image is for her neck cloth. She wears it in the ‘Loose Method’ but it’s still white and plain.

In our next image by Nathaniel Dance we have two neck cloth styles to talk about. This image is of the Hodge family and has been dated c.1766. We’ll have to speed through the details but we have a deeper discussion on this painting in our ‘Study of Paintings’ page in our Customer Library. Click on either the links and they will take you to the various pages, but here we are just going to talk about neck cloths. The lady in yellow (Mrs Hodges) wears hers white ansir james and lady hodges and family c.1766 by Nathaniel Dance, 1760s fashion research by HandBound, mid 18th c dressmaker, costumiers specialising in 18th c fashion and underweard in a ‘Tucked Method’ in a way that makes is sit fairly high up her neck. The two younger ladies however wear no neck cloths. Throughout the century you see paintings/portraits and images of ladies without neck cloths – it seems to stick distinctively to the younger ladies – curiously especially in group paintings which might suggest it being a method of language within the paintings. Perhaps it was a clear way to distinguish them as the children for example. If you look back at our 40s page we discuss this there too. A lot of what we talked about in those previous decades holds true for this painting too – except here you see more of the 60s fashion evolving – the rising hair, the frock coat in it’s fashionable form and not just sportswear, what looks like a closed gown front…these kind of studies are endless.