The portrait of Captain Curwen of Salem ([here]) is unlike many of his times. Over his doublet he wears a handsome embroidered shoulder sash called a trooping-scarf; and his broad lace tie is very unusual for the year 1660. I know few like it upon American gentlemen in portraits; and I fancy it is a gorget, or a piccadilly. It is pleasant to know that this handsome piece of lace has been preserved. It is here shown with his cane.
Lace Gorget and Cane of Captain George Curwen.
A little negative proof may be given as to one word and article. The gorget is said to be an adaptation of the wimple. Our writers of historical tales are very fond of attiring their heroines in wimples and kirtles. Both have a picturesque, an antique, sound—the wimple is Biblical and Shakesperian, and therefore ever satisfying to the ear, and to the sight in manuscript. But I have never seen the word wimple in an inventory, list, invoice, letter, or book of colonial times, and but once the word kirtle. Likewise are these modern authors a bit vague as to the manner of garment a wimple is. One fair maid is described as having her fair form wrapped in a warm wimple. She might as well be described as wrapped in a warm cravat. For a wimple was simply a small kerchief or covering for the neck, worn in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries.
Another quaint term, already obsolete when the Mayflower sailed, was partlet. A partlet was an inner kerchief, worn with an open-necked bodice or doublet. Its trim plaited edge or ruffle seems to have given rise to the popular name, “Dame Partlet,” for a hen. It appeared in the reign of Henry VIII; the courtiers imitating the king threw open their garments at the throat, and further opened them with slashes; hence the use of the partlet, which was a trim form of underhabit or gorget, worn well up to the throat. An old dictionary explains that the partlet can be “set on or taken off by itself without taking off the bodice, as can be pickadillies now-a-days, or men’s bands.” It adds that women’s neckerchiefs have been called partlets.
In October, 1662, Samuel Pepys wrote in his Diary, “Made myself fine with Captain Ferrers lace band; being loathe to wear my own new scallop; it is so fine.” This is one of his several references to this new fashion of band which both he and his wife adopted. He paid £;3 for his scallop, and 45s. for one for his wife. He was so satisfied with his elegance in this new scallop, that like many another lover of dress he determined his chief extravagance should be for lace. The fashion of scallop-wearing came to America. For several years the word was used in inventories, then it became as obsolete as a caul, a shadow, a cornet.
The word “cravat” is not very ancient. Its derivation is said to be from the Cravates or Croats in the French military service, who adopted such neckwear in 1636. An early use of the word is by Blount in 1656, who called a cravat “a new fashioned Gorget which Women wear.”
The cravat is a distinct companion of the wig, and was worn whenever and wherever wigs were donned.
Evelyn gave the year 1666 as the one when vest, cravat, garters, and buckles came to be the fashion. We could add likewise wigs. Of course all these had been known before that year, but had not been general wear.