When at this time the riding habit for ladies was first displayed in Hyde Park, Pepys writes:
“I saw them with coats and doublets with deep skirts, just like mine, and their doublets buttoned up the breast, with perriwigs and hats, so that only for a long petticoat dragging under the men’s coats, nobody would take them for women in any point whatever.”
On another occasion we find him discussing ladies’ dress with Lady Carteret:
“She tells me the ladies are to go into a new fashion shortly, and that is to wear short coats, above their ancles; which she and I do not like, but conclude this long trayne to be mighty graceful.”
In 1664 he thus speaks of Lady Castlemaine:
“To Hide Parke, where I have not been since last year; where I saw the King with his periwigg, but not altered at all; and my Lady Castlemayne in a coach by herself, in yellow satin and a pinner on; and many brave persons. And myself being in a hackney coach and full of people, was ashamed to be seen of the world, many of them knowing me.”
Poor Pepys, what a love of display and dress.
Gloves seem to have been a valued article of dress at this time. De Grammont mentions the fact that they were given as presents, and much store put upon them: “Martial gloves were then very much the fashion.” This rather flavours of reviews, but he does not refer to anything military, only to a famous firm of glovers in Paris, Martial by name, whose gloves—like all things French in those days—were in great request.