The clothing of a mason working on Hadrian's Wall in Britain around 100 A.D. Cloak, tunic, braccae (breeches) extending to mid-calf, and leather sandals. 
Fifteen hundred years later, the dress of a gentleman. The sandals are now closed shoes, the cape is a tailored jacket, the leg coverings have become full-length trousers, and there is a hat.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Evolution
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7 comments:
Are you sure you've got the right picture here, Will? Or do you mean 1500 years later? I can see a 18th century mason in (again) knee lenght breeches with laced shirt.
The 600 a.D mason would wear much the same clothes as the one in the picture, with hose coming over the knee and tied to the breeches at the waist, wich would now start to work as underwear. And he would of course wear some sort of head covering, a soft cap or straw hat.
Thank you, I did mean fifteen hundred years later. The post, now changed, is another example of the perils of not having a third party to proof before publication.
The gent in the second picture is not wearing full-length trousers, but breeches with tights. Trousers, methinks, did not become popular in Europe until the early XIXth century (around Brummell's time). He also looks more like a tradesman or merchant, to my eye, not exactly what one would have called gentleman in the day. But then, I'm not an expert, in any case...
Anyways, I was a bit surprised to see these two images appear when I first opened the page - not exactly your usual photo or Esquire illustration..
Godspeed!
Hadrians Wall was a great idea.
Which makes it a shame the model you found has the facial appearance of a lunatic!
Second fellow (for I agree, he ain't no gentleman) is wearing hose, not tights. They would extend to over the knees and could be held in place with tied garters.
Are these from the costume museum in Bath?
I believe I saw the second gentleman on the packaging for a pack of some Dutch Masters cigars. Good to know he keeps busy.
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