Fashion for wearing the fuLl-bottomcd wig divided into three masses of curls did not last very long, owing to the growing consciousness of its inconvenience, even among the leisured. Later, the wig w'as of equal length all round, but sometimes the portion at the back was divided into two, the ends being tied with ribbons. This fashion persisted among old men until about 1760, but in general wigs became smaller about 172.0, and continued to diminish in size throughout the century.
Cuffs were still large and sometimes heavily embroidered, but disappeared from hunting and riding coats. Riding was also responsible for a modihcation of the coat-tails. These were buttoned back, and soon became merely ornamental, i. t. the fevers were formalised as part of the decoration of the coat, thus making the wider opening at the front of the coat permanent. The last vestige of this buttoning back is to be seen in the two black buttons in the small of the back of a modern morning or evening coat and in the more elaborate arrangement of buttons on the back lower edge of a soldier’s tunic.
The most notable change in female attire is a lowering of the head-dress. On the disappearance of the “ commode ” or Fontange head-dress, the hair was worn in a simple, almost negligent style, rather close to the head. This fashion lasted, with but slight modifications, until the introduction of the towering head-dresses typical of the seventeen-seventies. The habit of wearing caps, however, persisted, particularly in the middle classes. These caps were usually quite small and perched on the top of the head, but w'ere sometimes very rich, trimmed with fine lace, or made of lace entirely. Servants’ caps, or the caps worn by very old ladies and peasant w’omen, arc now the only survivals of this practice.
World History
