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INTRODUCTION.
INTRODUCTION.
No one accustomed to mix with the higher classes of society will be at all inclined to dispute the advantages arising from a genteel appearance; it therefore becomes necessary that the means of acquiring this distinction should be clearly demonstrated. An attentive perusal of the following pages will conduce to this desired effect. “L’art de mettre sa Cravate est à l’homme du monde ce que l’art de donner à diner est a l’homme d’état.” The Cravat should not be considered as a mere ornament, it is
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THE HISTORY OF THE CRAVAT;[1] FROM ITS ORIGIN TO THE PRESENT DAY; WITH REMARKS ON ITS INFLUENCE ON SOCIETY IN GENERAL.
THE HISTORY OF THE CRAVAT;[1] FROM ITS ORIGIN TO THE PRESENT DAY; WITH REMARKS ON ITS INFLUENCE ON SOCIETY IN GENERAL.
No decided opinion can be given of the age in which Cravats were first introduced. The ancients were happily unacquainted with the ridiculous and dangerous fashion of confining the throat in linen, either tied in front or fastened behind with a clasp; this part of the frame was allowed to remain in entire liberty; they, however, defended it from the cold by means of a woollen or silken cloth, called in Rome focalium , a term which is evidently derived from fauces (the throat). A distinguished Je
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STOCKS: Considerations on the origin of Stocks:—their advantages, inconveniences, colours, forms, and fashions.
STOCKS: Considerations on the origin of Stocks:—their advantages, inconveniences, colours, forms, and fashions.
Although the Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, and nearly all the ancient nations, were unacquainted with the use of Cravats and Stocks, they wore collars, which may reasonably be considered as the avant-couriers of both. Collars, made of the richest metals, and lined with a soft cloth, were worn, like the modern Stock, to ornament the face and support the chin. The general use of collars amongst the ancients, and Stocks in our own times, would almost prove that when man is left to himself, “his nose
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THE BLACK AND COLOURED SILK CRAVAT.
THE BLACK AND COLOURED SILK CRAVAT.
The world in general is well informed of the source from which silk is derived; that it proceeds from an industrious insect of the order lepidoptera, known as the silk worm; which, in forming a light soft thread of almost infinite length, produces a bag, in which it undergoes the transformation from the chrysalis to the butterfly. As silk occupies so important a station in the toilet, it can hardly be less important that we should here offer a few remarks upon it. Among the Romans the use of sil
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THE ART OF Putting on the Cravat.
THE ART OF Putting on the Cravat.
Plate A. Fig. 1. Fig. 2. Fig. 3. Russian Stocks. Fig. 4. Whalebone Stiffner. Fig. 5. Fig. 6. Shirt Collar. Ingrey & Madeley Lithog. 310 Strand....
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LESSON I. Preliminary and indispensible Instructions.
LESSON I. Preliminary and indispensible Instructions.
When the Cravats are brought from the laundress they should undergo a careful examination, previous to classing them, to ascertain whether they are properly washed, ironed, and folded; and for the purpose of deciding on the exact style in which each may be worn with the best effect. The set of the Cravat and the neatness of the tie entirely depends on its being correctly got up. If these requisites are not carefully attended to, the Cravat immediately fades and becomes yellow, whilst on the cont
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PROBLEM.
PROBLEM.
In the first place, the Cravat for this tie must be of ample size, and properly starched, ironed, and folded ( as shewn plate B. fig. 6 ); whether it be plain or coloured is of little consequence; but a rather stout one should be preferred, as it will offer more facilities to the daring fingers of the beginner who attempts to accomplish this chef-d’œuvre . It will then be necessary to meditate deeply and seriously on the five following directions. I. When you have decided on the Cravat, it must
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LESSON III. Cravate à l’Orientale.
LESSON III. Cravate à l’Orientale.
Plate C, fig. 12. The shape of the Cravate à l’Orientale , is that of a turban, and the ends form a crescent; in this instance we wear that under the chin, which the Mahometans wear above the forehead. One of our antiquarian friends, who has devoted his time to long and laborious researches on the origin of Cravats, asserts, that the real Cravate à l’Orientale consists of a very small silken cord; and that in the highest circles of Turkey, it is sometimes the custom to draw it tighter than the h
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LESSON IV. Cravate à l’Américaine.
LESSON IV. Cravate à l’Américaine.
See plate C, fig. 13. The Cravate à l’Américaine is extremely pretty and easily formed, provided the handkerchief is well starched. When it is correctly formed, it presents the appearance of a column, destined to support a Corinthian capital. This style has many admirers here, and also among our friends, the fashionables of the New World, who pride themselves on its name, which they call “Independence;” this title may, to a certain point, be disputed, as the neck is fixed in a kind of vice, whic
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LESSON V. Cravate Collier de Cheval.
LESSON V. Cravate Collier de Cheval.
Plate C, fig. 14. This style greatly resembles the Orientale , from which it is evidently derived. It has been greatly admired by the fair sex, who have praised it to their husbands, their lovers, and even to their friends and relations; and have thus promoted its adoption by every means in their power. The ends are fastened at the back of the neck, or are concealed in the folds; a whalebone stiffener is requisite, but starch is unnecessary. Cravats with horizontal stripes, or large spots, are p
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LESSON VI. Cravate Sentimentale.
LESSON VI. Cravate Sentimentale.
Plate C, fig. 15. The name alone of this Cravat is sufficient to explain that it is not alike suitable to all faces. You, then, whom nature has not gifted with skins of silk—eyes of fire—with complexions rivalling the rose and lily;—you, to whom she has denied pearly teeth and coral lips (a gift which in our opinion would be rather inconvenient)—you, in fact, whose faces do not possess that sympathetic charm, which in a moment, at a glance, spreads confusion o’er the senses, and disorder and tro
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LESSON VII. Cravate à la Byron.
LESSON VII. Cravate à la Byron.
Plate C, fig. 16. As Lord Byron differed so widely from the world in general, we can hardly expect to find in the Cravat worn by this prince of poets, any of that élégance recherchée which generally characterize an Englishman of rank. It is universally allowed that the least constraint of the body has a corresponding effect on the mind, and it must, therefore, be admitted, that to a certain extent, a tight Cravat will cramp the imagination, and, as it were, suffocate the thoughts. That Lord Byro
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LESSON VIII. Cravate en Cascade.
LESSON VIII. Cravate en Cascade.
See plate C, fig. 17. The Cravate en Cascade is formed by making a single knot, like that in the second lesson, plate B, fig. 8 , and leaving one end longer than the other; the longer, after being brought on the inside (as in the plate and figure referred to) must be lowered so as to cover the whole of the knot—carefully spread out as wide as possible, and then fastened to the bosom of the shirt. The tout ensemble will then present the appearance of the Cascade , or Jet d’Eau in the bason of the
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LESSON IX. Cravate à la Bergami.
LESSON IX. Cravate à la Bergami.
Plate C, fig. 18. Like the Cravate à la Byron , which it greatly resembles, the Bergami is first placed at the back of the neck—the ends are brought forward and crossed on the breast, without being tied, and then fastened to the braces; some pass them under the arms, and tie them on the back; but the handkerchief must then be very large, and folded as shewn in plate B, fig 6 ....
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LESSON X. Cravate de Bal.
LESSON X. Cravate de Bal.
Plate C, fig. 19. The Cravate de Bal should not be tied, but fastened with pins to the braces, or to the shirt, in the same way as the Bergami . Some pass the ends under the arms, and tie them on the back; but as this method is inconvenient, from the handkerchief moving with the body in dancing, we would recommend the two first. It should be simply and plainly folded, (as shewn in plate B, fig. 6 ), and must be tolerably large. The Cravate de Bal , when carefully put on is delightfully elegant;
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LESSON XI. Cravate Mathématique.
LESSON XI. Cravate Mathématique.
Plate C, fig. 20. Regularity and proportion are the essentials of every art. In a beautiful landscape we are occasionally delighted with the knotted and bent trunk of the majestic oak; but the correct and beautiful proportion of a Grecian column (even in ruins) rivets our attention and excites our wonder and admiration. The Cravate Mathématique is a combination of symmetry and regularity—the style is grave and severe, and the slightest wrinkle is strictly prohibited. The ends should be geometric
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LESSON XII. Cravate à l’Irlandaise.
LESSON XII. Cravate à l’Irlandaise.
Plate C, fig. 21. This Cravat very closely resembles the Mathématique , and differs only in the arrangement of the ends, which in the Irlandaise are joined in front and twine round each other—each end is then brought back to the side it comes from, and is fastened at the back of the neck. This difference, which would be invisible to a superficial observer, will not escape the critical eye of an élégant , accustomed to peruse this important work with the care and attention it merits. The Irlandai
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LESSON XIII. Cravate à la Maratte.
LESSON XIII. Cravate à la Maratte.
Plate C, fig. 22. The Cravat for this style should be of the finest and whitest India muslin. Like the Byron , it is commenced at the back of the neck, and linked like a chain; the ends may either be fastened like those of the Cravat de Bal (to the braces, or on the back), or to the shirt bosom. The Maratte does not require starch, and should be simply and plainly folded....
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LESSON XIV. Cravate à la Gastronome.
LESSON XIV. Cravate à la Gastronome.
Plate C, fig. 23. The véritable Cravate à la Gastronome is a handkerchief of any kind, without starch, folded on a stiffener of at most three fingers in depth, and thrown rather than fastened round the neck: it is more particularly distinguished by the tie which confines the ends; this greatly resembles the Nœud Gordien in elasticity, with this difference, however, that it slackens and yields to the slightest movement of the neck—to the least vacillation of the jaws, and even to that slight swel
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Cravate de Chasse.
Cravate de Chasse.
This Cravat is by some élégans called à la Diane , although it is a kind of poetical license to suppose that this rather unfashionable Goddess wore one. It is doubly crossed on the neck, as shewn in the Cravate à l’Américaine ( plate C, fig. 13 ). It should not be starched, and must be folded plainly, as shewn in plate A, fig. 1 —the colour must be deep green, or feuille morte , which is more recherché . See plate D, fig. 24....
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Cravate à la Diane.
Cravate à la Diane.
Exactly similar to the last, but the colour must be white....
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Cravate à l’Anglaise.
Cravate à l’Anglaise.
Is formed in the same way as the Nœud Gordien , but is never starched. See plate B, fig. 6, 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11....
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Cravate à l’Indépendance.
Cravate à l’Indépendance.
The same as the Américaine , except in colour; it is composed of red, blue and white, in alternate stripes; all other shades are strictly prohibited. See plate C, fig. 13....
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Cravate en Valise.
Cravate en Valise.
Is composed like the Nœud Gordien , except the ends, which, instead of being brought down, are turned inside the knot; the handkerchief must be rather small, or it will be impossible to conceal the ends, which with the knot should present the appearance of a travelling portmanteau. The favourite colour is that of Russia leather. See plate D, fig. 25....
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Cravate en Coquille.
Cravate en Coquille.
The tie of this Cravat should resemble a shell; it is very pleasing, and easily formed; it consists of a double or triple knot, and the ends are fastened at the back of the neck. It does not require starch, and may be worn with or without a whalebone stiffener. The colour may be that most pleasing to the wearer. See plate D, fig. 26....
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Cravate de Voyage.
Cravate de Voyage.
Is put on in the same way as the Byron ....
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Cravate à la Colin.
Cravate à la Colin.
Is commenced like the Byron , Bergami , and Talma ; a mere knot is made, the ends left loose, and shirt collar turned down, as shewn in the Cravate Jesuitique . This style possesses the great advantage of preventing the wearer from entering any public place, and of causing him to be shewn (politely) to the door of any private house. See plate D, fig. 27 and 32....
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Cravate en Jet d’Eau.
Cravate en Jet d’Eau.
The same as the Cravate en Cascade . See plate C, fig. 17....
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Cravate Casse Cœur.
Cravate Casse Cœur.
The same as the Bergami ; the favourite colour is red ( Sang de Bœuf ). See plate C, fig. 18....
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Cravate à la Paresseuse.
Cravate à la Paresseuse.
The Paresseuse is undoubtedly one of the most convenient and easy methods of wearing the Cravat. It has been rather neglected, and we think unjustly so, as it combines the advantage of concealing the shirt of the wearer, and displaying the handkerchief to advantage. It may be put on in a moment, and this style can be adopted with complete success in wearing a handkerchief a second time. It should be prepared as shewn in plate A, fig. 2 ; placed on the front of the neck, the ends are passed round
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Cravate Romantique.
Cravate Romantique.
The same as the Byron ; it is chiefly worn in the country, and the prevailing colour is solitaire . See plate C, fig. 16....
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Cravate à la Fidélité.
Cravate à la Fidélité.
The same as the Mathématique . The privates of the ex-national guard of France wore it when in uniform, and it has since been recommended to the ex-ministry of our own country. It must be black, and folded on a whalebone stiffener, and should be so carefully put on as to prevent all appearance of the shirt, except the collar, which must be of the most dazzling white. See plate C, fig. 20....
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Cravate à la Talma.
Cravate à la Talma.
This style is worn in mourning only. It is placed on the neck in the same way as the Byron and Bergami . See plate D, fig. 29....
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Cravate à l’Italienne.
Cravate à l’Italienne.
Is formed in nearly the same manner as the Irlandaise , but instead of turning the ends round each other, they are passed through a ring, returned to the side they come from and fastened at the back of the neck by a small knot. It requires a whalebone stiffener, and should be prepared as shewn in plate A, fig. 1 . Starch is unnecessary. White only is admissible. See plate D, fig. 30....
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Cravate Diplomatique.
Cravate Diplomatique.
The same as the Cravate à la Gastronome . See plate C, fig. 28....
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Cravate à la Russe.
Cravate à la Russe.
In this style are included all Cravats which are fastened at the back of the neck, without the ends being at all brought in front; these should not be concealed under the Cravat, but down the back, and care must be taken to prevent their rising above the waistcoat. Any colour is allowed, and starch may be used or not ad libitum. See plate D, fig. 31....
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Cravate Jesuitique.
Cravate Jesuitique.
This is a Cravat in appearance only. For this style the waistcoat must be made en cuirasse , and the collar must be high enough to conceal the neck entirely. The shirt collar is turned down and forms a kind of band. Although this style has lately become very general, we have never been at all prepossessed in its favour; not merely because it is unpleasant to the eye, but that we rather pride ourselves in despising most cordially whatever has the least resemblance to the name or quality of a Jesu
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LESSON XVI. AND LAST. Important and necessary Observations.
LESSON XVI. AND LAST. Important and necessary Observations.
In all cases of apoplexy, fainting, or illness in general, it is requisite to loosen or even remove the Cravat immediately. The greatest insult that can be offered to a man, comme il faut , is to seize him by the Cravat; in this case blood only can wash out the stain upon the honour of either party. The Cravat should invariably be loosened before the commencement of study, or of any important business. Those who have a short neck, high shoulders, a round, full, and fresh coloured face, and who a
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CONCLUSION. On the Importance of the Cravat in Society.
CONCLUSION. On the Importance of the Cravat in Society.
When a man of rank makes his entrée into a circle distinguished for taste and elegance, and the usual compliments have passed on both sides, he will discover that his coat will attract only a slight degree of attention, but that the most critical and scrutinizing examination will be made on the set of his Cravat. Should this unfortunately, not be correctly and elegantly put on—no further notice will be taken of him; whether his coat be of the reigning fashion or not will be unnoticed by the asse
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