La Fleur de Lyse
Excerpt from «La Fleur de Lyse» last catalog describing the
clothing appropriate for Canadian men and women personas. For more
details on civilian costume, look for «Costume in New France from
1740 to
1760: A Visual Dictionary», still available.
© Suzanne Gousse. All rights reserved.
The habitant is a peasant in New-France, the average man. Canadien
means that he has French ancestors but that he was born in Canada (part
of New France). To work in his fields, the habitant puts on a
linen
shirt which is more than a yard long and a pair of breeches. He wears
the
same shirt at night. We know for sure that the priest have complained
that
men went to work in the fields around Montreal wearing nothing, but
their shirts. We can't tell if they were wearing a breechclout
underneath, because it would not show. When it is a little cold, the
man puts on a vest without sleeves or a waistcoat. He wears shoes made
like the mocassins from cowhide (souliers de boeuf), because
leather is stronger than the
deerskin used by the Indians. Like his wife, the habitant might wear
wooden
shoes to protect his feet from water and mud. The Swedish botanist
Peter
Kalm has seen Canadian men wearing those wooden shoes during his trip
in
North America in 1749. He has also noted a lot of red
«tuques» and some blue ones. And he mentioned that the
ordinary men were wearing their long hair tied in a tail or braided .
 |
Suzanne Gousse with her brother François and her
children portraying habitants for a photo session at the museum
of Chateau
Ramesay. These shots from photographer Pierre McCann were used to
illustrate
an article from reporter Vivisanne Roy, published on 19 June 1996 in La
Presse.
Suzanne, François and their sister Hélène
are the founders of Association d'histoire vivante
Québec-Canada, a living history group. AHVQC.freeservers.com |
Any healthy man of every parish, aged between sixteen and sixty, can
be called for service by the King. He can be asked for road or fort
construction as well as to go fight on the frontier of New France, side
by side with
Indian allies and French military soldiers. To travel in the woods, he
usually
wears a natural or whitish linen shirt, a breechclout (instead of his
everyday
breeches), leggings and mocassins or souliers de boeuf. He has
a silk
or cotton neckerchief, a red tuque and his capot. The capot
is THE coat of most Canadiens. The men wear it not only during
the
winter but also to go to church on Sundays. It is their best dress and
it
is held closed with a sash.
The engagé is a man hired by a merchant who has bought a permit or congé to go west and trade for furs with the Indians. Some of the clothes he takes along with him on his trip may be part of the deal he made with the merchant. The engagé could put on a plain linen shirt or choose a striped cotton shirt like the ones he is bringing to the Indians. He is given a wool breechclout, a pair of wool leggings and mocassins. The breechclout is a rectangle of wool draped between the legs and held at the waist by a cord or a belt. The leggings (inspired by Indian wear) are cut in a piece of melton, because wool is a lot more confortable than deerskin, especially when wet. He also wears a belt and a tuque (knitted and well fulled woollen cap). This type of cap is not typical of New France. But the word tuque is particular to Canada. These garments are made to run in the woods. Take note that the famous and mythical coureur des bois might have been dressed the same way. But , most of the time, he was trading illegally and there has not been that many of them in New France after the first quarter of the century. At night and on cold days, the engagé would wear his capot.
The gentleman, like all nobles of France and Europe, wears the habit à la française. This suit is a pair of breeches (culotte), a sleeved waistcoat (veste) and a coat (justaucorps). A fine ruffled linen or cotton shirt, a muslin stock, fine silk or wool stockings, buckled leather shoes, a hat (tricorne), a cane and a sword complete the look. The gentleman could wear less formal clothing. Surtout, volant, redingote (from the English riding-coat) are only a few choices. At home, among friends, Monsieur would wear a nice silk dressing gown over a vest or a waistcoat and a cap instead of his wig. His finest cape would be made of scarlet broadcloth.
The merchant has muslin stocks and fine linen and cotton shirts with ruffles at the neck and/or on the cuffs. For everyday wear, he could pick a nice suit : breeches, waistcoat and coat.The coat could be cut en surtout, being then a coat with buttons only to the pocket level. This bourgeois could decide to wear a volant with only one button at the neck, no pockets, and sometimes a collar. To go out, the merchant takes his hat and a cape if it rains. The quality of the fabrics used by the tailors for their suits helps a stranger to distinguish the merchants from the gentlemen. Nobles are the only ones allowed to wear swords.
In his shop, the artisan wears a white linen shirt and a silk
neckerchief, a pair of breeches and a sleeved waistcoat called mantelet
in Canada,
like the women's waistcoat. This guy could also wear a gilet or
vest
(waistlenght version of the waistcoat) instead or under the waiscoat.
When
it is worn under the shirt and made in a very soft wool, this vest is
called
a camisole. The artisan usually wears French leather shoes and
a
cap in his shop. A leather or linen apron (depending on his job)
protects
his clothes. For protection, he might also wear wooden shoes. To go
out,
he will put on his capot and his tuque, typical
Canadian
dress.
Like all the other women of her time, the habitante of
Canada wears a linen shift. This shift, also used as a nightshirt, can
be cut in two different styles: French or English. The width of the
fabric will dictate
the cut and style, not the ethnic origins ot the wearer. Under
her
short petticoats, the habitante wears a pair of pockets
attached
on a string. The Canadian women are reknowned to wear their petticoats
quite
short compared to the European or English colonies women, about
mid-leg.
Pehr Kalm says that women wear wooden shoes or mocassins at home. A
commoner
usually wear her mantelet and leather shoes. The mantelet
is called a justaucorps or juste in France and this
garment
is a fitted waistcoat. It is the ordinary wear of the French peasants.
Under
this bodice, the Canadian woman wears a corset, sleeveless
simple
bodice with little boning. (The equivalent English garment might be the
jumps.) A cap with long lappets covers her hair almost
completely.
 |
Suzanne Gousse with her brother François and her
children portraying a bourgeois family for a photo session at
the museum of
Chateau Ramesay. These shots from photographer Pierre McCann were used
to
illustrate an article from reporter Vivisanne Roy, published on 19 June
1996 in "La Presse".
Suzanne, François and their sister Hélène
are the founders of Association d'histoire vivante
Québec-Canada, a living history group. AHVQC.freeservers.com
|
The shopkeepers, dressmakers and servants in town wear shifts, petticoats, aprons and mantelets. According to the French officer d'Aleyrac, the Canadians have forged some words like mantelet to name a casaquin sans plis (fitted waistcoat without pleats). A casaquin can be à l'anglaise which means fitted and without pleats, or have pleats in the back like a French gown. According to d'Aleyrac description, the Canadian mantelet seems to be of the fitted style. Women always put on their hair some kind of cap and most of them wear leather shoes. When they go out, all women put on a hooded cape. Pehr Kalm noticed that the women wearing such capes could go out having undress wear underneath. The cape was usually blue, brown or gray.
The merchant's wife can manage the business when her husband is away because she knows what is going on. She could dress like the best artisan's wife. But her Sunday outfit is probably worn over stays or corps à baleine . She might even have one gown, maybe two or three, in her closet. This bourgeoise might still have her wedding dress, the best one her parents could get for her, cut in the French style (called nowadays a sackback dress). One of the oldest dresses with a worn-out hem could have been cut in a short version called demi-robe ou pet-en-l'air in France. This really is the style of a casaquin à la française. This woman's dresses are cut in cheaper fabrics than the ladies' gowns. She also always covers her hair with a cap or headdress and to go out, she adds a coif over it.
The lady could be wearing some kind of bodice and a couple of
petticoats.
That is the way travelers have seen and described her in their books
and
letters. The nicer fabrics (velvet, silk taffeta or satin and imported
printed
cottons) tell her rank, if you meet her during the week. But,
regularly,
Canadian parish priests have complained that they could not distinguish
between the maids and their mistresses in church on Sundays, because
the
maids wore clothing that was much too nice for their state. Under their
sackback dresses, the ladies wear partially or fully boned stays, and
sometimes
paniers to widen their skirts. Like their European counterparts,
New
France ladies have corsets piqués (jumps), manteau-de-lit
(bedgowns) and matching petticoats in their closets. Those are less
formal garments or déshabillés, worn at home when
entertaining close friends and relatives. Ladies wear very tiny caps or
feathers, flowers, ribbons and false hair in their hair. To go out,
they put on a lined cape either short or long, trimmed with same fabric
ruffles or with fur .
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