Costumes

Through the Ages

From devilish beasts to Daniel Boone. BY JOY EMERY

Dark Ages
Medieval pageants were all
the rage, where devils, saints,
and religious figures were
impersonated.

1600s Elaborate Italian carnivals influenced all of Europe. Venetian revelers of all classes donned fanciful costumes and masks, or voluminous cloaks called dominos.

Joy Spanabel Emery, curator of the Commercial Pattern Archive at the University of Rhode Island, is professor emeritus of theatre and was the resident costume designer. She is the author of Stage Costume Techniques and numerous articles on the history of dressmaker patterns.

1700s Fancy balls flourished in England, where costumes and masks concealed wearers’ identities. The anonymity provided opportunity for a wide range of society to participate, and led to inevitable intrigue and decadence. Popular characters included commedia dell’arte characters such as Harlequin, Columbine, and Pantaloon, as well as exotic fashions of the Orient, Africa, and North America. Low-life characters such as chimney sweeps and milkmaids were also represented.