thick necked
gentlemen--Henry himself must have invented this--wore the collar of
the shirt turned down and tied with strings of linen. The cuffs of the
shirt, when they showed at the wrist, were often, as was the collar,
sewn with elaborate designs in black thread or silk.

Now we take the waistcoat B. As you may see from the drawing showing
the German form of dress, this waistcoat was really a petti-cote, a
waistcoat with sleeves. This waistcoat was generally of richly
ornamented material (Henry in purple satin, embroidered with his
initials and the Tudor rose; Henry in brocade covered with posies made
in letters of fine gold bullion). The material was slashed and puffed
or plain, and dependent for its effect on the richness of its
embroidery or design of the fabric. It was worn with or without
sleeves; in most cases the sleeves were detachable.

[Illustration: {Two types of sleeve; eight hats for men}]

The coat C. This coat was made with bases like a frock, a skirted
coat, in fact; the material used was generally plain, of velvet, fine
cloth, silk, or satin. The varieties of cut were numerous, and are
shown in the drawings--open to the waist, open all the way in front,
close to the neck--every way; where the coat was open in front it
generally parted to show the bragetto, or jewelled pouch. It was a
matter for choice spirits to decide whether or no they should wear
sleeves to their coats, or show the sleeves of their waistcoats. No
doubt Madame Fashion saw to it that the changes were rung sufficiently
to make hay while the sun shone on extravagant tastes. The coat was
held at the waist with a sash of silk tied in a bow with short ends.
Towards the end of the reign, foreshadowing the Elizabethan jerkin or
jacket, the custom grew more universal of the coat with sleeves and
the high neck, the bases were cut shorter to show the full trunks, and
the waistcoat was almost entirely done away with, the collar grew in
proportion, and spread, like the tail of an angry turkey, in ruffle
and folded pleat round the man's neck.

[Illustration: A MAN OF THE TIME OF HENRY VIII. (1509-1547)

This is the extreme German-English fashion. In Germany and
Switzerland this was carried to greater lengths.]

The overcoat D is the gown of the previous reign cut, for the dandy,
into a shorter affair, reaching not far below the knee; for the
grave man it remained long, but, for all, the collar had changed to a
wide affair stretchi