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A fichu (, from the French "thrown over") is a large, square
File:Gullager Salisbury.jpg, Elizabeth Sewall Salisbury wears an
Victorian Fashions and Costumes from Harper's Bazar, 1867-1898Description from Diderot's Encyclopedie
Neckwear Shawls and wraps {{clothing-stub
A fichu (, from the French "thrown over") is a large, square kerchief
A kerchief (from the Old French ''couvrechief'', "cover head"), also known as a bandana, bandanna, or "Wild Rag" (in cowboy culture), is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the head, face or neck for protective or decorative purpos ...
worn by women to fill in the low neckline of a bodice
A bodice () is an article of clothing traditionally for women and girls, covering the torso from the neck to the waist. The term typically refers to a specific type of upper garment common in Europe during the 16th to the 18th century, or to the ...
.
Description
It originated in theUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
in the 18th century and remained popular there and in France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
through the 19th with many variations, as well as in the United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. The fichu was generally of linen
Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant.
Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...
fabric and was folded diagonal
In geometry, a diagonal is a line segment joining two vertices of a polygon or polyhedron, when those vertices are not on the same edge. Informally, any sloping line is called diagonal. The word ''diagonal'' derives from the ancient Greek δ ...
ly into a triangle and tied, pinned, or tucked into the bodice in front.
A fichu is sometimes used with a brooch to conceal the closure of a ''décolté'' neckline. The fichu can thus be fastened in the front, or crossed over the chest. The cross-over fichu sometimes extended all the way to the back. Some models include a large over-the-shoulders back piece.
The fichu found in several traditional cultures resembles a poncho
A poncho (; qu, punchu; arn, pontro; "blanket", "woolen fabric") is an outer garment designed to keep the body warm. A rain poncho is made from a watertight material designed to keep the body dry from the rain. Ponchos have been used by the ...
that covers only the shoulders and chest.
Gallery
embroidered
Embroidery is the craft of decorating fabric or other materials using a needle to apply thread or yarn. Embroidery may also incorporate other materials such as pearls, beads, quills, and sequins. In modern days, embroidery is usually seen on c ...
fichu pinned at the neck, 1789.
File:Anonymous - Jeune femme au fichu blanc - J741 - Musée Cognacq-Jay.jpg, ''Jeune femme au fichu blanc'', between 1790 and 1800
File:Fichu MET 1979.165.7.jpg, American or European, cotton, mid-19th century.
File:Fichu MET 1978.314.7.jpg, Probably American, cotton, mid-19th century.
File:Fichu MET 38.271 CP2.jpg, French, silk, mid-19th century.
File:Fichu MET 34.5869 CP2.jpg, British, linen, knotted, mid-19th century.
File:Fichu MET C.I.69.33.20 S.jpg, American or European, silk, mid-19th century.
File:Le fichu en indienne comtadin.jpg, ''Fichu en indienne'', traditionally worn in the Comtat Venaissin
The Comtat Venaissin (; Provençal: , Mistralian norm: , classical norm: ; 'County of Venaissin'), often called the for short, was a part of the Papal States (1274‒1791) in what is now the region of France.
The entire region was an enclav ...
.
See also
*Pañuelo
The ''pañuelo'' (from Spanish language, Spanish ''wikt:paño, paño'' + ''wikt:-uelo, -uelo'') or ''alampay'' is a Philippines, Filipino lace-like embroidered neck scarf or shawl worn around the shoulders over the ''camisa'' (blouse). They wer ...
*Kerchief
A kerchief (from the Old French ''couvrechief'', "cover head"), also known as a bandana, bandanna, or "Wild Rag" (in cowboy culture), is a triangular or square piece of cloth tied around the head, face or neck for protective or decorative purpos ...
*Neckerchief
A neckerchief (from ''neck'' (n.) + ''kerchief''), sometimes called a necker, kerchief or scarf, is a type of neckwear associated with those working or living outdoors, including farm labourers, cowboys and sailors. It is most commonly still seen ...
*Cravat Cravat, cravate or cravats may refer to:
* Cravat (early), forerunner neckband of the modern necktie
* Cravat, British name for what in American English is called an ascot tie
* Cravat bandage, a triangular bandage
* Cravat (horse) (1935–1954), a ...
* 1700–1750 in fashion
*1750–1795 in fashion
Year 175 ( CLXXV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Piso and Iulianus (or, less frequently, year 928 ''Ab urbe condita ...
References
Bibliography
*Baumgarten, Linda: ''What Clothes Reveal: The Language of Clothing in Colonial and Federal America'', Yale University Press, 2002. * Cunnington, C. Willett andPhillis Emily Cunnington
Phillis Emily Cunnington (1 November 1887 – 24 October 1974) was an English medical doctor and collector, writer and historian on costume and fashion. She and her husband Cecil Willett Cunnington (1878–1961) worked together not only in the ...
: ''Handbook of English Costume in the Eighteenth Century''. London: Faber, 1972.
*Payne, Blanche: ''History of Costume from the Ancient Egyptians to the Twentieth Century'', Harper & Row, 1965. No ISBN for this edition; ASIN B0006BMNFS
*Ribeiro, Aileen: ''Dress in Eighteenth Century Europe 1715-1789'', Yale University Prison, 2002,
External links
Victorian Fashions and Costumes from Harper's Bazar, 1867-1898
Neckwear Shawls and wraps {{clothing-stub