My First Novel's Inspirations ~ Part 10a/Men's Accessories

Hello! I'm glad you could make it for another Monday blog post. Please don't forget to subscribe 👉while you're here, if you haven't already. I want to jump right in to our topic today. I've been looking forward to this one. It does have the propensity to become too long, but I'll try to keep it within reason. I won't try to tell you about every accessory common to 18th century fashion, that would be impossible for one blog post, so I'll try to stick to some of my favorites for men this time.

Accessories for Men

Knee Buckles

Last week I showed you some of the buckles worn for shoes, but men also wore knee buckles. "served to close the seams of breeches. They were often made as a set with the shoe buckles. Original knee buckles are even rarer on the market than shoe buckles, so you'll have to spend 100-600 Euros for them. Even repros are relatively rare." That's $109.70-$658.23 in American dollars.

The next picture is from late 18th century in America, but I wanted to show you how the knee buckle was worn and this was the best picture I saw. 

Breeches as worn in the United States in the late 18th century: Elijah Boardman by Ralph Earl, 1789.

Watches, Watch Fobs and Chains

"Though the watch emerged as the premier toy of the nobility in the 16th and 17th century, in the 18th century, watches became an indispensable accessory. Not only were they tiny marvels and works of art, they also denoted fashionable scientific enlightenment– the transition from the ancient sundial to the mathematical precision of a rapidly industrializing society. Early watches were heavily ornate and often only had an hour hand. Thanks in large part to advances in enameling techniques, by the 18th century, decoration became more refined: smooth enamel scenes and repoussé cases contrasted beautifully with clean, white watch faces. Minute and second hands were introduced and complex calendar watches with multiple faces became popular." 

"Robert Creed London,a fine gold verge watch circa 1705 Gilt full plate verge movement signed Robt. Creed London finely pierced and engraved balance cock, baluster pillars, verge fusee, silver index regulator, gold champleve dial signed Creed London, Roman numerals for the hours, Arabic numerals for the minutes, circular 18ct gold case, key, diameter 56mm." 

"C. Charleson London. A gold pair cased watch mvt 8478 English circa 1740, converted from to verge to lever movement signed and numbered C. Charleson, London no. 8478, masked, pierced and engraved balance cock, baluster pillars, white enamel dial, Roman numerals, outer Arabic and dot minute track, arrow hands, plain polished inner case, repousse outer case depicting a classical figurative scene, movement signed and numbered, diameter 47mm." 

"Early 18th century very fine gentleman's verge 18ct gold pocket watch with a circular white dial with intricate gold scroll work hands pointing to both Roman Numerals and numbers above. The 18ct gold outer case is defined with scroll work and foliate designs. The maker of this watch was Charles Cabrier who resided in London at 79 Broad Street."  

"Antique Georgian Triple Case Edward Prior Verge Fusee" 

Rare Early Pocket Watch C1740 | Painted Military Dial Verge Fusee Swing Out Case 

"Fob-noun

a small pocket just below the waistline in trousers for a watch, keys, change, etc.

a short chain or ribbon, usually with a medallion or similar ornament, attached to a watch and worn hanging from a pocket.

the medallion or ornament itself." 

Walking Sticks/Canes 

"In 17th and 18th century England and on the continent, canes continued to be a requirement for the fashionably dressed.  A great deal of money was spent in collecting elaborately jeweled canes, adorned with precious stones and chased gold, and jewelers busily kept up with the demand. Napoleon was a cane fancier. So were Voltaire and Rousseau. Canes were sold on the streets of London and Paris. Toward the latter part of the 18th century, less elaborate canes were becoming the norm as cane carrying very slowly trickled down to the middle class." 

 Pictures are of a Walking Swordstick

18th Century Porcelain Cane 

Cane With Pommel Porcelain Meissen 

Defensive Walking Cane Sword, Ivory Knob Weapon

Weapons (Yes, weapons were seen not only as useful for self-defense, but as accessories.)

"Blunderbuss, short, muzzle-loading shoulder weapon, usually a flintlock, with a wide smooth bore flared at the muzzle to a maximum width of about 4 inches (10 centimetres). The flaring was intended to scatter the shot at very close range, an effect that later scientific experiments showed did not occur. The blunderbuss, forerunner of the shotgun, was common in the 18th century, though in use somewhat earlier and later." 

(https://youtu.be/3jh38eMoLPg) - how to fire a Blunderbuss

Box-lock flintlock pistol- "This form of pistol with a ‘turn-off’ barrel to allow for loading was extremely popular in the early eighteenth-century, particularly for guns for personal protection which did not have to be reloaded rapidly. The locks include safety catches – another innovation of the period. David Columbell may have been of Huguenot descent; he was apprenticed to the gunmaker, Gerrett Johnson, in 1712 and after obtaining his freedom worked in the area around Westminster. He was appointed Gunmaker in Ordnance in 1756." 

(https://youtu.be/_3nmsHeuMd8) - Box Lock Pistol Demo

Small Sword- "The small sword or smallsword (also court sword, fr: épée de cour or dress sword) is a light one-handed sword designed for thrusting which evolved out of the longer and heavier rapier of the late Renaissance. The height of the small sword’s popularity was between mid 17th and late 18th century. It is thought to have appeared in France and spread quickly across the rest of Europe. The small sword was the immediate predecessor of the French duelling sword (from which the épée developed) and its method of use—as typified in the works of such authors as Sieur de Liancour, Domenico Angelo, Monsieur J. Olivier, and Monsieur L’Abbat—developed into the techniques of the French classical school of fencing. Small swords were also used as status symbols and fashion accessories; for most of the 18th century anyone, civilian or military, with pretensions to gentlemanly status would have worn a small sword on a daily basis." 

(https://youtu.be/I79B0WG-T5k ) - 18th Century Smallswords

Next week I hope to tackle Women's accessories. Please make sure to come back and join me. Also, by the end of this month or early next month, I plan to send out my Newsletter, where I'll give updates on my writing journey as well as a little of what's going on personally. My ACFW Conference is at the end of this month, so I want to do my Newsletter after that and tell you about my experiences there. Only my subscribers here and at my website receive the Newsletter, so make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss a thing. 😀

Have a great week! May the Lord God bless you and your family with faith, hope and love in Jesus Name. 🙏

In Christ,

Sandy

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My First Novel's Inspirations ~ Part 10 ~ Shoes and Shoe Buckles

Happy Labor Day! I hope you had a great day. I had fun celebrating with my family and I hope you were able to enjoy the day in some way, too. 😊 If you are a first time visitor, I'm so glad you decided to visit! I hope you'll come back often. I try to be here every Monday or let you know when I can't, if at all possible. Remember, if you are a newbie or a long time reader, if you haven't subscribed, look over there 👉, push those buttons and follow the instructions. It helps me out on my goal to authorship, more than you know! 

We have reached Part 10 of my series My First Novel's Inpirations. This part should include shoes, accessories and then a conclusion. It may take me an A, B and C to get it done, but we are on the homestretch either way.

Men's Shoes

"For much of the eighteenth century, men's ankles were much admired. Their dark leather shoes with shiny metal buckles highlighted their ankles beneath clinging light colored stockings. The buckles of men's shoes signaled the status of the wearer as well as the importance of the occasion. Buckles could be made simply of steel or brass or encrusted with jewels and engravings. Some men's shoes were colored for special occasions. By mid-century, however, men's ankles were often hidden beneath fashionable jockey boots." 

If you ever wondered if men really did were these types of shoes back in the 18th century, here is your answer. Most of these are pictures from The Met Museum in New York City. They are all British shoes from around the time period of my novel. Not all men wore these types of shoes, though, so let's see some of the other shoes that may have been worn by the men or boy's of the time.

Children's Shoes

"During the eighteenth century shoes and boots were made on straight lasts, or forms that created the soles of shoes, called straights. Without a sole designed specifically for the left or the right foot, shoes were uncomfortable. People frequently switched shoes from one foot to another to reduce the pain. Nevertheless, both men and women were expected to walk smoothly. Children began practicing how to walk properly in shoes from an early age." 

Women's Shoes

"Women wore high-heeled shoes made of colorful silk or delicate leather, sometimes decorated with gold and silver lace and braid. Although women wore heavily decorated silk dresses, their shoes were rarely made from matching material; to do so would be much too expensive. Some shoes were laced, but most had decorative buckles. The toes of women's shoes were pointed or slightly rounded."

Some women did their own embroidery work on their shoes, before sending the material to be used for the making of their shoes. The embroidery work on these shoes is beautiful, whoever did it.

Here is a video about the making of shoes in the 18th century. It's not only about England, but still interesting.

Shoe Buckles

"The decoration of shoes used many techniques: silk embroidery, applied cord passementerie, and silver and gold thread embroidery that was made by professional male embroiderers who belonged to embroidery guilds.

Originally, buckles came into fashion because of their utility. Samuel Pepys refers to putting on buckles for the first time in 1660. By the end of the seventeenth century, buckles overtook the standard of ribbon laces. Both men and women increasingly suffered from buckle mania throughout the eighteenth century. Buckles grew in size and became more elaborate, set with showy paste and semiprecious stones. Men's buckles were larger but both sexes displayed their shoe jewelry during a bow and curtsy with extended foot-the appropriate method of introduction of the day." 

         

I hope you enjoyed this look into the shoes and buckles of 18th century England. I know I did. I've always been a shoe person and some of these are gorgeous. 

Thanks for coming and I hope you'll join me again next time as we move forward through our series MFNI's. Have a great week and may the Lord God bless your family with faith, hope and love.

In Christ,
Sandy

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