Elizabethan ladies used many of the same accessories we have today, such as hats, belts, and gloves, but one item rarely found in modern closets is the invisory. Invisories were masks, often made of quite luxurious fabric such as velvet or silk and used to cover the face to prevent sun damage to the complexion.
The Elizabethan era was also a time when fashion was seen by many as a matter of morality rather than one of taste. Philip Stubbes (1555-1601) was a Puritan pamphleteer who had this to say about ladies who wore invisories:
When they use to ride abrod, they have invisories, or masks, visors made of velvet, wherwith they cover all their faces, having holes made in them against their eyes, whereout they look. So that if a man, that knew not their guise before, should chaunce to meet one of them, he would think hee met a monster or a devil; for face hee can see none, but two brode holes against her eyes with glasses in them. [Via Elizabethan Era.com]
Stubbs also denounced gloves and scarves in no uncertain terms.
Although the lady in the picture is not wearing an invisory (I couldn't find a picture of one anywhere), she does appear to have a purse and something that looks like a dead monkey.
You're seeing monkeys aren't you? This is what comes of mocking the coffee monkey.
Posted by: Ana | August 09, 2007 at 09:03 PM
Dead monkeys were to 1599 what little hydrocephalic chihuahuas were to 2006.
Posted by: Jake | August 09, 2007 at 09:11 PM
How interesting - I had never heard of invisories before. You find the most unusual stuff. It's always a pleasure to visit your blog. Thanks.
Posted by: Julie | August 10, 2007 at 07:45 PM
Many Chinese women who live on my area wear gloves and what look like welder's masks when they drive in order to block the sun from their faces and hands. It looks very bizarre.
Posted by: PatrickP | August 13, 2007 at 08:42 AM