Pelerine
{{short description|Short cape covering the shoulders}}
File:Pelerine, cotton, ca. 1835.jpg with whitework embroidery, c.1835. The Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute: 2009.300.3886.]]
A pelerine is a small cape-like garment that covers the shoulders.{{cite book|last1=Lewandowski|first1=Elizabeth J.|title=The complete costume dictionary |date=2011 |publisher=Scarecrow Press, Inc.|location=Lanham, Md. |isbn=9780810877856 |page=224 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gbIsJ2tZJS4C&pg=PA224}} Historically, the pelerine possibly originated in a type of 15th century armor padding that protected the neck and shoulders by itself, if the padded fabric was reinforced internally with metal, and/or acted as padding between armor and the skin in the neck-to-shoulder region. The pelerine often had fasteners so that pauldrons could be attached.{{cite web |url=http://www.armorysmith.com/dospehi/pelerine-with-plates-tristan/|title=Pelerine with plates "Tristan" }}
In women's fashion, the pelerine was most popular during the mid- to late-nineteenth century in Europe and the Americas.{{Cite web|url=https://blog.fidmmuseum.org/museum/2010/03/pelerine.html|title=Pelerine|date=March 10, 2010|website=FIDM Museum Blog|access-date=2019-06-18|archive-date=2019-08-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190821094810/https://blog.fidmmuseum.org/museum/2010/03/pelerine.html|url-status=dead}}
Etymology
The word comes from the French "pèlerine" (pilgrim) and is perhaps a reference to the small capes worn by many of the women in Jean-Antoine Watteau's 1717 painting Pilgrimage to Cythera.
19th century fashion
File:Pelerine MET 22.1916 CP1.jpg Costume Institute: 2009.300.4061. ]]
The emergence of the pelerine in fashionable women's dress can be traced to the 18th century. At this time, the pelerine was styled as a short cape-like garment, which crossed the chest and fastened to the back of the waist.{{Cite book |last=Cummings |first=Valerie |title=The Dictionary of Fashion History |last2=Cunnington |first2=C. W. |last3=Cunnington |first3=P. E. |publisher=Bloomsbury Academic |year=2017 |edition=2nd |location=London |pages=200}}
Pelerines became particularly popular as a decorative accessory in the early 19th century, when layered muslin pelerines were deemed fashionable in the 1830s, worn draped over the top of the large gigot (or leg-of-mutton) sleeves of the period.{{cite web |last1=Staff writer |title=Pelerine, American, 1830s |url=http://www.metmuseum.org/collection/the-collection-online/search/158872 |website=The Collection Online |publisher=Metropolitan Museum of Art}} Along with tippets, pelerines helped emphasise the fashionable width of the sleeves and the shoulderline of the 1830s.{{cite book|last1=Tortora|first1=Phyllis G|last2=Eubank|first2=Keith|title=A survey of historic costume : a history of Western dress|date=1994|publisher=Fairchild Publications|location=New York|isbn=1563670038|page=281|edition=2nd}} Earlier examples from the beginning of the century to about 1825 were more akin to large lace collars, whereas pelerines from the 1830s were similarly styled as those of the previous century, though serving more as a decorative piece than any practical purpose.
Pelerines could be made of various materials, including muslin, silk, lace, or cottons such as cambric. They could be adorned with embroidery, beadwork, ruffles,{{Cite web |title=Pelerine Cape by A. Walles & Co. |url=https://risdmuseum.org/art-design/collection/pelerine-cape-46379?return=/exhibitions-events/exhibitions/cape-able-clothing |access-date=2019-06-18 |website=RISD Museum}} or even featherwork,{{Cite web |date=2019-06-18 |title=Pelerine |url=http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O114499 |access-date=2019-06-18 |website=Victoria and Albert Museum |language=en}} and often featured shaped border edges. Crocheted pelerines were also common.{{Cite web |last=Weaver |first=Jane |date=1862 |title=Pelerine Shawl In Crochet; Fringe For The Pelerine. |url=http://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/510d47e1-198d-a3d9-e040-e00a18064a99 |access-date=2019-06-18 |website=NYPL Digital Collections |language=en}}
Though the wearing of pelerines continued into the early 20th century, by the late nineteenth century pelerines tended to be seen as less formal garments and were often worn at home. The term was however also used to refer to decorative high-necked lace collars, as well as short capes and mantles for practical wear outdoors.{{Cite web |title=Search the Collection |url=https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search |access-date=2023-07-30 |website=The Metropolitan Museum of Art |language=en}}
Gallery
File:A silk pelerine, 1815.jpg|1815. Cream silk pelerine
File:A silk pelerine, ca. 1825-1830.jpg|1825-30. Cream silk pelerine
File:A silk pelerine, ca. 1830.jpg|c.1830. Embroidered purple silk pelerine
File:Pelerine, ca. 1830, cotton.jpg|1830. Embroidered muslin pelerine, shown unfastened and unsupported
File:Girl's Dress with Pelerine LACMA AC1997.191.4.1-.5 (1 of 2).jpg|1869. Young girl's silk dress with matching pelerine and removable sleeves
File:Girl's Dress with Pelerine LACMA AC1997.191.3.1-.5 (1 of 2).jpg|1869 The same dress without pelerine and sleeves
File:A silk pelerine, 1872.jpg|1872 Cream silk pelerine
File:Black lace pelerine, green silk dress (reproduction) - DPLA - 3933cc41f0740130f1a79120498ee4ce (page 1) (cropped).jpg|Black lace pelerine, green silk dress
File:White cotton double pelerine, green silk dress (reproduction) - DPLA - 2e5a49de34da0d53b708c195ad9af5f2 (page 1) (cropped).jpg|White cotton double pelerine, green silk dress
Related
References
{{Wiktionary|pelerine}}
{{Commons category|Pelerine}}
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