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20 Jun 05 - 04:23 AM (#1504845) Subject: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: The Shambles Word Origins http://www.hellskitchen.com/inkwor3.htm Cardigan Why would I begin a hot summer issue with a sweater? Because it's a damn good story, that's why. Now pay attention. James Thomas Brudenell (1797-1868), the Seventh Earl of Cardigan, was not only one of the most famous (and most bumbling) military leaders of the Crimean War, but also one of the most impeccably dressed. His less successful, but more legendary claim to fame is that he was the soldier who led the ill-fated Charge of the Light Brigade in 1854 in Balaclava. This famous blunder was the result of a miscommunication from Lord Raglan (commander of the British troops) down his chain of command, resulting in Cardigan and his "Noble six hundred" charging the Russian guns. Three hundred of the men were killed or injured. Brudenell returned unscathed. Upon witnessing the charge, the French General Borquet made the famous comment "C'est magnifique, mais ce n'est pas la guerre." ("It is magnificent, but it is not war."). The charge was also immortalized in Tennyson's eponymous poem. "...Their's not to make reply, Their's not to reason why, Their's but to do or die: Into the valley of Death Rode the six hundred..." In honor of his fleeting moment of courage (it is said that Brudenell was the first to reach the Russian lines), the knitted vest he wore to protect himself from the Crimean winter was named after him. Oddly, the collarless, three-button V-neck that we know as the cardigan today bears little resemblance to the original. |
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20 Jun 05 - 04:33 AM (#1504852) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: GUEST So do raglan sleeves also stem from this battle of the knitwear? |
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20 Jun 05 - 04:55 AM (#1504861) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Le Scaramouche Not to mention balaclavas. |
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20 Jun 05 - 08:15 AM (#1504974) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: jacqui.c Most likely - there was an Earl of Raglan at the battle and I believe that the balaclava also took his name from headwear worn to combat the weather there, although I'm not sure where I heard that from. |
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20 Jun 05 - 08:35 AM (#1504999) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: GUEST,Paul Burke Yes, Balaclavas and Raglans originated as makeshift clothing, an attempt to reduce the numbers of underequipped British soldiers freezing to death in the Russian winter. Many of them didn't even have tents. Cardigan the Fearless (Balaclava) was one of my father's favourite songs, sung with great chromatic flourishes. |
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20 Jun 05 - 11:54 AM (#1505172) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Stilly River Sage Who knew? |
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20 Jun 05 - 11:59 AM (#1505180) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Peace The balaclava was predated by the balaclava helmet. I would begin the word origin search there. |
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20 Jun 05 - 11:59 AM (#1505181) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: The Shambles There were also Wellingtons - named after the Duke. I wonder what garments would be named after modern military leaders? |
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20 Jun 05 - 12:00 PM (#1505183) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Peace Sorry about the above post. Sounds snotty. Wasn't meant to. |
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20 Jun 05 - 12:03 PM (#1505186) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Peace And now I am sorry about this above post because it looks like it refers to Shambles' and it refers to mine above his. Cross posted. |
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20 Jun 05 - 12:06 PM (#1505189) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Le Scaramouche Don't forget the Jim Browne belt. |
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20 Jun 05 - 12:06 PM (#1505190) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: rumanci don't get in a sweater about it brucie - if you pullover for a while it might make more sense ;-) |
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20 Jun 05 - 01:23 PM (#1505250) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Wesley S The solid color mens sport coat called a blazer was named after the coat that officers wore on the HMS Blazer. They used to have more buttons on the sleeve so that men wouldn't wipe their snotty noses on the material. Does anyone here know which camel you can make a camel hair sport coat from ? A one hump { Dromedary } or a two hump { Bactrian } ? |
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20 Jun 05 - 02:52 PM (#1505321) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Charmion That's a Sam Browne belt, Scaramouche. The blazer was originally a boating club jacket made of garishly striped material. It was essential recreational wear at Oxford and Cambridge, whence it spread to the British idling classes during the 1860s, 70s and 80s, when rowing was a popular pastime and competitve sport. The blazer evolved into today's dark-blue sports jacket (with or without embroidered club badge on the breast pocket) during the reign of Edwardian VII, when Britain and Germany were engaged in a frantic naval arms race and amateur yachtsmen caught the tide of fashion and started styling themselves after the Royal Navy. The three buttons on the cuff thing alludes to the manners and discipline of midshipmen in the British and Commonwealth navies, but that's mere folk etymology; the buttons actually indicated a warrant officer in the Royal Navy -- that is, a sailing master or senior artisan. This group included midshipmen qualified as master's mates. |
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20 Jun 05 - 02:58 PM (#1505330) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Le Scaramouche OOPS. Yes, what a goof. He did not however invent it becuase he lost an arm. |
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20 Jun 05 - 04:40 PM (#1505395) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Jim McLean A Policeman spotted a lady knitting as she drove down the motorway. "Pullover," he shouted. "No, it's a cardigan," she replied. (sorry!!) |
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20 Jun 05 - 04:44 PM (#1505398) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Stilly River Sage :) |
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20 Jun 05 - 04:44 PM (#1505399) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Sorcha Cardigans are nice dogs! The Corgi with a tail! |
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20 Jun 05 - 06:33 PM (#1505486) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: number 6 I should mention that Cardigans are nicely accentuated by the wearing of sandals and socks. Now .. back to the purpose of my post in relation to the thread: The Davie Crockett Coonskin Hat. sIx |
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21 Jun 05 - 12:58 AM (#1505691) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: dianavan number 6 - If you want a coonskin hat, you can shoot the mother racoon and her 3 kits that were in my backyard yesterday. Yes, they are cute but they are mean. BTW - Where did the term, 'toque' originate? Maybe its spelled, touque. I know its French but its very common in Canada. |
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21 Jun 05 - 01:06 AM (#1505695) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: sixtieschick Toque, n. To toque, v. (orig. Haight-Ashbury, circa 1963). Pertaining to heads. |
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21 Jun 05 - 01:45 AM (#1505709) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: GUEST,Clint Keller In 1955 the Army issued me an Ike jacket. That was in the old 'Brown Boot' army. clint |
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21 Jun 05 - 03:41 AM (#1505748) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Liz the Squeak And when did cravats become Ascots? Mention 'an ascot' to most Brits of a certain age and they'll think of a rather dodgy sort of water heater for the bathroom. Why would you wear that round your neck? LTS |
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21 Jun 05 - 03:45 AM (#1505753) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Le Scaramouche Come to think of it, why would you wear a cravat or tie round your neck? Cravats of course were adopted from the scarves worn by Croat troops around 1700. |
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21 Jun 05 - 03:59 AM (#1505765) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: GUEST,Paul Burke Not to mention Valor, Liz. Esso Blue or Aladdin Pink? And the Ascot was in the kitchen, as Granny didn't have a bathroom. The bath hung on a nail in the back yard. |
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21 Jun 05 - 05:22 AM (#1505810) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Dave Hanson My late father served in the Duke Of Wellingtons Regiment, during my own army days the Dukes were known to all as the ' sheep shaggers ' eric |
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21 Jun 05 - 06:08 AM (#1505831) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Le Scaramouche Yorkshiremen? |
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21 Jun 05 - 08:03 AM (#1505884) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Dave Hanson Correct. eric |
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21 Jun 05 - 08:57 AM (#1505931) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Wilfried Schaum Not named after a military leader, but a beautiful lady: the life vest was called Mae West, because of the bulges before the thorax. |
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21 Jun 05 - 02:03 PM (#1506133) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Charmion Dianavan, you ask about that ubiquitous Canadian item of winter headgear, the toque (pronounced "tuque" in Canada). "Toque" is an old French word for a snug, brimless cap or bonnet with a raised crown. Made of felt, it survives in the academic regalia of the University of Paris; in luxurious materials such as velvet it has gone in and out of ladies' fashion for the better part of 200 years. In Canada, where everybody needs a toque by the age of six weeks, the knitted form quickly became dominant because it could be made in even the poorest of households. A normal item of wear for woodsmen, trappers and farmers in Quebec since Jacques Cartier bumped into the Gaspé peninsula, the toque became popular as adult wear in the rest of Canada (where it was known as a "stocking cap") late in the 19th century, as sportswear. Outdoor sport was enormously important to Victorian Canadians, and winter activities such as snowshoeing, tobogganing, skating and skiing were particularly popular. Snowshoeing was a healthy group activity that brought young men and women together in a socially accepted way, and became fashionable even in darkest English Ontario when the Governors General of that time (a sporty lot) began to patronize the Quebec winter carnival. The well-dressed snowshoer wore a coureur de bois outfit complete with moccasins, Hudson Bay blanket coat, ceinture fléché and toque. Pictures of the vice-regal family on toboggans, snowshoes and skates (and dressed appropriately) appeared in all the Canadian illustrated papers, and people hungry for winter fun quickly equipped themselves to follow suit. That's probably a lot more about toques than you really wanted to know. |
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21 Jun 05 - 02:03 PM (#1506134) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Big Al Whittle Roger Whittaker.....a smile, a beard, a whistle, a folksong, a 12 string guitar, a cardigan. No wonder he's a superstar. I wish I could whistle like that...just to piss off the neighbours... |
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21 Jun 05 - 08:59 PM (#1506466) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: number 6 Dianavan ... I could never get myself to kill some critter! sIx |
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22 Jun 05 - 08:05 AM (#1506809) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: JennieG A toque was also a ladies' high-crowned brimless hat in the early years of the 20th century - Queen Mary of England was very fond of them. in every photo of her that I have seen, she is wearing a toque, very high collar, and lots of pearls. Cheers JennieG who doesn't own a toque |
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22 Jun 05 - 03:34 PM (#1507210) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Uncle Jaque My middle name is Cardigan. And although I do indeed perspire a lot in the summertime (so I'm a "Sweater") ~~{B^{P~ My Father took it from a mountain in Grafton County, New Hampshire which he climbed the day after I was born. Obviously he wanted to get out of the house... |
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22 Jun 05 - 03:47 PM (#1507219) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: number 6 can Plus Fours fall under this thread?? sIx |
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23 Jun 05 - 08:00 AM (#1507860) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Big Al Whittle some parents do odd things. When i was a teacher I taught several Albert Halls. There was one poor sod whose name was Cart. And his parents called him Orson. could have been worse cardigan - try not to be bitter. |
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23 Jun 05 - 08:52 AM (#1507905) Subject: RE: BS: On the subject of cardigans. From: Le Scaramouche Albert Hall! Poor sod. |
