University of Virginia Library

OF THE DRESS OF THE COSTERMONGERS.

From the homes of the costermongers we pass
to a consideration of their dress.

The costermonger's ordinary costume partakes
of the durability of the warehouseman's, with the
quaintness of that of the stable-boy. A well-
to-do "coster," when dressed for the day's
work, usually wears a small cloth cap, a little
on one side. A close-fitting worsted tie-up
skull-cap, is very fashionable, just now, among
the class, and ringlets at the temples are looked
up to as the height of elegance. Hats they
never wear — excepting on Sunday — on account
of their baskets being frequently carried on
their heads. Coats are seldom indulged in;
their waistcoats, which are of a broad-ribbed
corduroy, with fustian back and sleeves, being
made as long as a groom's, and buttoned
up nearly to the throat. If the corduroy
be of a light sandy colour, then plain brass, or
sporting buttons, with raised fox's or stag's heads
upon them — or else black bone-buttons, with a
flower-pattern — ornament the front; but if the
cord be of a dark rat-skin hue, then mother-of-
pearl buttons are preferred. Two large pockets
— sometimes four — with huge flaps or lappels,
like those in a shooting-coat, are commonly
worn. If the costermonger be driving a good
trade and have his set of regular customers, he
will sport a blue cloth jacket, similar in cut to
the cord ones above described; but this is
looked upon as an extravagance of the highest
order, for the slime and scales of the fish stick to
the sleeves and shoulders of the garment, so as
to spoil the appearance of it in a short time. The
fashionable stuff for trousers, at the present, is a
dark-coloured "cable cord," and they are made
to fit tightly at the knee and swell gradually
until they reach the boot, which they nearly
cover. Velveteen is now seldom worn, and knee-
breeches are quite out of date. Those who deal
wholly in fish wear a blue serge apron, either
hanging down or tucked up round their waist.
The costermonger, however, prides himself most
of all upon his neckerchief and boots. Men, wo-
men, boys and girls, all have a passion for these
articles. The man who does not wear his silk
neckerchief — his "King's-man" as it is called
— is known to be in desperate circumstances;
the inference being that it has gone to supply
the morning's stock-money. A yellow flower
on a green ground, or a red and blue pattern, is
at present greatly in vogue. The women wear
their kerchiefs tucked-in under their gowns,
and the men have theirs wrapped loosely round
the neck, with the ends hanging over their
waistcoats. Even if a costermonger has two or
three silk handkerchiefs by him already, he sel-
dom hesitates to buy another, when tempted
with a bright showy pattern hanging from a
Field-lane door-post.

The costermonger's love of a good strong boot
is a singular prejudice that runs throughout the
whole class. From the father to the youngest
child, all will be found well shod. So strong is
their predilection in this respect, that a coster-
monger may be immediately known by a glance
at his feet. He will part with everything rather
than his boots, and to wear a pair of second-
hand ones, or "translators" (as they are called), is
felt as a bitter degradation by them all. Among
the men, this pride has risen to such a pitch,
that many will have their upper-leathers tastily
ornamented, and it is not uncommon to see the
younger men of this class with a heart or a
thistle, surrounded by a wreath of roses, worked
below the instep, on their boots. The general
costume of the women or girls is a black
velveteen or straw bonnet, with a few ribbons or
flowers, and almost always a net cap fitting
closely to the cheek. The silk "King's-man"
covering their shoulders, is sometimes tucked
into the neck of the printed cotton-gown, and
sometimes the ends are brought down outside
to the apron-strings. Silk dresses are never
worn by them — they rather despise such arti-
cles. The petticoats are worn short, ending at
the ankles, just high enough to show the
whole of the much-admired boots. Coloured,
or "illustrated shirts," as they are called, are
especially objected to by the men.

On the Sunday no costermonger will, if he
can possibly avoid it, wheel a barrow. If a
shilling be an especial object to him, he may,
perhaps, take his shallow and head-basket as
far as Chalk-farm, or some neighbouring resort;
but even then he objects strongly to the Sun-
day-trading. They leave this to the Jews and
Irish, who are always willing to earn a penny —
as they say.

The prosperous coster will have his holiday
on the Sunday, and, if possible, his Sunday suit
as well — which usually consists of a rough
beaver hat, brown Petersham, with velvet
facings of the same colour, and cloth trousers,
with stripes down the side. The women, gene-
rally, manage to keep by them a cotton gown
of a bright showy pattern, and a new shawl.
As one of the craft said to me — "Costers likes
to see their gals and wives look lady-like when
they takes them out." Such of the costers as
are not in a flourishing way of business, sel-
dom make any alteration in their dress on the
Sunday.

There are but five tailors in London who
make the garb proper to costermongers; one of
these is considered somewhat "slop," or as a
coster called him, a "springer-up."

This springer-up is blamed by some of the
costermongers, who condemn him for employ-
ing women at reduced wages. A whole court of
costermongers, I was assured, would withdraw
their custom from a tradesman, if one of their
body, who had influence among them, showed
that the tradesman was unjust to his workpeople.
The tailor in question issues bills after the fol-
lowing fashion. I give one verbatim, merely
withholding the address for obvious reasons:

"once try you'll come again.

Slap-up Tog and out-and-out Kicksies Builder.

Mr. — nabs the chance of putting his cus-

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tomers awake, that he has just made his escape
from Russia, not forgetting to clap his mawleys
upon some of the right sort of Ducks, to make
single and double backed Slops for gentlemen
in black, when on his return home he was
stunned to find one of the top manufacturers of
Manchester had cut his lucky and stepped off
to the Swan Stream, leaving behind him a
valuable stock of Moleskins, Cords, Velve-
teens, Plushes, Swandowns, &c., and I having
some ready in my kick, grabbed the chance,
and stepped home with my swag, and am now
safe landed at my crib. I can turn out toggery
of every description very slap up, at the fol-
lowing low prices for

Ready Gilt — Tick being no go.

Upper Benjamins, built on a downey plan, a
monarch to half a finnuff. Slap up Velveteen
Togs, lined with the same, 1 pound 1 quarter
and a peg. Moleskin ditto, any colour, lined
with the same, 1 couter. A pair of Kerseymere
Kicksies, any colour, built very slap up, with
the artful dodge, a canary. Pair of stout Cord
ditto, built in the `Melton Mowbray' style, half
a sov. Pair of very good broad Cord ditto, made
very saucy, 9 bob and a kick. Pair of long
sleeve Moleskin, all colours, built hanky-spanky,
with a double fakement down the side and artful
buttons at bottom, half a monarch. Pair of stout
ditto, built very serious, 9 times. Pair of out-
and-out fancy sleeve Kicksies, cut to drop down
on the trotters, 2 bulls. Waist Togs, cut long,
with moleskin back and sleeves, 10 peg. Blue
Cloth ditto, cut slap, with pearl buttons, 14 peg.
Mud Pipes, Knee Caps, and Trotter Cases, built
very low.

"A decent allowance made to Seedy Swells,
Tea Kettle Purgers, Head Robbers, and Flun-
keys out of Collar.

"N.B. Gentlemen finding their own Broady
can be accommodated."