There is no evident change in men’s clothing during the first years of the 18th century: coats ( = soprabiti) and waistcoats (= panciotti) were very long with large pockets in the flaps (= patte) of each. They wore stockings(= calze) outside the breeches (= calzone), gartered ( = con la gerrettiera) below the knee (= sotto il ginocchio). Youths and poor men wore black stockings of wool. In winter men could wear many pairs of stockings at once.
Falbalas (= balze) came in early in the century. They were sewn (= cucite) horizontally round the skirt (= camicia) , and were sometimes of a different material.
All men wore wigs (= parrucche) of equal length (= lunghezza) all round; sometimes at the back they were divided into two, and tied with ribbons (= legate con fiocchi) . Wigs continued to diminish in size throughout the century.
At the beginning of the century the increased facilities for trade with the East because of the success of the East India Company, led to the introduction of vast quantities of Indian calicoes (= cotonine). English manufacturers (= fabbricanti) grew alarmed (= divennero sempre più allarmati), and both Queen Anne and George I passed Acts of Parliament to prohibit the use of calicoes, silks, etc., from India, Persia, and China; but they continued to be smuggled (= contrabbandati).
Boots (= stivali) were necessary because of the terrible state of the roads in wet weather
wigs, 1715-1723