When middle class enthusiasts for folk dance and song took up the self-appointed task of replacing the “English folk” at the turn of the twentieth century, deciding what kinds of dress they should wear for their performances soon became problematic. Despite various attempts at determining a form of costume appropriate for male and female folk dancers – from knee breeches and waistcoats to sunbonnets, gymslips and outfits described as “looking like a Ruritanian chorus”, the issue of dress was to remain controversial for much of the Folk Revival’s history. And in the many ideological disputes dividing the Revival during the twentieth century, dress also became a signifier of differing interpretations of the meaning and history of traditions involving dance. This paper explores the cultural background to the many unsuccessful answers to the question posed in the first days of the Revival – “What Shall We Wear?
Georgina Boyes