In Search of the Origins of the Huik: Did the Spanish Play a Part in Its Introduction?

Abstract

One item of clothing features prominently in the 17^th-century Netherlands: the huik, a foot long cloak of black material topped by a large pointed hat, a small hat with a pummel or by a beaklike cap. Its ascendance seems to coincide with the growing Spanish influence in the Netherlands during the sixteenth century. So far its existence has been documented in the Netherlands but its appearance has never been questioned nor explained. Within the scope of the conference «Fascination for the Foe: Self and Other in the Dutch and Spanish Golden Age» a first costume-historical examination of the Spanish influence on Dutch fashion was attempted in an initial effort to determine the parameters for research. On the basis of readily available pictorial and archival material the possible Spanish origins of the huik, fardegalijn and bragoenen were outlined. This article solely focuses on the rise of the huik from the Dutch point of view and hopefully incites further and more in-depth research into this aspect.