“Far more noteworthy was his attire. By no means or efforts could one ascertain what his dressing gown had been concocted from: the sleeves and upper parts had become so dirty and shiny that they resembled the black-tarred leather used for boots; dangling from the back were four flaps instead of two, with cotton stuffing leaking out of them. Wound round his neck was something, whether a stocking, or a garter, or a stomacher could not be made out; but certainly, it was not a cravat. In a word, had Chichikov encountered him so attached by the doors of a church, he probably would have given him a copper coin.”
Nikolay Gogol, “Dead Souls”, 1842.
A Bird's Eye View of Fashion, Food, Travel, Culture, Beverage and Curiosity 