Green’s Dictionary of Slang

1. clothes.

c.1367–86		Langland Piers Plowman’s Vision (B) XI line 236: For his poure apparaill and pylgrymes wedes.
1510		A Little Geste of Robin Hood in Pollard (1903) 44: Now, put on your simple weeds That ye brought from the sea. [...] His Knightes five, Everych of them in monks weed .
1542		Udall (trans.) Erasmus’ Apophthegms (1564) Bk I 119: In that wede or habite, he is set out in all imagerie or pictures of hangings or peinted clothes.
1570		B. Googe Popish Kingdome IV 48: Both men and women chaunge their weede, the men in maydes aray, And wanton wenches drest like men.
1584		Three Ladies of London III: Now he comes in Turkish weedes to defeat me of my money.
1594		Merry Knack to Know a Knave F2: Thou shalt be attyrde in some base weedes.
1600		Look About You xxv: Now, holy Skink, in thy religious weed.
c.1610		Shakespeare Winter’s Tale IV iii: These your unusual weeds to each part of you Do give a life.
1627		M. Drayton Battle of Agincourt 16: A Workmayd in her Summers weed.
1631		J. Shirley School of Complement III ii: Sure thy father Was Maias sonne, disguis’d in Shepherds weeds.
1657		Marlowe Lascivious Queen II iv: (stage direction) Enter Cole and Crab in Trousers, the Cardinall in one of their weeds.
1665		Head Eng. Rogue I 131: Perceiving how agreeable my Features, Stature and Gesture were to my Female Weeds, I resolved to trie some projects in them.
1675		Head Nugae Venales 252: The old Gentlewoman plaid the changling with her Sex, by throwing off her Female Weeds.
1725		N. Ward Amorous Bugbears 25: Not withstanding they had disguised themselves in sober Weeds.
1742		‘Hercules Vinegar’ The Cudgel or Crab-tree Lecture 4: Her Jacket [...] stunk of Tar; To air her Weeds, [...] A Boat she call’d, and up the Thames she went.
1747		J. Upton New Canto of Fairy Queene 14: Hercules forgot the Man, And weakly don’d a haughty Woman’s Weeds.
1766		H. Brooke Fool of Quality II 73: I [...] left my Weeds in her Custody.
1788		Sheffield Register 9 Feb. 4/2: Mester Cawlipawsh died suddenly [...] and has left a blooming widow, who [...] will cut a reight gud figger in her weeds.
1827		T. Morton School For Grown Children III iii: La, missus! how glad I be you are out of your dismal weeds!
1844		D. Jerrold Story of Feather 146: ‘And yet I must go into weeds,’ sighed the widow.
1860		T. Haliburton Season Ticket 173: Some one else, will put on the weeds.
1887		in G.D. Atkin House Scraps 169: Gone those expensive weeds / Gone with our mashing suits, / Gone with our varnished boots.
1898		Blackburn Standard 9 July 2/8: She spared no expenses in either the quantity or quality of her mourning weeds.
1922		Joyce Ulysses 529: Mrs Dignam, widow woman [...] hurries by in her weeds.
1944		D. Runyon Runyon à la Carte 85: I do not know about the propriety of a beautiful in widow’s weeds attending the theater.
1951		(con. 1900s) S. Longstreet Pedlocks (1971) 170: Have to put on weeds for the old lady, I suppose?
1977		A. Bleasdale Who’s Been Sleeping in my Bed 205: Y’can’t be wearin’ widows’ weeds f’y’dad when y’the same age as y’Mam.
2001		A. Sillitoe Birthday 197: She had dragged out her widow’s weeds to get togged up in.

2. see weed n.¹ (1d)