The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-05-20 00:00:00

PROGRESS OF PETTICOAT GOVERNMENT.

DEAR S. G. o.,—Subjoined is part of a mi'liner4s
advertisement, published by my fashionable eontem-
porsry :—" A Paris letter in the John Mat thus
describes a new style of petticoat just adopted by the
Empress Eugenic:—' This petticoat is made of
cambric intlsliti, is sit yards in circumference at the
widest point, and is covered by nibs Oh:Wiens of still
greater circumference, the lowest of which is • mete
frill ; the second a few inches longer and considerably
wider, completely coven the flint; the third does the
sauce to the mooed., aed no on till one great flounce
falls completely over the other eight, each one of
which, to arrive at the atsnd .rd of iinserial elegance,
intact be heiu-stitebed like a lady's pocket-handkerchief,
axd the outer one in addition to he neatly cotered with
the embroidery done by the women of the Vosges."
Then conies the name of the shop where this sweet
thing in petticoats, a pattern of simple elegance, is to
be had. I &111 nut at liberty to puhlish it, because usy
veined subscriber, Paterfamilias, would perhaps not
thank me for affording that information to his wife and
daughters. I know what lie will say when be comes
to road the foregoing description of the "new style of
petticoat." alleged to have been just adoi.ted by the
Euipress Eugenie. He will any :—" Bless the
*seinen ! What next Of course she will never rest
satisfied With a petticoat only six yards in circumference
without the &Micas. Six yards ?-.-pooh l—she'll im-
mediately Make it nine, end from nine to twele,
twenty-four, thirty-six, and square the present number.
No noire than nine thrumes ? Beggarly ! Female
workhouse regul.tion uniform ! She must have
eighteen forthwith, and ultimately eighty-one, if she
can find room for them, hem-stitched and embroidered
every one. Paterfamilias may be interested to know,
as touching these petticoats, that the advertising
milliner is "prepared to eupply them with or without
the tapensive ad talon of heoPsfiteh and embroidery,"
If lie should determine on treating ititerfaindias
and the young ladies to one epic e, he will probably be
so liberal as to elect petticoats with and not without
those additions which an uncommonly reasonable
milliner ingerlou..ly cells expensive. Expense is evi•
dently an object in the construction of this new style
of petticoat. Although one treat flounce falls cow-
pletely over the otiier eight, and therefore bides tl.ein,
that great flounce lathe only one both embroidered and
heupstitched. The others are (idly hem-stitched ; and
since they cannot be seen, they might just as well be
embroidered too; but for considerations of economy.
But why do 1 aldress myself to you, my dear S. G. 0.,
about petticoats? Have I any cause to imagine that
you are any particu.ar judge or authority on that
subject? No ; for you are, I believe, no vestment-
fancying Puseyite ; but as a philsntbropist, and
pinlogynist in the higher sense ef the word, you are in-
terested in the employinent-of-women question, and I
shotthi like to know whether you don't think the pre-
sent glut of spinsters they be in some measure connected
with the ditnensions and cost of female apparel, and is
likely to iurrease in proportion as the Empress of the
French goes on extending the ercuinference of her
skirts? I have the honour to be, with respect and
esteem, your old friend,—Puncn.