Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1855-11-14
VOL. 4...N0. s6.
DAILY VIRGINIAN.
Hoops.

trunk hose worn by gentlemen of that period
determined If not successful, in shaming away
tho absurdity altogether at least to have pre-
posterous contrivance OF their own. The idea wns
full of woman's wit. But, alas they were
caught in their own snare precious stones
were profusely displayed on the bodices and
skirts Of brocade gowns and vanity soon discov-
cred that tho stiff whaebone framework unoer
tho upper skirt formed an excellent showcase TOT
famly jewels The passion for display thus tar
gratificd the fnrthngnle at once became the dar-
ling of Court costume and in its original shape
continued in feminine favor till the reign of
Queen Anne, when il underwent the modification
lately revived for us, the hoop. In vain did the
Spectator lash and ridioulo by turns the "unnatu-
raj disguisemont; in vain did grossest carlea-
lures appear and wits exhaust their invention IN
lnmpoon and current epigrams; in vain even the
publication of a grave pamphlet entitled The
Enormous Abomination of the Hoop-p'ttlcoat
as tho Fashion now is;' the modefor once immu-
table, stands on the page of folly an enduring
monument to feminine persvtenoy.
Encouraged by the prolonged and und!spnted
sway of tho farthingae, the hoop maintained an
absolute supremacy through the three succeeaea
,nigns though often undergoing changes which
only served to make it more and moro redcu-
lous Tho most Ridiculous of these alterations
were rhe triangular shaped hoops, which accord
ing TO tho Spectator, gave n lady oil the appear
nnce ofbcng in n go cart and the pocket hoops
which looked like nothing so much as pannlers
on tho sides of donkey-we mean the quardru-
ped Quito funny incident is related by Bul-
wer about the wife Of an English Embassador to
Constannople in the time of James |. The Ia
dy attended by her serving women. oil attired in
enormous iarthngnles, waited upon the Sultana
who received them with every show OF respect
md hospitality. Soon. however, the woman's Gu
riosity got the better of courtesy and expressing
her great surprise ut the monsrons Development
l.1. q .salI, In
such could he the shape peculiar to the woman
of England. The English lady in reply hasten
ed to assure her that their forms in no wise d,f-
Irred from those OF women of other countries,
and carefully demonstrated To her llighness The
construction of their dress, which alone bestowed
the appearance puzzling to her. There could
scarcely be more wholesome satire upon the
absurd fashion than is conveyed in the simple re-
cal of this well authenticated aneedote.
II will be readily understood that at the outset
the English ladies had plausible excuse for adop-
ting this deformity if they were betrayed into
tho permanent establishment Of 1t by the very
pnrdonabe inducement of gratifed vanity
we may pity their weakness but can scarcely
condemn and in the proud reign of the hoops
through period Of unsparng ridioule we are
quite forced to admire the unHinehing tenacity
with which they were adherad TO-, much ssewe
may deploro the perverted taste which could at
any time have consented To their introduction
But what excuse can be offered, what pallinting
circumstance advanced, to justify u revival OF
that abomination by the ladies of the nineteenth
century-not betrayed into its adoption on the
score Of novelty, but deliberately dragging 1t
ont from the dusty past will oil the accumulated
ridioule of ages clngng to its skirts d1w
SO far from affording the motive claimed by
The ladies of the olden time, our Broadway beaux
nre more tightly dressed than ever; it now be
comes almost nece ssity with them to procure a
manifestation of existence below the vast by
some trunk hose contrvnnce, since their slender
extremities are foolishly concealed under the
spreading claud of n companion's hoop. To see
one of these unfortunates escorting fair dame
of fashionable dimensions on ether arm--himsef
en- buste. for the rest of the man is effectualy
suppressed-is one of the most funny sights i'm
agnable.
A French paper gives an amusing account Of a
lady who went to a cathedral to ~ confess" in q
hooped petticoat; of course it was necessary to
enter the tiny confessional and prostrate herself
before the iron grating between her and the
priest In vain did she make vigorous efforts at
the door to compress her unyielding dress; it
stoutly refused, swelling like an ar-bed, in all
sorts ludcrous tumors, at every new endeayor;
until scarlet with confusion, the lady turned and.
hastily made her escape unshrved, with few
additional sins of impatience, anger, and wound
cd vanity to enumerate on her return.
daily occurrence, in which annoyance, mortifca-
ton and serious sacrifices of lady like selfpos-
session, to say nothing Of modesty, are expe-
rienced Let ladies' have the good sense, the
rood taste to Danish the blunder from their ward
robes.
Once upon time the ladies,by the inordinate.
height of their head dresses or 'towers," deman-
ded the enlargement of the door-ways of dwell
lings, and even those of public buildings when
not of stupendous dimensions. 1t would be
we'll if the proprietors of omnbuses, and
hacks would remember that historical fact, and
in view of tho increasing size of these hoops, flor
when did such mode fail to run into the
most preposterous extremes,) Lake correspond
ing provision for the comfort of the public. Space
at the theatre or opera can with some sacrifice
be procured by securing two seats for the occu-
patton of one lady; but stages. which must hold
twelve inside, require some enlargement or india
rubber contrivance to admit well as contain.
the sex to whose special accommodation they
profess to be devoted. Even now in the infancy
of the mode it requires the exercise OF all the gal
lantrv even an American gentleman can com
mand to support him in riding the length of Broad
way, seated between the hoops of two fairs"
which to the confusion of overwhelming him COM
pctely add the sharper trial Of battcring his pa
tent members at every jolt of the vehicle. Let
us hope that hoops can never get to be great
rs the annoyance of such a man, nor so numer-
Gus as his curses, else we may well fear ere long
to realize the horror of the picture in old play:
"Five hours ago." says one ofthe characters, II
set a dozen maids TO attire boy like a nice gem
tlewoman but there is such doing with their
looking glasses. pinning, unpinning; setting un-
setting; formings and cenformings: painting Of
blue veins and cheeks; such a stir with sticks,
combs, cascanes, dressings, purls, fall squares,
busks sodices, scarfs, necklaces, carcanets, ra-
ba.oes borders, tires fans, PALISADES pufs s,rufs
cuffs, muffs pulses fusles. partlets, ,frzlets band