Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1856-11-05
From the New York Daily Dispatch.
THE MANUFACTURES OF HOPED SKIRTS

The MANUtACTURE Vi dOUPED ShlhIO.
The history of the hoped skirt mania forms
curious feature in the annals of modern fashion,
and an interesting commentary on the complete
and absolute sway which is exercised by this most
tyrsnnical of dsspots. When "Bustles," which
were the first step towards reviving the hoop, first
made their appearance, there was general cutlery
against them, even among women; 1t was "mon-
strous" unnatural" "deforming to the figure"
etc. etc. and get, in few weeks, there was not
poor girl in the country who did not make herself
one out of piece of stiff iouckram, or stuff little
bag full of cotton to give the necessary fashion
able bump Since that time skirts have been
growing sitter and fuller with every succeeding
season. Numerous experiments have teen tried to
invent something which would impart therequisite
fullness of Outline, and do away with the necessity
for the enormous quantity OF skirts which were
found excessively burdensome and dissgreesble.
Ten were frequently worn, and from that TO fifteen
was no uncommon number, but taking teu as the
average and five breadths to each skirt, with q
ysrd and quarter the length, we have an Gggr--
gate amount of seventy-three yards and quarter
of Gotten cloth, which fashionable women were
compelled to drag with them wherever they went.
Finding this intolsrabe, starch was resorted to
as a means OF adding to the apparent bulk, but
this was found unsatisfactory; the stiffness soon
disappeared, leaving,the unfortunate belle as lank
az ever. In the meantime the industrious cate
rers to the popular taste had searched the vegeta-
BILE kingdom to see if nature had provided for this
emergency, and succeeded, to their great delight,
10 producing "grass-cloth" which it was thought
would obviste every difficulty. And so it did fer
a short time, but the appetite, aud especially al
unnatural appetite, grows with what it leeds upon,
and very soon it was found that gra3s-cloth pos.
sessed no elasticity, that, once istteEed down by
pressure, there was no rebound, and the ladies
grew thinner from anxiety as to what they should
try next.
The introduction of the hoop by the daring En-
press of France, sstonished even the devGtees at
The shrine of Fashion, and bewildered and shocked
unsophisticated people. Many sensibe women de-
clared they would never continuance such a "nons-
trosity;" the 'press" ridiculed it from Maine TO
Georgia, bat Fashion remained firm, brought out
elegant ounces in light and airy materials, which
flowed so graceful y over the full skirts, that the
most stern and uncompromlsing were compelled to
yield to their influence gradually they came ID,
one by one, the philosopher the reformer, and the
''stropg- mnded," until now we Involuntary turn
to look at a woman without hoop, and compare
her to a stick, bIoom-hande, or anything else
that is straight, lsnS, and ungraceful.
The manufacture of thedfterent kinds Of hoop
ed skirts has become very extensive branch Of
business; an immense trade Is carried on between
this country and tle West Indies, for ute, MANILA,
and Other materials necessary for the production of
many varieties of those garments, which have all
at once become the sur ect of speculation to men
who short time ago were hardly supposed to be
aware of the existence of such articles OF clothing.
1t is estimated that 300 sewing machines are en-
ployed on crinolne, haircloth, morceen and cotton
skirts i'll this city; that five hundred looms are
employed in weaving the common dark cactus,
and woven quilted skirts which are sold at whole
sale for seven dollars q dozen. That within the
past year, 100000 pieces of muslin, 100000 los. of
lutte cord 100000 dozen Of spool thread, have been
in this manufacture of skirts of Part-
cuar kind Besides this, 100000 dol2Sf bss sk sf
paid -, paid labor of ALL and done princi-
Dally by foreigners, poor Scotch and Eoglish aTt-
sans, who have been accustomed sill their lives to |
weaving. The highest wages paid for
weaving by the manufacturers are two dollars and
cents a dozen. And q good weaver
'oud, if he ysorked very steadily make three dozen
week, which would amount to Sc 70. But the
verage earnings at this price are IS Z week "a
'are living as kind-hearted dealer remarked to
he writer yesterday; " and God help these whose
Employers are mean enough to try to reduce from
what is at best but bare subsistence"
The only wav 10 which weavers can derive
nuch pecunisry advantage is by selling the skirts
ley weave TO stores and families on their own |
ccount; and this way many who owned looms
I'D last summer, but they were Immediately stop.
ed by the agent of firm who have obtained an |
nVaole notoriety in this city, under the pretence
nat they possessed patent for this kind of skirts,
nd the weavers were subjecting themselves to
immediate arrest aud chance for long imprisou.
lent. One case OF this kind, of Mr.. Martin in
asst Seventeenth street, came under the writer's
wn observation. Tue poor man was SO alarmed
lat he sold OF his stock OF skirts Is quick a. nos,
bic, at price which did not pay for the material
I'd suffered the most severe distress in conse- '
renee of ii. c