New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-03-28
Crinoline.

A lady correspondent in the country, after remark
ing that she surrenders the female costume OF the day
to our rdcule inquiries of us the exact meaning Of the
word crinoline Before answering me question we
or desired to speak lightly, Of the garment to which
she refers. petticoat is too serious thing FOR
lest, We proceed to explain the term crinone with
all the gravity which the subject demands.
The term crnoline is derived from the Latin word
crinis which means the hair Of the head This word
in the French language becomes c1n and is generally
applied to horsehar. In coloqual Latin or the Latin
Of the lower empire crins might naturally pass into
the term crinolne, to signify fabric woven hair
finer and more dainty tissue than the common hair.
cloth called by the French ciiice.
The custom of making this fabric of hair a part Of
the dress of women is said to have arisen IN this wise
Everybody knows that from very ancient times the
habit Of wearing harcloth next tothe person has been
frequent among religious penitents and others who de-
sired to subdue the animal appetites or control the
natural propensity TO seltindugence and luxury The
barshness OF the material which constantly made itself
felt, reminded the penitent of past offences, and the
ascetic of his duty. There are examples OF persons
who have worn the hairskrt all their lives from the
time they assumed it. 1t is said that certain Illus
trous penitent ordered by her conessor to wear
an undergarment of harcloth. As she could see no
congruity between pety and dirt her notions of clean
illness obliged her to place between the harcoth and
her person something that could be washed she there
fore gave the prescribed material the form of petit
III,
to supply fabric that in smoothness and beauty OF
texture should be far superior to the halrcloh worn
by monks and nuns. Thus was woven the first piece
OF crnoline and thus became the material of adys
under-g garment.
The legend proceeds to relate that as the examples
set by distinguished persons in dress followed by
the rest of the world and thus become fashions the
Of crnolne was adopted by all who wished to re-
commend themselves to the ilustrious lady already
mentioned, and finally passed into general USE At
first tha ted nj Of
very modest dimensions. 1t was then the foweri its
bud but in process Of time it gradually unfoded and
expanded like cabbage-rose, until at length it at
tanned the magnificent fullbown circumference which
is now given to it, and in the midst of which the lady
stands intrenched like the kernel of cocoanut. Such
is the tradition but we must regard it like other
legends and cannot assure correspondent OF its
absolute historical accuracy.
There are some who assign to the crinone pettcoat
different origin. They say it was devised by "a fe
male phianthropist who had given much thought to
the inadequacy and insufficiency of the pettcoat
which has generally been in use. Even with the aid
of hoops the garment not always satisfactory 1t
is Ariel, we believe, who says in Popes Rape Of the
Lock
oft have known that sevenfold fence to fail,
sThough stiff will hoops and armed with ribs of whalen
This benefactor of her SEX therefore, fell on the ex
pedient of employing hairCoh instead for two reasons
rst that it was the dress of religious persons
as suit of armor against the assaults Of the Evil
One; and secondly, because by the testimony of all
poets, the material Of which it was made has mar
vellous potency in overcoming and rendering subms-
sive to the male tribe.
u With hairy springes the birds betray,
Slight lines of hair surprise the hnny prey,
Fair tresses man imperial race ensnare
And beauty draws us by single hair
If single hair can have such an effect on the con-
tumacious, reasoned lady, what must be the power OF
a whole pettcoat manufactured of hair? and thus,
according to this second theory, the crnone pettcoa
sprang into existence.
All do not take the same kindly views of this inno
vation There are some who hold that in the appear
ance Of the crinoline petticoat were foreshadowed
many of the calamtes of the present day, and other
calamities yet to come. The Romans called comet
stella crnta hairy or long haired star; and Milton
speaks of comet that