Cooper's Clarksburg register. [volume] (Clarksburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1851-1861, 1857-01-30
Observation-Disclosures AND LEDGER }
HOOPED SKIRTS.


HooPED SKIRTS.
From an interesting account of the
skirt manufacture in The EVening Post,
We quote the following paragraphs:
" Fortunately, the inventive genius Of
our age has supplied the defects and re-
moved most of the objections which were
chargeable to the hooped skirts of an
earlier pattern. The skirts which are
manufactured in this city combine light
ness with strength and fexibility, to de-
gree which can hardly be exceeded. Not
long since "skeleton skirt" was sent by
mail. folded up in letter envelope. weigh
ing only four ounces, and yet on being
taken out, it was found as good as new,
bursting open and expanding its bell
shaped proportions like fresh blown
morning glory. and exhibiting the elastic
tension of a Widespread umbrella. Such
is the convenience of wearing them that
the first woman of this country thus en-
ancipated from her swaddling clothes, q
woman over eighty years of age-confes-
sed tina: she never had enjoyed the free
use Of her limbs before.
" The styles of skirts are quite nume-
rous, varying in shape, size and cost. Not
less than rs kinds are sold in one estab-
lishment. the Wholesale prices Of which
range from Sc to SIS dozen. There
are. for example, the Skeleton skirt, sew
eral varieties of the Zylphide and the
Union skirt. Silk, muslin, hair cloth, cac-
tus cloth. and other materials, are en-
| ployed in their manufacture, besides the
tape, cord. bone and steel which are need.
ed to give them their set. In the matter
Of hoops, general preference is express
sed for the round whalebone, which, when
boiled in oil, loses that britLleness which
has been the main objection to its use.
Some, however, prefer steel, and others
insist upon cord, which with crinoline,
constitutes a sort of compromise fashion.
I" The most popular styles of skirts at
present appear TO be the Union. the Skel-
eton and La Sylphide. The latter is q
simple, tasteful article, bell shaped, and
in size ust medium between the un>
graceful straight pettieoat, with its folds
collapsing round the hips and legs and
the full-blown ultra mode which is such
al annoyance to the wearers' companions
iu the theatre or the omnibus. 1t has
three bones or hoops, the length of which
are Sc inches at the top, "a in the mid.
die, and 95 at the bottom. These are
considered the proper proportions, though
we have seen skirts which. at the lower
bone, measures no less 1l5 inches in cir>
cumterence. As for the number Of hoops
tastes differ. Some ladies go as high as
six, while few are content with less than
two.
The skirts most universally worn last
summer were the Skeleton Skirts"
They were first made Of round whalebone
hoops, held together by tape but these
were complained Of as being apt to trip
up the wearer. A deep border Of mus.
lin was then added, which rendered them
all that could be desired. Their great
merit consisted in their extreme lightness.
During the busy season, three thousand
day were made of this kind alone. An
other style is called the " Union Skirt" +"
1t is made of white or dark cloth, with
the lower part quilted in large diamonds.
hnlshed round the bottom with jute cord.
Above the quilting is whalebone hoop,
and about a quarter of yard above that
another. The back is then flushed by
three small hoops of whalebone, which
form skirts one above the another and ex-
tend over the hips. These are joined by
tapes quarter of yard in length, which
are suspended from the front of the bind
ing and attached to the hoop in front Of
the skirt.
In regard to hoops. we are told that
every day adds something to the novel
ties which are said to combine all the ad-
vantages. with none of the difficulties, Of
those which preceded them. The gutta-
percha hoops, late invention, have pro-
we'd quite impractieable in wearing. They
break Immediately, and will not bear
stretching twice in one place. Another
strong objection is the fact that, on be-
coming warm, they omit an unpleasant
odor, which soon renders them intolersble.
The steel hoops, still later production,
are free from some of these objections.
but are neither so elastic or flexible as the
round whalebone boiled in oil, which is
the best material for hoops we have seen.
Made of very highly.tempered steel, they
are also very expensive, So each being
the price asked for some, which were on
ly of common materials. They are also
very apt to break. an example of which
was afforded few evenings since at one
of Fhalberg's concerts. A lady's steel
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Is nay make amputation neces-