The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1859-12-31
Ancient Fashions.

The New England Historical Register for
1857 contains the following interesting &C
count of the clothing in the Old Times:
Stockings were anciently made of cloth
or milled stuffs, sewed together. Henry II
of France, was the first who appeared with
silk stockings. That was in 1859, and in
1861 Queen Elizabeth was presented By her
milliner with pair. The first pair of
worsted stockings knit in England was
made in 1864.
Red colored stockings, whether of yarn,
worsted or silk, were worn in New England
for nearly half century after the arrival of
our fathers.
In 1929, when provision was made for
emigrants to Massachusetts, the stockings
furnished were accompanied with ten dozen
pairs of Norwich garters. At an early pc
riod of our country, silk garters were worn
by the more fashionable, and pulled into
large bow knot at the knee, but as the GUS
tom fell under the notice of the civil au-
thorities, it was forthwith prohibited.
Gloves have been long in use, and it was
| once proyerb that, to be well made three
kingdoms must be concerned in the making
Spain to dress the leather, France to cut it,
and England to sew it. But France, for a
considerable period, is said to have had the
preference in all these three respects.
Sixty years ago, pail holders, and other
persons attending funerals, wore white leath-
er gloves. In 174i mems and women s
''white glazed lamb" gloves were offered for
sale in Boston.
"Ruffs, however odd it may appear to US.
were formerly worn by males as well as fe-
males. Queen Elizabeth appointed officers,
it is related, 10 clip the ruff of every person
seen wearing it of larger dimensions than
the law permitted. A clergyman in 1903
took occasion to allude to lady who wore
ruff that looked ''like sail; yea, like a
rainbow Ruffs were wired as well as
starched. Anne, widow of DR.. Turner,
for assisting the Countess of Essex to poi
son Sir Thomas Overbury in 1913, received
the following sentence: ''That, as she was
the first to Introduce the fashion CT yellow
starched ruffs, she should be hung in that
dress. that the same be held in shame and
detestation." In the play Of Albusnazer,
edited 1914, Arsinilina asks Taincalo,
:what price bears wheat and saffron, that
your band is so stiff and yellow %
Speaking of starch, it first came into use
in England in 1864. 1t was carried thith-
er by Mrs. Dinghen Vanden Plasse, who
set up business as protested starcher, and
instructed others how to use the article for
Is, and how to make it for f29. The
Meas Letter of 1919 gives this notice
Every good starch, made in Boston by a
starch maker lately from London, is for
sale.''
The picture of Gov. Winthrop appears
with an elegant ruff. The custom was i'm
ported by some of our primitive settlers,
but in 1920 this part of the dress became
so enlarged that the Legislature of Massa-
chusetts felt obliged to command that it be
kept within due bounds.
In the reign of James I, bands succeeded
the full stiff ruff. They were prepared with
wire and starch, so as to stand out "hori-
zontally and squarely." They were held
by cord and tassel at the neck.
People of the ton had the strings and
tassels of their bands sometimes elegantly
scolloped and embroidered, which custom
finally attracted the attention of our civil
authorities, who, in 1884, "forbade bands
10 be ornamented with costly work" In
1889, law was likewise enacted prohibit.
ing the wearing of bands as had been the
fashion.