The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-07-30

world.
Translated from He Illustrated journal or Leipsic.
Taste and fashion are like all other human
and earthly things, they do not grow up OF
themselves, isolated from surrounding CirCum-
stances, but have Their historical connect On
with them, and Their existence is based upon
intrinsic reasons. Let us take an example from
a particularly characteristic and important
product OF the regnng mode, as lar as dress is
concerned. When the Empress Eugenie some
ten years ago, at a ball in the Tuilerles for the
first time wore that interesting piece OF garment
which, under the name OF crinolne, subse-
quently conquered the civilized world, with a
mysterious hCt, it was said that this invention
had been imagined by that clever lady in order
to conceal as much as possible transitory de-
tormity OF the female sex. 1t may be admitted
that the fair Empress stood in need of suc1 an
ingenious mechanism, and that IL was also this
intention which prompted her to adopt it: as to
the other ladies who first resolved to follow her
example, there was, perhaps, without their
being con cious of it, some other motive which
lay deeper and had not that merely personal
origin.
The inquiry into the last reasons of a reigning
mode is the more interesting and important the
closer the connection of taste and fashion IN
dress and exterior appearance with the develop
ment OF the events and facts OF universal history.
If we consider only Crlnoline, we Immediately
find out-an important point not to be over
looked-that 1t is not at all a new species of
female dress, an upstart whose pedigree begins
with the present day; il is, on the contrary,
young scion of an old and noble family, which
has fourished through several generations, and
counts at least two ancestors of which 1t may be
proud-the Spanish hoop peiticoat of the seven
teenth and the French OF the eighteenth century.
Now there exists q generally admitted dogma that
whenever the female pettcoat begins to swell,
and, what is always simultaneous, whenever the
female head-dress begins to rise, important ca
tastropbes in history may with certainty be
counted upon. Thus, after the Spanish hoop
petticoat came the Thirty Years War; after the
French, the Revolution. Also our crinoline is q
prophet OF the future, but what does it predict?
As it is universally acknowledged, France is
still the country OF ruling modes and fashions.
There the restored Bourbons alter some feeble
and truitless attempts to rentroduCe the mode
of the 0acien regime, were obliged to Legitimate
the mode of the empire, and on this imperial
costume The development and form of our ac-
tual dress is still dependent.
The question arose, what position the Empire
would occupy in the world of fashion. The
answer could not be doubtful. True Napoleon
ism had restored the monarchlcal power in
France but nevertheless it considered itself the
keystone of the Republic whose political inst-
tutiOns and demOcratlCal forms it puTposelY
allowed to be continued. just in the same
manner Caesar Augustus had gradually trans
formed the Roman Republic into Imperial
Rome. Nothing out the head was changed
Therefore, also, the French Empire could not
willingly oppose republican taste, and especially
republican modes: on the contrary, it con-
sidered itself as their Inprover. Thus the some
what antique republican dress was preserved
under the Empire; but degenerating more and
more, ii finally lost all character and physlog-
nomy.
revolution had the pretension not only to be
antique republican, but also to appear in lis
costumes; and, therefore, when under the Dlrec-
tory the Reign of Terror had subsided and love
of life began to revive at the balls of the Direc-
tors the first and most celebrated ladles-thoSe
who ruled the fashons-appeared in the ancient
Greek shirt-like tunica and himaton, thrown
over the shoulders like cloak, with head
dresses and sandals of the Roman Empire, But,
at the beginning of the Reformation at the time
OF the CONGRESS OF Vienna, this Greek tunlca,
1lthnuph forming nrinDInaI
female dress, had already lost what formed its
characteristic beaucy-Jhe free flow OF its folds.
IT had again become garment which, without
any folds tightly lnClosed the whole body d own
TO the teet which could therefore take but short
steps. This narrow bag had recovered waist,
but as high up as possible, and below, against
all our notions of noble dignity, the feet ap-
peared again. The development which took Its
Starting point from this ungainly. ridiculous,
and uncomfortable dress, could not do other
wise than to impart to the robe greater ampl
tude and length.
Whoever will follow the Journal deS Modes
from year to year, can exactly and distinctly
observe this march OF development The robe
gradually swells, lays itself in folds, and falls
down to the feet and over them, terminating
in train At the close of 1850 it would have
been possible to stop this movement, which
had arrived at its extreme !mits but the same
thing occurred as in the case OF Goethe's ap
prentice in sorcery, who had forgotten his for
mula and was unable to get rid of the ghost:
he had evoked. The swelling went on and on
to such an excess, that now the crinoline arose
as the indispensable savior against the burdeI
of garments and as means of support. This
is its real and yeritable genesis. In connection
with this development is the descending
and narrowing OF the waist, the rein
introduction OF the corset and stays; but alsC
that newest and, under all circumstances, yer.
luxurious fashion OF many colored and costl.
trimmed pettlcoats, which by-and-by gained tn
appearance and value of a second upper gar
ment Before the CrnOlne began TO sway, bot
in summer and winter, white under-garment
were generally worn, and during dusty anC
rainy weather the robe, together with the under
garments, were tucked up-a custom at which
nobody took otiense. But the crlnoline tucke(
up in this manner would offer very ungain
and mcomely shape; therefore it was allOwe
10 hang down as it Is; and for reasons, mostl
OF convenience and economy, the so-called we
toria or BalmOral pet.icoats, instead of whit
ones, are generally Worn and in bad weathe
only the robe is tucked up.
Our pGTtdioons which are now in general use
like the female garments modified from tn
tunica, date also from that agitated and memo
rable revolutionary period which began at tn
end OF the last century. Formerly 1t was tn
general custom for trowsers to descend into toI
boots, and when, therefore, during the revolt
tionary times, half boots bootees becam
fashionable, the tTOwsers had TO be heightened s
as to reach down to them. Thus they had alread
arrived at the middle between the knee an
ankle; they wanted nothing but one pull nor
to.descend to the feet. And this pull took plaC
in 1884 under Robespierre-the pantaloons wen
born 1t is a strange irony that their ORIGINATOR
were the very same who, only a short tim
before, had denc cunced all kinds of breeches
useless, and for that reason had been nickname
''Sdns Quotes"
In the splendid illustrated work of KretsC
,,,or Rob t'The CuStOms of all Nations