Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1868-12-05
All About the 0reeiaA Bead.


asccnAcncy in the Atlsatie States. and
many e our readers many not have had a
eomprehcn.ivc descriptiva ofthe sl~arlity,
We cory lrhw what correspondent at
saratoga writes about it. II y vishou: cx-
ccpti"n the Most revoltin. spectacle which
caprici"us anil silly dame F&hioa has
Vet pinned to her votarics. Even paper
dealers have caught the infection. and
note paper and envelopes hear the Grccian
Bend in the nr~t approved style. Scn.i-
bic people have ridiculcd. the press have
carica,urcd in vain. Still the enormi,y
hold. undi.puted sway With Pctrolia and
Sho,idy. An exchange says: The silly
fashion is being laughed at - never
fashion vas before, and If its advocates
and patrons are able Ia survive it.
they can bid defiance to public opinion
hereafter. Occasionally sufferer is seen
IN Bruadwsy. but she is gazeda at by every
body and jeercI by the imI"'lite to such al,
extent that an afternoon promenade with
the Grccian Bend must b. quite uusatis-
factory. The caricaturcs do not end with
the work Of the printer; the minstrel halls,
and some of the thcatcrs, are making the
most Of the occasion, aud find the new fash.
ion very good subject for burlcsquiug.
The most striking and probably the best
description Of the - Bend" is given BY an
other journal, which says, it looks to acoun-
try lad for all the world like a rook-ncck
squash struck by lightning. Its origin, il
We are to believe letter written from the
city where all fashion originate. should
condemn it. We quote: Panicrs are
said to have revived, like crinolinc, to con.
ccal physical change in Engcnic's form.
This time, however, it is only weakness
of the spine, which renders it necessary to
preserve the curve of the back by artificial
means"
But here is the description of the Sara
toga correspondent of the New York press {:
The body and waist of the dress are re-
markable in only one respectable last is
exceedingly tight, and the former rather
lasc at the top aud exceedingly low. 1t is
below the waist that what is monstrOus in
the custume first attracts and then rcpcls
the eyes Of man.
A hoop of moderate dimensions, over
spread with an undcrskirt or two, and a
dress of whatever fabricarc worn. Under
meath the rear Of this hoop, just below the
waist of the person designated, is bound n
coil Of wire from two to three inches in Iii.
amctcr, which "throws out" and clcvatcs
the upper portion Of the dress behind. and
forms the foundation, 20 to speak, ofan OK
terror protubcrancc called the panicr.
The panicr is a hustle, more Or less cnOr.
nous, upon which, in successive folds or
layers gathered up, or confined by a band
cncirclng the dress from the stomach of
the wcarcr around and beneath, an extra
skirt reaching just below tho postcror,
hangs, or rather "wobblcs" to aud fro.
The dress has trail from four to six feet
in length.
The posture affected in order to set off
this attire is called tho "Grccian Bend" a
contortion ofthc body which, as it is highly
improper in itself, find it difficult to dc.
scribe with propricty.
High.heelcd shoes dispose the wcarcr to
incline forward, and the high.hcelcd gai.
tiers are adopted by the "bellc Of the sea-
son." She is thus the more readily ena-
blcd to elevate her hips unnaturally behind,
enhancing the aspect Of the panicr, to con-
tract her stomach, and to form an S-likc
curvature of her upper shape by thrusting
out her chest, drawing back her shoulders,
and bending forward her head. The latter
is crowned by hidcous chignon, surpass.
ing by several inches tho thickness Of the
shallow feather brain.
So bent and dcformcd, the belle con-
strains her elbows against her sides and,
with horizontal forcarms and the little
gloved hands dangling from limp wrists,
tits painfully along. The profile Of such
a figure, and its ungracefully gait, are ir-
resistibly suggestive Of lame kangaroo.
When it il whirled and tossed about in
dance by one Of the fashionable jumping
jacks in broadcloth, who are here 40. nu-
merous, and 20 much alike that you can
hardly tell one from another, the sight
woman's panicr and the agile sidelong
leaps Of the jumpiug,jacks across the ini-
mensc trail piled on the floor il too exas-
peratingly ridiculous for laughter.
It has been conaded to me by an elderly
woman, with whom l converted at q re-
cont call, that the distortion Of the shape
known ~ the "Greciau Bend" il painful
and quite wcarisomc, and that some girls
adopt artificial contrivanccs to aid them in
preserving the posture for several consecu-
tive hours. "A belt il fastened about the
waist, under the skirt. From this belt
down either side Of the hips, two straps,
furnished with buckles, descend, and arc
attached to strong band made fast to the
lOwcp thssvha A. thu h,~l L. -.eAl - -.