The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1868-04-02
Japanese Fashions.

We clip the following article on Jap
anese fashions, frem the Cincinnati
Ereaing Chrosicle, it having taken the
trouble to translate it from French
newspaper: Every Japanese girl, of no
matter what class in society, appears
inspired with an innate love of coquet-
~. The daughter of the humblest
tradesman loves to pass whole days in
shopping, and takes the greatest de-
light in preparing, long before it s
needed, the dress she intends to display
for the first time at the next Jete. The
day arrived, the happy girl rises early
in the morning, and while her fresh
new dress lies in some corner OF
the room, impatiently submits to the
dilatory labors of her hairdresser, in
whose profession there are some artists
so celebrated that they devote whole
hours to the study and toll requisite
for the composition Of some graceful |
or fashionable style, where the hair,
carefully dressed with the brush and
pomade, half hides piece of crepe CO.
quettishly chosen and fastened by
heavy pins of tsrtoise shell or coral.
The ckignOn, it must be confessed, is not
altogether of natures growth, and if
after the hair we examine the face, we
shall see that Madam Rachel herself
could not teach the japanese much in
the art of making up. On the dressing
tables stands a perfect collection of lit
l. iuu 1ra, frnrn hi1Inn
place; there are whites for the neck, the
arms, the bust; reds for the
mouths and the cheeks; black for the
eyes, sometimes gold for the lips; and
yet, with all these aids from art, age is
unable to conceal its decrepitude, while
strangely enough the children are the
most laden with paint. Putting aside
this coquetry, universal in spite of its
bad taste, the dress is very simple and
invariably we'll chosen. A silk robe,
generally of dark hue, covers q chenIise
en- crepe made of small patches of every
color, perfect harlequin's mantle,
where bright green is placed beside a
lively red. In winter the costume is
completed by q short mantle doubled
and thickened according to the season.
i ulCoo 10 lOhSi "ibhOuO "NN
open from top to bottom; the upper part
is confined by belt broad enough to
cover the breast aud the lower part of
the form, terminating behind in an enor-
nous knot; to tie which with more or
less elegance demands careful exam.
ination and many retouches. The
sleeves hang like large pockets. To the
belt are fastened pipe in velvet case
aud a pocket book containing two chop
sticks of silver, if it is intended to do
honor to the host who may offer re-
freshments. In one corner of the pock-
etbook sparkles little mirror, a Euro
peau innovation, for our civilization
has made this slight breach of
Japanese. manners. During the
greater portion of the year the feet
are bare; in winter they are clad in
white cotton, and rest upon sandals of
vanished wood, kept by wOolen sup
ports high enough above the ground to
escape the mud and the damp. The
sandal is ornamented with braids of
straw, or sometimes of velvet, and held
to the foot by a strap of cloth passed
between the tees. Occasionally il is re-
covered with leather or paper, but is
never honored by being worn in the
house.