Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1871-08-14
fashionable ROIIies.
from ADnlpfOn,a .Journal I

We mentioned, a few weeks since, that those
people who denOunce so wildly the fashionable
dress of the day are not quite sound in holding
up for emulation the supposed simplicity of
adornment exhibited by our grandmOthers.
That the Puritan women of New England were
of simple habit is true but in fashionable cir
Giles, here as well as in England, there was an
elaboration of dress and excess of ornaments
which the present generation has not exceeded.
We invited, in former comments, attention to
any gallery of old portraits, and to Mr.. Gr1s-
wold's description of manners in the "Republi-
can Court" We have now at hand Mr.. For
Syth's "Novels and NoveliSts of tho Eighteenth
Century" which, if presenting no new facts in
this matter, yet conveniently groups the testi-
mony for our purpose. He tells us that "at
the beginning Of the last century, the fashion
able head dress was the cOBan0d0 or frontage,
by which the hair was piled up on wires to a
prodigious height. Then there came a sudden
fall, so that women who were more than
seven feet high were reduced to five"
In Smolletfs of Humphrey Clnker,"
Lydia Medford describes her preparations for an
assembly. 81 was not six hours" says she,
sin the hands of the hair-dresser, who stuffed
my head with as much black wool as would have
made a quilted petticoat, and after all, it was
the smallest head in the assembly," In Miss
Burney's "Hyellna," the heroine says 81
have just had my hair dressed. You cannot
think how oddly my head feels; full of powder
and black pins, and great cushion on top of it,
\ When l shall be able to make use of
a comb for myself cannot tell, for my hair is
so much entangled-frizzed they call it-that
fear it will be very difficult" One would almost
affirm that this must refer to a young lady of
this present year of grace, and not TO one of a
hundred years ago. At about this period the
pettcoats Of the ladies were of SO monstrous
and extravaganza a size as to become favorite
subjects of satire and caricature. We learn
from one writer that the fashionable hoops
were made from the richest damask, with gold
and silver, four guineas hoop. There is in the
Tattler, paper which gives an account
of mock trial of pretty young
woman for wearing monstrous pet
ticoat, which, when taken off, the judge
ordered to be drawn up by pulley, and it
formed ga very vast and splendid canopy, and
covered the whole court of judicature with a
silken rOtunda, in its form not unlike the cupO-
la of st. Pauls." In addition to this evidence,
we have that of Goldsmith, who says: "Our
ladies seem to have no other standard for grace
but the run of the town. If fashion gives the
word, every distinction Of beauty, complexion,
or stature ceases. Sweeping trains, Prussian
bonnetS and trollOpees as like each other as if
cut from the same piece, level all to one stand
ard" Our ancestors seemed no more inclined
to inviduality of taste or judgment than we are.
AS to simplicity of dress, Mr.. Forsyth relates in
his entertaining volume one instance, which,
however, was more startling than admirable
At a masquerade in t740, then Il favorite form
of public amusements one of the maids of hon
or to the princess of Wales appeared in the char
acter of Iphigenia ready for sacrifice, in loose
dress of flesh colored silk. But this lady went
too far, and was rebuked by the princess, who
threw her own veil over her.