Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1872-02-04
THE THINGS THEY WORE.

HE JhLNUO IuEI WUhEs
GIimpses OF the ssFRshiOns'' Of the Past
-Eccentricittes Of Toilet and the
VaSaries of Dress-COstumes in all
Ages.
Since those primitive days when it was
fashionable to wear scanty garments OF tg
leaves, there have been many. revolutions
in costumes. If the inhabitants of Eden
were dressed too little, the law of equaliza-
ton and compensation has enabled time
among its revenges to record that dressing
too much was the folly of succeeding gene
rations. A brief retrospect of the eccen-
tricities of costume may not be devoid of
interest. 1t would appear that love of fine
ry is not solely the offspring Of an elaborate
civilization, since itglows as fervently in the
breast of the savage as it does In the bosom
Of the metropolitan belle. Eccentric dis
play in dress has called forth innumerable
edicts from despots, who endeavored to
check such eXtravagances by tine fear of
punishment. But never were laws so in
effectual. In fact, marvellous as it may
seem, bloody revolutions have been caused
among many nations by the determined re-
sistance of the people to the mandate of
Sovereigns Who sought thus to control the
! eXtraVagances OF fashion.
ORIENTAL FASHION.
Even the docile Chinese, who were viii
! ling to submit to the curtailing of almost
every other right, were driven to fIenZy and
revolution when their Tartar masters de-
| creed that they must cut off their pigtails.
| Many a devotee to Chinese fashion bowed
his head to the axe with complaeence rath-
er than lose his dangling ornament. The
! Tartars engaged in a relentless war with
| the Persians because they would not wear
! the beard la Tartar. The laws of Zuleu-
Gus decreed, $50 B. c., that no female
! should go attended with more than one
maid in the street unless she was drunk,
and that no woman should wear gold or
| embroidered garments unless she designed
! to act unchastely. Sumptuary laws were
enacted in the reign of Edward III in Eng
land and in many succeeding reigns. No
one who did not enjoy an independent for
tune was permitted in England in the four
teenth century, to wear furs. Although
Kings used them for the Innings of their
tents, no person was permitted to wear
| them unless they could afford to spend
hundred pounds sterling year-in those
DAYS an enormous sum.
IN ENGLAND,
of royalty were permitted to array them
selves in foreign cloths.
BY the provisions of a statute enacted 7
Edward Ill, 1867, the wearing of shoes with
extravagant points was prohibited on the
forfeiture of twenty shillings, and on pain
of being cursed by the clergy. At this period
the fashion of wearing shoes with long
beaks or points prevailed to such an excess
that the points were fastened to the knees
by chains of silver and impeded walking.
But Fashion was not thus to be bathed. The
law restricted the length of shoes, but did
not interfere with their breadth, and so
shoes of the dimensions of tubs became the
rage until arbitrarily prohibited by law.
Queen Elizabeth, although enthusiastic
ally fond OF fineTy displayed on her own
person, opposed indulgence of the same
weakness by her subjects. The common
people were commanded to wear cap of
peculiar pattern on the Sabbath day, which
was to be fabricated Of wool dressed in
Britain. The length of the rutfs and swords
of her courtiers were limited, and officers
were appointed to cut all rufis and break all !
swords which offended against her rule. In |
the reign of James l, of England, laws were |
passed, prohibiting patches and painting as
aids to beauty. Charles the IL directed |
that
THE NOBILITY
should appear in costumes of certain kinds,
in order to repress the practice of wearing
clothes of great courtliness, on which gold |
and silver lace and jewels were used pro-
fusely. At this period, it was the fashion
to indulge in the most eXtrayagant excuses !
of dress. Gustavus, of Sweden, invented a
style of apparel for The use Of his courtiers. |
Even amid the anarchy of the French revo-
luton, dress was not forgotten by the ruff
fans in power, and became the subject Of
many angry debates in the National Con-
ventiOn.
In Turkey the length of the petticoats ]
worn by Greek ladies was restricted, and if
they exceeded the standard measurement
they were cut so as to conform to it by Off
GERS appointed for this purpose.
TURKS
of eminent rank are alone permitted to
wear yellow slippers. In fact, III all cOun-
tries dress has been the subject of legisla-
ton or governed by the caprices OF despots.
The Chinese, to whom Nature has been
sparing in the endowment of boards, are
exceedingly anxious to cherish the few stray
hairs that accidentally sprout on their faces,
and devote much attention to induce them
formerly wore enormous boards, which Pc
ter the Great compelled them to shave off.
But he had to employ violent means to ac-
complish it, and officers rudely cut off the
offending filaments.
IN FRANCE,
during the reign of Charles VIII,veils were
attached to the ladies' coitfures, and were
indicative of the wearer's rank. A lady Of
the middle rank wore her veil down to the
waist, and a dame of the first degree was
distinguished by veil which trailed upon
the ground. During the reign of Louis
XIII, wells were simply worn for ornament,
and, in fact, could not be otherwise en-
ployed, as the height of the headdress then
worn prevented it from shrOuding the coun-
tenance. In Wirtemburg the women wear
an immense cap of black lace, which forms
a fan about the face. Elegance of attire
was at its height during the first empire,
and eclipsed the splendor of all previsus
reigns. Bonaparte passed law regulating
the dress of the ladies of the court, but it
failed to restrain the magnificent extrava-
gance.
THE GRECIAN WOMEN
wore broad veil, which covered the body |
as well as the head. The Turkish women
wear wells woven of horse hair, which are
fabricated so as to be impenetrable to the |
curious eye, but transparent from within to
the wearer. The Spanish women Of the |
mountain districts wear wells instead of hats |
and caps in the streets. These are made of |
blue or pink flannel. In CASTLE large wells |
are worn fastened to the head with streams |
of blue ribbon. Eastern women of all de- |
grees hide their features under Veils.s The |
women of Ancient Greece wore wells as |
emblems of mourning and married women !
were distinguished from the unmarried by |
the manner of parting the hair in front. |
Greeks used false hair in great profusion in
the decoration of their heads. The fe |
male descendants of MahOmet in Persia |
are distinguished by being yelled by long |
white robe, which envelopes the head and |
person. Before the mouth and eyes are
netted openings.
THE EMPRESS JOSEPHINE
was remarkable for the good taste she dis
played in matters pertaining to the toilet,
and aroused the envy and dislike Of the |
beautiful Pauline, the EmperOr'S sister, by |
her successful rivalry. The wedding dress
of the daugter of Frederick l., Of Prussia,