The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-09-19

sseusasrsarsass Fashion In DftacH xtl.aeBs
Fna,i the sssort.lsTed spiensiGgs Of which
the old clronicsers tell so much women bad
INIT little part, whether as the wSasers OF the
makers. The first fsiii,tneas were bearded
rnen, M was q tailor, not a nsantua- maker,
in the modern sense &C the word, VINO
brought home Ksthariness new gown 10 the
ho,,ss OF petrfaaio. .Ner did the compare
,t,yeiy sj,npIe and becoming attire OF the IA
,iS}cs az the feuSai times change by any meaos
go often fron, the tiecoro,is grace. OF itss oris
s-snal tyne es that OF their moro tickle iords.
Tbere il ,Ssss difference, saTtortally sFeakag.
a,etu,een Queen Eleanor and Margaret OF
ansou. between BeFengirta md isaoe OF
F'rsnee. than between the aien Of their re-
s,ecsive times. They never made themselves
s1sbsiu,e.y ridiculous, az nsssctIfine vanity go
constantly urged the feps Of the period 70 90;
Until we reached the bristling ratis anu
steep,e hats OF Esizabeth's reigss there "
nothipg-unfess Il be the faNtastic CONTRAST
Of coloTs brought IN BY Henry the SKINS
;nspegious consorf--t provoke smile lr0n
the DAYS OF the Confessof TO those OF tne De
fesisfer Of The Firth. +.
But tho men Of those centuries were AT.
rayea as superbly az 70 many brtght-wlnged
butterflies, flashing with suiabow tints aud
powdered with gold. in every household
Of any p,etensio1 to rank, even In those OF
the poorer gentry who groaned over the
fashioner's charges and haggled smartly VITA
the c,saysnan wiso sold the wares, large
slice Of The family income was devofed 20
cioshirg its head. And not merely vanity
aud ostentation, but the greSafsous ir,stinct
which we share with sheep pushed medi-
evaI mankind into practical compliance
with fashions which were directly injurious
80 health. TIE warm clothing, ana IN par.
ttcuiar the weighty hoods, worn IN EowaId
the Thirds reign were excellent allies TO tne
deadly epidemics of the time, and may even
have whetted the scythe of that Black DEATH
that moved among cur forefathers Us among
thick grass, and that swept away half the
population of Europe. The eStravagant
tiehtness Of the French hose and doub.
lei worn Under Louis the Eleventb7-and
Of which Charles the Bold's towering etlSy,
as he stands in stone, larger than in life, be-
side the famous chimney pieces Of the Bruges
Town Hall, is the best example-was sue
ceeded by the Mdicrous bulk Of the bonn
busted garments of Francis Of France and
bluff Harry of England. Trunk hose and
Flanders coats, stuffed out with hair and
wool. with bran or straw, according to the
libernlify Of the customer, was what tailor
dom had then 70 offer to a Discerning public
and soon afterwards the stiff Elzibethan
ruff, fexaucistingly starched, and with its
bristling points as sharp as the spiked leaves
Of holly hedge, began to incase the much.
enduring aecks of both sexes. Then to the
brocaded doublets and short hose of, the
originals OF The Vandyck portraits there sue.
ceeded the lace falls, the knee-buckles,
tapped coats, fathoRless waistcoats, and ma
iestic periwigs Of that Augustan age Of
which the Caesar held bis reyels at. White
hall, and spent in month of easy-going
careless, almost joyless prodigality the yearly
income which England and the French king
subscribed for Charles the Second.