The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1876-04-19
Fashion Sixty Years Ago.

No well dressed woman wore any
thing but white muslin, says a lady,
writing of fashions as they were sixty
years ago in the United States; winter
and summer those fimsy dre1Bes were
always cut with low or at most only
haH-high necks. Beneath them was
worn only one scant white petticoat;
even in winter flannel skirts were avoid
ed by the fashionables. No starch was
put into either dress or petticoat; and
some ladies, in order to make the mate
rial cling the better to the form one
would think already sufficiently reveal
ed, actually had their dresses dsmpened,
as the last finishing touch, before start
ing for ball. Truly their appearance
must have justified rhyme which was
popular at that time:
Ladies' fair this gay garb dressed In
Look Eve-like, angel-ike, and interesting
One wonders that these bellies did not
positively freeze to death in the long,
severe winters. The houses were heat
ed only by open wood fires, stoves being
almost unknown. And in rooms only
half warmed these thinly-attired ladies
lived. Worse yet, the "modiste "
length of skirt was just to the ankle
bone, and silk stockings and slippers
were the only covering for the feet, even
to walk in the snow and slnsh Of mid
winter. Pattens or clogs might be put
on to- go out of All evening, but they
looked so sold maidish" that the girls
did not Like toause them much. !
There was one mitigation OF the hard,
ships of this dress-the outer garments
in winter were worn long, and Mrs. D.
describes her street costume in one Of
those years when she was q society
queen. Over the white muslin frook
she wore a long scarlet broadcloth pc.
isse, which was fitted to the figure and
ornamented with a small cape. Her hat
was very wide brimmed, made Of white
satin and crowned with ostrich feathers.
One would think that this style OF
wearing white must have been rather
troublesome, and I asked if it was abso-
lutely worn all the timea eyes" Mrs.
D. said, "for dress always, winter and
SUMNER When she was a girl her
mother allowed her to have three mus
lin frocks week in the wash; for morn.
ing or housework French calicoes were
worn, but, as they cost dollar yard,
they were quite expensive. Every Lady
had also one dark silk TO wear to funer-
als,, or If by. chance the muslins were not
in order. ".,.... ne. .....,u., :. .,.
It was OF this time when scantness OF
drapery was at it's extreme that Miss
Patterson married jerome Bonaparte.
A cousin of Mrs. D. was at the wedding,
and when asked lafterward to describe
the brides toilet. replied: D '"All the
clothes she had on I could have put into
my wsistcoat pocket" ...t..
Her dress was Of such muslin, only
richly embroidered, and of extremely
fine texture, and it was said that beneath
It she wore but single garment. {. -
OF course, when white was So univer-
sally adopted, any device was resorted
to in order to give variety to the dress.
Various materials were used, null,
Nainsook, bishops lawn, and India mus
lin, which was extremely soft and deli
cate: nore Of these fabrics at all re-
sembled our modern organdie or Swiss,
as they were neither stiff nor wiry, soft.
ness being a, requisite of style. ..', ~.
There were devices for covering the
neck, which fashion barred. Three cor.
nered handkerchiefs, of muslin or lace,
and. small silk capes or squares, were
thrown carelessly over the shoulders: A
very favorite wrap was the pelerine. a
cape with long tab ends; this was made
for opera wear, in pink or blue silk
trimmed with swans down, and tor the
street Of black silk with rufles. 3d.. y