The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1883-01-17
FASHIONS OLD AND NEW.-H1s.
TORY OF FASHION,

/ Kings, poets, ecclesiastics and hi
It torjans, as we'll as numerous pla]
v right and feuilletonists, have lei
# behind them the record Of their ia
G pressions of art in womau's dres,
}. From La Bruvere, who asserts tbs
j. "it shows as much weakness to q
from fashion as to follow it closely,
!. and Montosquieu, who says that
! lady of fashion desiring new gov
( is mere potent commander than
Shah Of Persia, because "from tina
: moment fifty artisans have to q
without sleep or leisure either to ca
or drink" philosophers have mad
this subject of profound specula
ton. A history of fasl,ionln Franc,
J is necessarily of fashion every where
and to follow the modes Of primitiv,
) Gaul down through successive age,
until the moment Of the efflorescenc.
} under the fair hands Of Marie
Antoinette and Eugene, is to follow
the delusive transformations of Pro
teos himself. 1t is a fact, however
, that while the type OF dress scarcel,
changes within the limits Of cen
i. tuary, its adjuncts and Characters
tics very frequently every year. Ii
the toilet of a Merogovingian lad,
of high degree, We trace q foreshad
owing of the modern tight fitting,
close clinging Jersey bodice, the
hips in both cases being defined by
a loosely knotted sash. Walking
sticks, sported by some jauuty Fifth
avenue bellies last season were used
by women of the eleventh century,
and with one of them, it is recorded.
did Constance, wife Of King Robert,
knock out the eye Of her confessor.
Long skirts were introduced by the
daughters of St. Louis, who had ILL
shayed feet and clumsy ankles. Long
buttoned kid gloves we're then made
in Italy, Spain and France, aud NO.
men We'd with each other in embroid
ing wells, scarfs, armlets and aims.
bags; initiating the work of the
East, during the time of the Cru !,
sades, just as they are doing in this
year of grace 1882. During the
fourteenth century tight facing came
into fashion. We can find no paral-
lei in modern days for the extraordi
nary head-dresses introduced into
France by Isabel of Bavaria, wife of
Charles vi. ''Hennins" they we're
called, having two horns Of starched
lawn a yard high, so that a woman
could as hardly enter a doorway as a
rich man the Kingdom Of heaven. |
Queen Isabel, the sovereign arbiter
OF dress in her day, possessed two
lined chem;ses, undergarments until
then having been made of coarse
wollen serge. Agnes Sorel, famed
for her wit and beauty, was the first
10 have diamonds cut with facets.
During the whole Of the middle ages,
fair hair alone was considered beau
,ifal and dyeing was much resorted
20, for which purpose an infusion Of
onion skin was sometimes used.
During tue reign of Henry ". the
loop increased to az enormous size,
he fashion coming to an end in
1870. Dresses were worn so slow 10
he neck as to evoke from the chair
II St. Peter terrible rebuke by the
ips of Pope Innocent TX. Patches
we're seen first in 1855. In 1894,
'resses painted with flowers and fig.
Tres were worn, to take the place Of
printed linen. Jet and enamel but.
ons also came into notice, together
nth watered ribbons, square watch.
9 with looking glasses at the back,
'air nets, ornaments Of colored glass,
ibbons worked with chenille, cuffs
nd mock pearls, for which twenty ,
thousand white bait were supplied 1
. make one pound Of essence of|t
earl. High heels too, came 10, with Il
cart, fans wondrous in magnia-
ence, and NUTS in which little I;
ogs were carried about by their :
llr mlstreSSeS. :,
The Chicago School Board con
'mplates the abolition Of the study a
grammar by younger pupils, and 9
70 substitution of oral language q
ssons. The teachers believe that q
lies Of grammar are soon forgotten, 81
ID that in reading and writing 81
rrectly one seldom stops to think
tcchnicalities. Their idea is that Il
iIdren should first be lead to speak 81
od English intuitively, leaving the y
later years. - =
ONE Of the curiosities OF ciyili a,
tion is that the poor people com b,
It small crimes in New York in II