The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1889-07-05
THE GIRLS LATEST FAD.
CHINESE AND JAPANESE ROBES
IRE ALL THE RAGE NOW.
Perhaps ChOpsticks VIII Come III Next
He Scared the Girls-How women
Dress in the Himalay as-Astrology
and Nativity.
From the Nc,carA Ereniao Ne,cs.

OACaS III liz AA
and Nativity.
From the Ne1CaTk EUenihq Nelrs.
The swell ladies of the immaculate
Four Hundred have struck a brand
new fad-an amusement that has all
the flavor of novelty and eccentricity
about it. l allude to the mimicking.
of the female Orientals.
l called on one of these fantastic
girls the other day-a damsel whose
name begins with a Ivan" and who
carries her old Dutch blood at a top
loftical pose even in the presence of
Burgomaster McAllister. | had been
ushered into the parlor and sat walt
ing her arrival, rapidly twirling my
hat or my cane-for though protest
/ am not a dude l wear an able-bodied
cane, also a hat. Idallied with these
appurtenances and examined a bronze
pagoda about seven feet tall that
stood at my side and must have cost
1 ZOO, maybe more. And | noticed a
handsome red sedan chair at the end
of the hall.
Presently the portiere at the bot
tom of the parlor gave a preliminary
tremor, challenging my glance. 1t was
a lovely hanging in rich green silk,
made lightfor summer, and ripping
in the palpitant air OF the interior;
Almost instantly it swept aside, and
my eyeballs were thrilled with a vision
that excited in me the liveliest Curl
osity. | dropped my straw hat and
laid down my cane softly on the rug.
A.. n.onA,1 80, koxyo,.I me- THrith
society smile and hand outstretched.
She seemed at first scantily clad, but
a moments inspection showed that
she in her costume indicated novelty
rather than paucity. Then | thrilled
anew, for l saw that the wearer was
my best and incest friend, Miss Bertha
Van. She was dressed, she said, in
the robes of state prescribed for the
wife of a Chinese Mandarin-and a
gorgeous get up it was, for it seemed
to be a single garment. The portion
wrapped around her shoulders looked
like a 81, 900 carriage rug of green,
richly embroidered in gold. 1t but
toned on one shoulder, and fell in
casual, graceful folds below her waist.
Beneath, or continuing it to the knee,
swept an arabesque of silver, like a
heavy armor, pointed at the sides,
and in front finishing in a sort of
ceremonial band, about eight inches
wide, dropping almost to the toes and
fringed at the lower end. Below this
was visible five or six inches of stiff
black petticoat. On her breast was
the ancestral tablet. A gorgeous fan
finished all.
"Why, Bertha!' / gasped.
George" she said, sternly, chow
dare you come here in a straw hat and
calico coat when | am getting myself
up in the toggery of Peking?"
II didn't know a thing about this
fad, l muttered, ''or | would have
appeared in royal apparel"
"Why, didn't your sisters tell your"
she asked, reproachfully; and as she
spoke l noticed with horror that her
eyes seemed to slant upward and as
sumo a distinctly almond shape.
Don't, Bertha,"I exclaimed; don't
do that to your naturally lovely eyesl"
She laughed and said:-''You goosel
I'm not doing anything. It's the
dress, and especially the unaccus-
toned headgear that gives them an
apparent obliquity. Isn't it rather
nice? / thought first would get the
long silk-figured robe and massive
obi-belt of the Toxic geisha girls, but
chose this as being more ornate and
stunning. All the girls are going to
dress in either Chinese or japanese for
next season, and | am breaking in so
as not to be awkward. | am trying
it on the dog, as the actors say when
they go to experiment with a new play
in the barn districts" Andshe laughed
again and peered at me.
81 don't like youra illustrations, Ber-
tina" l said, and grabbed my hat and
stick.
She seized my hat and
Well, that was several days ago. 1t
seems years. | shall call again this
evening. But l fear that sedan chairs
and incense bamboos and chopsticks
will come to be fashionable next.