St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-07-07
possibly garters, were worn by the

possibly carriers, were worn by the
sterner sex.
Camden, the historian. says that Ed
ward III. gave forth his own garter as
the signal for the battle of Greasy. But
no indication of such all article occurs
upon any monument or illumination OF
the period: the chausseS or long hose
being attached to the doublet, or at
least ascending to the middle of the
thigh, where they were met by the
drawers. 1t is quite likely, however,
that carriers were worn by the ladies OF
the period, whose hose were In shape
precisely as stockings of the present
day, as may be seen from an illumlna-
ton of the time of Edward Ii.
In the time of Richard Ii. a fresh de-
parture was had in the direction of pied
hose. 1t is expressly stated by Camden
two colors, or pied with more, which
they tied to their cloaks, without any
breeches.
In the reign of Richard III. the his
tOrian is careful to state that the nobll-
ity wore hose, or long stockings (the
Norman chausses), tied by laces to the
doublet. At the coronation of Richard
that monarch IS expressly stated to have
worn hose of crimson satin.
But the most amusing and interesting
epoch in the history of hosiery Is reached
in the reign of that Richmond who van
pushed the crook backed Wearer of the
crimson hose. In the days of Henry
VII. it is noted by contemporary his
tOrians that the dress of the English
people was so fantaStical that it was even
difficult to distinguish one sex from the
other. In a manuscript of this date the
chamberlain is commanded to provide for
His Majesty "a clene sherte and breche,
a pretty cote, doublette, st0macher.
hys hosen, hys socks and hys schoen.."
Wien bluff King Hal succeeded his
father the close hose, fitting exactly to
the limbs-ln fact. the Norman chausses
were again revived under the name or
trousses.
But the orthodox hose or stockings
proper are supposed to have been I'M
known In England before the middle OF
the sixteenth century. A pair OF long
Spanish hose was presented as gift to
Edward vi. by Sir Thomas Gresham,
and Howe says that Henry VIII. never
wore any hose but such as were made
of cloth. In the Harleian library there
is, however, preserved record of sew
eral pairs of silk hose belonging to
Henry VIII, it being even stated that
he had also other pairs OF satin and
velvet. The same document Introduces
US to the word stocking" itself, and
enlightens us as to its derivation.
In the year 1858 the petticoat breecheS
for men made their appearance in En-
gland and the fashion was introduced
from France of wearing large stirrup
hose or stockings two yards wide at the
top, with points through several eyelet
holes by which they were made fast to
the petticoat breeches. The fashion
went out in the reign of William ILL,
and the stockings were then drawn on
over the breaches to the middle OF the
thigh. In the reign of Ann the vests
were heightened to meet the stockings
and entirely conceal the breaches, the
stockings being of blue or scarlet silk.
with gold or silver clocks: Scarlet stock
ings were worn by fashionable bellies,
who also INDUCED in the practice OF
Snutf-taking.
Mrs. Damer, the eccentric and cele-
brated sculptor of the days of George
Ill, is said to have been the first female
who wore black silk stockings in En-
gland. Ladies wore white stockings,
even i'm mourning, as late as the year
1878. and white stockings are worn by
two-thirds of the English women of all
classes to-day, the cost and trouble or
washing Notwithstanding.
The bare-limbed lassies of Scotland
and Ireland have attracted the eye of
every American tourist. In the former
case the custom, which prevails chiefly
in the rural districts, is largely dictated
by the practice prevalent among Scotch
women of washing heavy articles by
treading them in tub with their feet.
and perhaps, also, for convenience of
fording the burns or brooks in the
mountainous sections. As to the Irish
Colleen" stockings have been deemed
a superiority for a century past, as
every historian has taken special pains
to record. They might have added that
the average Irish lassie, stockings or no
stockings, is the most virtuous girl on
the face of the earth.