Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-04-23
W0MAN'S DRESS IN JAPAN.
YUM YUMs TOILET FROM THE
BATH TO COMPLETE ATTIRE.

Getting Themselves Up in Stunning Style.
What Causes Them TO shuttle When
They walk--A Young Japanese's De-
scription OF His Countrywomen.
Having been soaped and dried, the Japan
csc girl takes long strip Of cotton or silk,
according to her taste and condition, the
strip being about eighteen inches wide and
three yards long Holding the upper corner
Of the end of the cloth just over the left hip,
she winds the strip tightly around the loins
and hips fastening it by tucking the end
corner in the belt so made This might be
called the japanese corset except that, in
stead of COMPRISING the waist, it squeezes
the lower abdominal portions and upper hip.
When properly put on it makes an almost
rigid bandage, and it is this which gives that
peculiar little shuttle and swing to the orig
inal Yum Yum's walk the legs being really
only movable from the knee down. Most
writers have ascribed this waddle TO the
high wooden clogs, but this is a mistake. The
men wear clogs, but they walk as freely as
an Indian.
The kilt. SO to speak, having been adjusted,
the Japanese girl then slips on little loose,
silk-which comes down to the lon cloth, and
over that blouse or short kimono then an
other little longer, two or three of these,
then the lsimono and then the obi or bow
All these undergarments and the kimono
itself are crossed in front and are open at the
neck Each is decorated at the neck with
strip of colored Grape, and the whole is so
arranged that these strips show one beneath
the other Sometimes a belle will show a
half dozen or more Of these different colored
strips, the effect being quite rainbowsh. If
the weather is warm the inner garments are
dispensed with, and the parti-coored silks
are sewed 10 the inner side of the kimono in
a number Of plaits
DON'T WEAR STOCKINGS.
Stockings the japanese woman does not
wear, except those who have adopted the Eu-
ropean fashions, while the shoe is either a
sandal or clog. No matter what the form
of sandal or clog, the method of attachment
is always the samoa soft loop into which
the foot is thrust, with a thong to pass be-
tween the great toe and the others The san
dial (zarD is nearly always made with a straw
sole and quilted top, and is used for indoor
wear, while the clog (gital is Of wood. Their
height is regulated by the tony aspirations
of the wearer, just as French heels Of exces-
sive height are worn by our own fashionable
sisters.
The kiminos seen In this country just clear
the ground, and this is the every day cut Of
the garment When the japanese young
lady wishes to put on style, however, she
lengthens her kimino and adds TO its breadth
in the lower portions, so that il shall spread
out on the floor as she stands This is her
train, but must stand all around her feet in
bell shape. The nice management of this
train is a great achievement and takes much
practice to bring about the true japanese an
giles and stiffness In the old days the bimo-
nos worn by the court ladies were something
extraordinary in their voluminousness. They
were not only long behind, but they were also
long before, and the poor creature stumbling
along in one of these looked as though she
were shuilling about on her knees.
1t is in her obi on sash, however, that the
Japanese belle takes her greatest pride Or
dnarily it is tied behind in a bow about a
foot square at the back, resembling a car
fridge box in shape. But there are times
when this modest little bow will not suffice,
and there are ladies who go to excuses in the
size of the obi. II is made out of black silk,
folded to be fully yard wide, and it is tied
in a bow whose ends extend fully three feet
across Moreover, it is worn in front and a
little to the side, and altogether is a very
stunning affair,
A NATIVES TRIBUTE.
Concerning the japanese women themselves
there is n great variety of opinion. The fol-
lowing is the native idea of a japanese beau
ty, given by young japanese gentleman at
the international Congress of Orlentalist held
in Paris in 1873; 81 viii commence, gentle
men, with the head, which IS neither too
large nor too small. Figure to yourself large,
black eyes surmounted by eyebrows Of a
strict arch, bordered by black lashes; face
oval, white, very slightly rose colored ON the
cheeks; n straight high nose, a small, rcgu'
lar, fresh mouth, whose thin lips disclose from
time to time white teeth ranged regularly; a
narrow forehead bordered by long, black
hair, arched with perfect regularity. Join
this head by round neck to "A body large,
but not fat, with slender ioju~, hands and
feet small but not thin, "A breast whose swell
is not exaggerated. Add to those the follow
ing attributes: A gentle manner, a voice like
the nightingale, which makes one divine its
artlessness, n lool, at once lovely, sweet, gra-
cious aud always charming; witty words pro-
uounced distinctly, accompanied 10y charming
smiles; an air sometimes calm, gay, some
times thoughtful and always majestic; man
ners noble simple, little proud, but without
ever mourning the accusation of presump'