The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-10-01

OLD TIME FASHIONS.

Amusing Things Our Grandmas Used TO
Wear, as Found in Old Journals.
1t is with a curious sensation that one
opens the dusty, worm eaten file of an old
English newspaper and reads the quaint
pages which our grandfathers and our
great-grandfathsrs read 100 years ago.
Do you not see there the lady OF the
household, sitting in prim gown and
constrained attitude upon her own high
backed, uncomfortable chair, stealing
moment from her housewifeiy duties TO
read of the prevailing fashion, Her eyes
erIisten as She learns that a 'lady of high
quality" is about to array herself In
manner set forth in this paragraph;
"The headdress, composed OF salmon
colored crane gauge, with a bandeau of
satin ribbon tied on the right side near the
front in a small knot. Upon the bandeau
is disposed a string of small beads, and one
salmon colored and two ostrich feathers
placed on the headdress, and three dia-
moud pins between the bandeau and the
feathers. The hair frizzed lightly, thrown
into ringlets and turned up behind in a
plain chignon. Robe white striped tiffany,
trimmed down the neck and down the
front with a narrow silk fringe. Short
sleeves, trimmed at the elbow with the
same fringe; small tiffany handkerchief
put within the robe and drawn together at
the front with diamond slide. Lawn
petticoat trimmed with narrow founce.
Pearl necklace and earrings; a small me-
dallion suspended by a string of small
pearls. Silk shoes of salmon color"
The good burgess wife is as deeply in
terested in this piece of information as her
Az a., Al g..
today. She passes on TO read that "the
turban cap still remains with variegated
plumes of ostrich feathers" and she profits
by the announcement that ''the undress
small bonnets, with green satin ribbon cut
TO initiate grass, are universally worn"
1t is obvious that she quite understands
how green satin ribbon may be cut to
initiate grass, and you may be sure that
she will convey the hint TO her milliner
when the time comes round for her next
bonnet to be ordered.
Still reading on, she sees that "the clocks
to the silk stockings are invariably of the
same color Is the r1bband to the head
DRESS" and also that boot shoes" are yet
worn, but are likely to be ousted from pop
ulsF favor by "a kind of sandal shoe, laced
with ribbapd."
She Is laughing now at the statement
that ''the semblanee of sore throats is not
so much the rage as formerly, and is now
excluded from the female neck" Ostrich
feathers at this period were worn very
high; they were, in fact, carried to the
height of absurdity. The worthy dame ia
well aware of this. Perhaps she bears her
own initiative share in the fashion; there
fore, do you wonder that she is growing in
dignant with the satirical newspaper man
who is so impertinent as to inform the
vulgar that a room is especially set apart
at all elegant assemblies wherein ladies
may adjust their feathers, because they
cannot be worn in a carriage with roof?
The villain declares that leaders of the
fashion have headdresses four feet high.
But what of it, Even if it be so, what
right has he to say that "a well dressed
lady who angles with dexterity can give a
friend a tap upon the shoulder across
the room without mountaineering the
dancers" Madam is annoyed with this
impertinent fellow; but you may be sure
she takes the paper regularly, in spite of
all, and that she will promptly avail her
self of the hint that ladies now in the lit
tie greatcoat style perambulate the streets
in a bearskin body of blue flannel and
silken skirt of brown color. "-London
Queen.