The record-union., 1893-10-25
LOOKING BACKWARD.
Some of the Fashion Notes of Nearly
a Century Ago.
What the Newspapers Of Those Days
Had TO Say About BeauX and
Bills and Etiquette.

WhlcQ are occasionally TepTlHL6u arc IuIl
of quaint interest. In collection from
the papers of the year 1765 there are
good many references to the more or less
fair danes who, in those days, lived in
such fashionable thoroughtares as Will
lam, Cherry and Duke streets, or had
their country mansions out Of the Bow
cry lane. Concerning these same danes
we find the following interesting item:
Receipt for Making Modern Fash
ionsble Lady-Two pounds OF cork, hve
yards of whalebone, one pound OF hair.
ak pounds of wool or cotton, two drams
of white lead, and half dram OF rouge.
These, with proper quantity OF bone LOT
the skeleton, and little flesh and blood
for the muscles, etc., with skin OF
mouse for eyebrows, one pound OF pow
der, and half a pound Of pomatum, Will
complete the business"
That the editor was rather more cynical
than he should have been is evident from
the following paragraph of somewhat
later date: lone of our female sic corre-
spondents observes this is most censorl-
Gus age we live in, and so foolish ana
prejudiced to a woman's right and fancy
over her own dress that q lady can
scarcely appear in public in any polite
dress but every cOXcomb must be talking
and pointing at her as phenomenon IN
natures works. Or, If they think they
cannot carry their ridicule far enough,
they must, Of course, take up pen an d
ink and scribble few sentences OF 1nco-
herent ideas, entirely devoid OF sense,
and send them for insertion in the papers.
They by this means think they expose
US to derision, but the fact is they only
expose their own shame and imperti-
nence claiming the privilege or attempt
ing the reformation of what is far beyond
the sphere of their understanding"
Still, the ladies did not come in for all
the journalistic attention, for another
paper says: "a young man who intends
to become beau about town is advised
to have new coat made after the present
fashion, and to order his tailor to put
plenty of buttons on it. He must have
q monstrous large pair of shoe buckles,
with patent chapes, and pretty little
round beaver hat, with a rose and white
band, and put himself under the care OF a
barber that dresses in the ton."
Here, too, are some precepts which
were authoritatively set forth for the
guidance of both beauX and bellies. Some
of them are astonishingly like parodies
on the present fads. Here they are :
Fashions for 1855. 1t is all the fashion
among polite people TO play cards on
Sunday evening.
Cork bustles are all the ton, also for
ladies to stOop much when they walk the
streets.
at is the fashion for young ladies to in
vite young gentlemen to visit them.
''It is the fashion to leave the assem-
blies and concerts at ii o'clock.
1T is the fashion for young ladies to
drink porter in the afternoon-tea is
quite out of date among genteel people"
The wounded feelings of the lady who
expended so much biting sarcasm on
scribbling coXcombs must have been
SAWED by the following item: "a corre-
spondent compliments the ladies for re-
ducing the size of their headgear so that
they can enter coach. sedan chair or the
door of a modern apartment with a cap.
Some time ago their heads were bigger
than those of the Inhabitants Of Patago-
mia, while their bodies reSembled those
of Lilliput. But now their features are
set off by becoming head dresses"
In fact, the masculine mind seems to
have been then, as now. given to the con-
temptation of feminine fashions, and one
particularly susceptible creature even
drops into poetry and gives utterance to
some touching lines:
ON LADY's HOOP.
Hail mighty hoop! the scene Of joy
To ladies under fifty;
To thee they owe the sprightly step,
The slender foot so neat and fair,
Appears most wondrouS nice;
The garters show their taSsel knots,
Enough one to entice.
To thee they owe the room they have,
When to the play they go;
And are secure with elbow room
To keep off every beau.
The hoop is framed for shelter, too
From the winds both great and small;
And il the patticoats are soiled,
A hoop will cover all.
Another hint on the fashions of the day
is contained in this paragraph: 1.-The
round hat, with the broad satin band and
large rose, is all the rage in New York at
present"
Housekeepers and cooks will read the
neXtitem with contradictory emotions:
WANTED, woman of good character
stands washing, to whom S. a month will
be paid"
Returning 70 society comments, rather
peculiar one is this: "It is curious to OBJ
serve a certain enormity which is chiefly
in use among the politer and better bred
people of this city, which is the cere-
monies, bows, curtseys, whisperings,
smiles, winks, mods, and other agreeable
salutations, which take place in almost
every public resort; the church itself is
not free from this ridiculous CUSTOM"
Following in the same train, "a corre-
spondent at Flatbush' offers suburban
criticism: II am but country gentle
man, and therefore not much acquainted
with the rules of precedency, but when
was last summer in New York had the
honor once to dine among the great, and.
TO my surprise, l took notice that had not
q certain high foreign parsonage quick
ened his pace with no small agility from
q grave walk of state when dinner was
announced, several delegates and others
of inferior note would have got to the
head Of the table before him. These at
tentions may seem small to US, but gen.
tlemen who have been in foreign parts
tell US that rank and precedency is indis-
pensably attended to abroad"
ucation of women will point with scorn
has opened a school, at the corner OF
tion of young ladies in needlework and
dramatically, with its proper pronunci-
alton, and particular attention will be
paid to forming the manners and improv-
ing the morals of those tender mind:
committed to her care; for those who de-
sire to be taught writing, proper master
will attend three days in the week.
New York Sun.
Arrested on Suspicion.
George Freeman and Frank Courtney
were arrested by Officers Higgins snG
j 81