San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-03-08
FROM EVE TO MCALLISTER.
AN INTERNATIONAL DISPLAY OF
COSTUMES.
Five Hundred Figures to Show the
Evolution of the Present
Style of Dress.

Optll III W.
morrow, to last week.
The object of the exhibition is to
show the evolution of the present
style Of dress, and for this purpose
500 figures will be exhibited, each
representing some period in history
that denotes change OF costume.
These historical costumes will be
one of the main features Of the eX-
position, but the show of modern
dresses will be no less interesting.
In the great amphitheatre will
be erected many booths, and here
will be shown by all the leading
milliners, cOstumers and manu-
facturers the very latest and most
modish of modern costumes for
both sexes.
The gowns of all the historic
grand DANES and professional
beauties will be seen, and the great
dudes of history will be represent
ed in costumes exactly as the tail
ors Of those times would cut them.
The affair will be given for char
ity under the auspices of the
Young Women's Christian assOcia-
tion and st. James Mission.
The costume OF the Normans,
Anglo-Saxons and Celts, as consol-
idated in the English nation, was
extremely simple, and consisted Of
a tunic cloak, derived directly
from the Romans, and completed
by linen shirt. During the mid
die ages the English added to their
costumes trousers, hat and shoes.
During the fifteenth century the
dress was cut away at the neck,
and finally the bodice took the
shape of a very decollette affair,
with the neck cut square. The
sleeves began to widen, and showed
an undersleeve which was general
ly of some soft white stuff. The
shirt was generally used by women.
Sometimes it was cut out at the
neck the same as the bodice, and
sometimes it was allowed to come
over the bodice with large collar.
The first style created by the
Germans for men was costume
consisting of very full coat which
reached the knees; over this a
sleeveless coat was worn, slashed
open at the knee for the purpose Of
showing another color beneath.
The shoes were made with very
broad toes. The costumes Of Henry
VIII, Christopher Columbus,
Charles ", Albrecht Duerer and
otbar notoI poroonaroS of this
period show how universally this
style was adopted.
During the sixteenth century the
style in the dress Of women began
to improve. The sleeves were much
smaller. The sleeve Of the dress
worn by Marguerite in "Faust"
best illustrates this fashion. The
bodice gradually became higher.
and the bust was heightened by
lace ornaments until 1850, when
the dress again reached the neck.
The French, however, refused to
adopt the high neck and still wore
their gowns low-cut. After the
thirty years war the French took
the lead in matters Of fashion, and
they have led for $50 years, and are
still in the front. The fashion set
by Louis XIII, was longer than
formerly, the trousers reached to
the knee again, the sleeve had only
one slash, and this was filled with
another color. The hat was large
and trimmed with feathers. The
collar was Of lace and cape was
worn.
In the reign of Louis XIV men
wore skirts for the first time since
the long garb had been discarded.
The jacket was very short, and did
not even reach the waist line.
Under this was a full skirt, all
pulled and draped with costly
laces, which come to the knee.
Trousers were worn under the skirt.
A cape was also worn with this
costume.
The street dress of the women
was nearly of the same cut as that
of the men. The full double skirt
of the preceding period changed to
very voluminous affair and was
nearly all Of brOcade. 1t was
draped with lace, pulled and much
trimmed. During the French rev.
olution men wore longer breeches,
first to the calf, then to the ankle,
and later to the length Of the pres
emit day. The coat gradually took
the form of the modern swallow
tail, with the waist shorter and the
tails longer. The necktie was a
most important affair at this time.
1t was very elaborate and large
and was worn so high that the
chin was almost concealed. The la
dies adopted the Greek dress dur
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