Evening star., 1899-03-18
SOME CHINESE CUSTOMS.
How John IL eeps Cool In Summer and
Warm in Winter.
From, The RaItImCrp Sun

From the Baltimore Sun.
o. A singular thing about Chinaman is
that. so far as outside appearances go, he
dresses himself exactly alike, both winter
and summer.
He appears neither more bulky nor thin
ner as the seasons go by, and the style. cut
and texture of his raiment, unless search
ing Investigations are made. seem un-
changed. However, as the winter weather
comes on, the snow begins to fall. and the
chill winds TO whistle through the cracks
in his laundry. other place of business,
he does make certain changes in his wear
Ing apparel which, while they do not show
up on the outside, have the required effect
of keeping him warm and comfortable.
In the summer time the Chinaman wears
as few clothes as permitted by custom. The
wide, flowing silk coat. with balloon sleeves.
equally wide jeans. and glimpse of white
stocking in the shoe. are all he thinks it
necessary TO wear, Other articles are
garded as superfiuOus.
At this time of the year such Chinaman
has concealed beneath this same silk coat
and jeans q variety of things designed to
keep him warm During cold weather the
un-AmericaniZed Chinaman wears a least
six or seven coats When he rises early on
cold winters morning the first thing ne
reaches for. a rule, is silk or worsted
coat, which he dons tight-fitting To the
skin Then he hastily gets into a worSted
blouse made in the shape Of the usual out
side garment of the Chinese, and then has
two OF three silk coats 10 put on. which are
followed by closely knit muslin coat an
other silk coat, and the top coat or blouse.
This last is so made that no suggestion is
given of the others underneath 1t never
buigeS. and no flag or edge of the under
coats shows. His jeans are put on next
underneath which he wears a closer-htting
pair Of silk jeans II particularly chilly.
he wears extra pairs OF the silk jeans The
outside jeans are made out of heavy mus
lin, as is also at times the winter top coat.
Concerning his stockings and his feet the
Chinaman who still adheres to his native
customs in wearing clothes has trouble.
According to the statement of Wong Wing
an intelligent Chinaman living at 1911
riggs avenue. no Chinaman who still pro-
fesses the religion of his forefathers is per-
mitted to wear shoes or boots closed over
the instep or reaching above the ankle un-
less he is priest Consequently in winter
the only protection for mis- feet that the
Chinaman has is heavy stockings and hay-
ing very thick cork and worsted soles put
on his shoes. The stockings of the China
man are not bought in this country but
come from China by way of San Francisco
and are not a common garment. One diff
ference between them and the American
stocking is that they are neither SO short
as that of the ordinary citizen nor as long
as that of the schoolboy. The top reaches
Just below the knee. and the stockings are
made of peculiar kind of worsted very
finely knitted and very warm This COM
pletes the winter garb Of the Chinaman
which he afiirms keeps him as warm as he
wants to be.
Many of the top coats worn by them are
wadded all over on the inside with cotton
~ almost the same way as foot ball
player pads his trousers Chiuaman will
frequently start the day with all his coats
on and feeling cold AS the day gets warm
sr and the temperature of the laundry rises
pc will begin to shed coats until he has on
Only two or three. AS a rule he is very i'm
prudent in regard to his health, and rarely
gets through a winter without contracting
q bad cold through carelessness in going
out without all his coats on or taking too
many on to get cool. There is art in regu-
ladng the number to take of or put on at
certain temperatures.
Very few Chinapep wear anything like
collar about their necks, as the various
coats At so closely to the neck that the
wind cannot get down their backs. Gloves