The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1899-04-12

Questionable women are depending
largely on wigs for their coiffures," said
a celebrated wigmaker. "Our establish
ment makes as many wigs for society
women as for actresses"
Other prominent dealers In hair goods
confirm the statement. Several reasons
are attributed for this late fad. The
principal one is that curled locks, for so
many years in vogue, have left feminine
tresses in a sad condition. The locks
are scanty and variegated.
Curling tongs and bleaches are not
good tonics for the hair, and so the silly
fad has brought woe to women and JOY
to the dealers in hair goods. Wigs are
great time-savers, which fact is import
ant to society women. The maid has the
wig carefully curled and dressed, waiting
to be slipped from the block to her mis-
tress's head.
Four or FIVE wigs are necessary to
keep the head properly coiffed. The
wigs are made to order and 1t is abso-
lutely impossible to detect them.
Meanwhile the real hair is brushed
carefully and restored to health, and
abundance by tonics and scalp FOODS. IL
is brushed loosely into a fiat coil at the
back of the head, SO that the shape OF
the head is not marred. The wigs are
made on a thin woven foundation, so
that the head is not unduly heated OF
in any way made uncomfortable.
Experts claim that the wig is not in
furious. and does not retard the CROWN
of hair. History has omitted to chronicle
the wearer of the first wig, but the GUS
tom dates to remote antiquity some
writers fancy that the wig are even re-
ferred tosin the Bible.
oueen Elizabeth set the fashion for
women's wigs. She had as many as
eighty wigs in her dressing room Mary
Oueen of Scots also had a large collection
She was famed for her beautiful coiffures.
Mary wore her wigs to the last and was
exacuted in one of an auburn tint. The
fair 0neen of Scots was not particular
about having her wigs of the same color
in fact. she preferred variety and chanSeo
the color of her borrowed tresses some
times twice in one day. On this account
many of her portraits are hard to 1denti-
fy.
Paris Is the centre of the fine manu-
features of prepared human hair. III rs
estimated that there are five thousand
WORKINGS and two thousand hairaressers
engaged in the industry.
There are three great sources of supply
for this busy trade India and CHINA
are the largest suppliers. The hair from
these countries is exclusively black ana
gray and has to undergo a lengthy oper-
alton. II is first matched, sorted and
combed. and then immersed in a solution
of soft soap and carbonate of soda. in
order to scrub il. When ii comes from
this bath It is p,acet end to end, formed
into locks and tied year the roots
To render the hair soft and flexible the
locks are now placed in earthen pans
filled with ea.orated water and water
mixed with hydrochloric acid. Isiih rem
ders the hair thin and decolor.zes it. 1t
Is then immersed in a solution OF SOFT
soap and chlorate of potash, in order to
render It less brittle. Finally a DEFINITE
shade and color are given it.
gfat Or blonde color is obtained with
oxygenerated water or a saturated solu-
zion Of carbonate of potash. Black dye
IS given the locks by boiling them for
a few hours in a bath prepared with a de-
eoction of nutgalls or Canpeachy wood
in which sulphate of iron is dissolved and
into which a little sumac is put. This
gives il iustre and removes the blush tint
peculiar TO the hair of the dead
Then comes a final bleaching by Inn
mersing the hair several times in a bath
of oxygenated water to which a few drops
of ammonia have added. T-s hair is now
ready for the workers TO dress and weave
into wigs
The second source of supply and the
country which furnishes the finest hair
is France. Nearly a hundred shades of
hair are contributed by that country,
the quality being fine and soft.
Titan red is the favorite color for the
fashionable wig of the moment It's only
only rival is the new silvery white, known
as silver blond, This last new shade
came in fashion with the advent of a
Philadelphia matron of the Horse Show.
The color is almost startlfngly unique in
appearance.
Numbers of perfectly white wigs are
sold. They are worn by women who, yet
in their prime, have scattered gray hairs.
The silvery white wig gives a wonderfully
youthful look to the face.
"Orange-fower Gloves as the French
say, are going out-that is, the white
gloves-as I wrote you the other day,
says Harper's Bazaar" The new ones are
all tinted, some Suede, and some dressed
kid. For shopping and SO on, they are
all quite deep tan. Are you wearing the
new 1880 ties in New York? I rave JUST seen
a pretty one of a cherry and white silk
handkerchief, with loose ends, on a foun-
dalton of batiste, with the daintiest tucks
and demonstrating. With shirt-waists
nothing, l think, will be seen over here
but the long 1880 tie, either twisted softly
or hanging straight down from the knot
at the top. Very pretty ones can be made
at home. Make a straight stiff collar Of
black satin. Sew flaps in and turn over
the top, forming points in the front and
back: This forms the collar. Take a piece
of black satin four or five inches wide,
line it, leave a very narrow fringe at the
bottom, and bunch 1T UP at the top UNI
der the points. Let this hang straight,
with three pins or studs scattered
through it at intervals. No doubt. though,
the shops are full of these in New York,
as they are here.
Here are a few fascinating summer
dresses I have seen: A tunic, such as |
described in one of my last letters, of
beige cloth bordered with guipure. A
short tunic, beneath which are five ruff
fes of black mousse1ine de sole with satin
border. Bolero cloth cut in front in two
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