Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-08
THE QUEST OF BEAUTY
The Language Of Gouuetry
and It's Aids.
PATCHE Els IN FAVOR
oLD-TIME DEVICES TO ENHANCE
A PINK CHEEKS CHARM.
Heralds of Cupid With a Symbolism
as Varied as That of
Flowers.
PATCHES IN FAVOR

Written for The Evening Star by Katherine Morton.
10 enhance the beauty of pink cheek
ana TO brighten the luster of brilliant eye
Is the mission of the beauty patch. The
ViVal OF this charming bygone fashion Is
que TO the fact that Queen Alexandra wore
small patch at the time of the corona
ton. The mode was taken up by court
danes, and now it has reached America.
when Miss Alice Roosevelt returned to
washington 1t was noticed that she wore
star-shaped beauty patch just below the
lett eye-a coquettish touch which was ex-
ceedingiy becoming to the Presidents
daughter. Miss Letter, who was recently
IN washington, en- route to the coronation
durbar at Delhi, India, also wears beauty
spot. and it is predicted that this custom of
the seventeenth century bellies will be as
prevalent at the capital this winter as it
mas been all summer and autumn in Lon
oon me beauty spot Is an old, old fash
ION. venus may have been the first wo-
man to wear one, as she Is said to have had
a mole on her cheek and no doubt at times
she hld the defect under some artfully con-
tr1Ved covering which was in vogue before
the Gays OF court plaster.
Such craze was there at one time for
patches that sermons were preached to
anathematize them, but to no purpose; they
continued to be worn more than ever. Men
ing, Which was turned to political use by
both men and women when party spirit ran
nign. Patches were placed signals to
distinguish whg from a tory The for
mer wore patches on the right side of the
forehead and the latter on the left, and
many were the hostile glances, il nothing
more warlike, which these symbols caused.
Neutral parties patched indifferently on
both sides of the face.
During political troubles women altered
their patches to portray their political opin-
f6a Ahoyy ~f$
changed the color of their hair.
In newspapers gum patches" were adj
vertised for sale; and face patches or
such advertisements frequently appeared,
showing that patched faces were as COM
mon among New York. Boston and Phila-
delphia bellies as with London beauties.
Whitefield wrote bitterly and Indignantly
OF the foolish virgins Of New England.
covered all over with gay apparel, jewels
and patches Of Gaf
An ancient Vanity.
Patching was a vanity not only for the
young and fair, but women Of all ages and
aspects patched-for the reason that a
patch was supposed to give the appearance
Of beauty and youth. Patches and paint
were also used in the very last toilet of
grand ladies-priHcesses and the like-that
The shape of>fhe court plaster was va
ried-round, square, stars or crescents were
fayorite forms;- even the owners initials
were sometimes displayed in patches placed
upon the forehead; as many as fifteen of
these beauty spots were sometimes worn
at once when tlyfc fashion was at its height.
Every lady, OF course, who Is going to
wear patches must own dainty patch box,
a pretty little trinket of Battersea enamel
| or brass, or of tortoise shell and silver.
Within the lid is tiny mirror or disk of
| polished Steel. to follow closely the old style,
| that in 1t the fair and vain owner may peep
to place or arrange her becoming beauty
| spot.
A little verse or posy decorated the top
For BeautyS Face" ITO the FaireSt of
Her Sex or one reproves with the line,
| ''Vanitys a Vice, a Foe to Virtue" Or
| the lid has the likeness OF a mincing beauty,
| or a scene with a shepherdess or more SEN
| timental still, two hearts pierced by an
! arrow. Or the design is simply one of dots
and rings, or festoons and basket of flow
| ers. line breathing sentiment in every
word is, however, the favorite ornamental
! ton.
| The modern patch box must be modelled
| as closely as possible after the dainty rel
! les of olden times
The symbolism of patches Is nearly as
ancient love itself. Worn as Miss Roose-
| welt wears it, a star-shaped beauty spot,
| about an inch below the left eye, it means
| fondness OF adventure, and proclaims the
| wearer single.
The young woman who places a heart
| shaped patch in the center of the left cheek
| announces to all beaux and admirers that
| she is engaged. A patch similarly placed
| on the right cheek says that the wearer is
married. Worn just below the right eye 1t
audaciously announces fiirt. Placed at
the outer corner of the right eye the bit of
| plaster tells of the affectionate nature of
| the wearer.
Placed alluringly on the upper lip, 1t
| speaks eloquently, with eloquence all
| the greater for its silence of the kiss,
| which Is the breath OF love. Near the lip
| to which 1t draws attention. 1t is coquet-
| fish Worn near the nose the patch Is
| saucy, while on the brow 1t is a token of
| reservoir an innate sense of majesty
| which, though 1t repels the timorous, is
| eminently entfcing to the wooer Of a more
When the maiden puts her bit of black
| below her right cheek, she wishes the world
to understand that she prefers intellectual
pleasures.
I If the patch is star-shaped and on the
| chin, 1t speaks as plainly words of
| frivolous mood, for the time being, at least,
| and invites the condolences which have no
| thought Of anything beyond the passing
| moment.
In some of the old literature on the sub
| ject Of patches the symbolism Of those
worn by men was as follows: The i'm
| FASHIONED patch, at the corner Of the right
eye: the gallant. In the middle Of either
| cheek; the bold face. on the nose; the re-
| cluse or receiver of stolen goods, en- the
chin. A round patch was called the as
The Wells Began It.
The revival of patching was foreshadowed
| by the wells. which are still so generally
worn. The scattered velvet dots with which
they are ornanaAtea mistake the beauty
patch as well a. t,.s limitations of wells
will allow. 81 II
The illusion, h6we9sr, is often dispelled
by the fashion ID wh5ch the modern patch
| disports itself As ID the olden time, the
| beauty spot Is called a mouche fly literally,
| for mouche wells is the title of the violettes
The really proper thing Is to have only one
spot on the veilt which must rest either
near a dimpIed 8hin. in the middle of the
| cheek or near thkeye
The trouble WI the mouche veil is that
| there are too ul{hy spots to dispose har-
monfously over II single countenance. So
| It comes about tMtsone sees strange sights
sometimes; nose& ears and chins patch ed
/ in way that sd gests retirement from the
| public gaze. n
court plaster cukningiy placed near calls
| discreet attention. toathis mark of beauty.
| If a dimple does not exist, this is difficulty
| easily overcome, for there are beauty pro-
| ducirg devices for coaxing dimples; at least
| it is claimed that a woman who does not
| mind such trifiing thing as pain-aad It
| is worth while to suffer for beauty's sake
| NAV cultivate dimple by wearing at night
| a sort of wire mask, with an arrangement
| of screws or very blunt pencils of wood;
| these press upon the cheek where dimple