Forest City press. (Forest City, Potter County, D.T. [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1904-04-14
DRESS OF THE soulMo
hads by the Women From the Skins Of
Northern Animals,

American Tailor and Cutter-Tiae chief
material of the clothing Of the Esquimo
is the skin of the reindeer, which Is used
in various stages OF pelage or tanning.
Fine, short-haired summer skins, espe-
cially those OF does and fawns. are used
for making dress garments and UNDER
clothes. The heaviest winter skins fur
nish extra warm jackets for cold wealth
Ell. The white spotted skins of the tame
Siberian rcindser are especially valued
for full dress Jackets.
Tho skins of the white mountain sheep.
white and blue fox, wolf. dog. ermine and
lynx are sometimes made into clothing.
Underjackets of elder duck skins are often
pressed into service. sscalskin dressed with
the hair on is used only for breeches and
boots, and for those rarely. OF late years
drilling and calico have been introduced
into the makeup of some of the minor
garments.
The dress of the men consists OF a loose
hooded frock. without opening except at
the neck and wrists. This reaches just
over the hips. and very rarely to mid
thigh. where it is cut off square and usual
~ confined by a girdie at the waist. Tn
der this carmen is worn Il similar one OF
lighter skin and sometimes without Il
hood. The thighs are clad in one or two
pairs of tight-fitting knee brooches. rath-
er loose. but fitted to the shape of the leg.
They are very low in front. but are much
higher behind. sometimes as high as the
small of the back. They are held in place
by a sirdle or thong around the waist.
and are usually fastened below the knee.
over the boots. with "A draw-string.
On the legs and feet are worn, iirst, a
pair of long deerskin stockings will tha
hair inside, then slippers of tanned seal
skin, in the bottom of which is spread a
len 20. ~f a., .l, t,u An1 49, dido
a pair of closc-ft,ing boots, held In place
by n string around the ankle. which,
reaches acove the knee anu ends with IA
rough edge covered by the breeches. Dress
boots often end In an ornamental border
Will draw-string Just below the knee. The
boots are of reindeer skin. with white
sealskin soles for winter and dry wealth
er: but in umMcr waterproof boots OF
white whaleskin are worn. Overshoea OF
the same material, reaching just above
the ankles, are sometimes worn over the
winter boots.
The women wear tight-ftting deerskin
pantaloons with the hair next the skin.
and outside OF these u similar pair. made
of the skins from deer legs. with the hair
out. and having soles Of sealsktn. but 10
ankle strings. The womcn's pantaloons.
like those OF the men. are fastened with
Il girdle just above the hips. 1t appears
that they do not stay UP very we'll. az the
women are continually hitching them UP
and tightening their girdles. like some old
, sailor.
Until they reach manhood the boys weai
pantalOons like the women. but their jack
cts are cut just like those Of the men.
The well-to-do Esquimo generally owr
several complete suits of clothes. and pre-
sent u neat appearance when not engaged
IN dirty work. The poorer class wear one
suit for all occasions until 1t becomes
shabby. New clothes are seldom put OF
till winter. The outer frock IL not offer
worn in the iglu. or hut home, being
usually taken off before entering the room
AT present there IS 10 sucn thing as ar
Esquimo tailor. for the women OF each
F,squimo household usually make the gar
ments of all the members OF the family
Not only this. but the IIsuuimo are ex-
tremely conservative in the matter ol
changes in the style of their raiment. AN,
respond very slowly to the undermining
Influences in this particular which havs
cached their neighborhood.