Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1907-03-07
DRESS OF THE ESKIMO.
Made by The Women From the skins
of Northern Animals.

of sOrthern Animals.
The chief material of the clothing Of
the Eskimo is the skin Of the reindeer,
which is used III various stages of pei
age or tanning Fine, short haired
summer skins, especially those of does
and fawns, are used for making dress
garments and undercothes. The heay-
lest winter skins furnish extra warm
jackets for cold weather The white
spotted skins of the tame Siberian rein
deer are especially valued for full
dress jackets.
The skins of the white mountain
sheep, white and blue fox, wolf, dog,
ermre and lynx are sometimes made
into clothing. Underjackets of elder
duck skins are often pressed into serv-
ice. Scalskin dressed with the hair on
is used only for breeches and boots,
and for those rarely. OF late years
drilling and calico have been intro
duccd into the makeup of some of the
minor garments.
The dress OF the men consists of a
loose hooded frOck without opening ex-
cept at the neck and wrists. This
reaches just over the hips and very
rarely to midthigh. where It is cut Off
square and usually confined by girdle
at the waist. Under this garment Is
worn similar one of lighter skin and
sometimes without hood. The thighs
are clad in one or two pairs Of tight
fitting knee breeches, rather 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 girdle or thong around the waist and
are usually fastened below the knee
over the boots with a drawstring.
On the legs and feet are worn, first, a
pair of long deerskn stockings, with
the hair inside, then slippers of tanned
Sealskin. in the bottom which Is spread
layer of whalebone shavings and out.
side pair Of close fitting boots, held In
place by string around the ankle,
which reaches above the knee and
ends with rough edge covered by the
breeches. Dress boots often end In an
ornamental border, with drawstring
Just below the knee. The boots are of
reindeer skin, with white sealskin
soles for winter and dry weather, but
in summer waterproof boots of white
whaleskin are worn. Overshoes Of the
same material. reaching just above the
ankles, are sometimes worn over the
winter boots.
The women wear tight fitting deer
skin pantaloons, with the hair next the
skin. aud outside of these a similar
pair made of the skins from deer legs,
with the hair out. and having soles of
sealskin. but no ankle strings. The
women's pantaloons, like those Of the
men. are fastened with a glrdle Just
above the hips. 1t appears that they
do not stay up very well, as the wo-
men are continually hitching them up
and tightening their girdles, like some
old sailor.
Until they reach manhood the boys
wear pantalo0ns like the women, but
their jackets are cut just like those Of
the men.
The well to do Eskimos generally own
several complete suits Of clothes and
present a neat appearance when not
engaged in dirty work. The poorer
classes wear one suit for all occasions
until It becomes shabby. New clothes
are seldom put on till winter. The
outer frock Is not often worn In the
ielu, or hut home, being usually taken
off ;efore entering the room.
At present there is no such thing as
an Eskimo tailor. for the women of
each Eskimo household usually make
the garments OF all the members OF the
family. Not only this, but the Eskimos
are extremely conservative in the mat
ter of changes in the style Of their raj
ment and respond very slowly to the
modeln'zng influences in this particu-
lar which have reached their neighbor-
hood