The daily Alaskan., 1907-04-10
DRESS OF THE ESKIMO,
Made by tbe Women From the Skins
 Of Northern Animals,

Of Northern Animals.
 The chief material of the clothing of the Eskimo is the skin of the reindeer, which is used In various stages of pei age or tanning. Fine, short haired summer skins, especially those of does and lawns, are used for making dress garments and underc!othes. The heuy 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 ermine and lynx are sometimes made Into clothing. Underjackets of cider duck skins are often pressed into serv- Ice. Sealsllu dressed with the hair on is used only for brooches and boots, and for those rarely. Of late years drilling and calico have been intro dEced 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 1t is cut oGf square and usually confined by a girdle at the waist Under this garment Is worn a similar one of lighter skin and sometimes without a hood The thighs are clad in one or two pairs of tight fitting knee brooches. 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 ara held in place by a grdle or thong around the waist and are usually fastened below the knee over the boots with a drawatrinE
 On the legs and feet are worn. first. a pair of long deCrskin stockings. with the hair inside. then slippers of tanned seaIskin, in the bottom which is spread a layer of whalebone shavings and out side a pair of close fitting boots. held ln place by a string around the ankle. which reaches above the knee and ends with a rough edge covered by the brooches. Dress boots often end in au ornamental border with dFawstrinr Just below the knee. The boots are Of reindeer skin. with white sealskIu soles for winter and dry weather, but in summer waterproof boots of white whaleskia are worn Oversh0cs of the same material, reaching just above the ankles, are sometimes worn over the winter boots.
 The women wear tight fitting deer skin DautaIoOns. with the hair next the skin. and outside of these a similar pair made of the skins from deer legs. with the hair out, and having soles Of scaIskn. but no ankle strings. The womeu's pautaloons, like those oc the men. are fastened with a glrdle just above the hips. It appears that they do not stay up very well, as the wo. men are continually hitching them up and tightening their girdlcs, like some old sailor.
 Until they reach manhood the boys wear pantaloons like the women, but their jackets are cut Just like those of the men.
 The well to do Esklmos 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 1t becomes shabby. New clothes are seldom put oD tn winter Th' outer frock Is not often worn in the lglu. or hut home. being usually taken od before 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 thls, but the Esimos are extremely conservative in the mat Ter of changes In the style of their ral- mcur and respond very slowly to the modaruizing influences ln this partlcu lar which have reached their neIghbor.