Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1907-01-08
DRESS OF THE ESKIMO.
Made by the NvOmen From the SlKins
Of Nortllern "A nilnssl s.

\ -
s3s
Made by the Women From the Slkins
Of Northern A ]. Y i Y IL
The chief material of the clothing OF
the Eskimo Ii 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 fawns, are used for making dress
garments and underc lothes. The heav-
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 elder
duck skins are often pressed into sery-
Ice. Sealskin dressed with the hair on
is used only for breaches and boots,
and for those rarely. OF late years
drilling and calico have been intro
duced into the makeup Of some Of the
minor garments.
The dress Of the men consists Of q
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 of
square and usually confined by girdle
! at the waist Under this garment is
worn q similar one of lighter skin and
sometimes without hood. The thighs
| are clad In one or two pairs of tight
fitting knee breaches, 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
q girdle or thong ground the waist and
are usually fastened below the knee
1 over the boots with a drawstring
! On the legs and feet are worn, first, q
pair Of long deerskin stockings. with
i the hair inside, then slippers Of tanned
sealskin, in the bottom which is spread
/ layer Of Whalebpne shavings and out
side pair Of close fitting boots, held in
place by string around the ankle,
1 which reaches above the knee and
ends with rough edge covered by the
breaches. Dress boots often end in an
ornamental border, with drawstring
just below the knee. The boots are Of
1 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, and outside Of these 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 girdle JUS
above the hips. It appears that they
/ do not stay up very well, as the wo
men are continually hitching them W
4 and Tightening their girdles, like some
i old sailor s.3 vi /, Il.
4 Until they reach manhood the boys
wear pantaloons like the women, bu
4 their jackets are cut just like those o.
4 the men.
The well to do Eskimos generally owl
several complete suits Of clothes AM
4 present neat appearance when no
engaged in dirty work. The poore
classes wear one suit for all occasion!
4 until 1t becomes shabby. New clothe!
are seldom put on, till winter. TIL,
outer frock is not often worn in tn
iglu, or hut home, being usually takel
4 off before entering the room
At present there is no such thing a
an Eskimo tailor, for the women O
4 each Eskimo household usually max.
4 the garments Of all the members Of th,
a family. Not only this, but the Eskimo
are extremely conservative in the mat
ter Of changes in the style Of their raj
q ment and respond very slowly to tn,
undermining influences in this particu
lar which have reached their neighbor
hood. ts35 I. III