Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1909-05-13
AS 1t Is and Was.

especially about the Merry
Widow Hat" worn by the ladies
of today. Had the writer's lived
away book in the 4O's and re-
membered the peculiar styles
Of that early day, and noted the
many changes taking place in
the dress of both men and wo-
men, the present fashions would
not excite surprise. Let us call
your attention to some of the
styles Of dress in the early days
Of both men and women. The
ladies wore a hat or bonnet of
SCOOP shape, extending out over
the face about a foot, with a
tail of Grape hanging down the
back about two feet; a dress,
scant in material, tight sleeves
in the forearms, and at the up
per part large puff or wing-like
shaped sleeve, looking very
much as if intended for flying
purposes, having in them fine
wire or stiff cloth to make them
stand out bold, the dress fitting
close to the neck with either a
lace or ribbon trimming, and a
hustle on the back about the
size of a horse collar, and steel
hoops, to make the dress stand
out wide long, narrow shoes,
extending out some two inches
beyond the toes in a sharp point
like skate; the hair parted in
the middle and combed down on
the cheek and then very nicely
carried back over the ears and
joind on the back of the head |
and tied in a little knot, and
there you have a we'll dressed
lady of the olden time. The
next change of note was from
the Shake Scoop bonnet to the
sLeghorn Flat" creation as
wonderful as the Merry Widow
Hat of to-day. 1t was a hat of
small crown with a rim some
foot in width, and if intended to
be in real style, had a large rose
on one side of the rim tucking
it up to the hat, and with the
rose a large Ostrich feather, all
finished with brilliant ribbon in
strips two feet long hanging
from either side, making quite a
pretty appearance in its day.
But if these styles in ladies
dress were peculiar, what must
we think of the dress of the
gentlemen of that day? Let us
present to you a "Well Dressed
Man" of long ago. Common
cling at the feet we find him in
a pair of shoes or boots much
after the style of those worn
by the ladies, only a little more
so; his pants are large at the
top, growing less as they descen-
ded to the knee, then growing
more ample as they descended to
the feet, where they are fasten-
ed down by straps passing un-
der the bottom of the feet to
hold the pants in position; vest
OF flashy color; coat cut very
short in waist with long spike
/, tails" reaching down to the
knees and as pointed as a pair of
scissors, collar about three inch
es in width, large brass buttons
and the shirt ruffled, and the
collar ample turned down
over the coat collar, and the
shirt cuffs turned back over the
coat sleeve, big black or
red silk cravat, tied around the
neck in a double.bow-knott; a
hat with a rim about one inch
in width, the crow bell shaped,
about ten inches high, with a
heavy fur KNAPP, and there you
have a fashionably dressed gem
tleman Of long ago. How does
he compare with the man of to-
day in dress? If we could Sc
cure a gentleman and lady to
appear in the full dress of the
fashion of long ago, at the Ope.
"a House for exhibition, they
would draw a larn,or ho,,,o 4L