The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1920-07-24
HISTORY OF BLousEs
Nothing New Under the Sun" Prov.
ed by Survival of Old Fashions,

Never was fashions in greater
state of upheaval Now that the war
is over and woman feels free to be up
to the minute, or II possible just a
bit ahead of it, she finds her path not
at all clear. Paris has turned her at.
Itentionto styles once more, and from
the days Of Napoleon Paris has been
the style center, the nerve pulse Of the
style world But with the adyen of
the great war there came an opport,
unity for American designers and
ideas, and America Is clinging to her
independence until the New World
threatens to take the place OF the Old
Word as arbter and creator Of style.
The question naturally arises, Just
what is style? And what is dress?
Certain writer's contended that dress
was originally due to the demands
Iof mOdesty. in which case there seems
to be marked difference of opinion
concerning modesty among the Mo-
hammcdan women who cover their
faces, the Chinese who bind their fee.
/ the European and American women in
their deculete, &c There are sur
prsingly diyerging views from decade
to decade Perhaps Carlyle came near
er to the true meaning Of dress when
he said. The first spiritual want OF
a barbarous woman is decoration"
With this conclusion it would follow
quite logically that woman should
continually seek change in order 20
have something unusual and new
| in decoration.
Whatever the source of style
whether it be modesty or mere vanity
| that first started the mad ques. for
novelty in dress-it Is futile quest.
! Past history Of fashions and Of other
things gives proof that all which is
new is no more than repetition OF
some epoch gone by, but after all, it
lis quite az impressive to our OWN gen
Grafton as though we had conceived IT,
| The blouse. for ms ance, one feature
iof the new" styles which has wealth
cred the storm Of conflicting opinions
here and abroad, is no less popular be-
cause i IS advantages were first dis
covered some 5000 years ago.
The first authentic record Of a
blouse is found in the costumes worn
by Mycenaen and Greek women as
long ago as $500 =. c. They were
very light fit ing and had skirts with
| dounccs attached In the Archaic per
iod, about the sixth century B. C. tloun
ces attached In the archaic linen
and 81 k were the materials used and
the garments were dyed in many
biigh colors. showing that The weay.
ing and dyeing arts were known even
IthCr
The Galiic costumes of abou IS y.
| c just before coming under the Ro.
man influence shows that the blouse
| was worn by women as a smock and
the same style appears in ilHshat ions
OF the Gallo Roman dress 100 years
after the birth Of Chris From The
lth'rd 20 the tenth century IA. p, the
blouse was usually an cpter tppic, fre-
Iquently ornamented VIII a hind, sim
liar TO the modern nchu aud some.
ines set with precious stones. q
mark Of the byzantine influence
Shortly after the ADVENT Of William
the Conqueror startling Ql9r .sqhqmes
came into being the division of color
SO striking n some instances thai the
figure appeared to be prac ically cut
in half The twelf century marked
The beg ming Of tho flied blouse and
these tuuics were usually he'd in
place with lacings.
The com ng of the Renaissance la.a
/ in the fifteenth century brough a5out
| o period Of tranSi ion in dress and the
Icccontricities Of the Middle Ages were
REPLACED with costumes of simplicity
and elegance it was during the six.
Iteenth cen ury that the first corsots
appeared under he name of "bas-
Quinei' and gave much impetus TO
the vogue for blouses. This period
also brought forth the frst pointed
Waistlines.
In the seventeenth century The
Spanish influence was fel in dress
from the days when Ann Of Austria
Spanish Princess and wife of Louis
The Thirteenth set The fashions for
her age. The blouse, which held an
important place in the costume Of the
time, was an adoption cf the Spanish
mantiila, The georgete, crepe de
ichine or silk blouse now so popular
had its first vogue during the reign
of Louis the Fourteenth Throughou
the entire eighteenth century the
Ipoin ed blouse was worn, neck
round or square. sleeves short
and trimming elaborate, Then
came he Directory with its re.
version to ancient Greek and Roman
lines the Oriental note Of the Consul.
Hate of Napoleon. the military domino
Ition of styles up to the middle Of the
mine zenith century, For more recent
tendencies one has only to consult the
old family albums or the advertising
pages. of an old magazine. In all the
changing styles of many ages it is in
Iteres ing to note that the blouse had