Show EASTER OF 1776 feminine finery hard to procure in that year of revolutionary lutio nary war THERE HERE was a famine of finery in T 1 immediate prospect for the worn wom en of the american colonies at easter tide in the year 1776 they were des tined thereafter through a long and very dark period to undergo many se vere deprivations in this respect not the least of them being lack of pins think 0 ye fair ones of trying to get along without pins but it had to be done tor for the colonies were dependent upon europe for their supply of pins ping as well as tor for many other things and this was cut oft off by the war even the most fashionable ladies of boston and other centers of population were corn tom polled to have resort to thorns tor for the fastening of their garments and his tory tells us that the spines of certain cacti actually were utilized to a consid erable extent ours Is supposed to be the age of luxury par excellence in dress as in other matters and yet the women of today are not more beautifully attired than were those of the well to do clasa class in the colonies during the period just before the Pe revolution they wore silks satins and laces as exquisite as any that can be found in our modern shops fetched of course by trad ng vessels from france together with all sorts of other costly feminine gear in eluding ribbons trimmings stockings gloves shoes and dainty materials for the making of undergarments there were however a great many women in the various colonies who long before the coming of the war had made up their minda minds to do without pretty things so tar far as was we read of pretty patty par sons during the british occupancy of philadelphia who cut up the em broidered brol dered sky sk blue satin waistcoat which her grandfather had worn at the english court and made out of it a jockey deemed by admirers most becoming and of another girl a friend of patty s who converted a troopers scarlet coat into a jacket using the leftover pieces to make a pair of warm gloves which she bound with gray squirrel fur the collar ard ar d cuffs of the jacket were likewise of squirrel fur which excellently matched a gray homespun skirt in those times it was no very seri serf out undertaking for a young woman 0 o make a pair of gloves tor for herself indeed though fine and expensive gloves were imported from france or binary ones tor every day wear were commonly manufactured at home mrs airs alice M earle to whose books of high historic value the writer ac knoR ledges ind indebtedness sais sacs that of all debri deprivations actions suffered by women during the revolution none was so se vere as that of gauze at that period the tashi fash lors ors demanded this material tor for an astonishing variety of purposes there were gauze caps gauze bonnets gauze aprons gauze ribbons gauze kerchiefs flounced gauze petticoats and even gowns of gauze but most of all was gauze needed for the high headdresses head dresses of that epoch which could hardly be put together and held in place without it SA sk late as the year 1782 in a london fashion journal a tonsorial tons onal artist is found advertising a new method of stuccoing the hair in the most fashionable taste to last with very little repair during the whole ses slon of parliament price only five guineas N B he ile takes but one hour to build the head and two for baking it t the eastertide costume of a lady my in n 1776 when she walked on the street was likely to include a mask of white or r colored silk if it she rode on horseback she would wear a riding mask md and the very latest fashion at that period arlod was such a mask provided with a i flat silver plate to be held between the he teeth for securing it in position it t should be understood however that hese these masks were worn not tor for a ata ts guise but to protect the complexion the he women of today still wear masks for or the sa same me purpose but call them ells veils and they are made of net or lace bustead of silk |