“ White is the emblem of purity; celestial blue indicates the space where the soul ranges after death; yellow (or dead leaf) exhibits death as the end of hope, and man falling like the leaf in autumn; gray is the color of the earth, our common mother; black—the color of mourning now general throughout Europe—indicates eternal night. “Black,” says Rabelais, “is the sign of mourning, because it is the color of darkness, which is melancholy, and the opposite to white, which is the color of light, of joy, and of happiness.” ”

“ Fashion is the only tyrant against whom modern civilization has not carried on a crusade with success, and its power is still as unlimited and despotic as ever. There is no part of the body which has been more exposed to the vicissitudes of fashion than the head, both as regards its natural covering of hair and the artificial covering of hats and bonnets. ”

“ The first thing that a woman should consider in preparing for the great work, her toilette, is the shape of her head, which she must also compare with her stature. The art of dressing the head and the art of fashion are connected without being identical, and in spite of their close union we can readily distinguish them. ”

“ A single color freely used by itself would be more severe than several colors. Let there be no mistake: there are many things in the bonnet which do not depend upon fashion, which are released from its absolute yet limited control. We must be clearly understood: the suitableness of a bonnet may vary.
A bonnet which would appear smart in the city may be elegant and suitable for the country or for the sea-side, provided the rest of the dress is in keeping. ”

“ So the multitude comes, even those we behold,
To repeat every tale that has often been told.
LATER.
One of God’s eternal laws is that nothing stands still. A nation is always changing for better or worse. ”

“ An observing person, in attending our fashionable churches, operas, or even promenading the streets, cannot fail to notice how comparatively small the number of ladies who wear a suitable and becoming style head-dress. It has often been remarked by some of our leading modistes, that only one lady in twenty has the head becomingly dressed, showing that in selecting they have not studied their complexion, stature, and general style, when the expense would really have been no greater had they done so. ”

“ We often find instances of the exquisite taste of these head-dresses in statuary and gems of ancient origin; at the same time it must be confessed that most modern fashions, even the ugly ones, have their models, if not in Greek, at least in Roman antiquity. ”

“ The researches of scholars and critics which have been so generously and successfully lavished, for the last two centuries, upon the ruins of Egypt, are perfectly marvellous, and only increase our desire to be more acquainted with its customs, of which we can find but little in the way of head-dress to ornament these pages. ”

“ In closing with these few suggestions, it would be well to remark that it is very important when ladies are making their selections for head-dress, and are not fully decided in their wants, it is generally well to yield to the judgment of those who make it a study, providing they are sure that they are in the hands of such of experience. ”

“ We solicit continuance of your patronage this coming season, and feel confident that with a rich and varied assortment of millinery goods and perfect artists we shall be able to sustain our motto “CORRECT STYLES.”
Respectfully yours,
R. H. Wadleigh.
FASHIONABLE MILLINERY AND CAP ROOMS,
474 WASHINGTON STREET BOSTON.
MARCH 24th, 1879.
A special importation of novelties in HEAD-DRESS ADORNMENTS. At prices to suit the times.
[5] INTRODUCTION.
The object of this work is to give an idea of the fashions in head-gear of ancient and modern times, which to most people are very interesting. ”

“ Four hundred and eighty years B.C., hats were not worn as a rule, and dress was in simple style. It was considered [17] improper for women to be seen on the street, and their appearance there occurred only on exceptional occasions.
8 9 10 11 12
Athens.
On journeys, women wore a light, broad-brimmed petasos, which Figs. 8 and 11 represent, as a protection from the sun. At a late period the head-dress of Athenian ladies, at home and for the street, consisted, in addition to the customary veil, chiefly of different contrivances for holding together their plentiful hair. ”

“ Fig. 32 was copied from the “Nuremberg Chronicle” of A.D. 1493.
Fashion wears out more than women do.
[29]
32 33 34
Germany, A.D. 1450.
35 36 37
15th Century.
[30]
As we advance in these pages one would suppose we ought to be exhibiting styles more quiet; but, on the contrary, when we look at Figures 38 and 39, which have been selected from miniatures in MSS., it would seem that improvement was made in the wrong direction.
The caps shown on the opposite page, in Figs. 40, 41, and 42, were worn in the reign of William and Mary in 1688, and were quite becoming. ”