Bodice

“ The bodice still remained a minor quantity, supplied with two short puffed sleeves and filled to the bust or somewhat below it with a jewelled clasp or some decoration of embroidery or lace, whose indiscretions were presumably to be concealed beneath a dainty scarf of silk or coloured gauze, an elegance which failed in its duties lamentably, and hung limply over the arm as if ashamed of its delinquencies.
The fashionable outdoor dress could hardly have been suitable to the English climate, unless indeed its habits have altered strangely, and its detractors have reason for their abuse. ”

“ Yellow and brown silk and violet velvet, the skirt of the velvet touching the ground; the bodice a low square with square ruff, lace edged; the hair in curls; the bodice, which has a broad rounded point, has jewels in front on a yellow stomacher; the sleeves have an upper puff of violet, an elbow puff slashed with brown and yellow, puffs of yellow to wrist, with turn-back cuffs; the two colours are blended in the trimmings on the skirt mixed with jewels; a feather fan is carried in the hand; a large-brimmed, low-crowned hat, turned up on one side with ostrich plumes and jewel. ”

“ Satin skirt, the front embroidered with the arms of England, bordered with ermine; long cuirass bodice, jewelled and embroidered stomacher, top and edge of cuirass outlined with ermine; sleeves tight to wrist; regal velvet mantle bordered with ermine from shoulders. Fair hair loose and flowing; gauze gold-edged veil; royal crown. A loose bodice is more historically correct, but is seldom worn. The robe may be made of fawn silk, long and plain. ”

“ FINLANDER. Blue cloth petticoat, the edge embroidered with crimson; full white bodice to the throat; sleeves to wrist, rosettes of red down the front; red sash, knotted at the side; velvet sleeveless bodice bordered with gold. Red handkerchief tied round head. A long embroidered over-dress is also worn by the peasantry.
FIRE. Black tulle evening dress over red silk, tunic or train fringed with red and gold tinsel, bodice and skirt dotted with stars of the same, as also the veil; coronet of tinsel to resemble flames; ornaments, garnets. ”

“ He is going to bring me a striped silk bodice in his stock, a muslin skirt, and a black necklace."
"And you will be decked out for the wind, the mountains, and the sea. Would you like me to send you a bodice, a skirt, and a necklace?"
"Oh no!"
[Pg 203]
She rose, took up her basket, and ran down a steep path, along a fir-grove. In a loud voice she sang a Mission hymn:
Tout brillant d'une ardeur immortelle,
C'est vers Dieu que tendent mes désirs [460] . ”

“ February, polonaise, with waterfall back; March, new spring bodice; April, divided skirt, and Bernhardt mantle with sling sleeves; May, Early English bodice and yoke bodice for summer dress; June, dressing jacket, and princess frock, with Normandy bonnet for a child of four years old; July, Princess of Wales’ jacket, bodice and waistcoat, for tailor-made gown; August, bodice with guimpe; September, mantle with stole ends; October, pyjama, or nightdress combination, with full back; November, new winter bodice; December, patterns of Norfolk blouses, one with a yoke and one with pleats only. ”

“ She should make a bow to her husband, and approach the bed after removing her bodice. The retention of the bodice is supposed to bring on widowhood. She is to exclude black apparel, which has the effect of making the progeny wicked and degenerate. ”

“ He suggested to her how to tuck in the upper edge of her bodice, so as to make it roughly approximate to the cut for evening wear; and when she had done this, and the pendant to the necklace hung isolated amid the whiteness of her throat, as it was designed to do, he stepped back to survey her. ”

“ You will have a pretty effect if you use taffeta and tulle or taffeta and chiffon for such a dress. Or, you might substitute a Spanish lace overskirt instead of the tulle tunics.
Making a Dance Frock: The bodice is made with a lining, usually of china silk or net. (See Fig. 101.) Take up the darts in the front of the lining and make an open seam in the lining at the right underarm. The dress closes at the left underarm. Join the lower edge of the lining to center of an inside belt of grosgrain belting.
Fig. (99) The skirt and bodice placed on the taffeta
Fig. ”

“ Living in the home of her patriarchal father-in-law, the young wife is subject to the severest restraints. She must wear a lightly fitting veil enclosing her face below the eyes, without which she can not appear even in the house.11 She wears a close fitting bodice fastened at the neck with silver clasps, full trousers of rose colored silk gathered in at the ankles by a filet of silver ”

“ Their bodice is generally of gold or silver stuff, over which there are two short cloaks, that underneath of muslin and the other of wool of different colours, blue, yellow and pink. The upper one is drawn over the head when they are in the streets and the weather is cold ”

“ Third dress: Silver brocade. Last scene: clinging robe of crêpe de Chine made as a tea-gown.
VIRGIN OF THE SUN. Long classic dress of tulle or soft silk covered with tufts of swansdown; skirt touching the ground, falling softly; bodice low; loose belt round the waist fastened on the shoulders with a brooch; the hair floating; long veil, gold band round the head.
VIRGINIA (Roman Maiden) . Classic robe of white cashmere embroidered with gold.
VIRGINIA (Paul and Virginia, by Bernardin de St. Pierre) . White Princesse dress, elbow-sleeves with lace band round waist; palm-leaves. ”

“ And the trees in the monks' garden seemed to bend and listen and to beckon while they shook all over with malicious glee.
Scurrying over the ground beyond, with bare, dusty feet, appeared a group of creatures pulling each other by extended arms or brown garments which seemed a part of the earth, or by their braids of strong, black hair. Writhing in this rough play they flung themselves against the wall. A pale-faced girl in a scarlet blouse, like a cactus-flower bursting from its dull sheath, threw up her arms into the dense, dark foliage of an overhanging fig-tree and dragged down the bough. ”

“ I saw the white dress, the splendid hair, the rosary, and the gold locket quite plainly. She turned her lovely face to me and smiled a sweet, pathetic smile; gently raised her hand, and floated away towards the picture gallery. Now for the end. Next day my kind hostess took me through the old gallery. I saw pictures of all ages, sorts, and sizes; but imagine my amazement when I saw 'The White Lady'—the same white dress, the lovely sweet face and splendid eyes, the rosary, and a locket, which I now saw had on it the arms of Queen Mary and Lord Darnley. 'Who on earth is that?' I asked. ”

“ THE ROBE OF BLUE AND GOLD Hidden in the depths of the unknown, three silent beings weave the endless thread of human fate. They are called the Sisters, known to mythology as the Norns or Fates who incessantly twist between their fingers a tiny cord, which one day is to be woven into a living garment - the coronation robe of the priest-king. ”

“ The royal household was ordered into its very best clothing. The King and the Queen, the Prince and the Princesses, shimmered in velvet and jewels. The pages were [pg 22] resplendent in yellow and silver. The philosophers were profound in rich black. The woolly white dogs of the ladies-in-waiting were combed and tied with the colors of Bobitania, crimson and black. Everywhere, in jewels, in flower devices, among the hangings on the wall, were displayed the arms of Bobitania, a crimson star on a dusky background. ”

“ NOVEL II. — An abbess rises in haste and in the dark, with intent to surprise an accused nun abed with her lover: thinking to put on her veil, she puts on instead the breeches of a priest that she has with her: the nun, espying her headgear, and doing her to wit thereof, is acquitted, and thenceforth finds it easier to forgather with her lover. ”

“ Another black robe, another pale face, appeared beside him, and, like him, started back at perceiving the strange figure. After consultation in whispers the bolder monk approached the acacia.
"This is no spirit, Brother Anselmo—it is a woman!" he cried.
"A woman! How could a woman get into the garden?" ”

“ May they deliver thee in the hour of thy wealth, Admetus, and save thee from blindness and hardness of heart! Above all, when thou art coming home with thy bride, beware lest in thy haste thou pass by the altar of Hecate without the tribute of a prayer. Mighty is [Pg 140] the goddess, and in her hands are life and death. The sun with his glad warm rays shines down upon the bosom of the earth, and draws forth the young corn from her breast, and with loving hand he paints the purple bloom of the grape. ”

“ You have here a description of the bride, how she appeared; not in the gay and gaudy dress of the mother of harlots, but in fine linen, clean and white, which is the righteousness of saints; in the robes of Christ's righteousness, both imputed for justification and imparted for sanctification—the stola, the white robe of absolution, adoption, and enfranchisement, and the white robe of purity and universal holiness. She had washed her robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb ”

“ Delightsome beyond measure though the monk found his intercourse with the girl, yet was he not altogether without anxiety. He had heard, as he thought, the sound of footsteps in the dormitory, and having applied his eye to a convenient aperture had had a good view of the abbot as he stood by the door listening. He was thus fully aware that the abbot might have detected the presence of a woman in the cell. ”

“ Illumed by the ruddy splendor of the bonfire, and seen across the misty veil which wine had drawn before his vision, the marble image sometimes seemed to him to be changing{176} into an actual woman; it seemed to him that her lips parted, as if murmuring a prayer, that her breast heaved as if with stifled sobs, that her palms were pressed together with more energy, and finally, that rosy color crept into her cheeks, as if she were blushing before that sacrilegious and repugnant scene. ”

“ The abbess, sitting in chapter, proceeded, in the presence of all the nuns, who had no eyes but for the culprit, to give the latter the foulest rating that ever woman had, as having by her lewd and filthy practices (an the thing should come to be known without the walls) sullied the sanctity, the honour and the fair fame of the convent; and to this she added very grievous menaces. The young lady, shamefast and fearful, as feeling herself guilty, knew not what to answer and keeping silence, possessed the other nuns with compassion for her. ”

“ The clay perishes; but that which gives value to the clay shall flourish in immortal youth and beauty when the heavens shall be no more. 'Then shall the righteous shine forth like the sun'—Ah, me! I [98] have forgotten the rest of the text, but you, Mary, know it well; let it console you, my dear girl, and dry these useless tears. I was pretty, like Sophy, once, and, like her, I thought too highly of myself. Look at me now. Look at these wrinkled care-worn cheeks—these wasted, useless limbs; are they not a lesson to human pride and vanity? I never knew my real character until I knew grief. ”

“ Now towards Christmas the lady told her husband that, if he approved, she would fain go on Christmas morning to church, and confess and communicate, like other Christians. "And what sins," quoth he, "hast thou committed, that wouldst be shriven?" "How?" returned the lady; "dost thou take me for a saint? For all thou keepest me so close, thou must know very well that I am like all other mortals. However, I am not minded to confess to thee, for that thou art no priest." ”

“ Now it so chanced that, while they fooled it within somewhat recklessly, he being overwrought with passion, the abbot awoke and passing slowly by the young monk's cell, heard the noise which they made within, and the better to distinguish the voices, came softly up to the door of the cell, and listening discovered that beyond all doubt there was a woman within. ”

“ By day Our Lady of Sorrows, in black silk, embroidered in gold, with a batiste nun's head-dress, and the seven swords in her heart, looked wretched and poor, carrying a lace and batiste handkerchief in her pink stucco hands. ”

“ Mary's Seed, were Formed into one Person, which was Christ; and the Seed of the Woman, viz. of the Virgin of God, understand the heavenly Essentiality, should bruise the Head of the Serpent, understand, the Wrath of God in the corrupted Man; the head is the Might of God's Anger; the divine Man, understand the divine Property, should change the earthly into itself, and turn the Earth to Heaven. ”

“ Lady, better bards than I,
Poets of an elder day,
Seemed to love to versify
On “her eyes,” or blue or gray.
’T is an oft-recurrent theme
For the bards who rhapsodize;
Not a one but used to dream
Of the loveliness of eyes. ”

“ The celestial bride, Aurora, weaves the nuptial garment—the robe of the celestial bridegroom, the Sun.——The gods attire themselves in luminous robes—white or red, silver or gold. Earthly priests have adopted the white robe in India, Egypt, Asia Minor, Rome, and in all Christian countries. ”

“ Interesting as it is to imagine correctly the dress of the Bohemian and his mistress, the places where they dined, or the gardens where they danced, the re-presentation of the city where they lived, so small, so sensitively vibrant, so congested, so hopelessly out of date, except for a few new patches, so dirty, so noisy, and so picturesque, ranks far higher in importance. ”