GLOVES, SHOES. AND STAYS
OUR colonial ancestors wore many varieties of gloves. We find among the importations from time to time: worsted and kid gloves, 1743; shammy and glazed gloves and silk mittens, 1750; women's and maid's black ruff gloves, white kid and lamb gloves, glazed kid and lamb, unbound and ribbon-bound gloves, and coloured flapped mittens, 1751; French gloves, black, white, and coloured silk mits, and neat tanned and glazed satten gloves, 1754; satten gloves, black silk mits, trimmed glove-tops, purple and black kid gloves and mits, and silk and worsted mits, 1761; and purple, black, white and cloth-coloured mits and gloves, silk, worsted, kid, and lamb's gloves, and black and coloured mits, 1769. In addition to these gloves worn for dress, there were "chicken skin" gloves made of a thin strong leather and dressed with almonds and spermaceti. These were worn at night to make the hands "plump, soft and white."
The laces and ribbons of the day have already been described with the hats and caps. We must remember that lace was used for ruffles which were an important finish to the sleeve. Ruffles were also made of the popular gauze and lawn, and were plain, checked, or flowered. "Dresden ruffles" for men and women were advertised in 1754. Gauzes, Paris net
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