Character Analysis and Manners

“I want a pair of gloves. Tan, undressed kid, please, and let them be mousquetaires. Don't you think they'll look best with a brown crepon? Oh, my gown is too sweet? Say, you just measure and see what number I take…” – Above, a 1879 patent for mousquetaire gloves. Convenient, but often misused with regard to globe etiquette.

A Person’s Character Sometimes Found in Fingers

How a New York Saleswoman Foretells a Troublesome Customer

“Now I'm in for it; I can tell by her fingers,” said a saleswoman in a glove store in the shopping district. The remark was made in an undertone to another saleswoman as a customer took a seat and removed her gloves preparatory to a fitting. The saleswoman turned to the customer and said pleasantly, “What can I show you, madam?”

“Gloves, of course,” came the answer tartly. “You don't keep anything else here.”

“Yes, I beg pardon, we do,” returned the saleswoman amiably. “We keep a lovely line of silk underwear for ladies, and also stockings.”

“Well, I want gloves,” said the customer in an irritated way; “a pair of three-button pique-stitched gloves.”

“What size and shade, please?”

“Butter, with back embroidered in black; number six and a half.”

The gloves were produced and then came the tug of war. The shopgirl patted and coaxed, and finally pulled without making much progress. On those gloves wouldn’t go. The customer got red in the face, and finally said impatiently: “New in the business, aren't you?”

“No, madam, I've been at this counter three years, and I think if you'll let me try a seven on you.”

“Seven! Seven! Are you crazy? I never wore a seven in my life. It’s impertinence in you to suggest to me what number of glove I shall wear, and if I did my duty I'd report you.”

“I beg your pardon,” said the girl. “I'll get these on in time. I was merely going to suggest that every one nearly takes a half size larger in these gloves. There, now it is on. Shall I put on the other?”

The other was put on after another great effort on the part of the saleswoman, and the customer sailed out. The saleswoman turned to a friend, who had dropped in to see her, and said:

“That woman's fingers bend inward and are hard and stiff to the touch. I have found since I have been in this business that this is invariably an indication of excessive selfishness. A woman with fingers of this description has no regard for the feelings of others. 

“She is usually cautious, too, and examines well before purchasing, and then she is reserved. I size a woman up by her hands the minute she removes her gloves to be fitted, and when one shows up with fingers that bend inward, as this woman’s did, I make up my mind to be thoroughly polite and amiable, no matter how much I am provoked.

“What can I do for you, miss?” she continued, addressing a plump young girl, who came in next, threw herself down on a seat, and jerked off a pair of well-worn gloves. “Me? Oh, I want a pair of gloves. Tan, undressed kid, please, and let them be mousquetaires. Don't you think they'll look best with a brown crepon? Oh, my gown is too sweet? Say, you just measure and see what number I take. What? Six and a quarter? I used to wear sixes.”

While the saleswoman was slipping the gloves on the short, plump fingers the girl chattered on about her clothes, where she was going, and her family history, and as she received her parcel from the saleswoman she asked: “What is your name? I'd like to ask for you the next time I come in here.” As the second customer left the store the saleswoman resumed: “Dear, little, impulsive thing! I knew it immediately. Those short-fingered people are usually quick and hasty. Sometimes they get angry, but they always make it up before leaving the store, and as a rule are the easiest customers of all to wait on. They are very full of vitality, and are in marked contrast with my lady with long, tapering fingers. She is very careful about little things and possesses fine tastes. 

“In fact, the long-fingered lady is commonly æsthetic and matches or contrasts gloves and gowns with the greatest nicety. She is often over-sensitive about her appearance, and while we are not bothered by having to make suggestions, she is as a rule pretty hard to please. woman who works does not have to tell it to us. The tips of her fingers and her nails give this fact away by spreading. She is a pleasant customer, though, and attends strictly to business when she comes in. Of course she hasn't much money to spend, so generally has made up her mind beforehand what she wants and how much she wants to pay for it. She comes and goes in a hurry and has little to say.

“The customers that are most easily managed in our business are the ones with plastic, flexible fingers that bend far back. We find that their minds are as capable of being bent as their digits. They are apt to be adaptable in their natures, and, of course, are easily influenced. It would never do to let such a thing get out, but, do you know, such people are fine subjects for off styles and colors and it must be admitted that the woman who understands human nature in this business takes advantage of this fact and gets off many a pair that would either have to be carried over or returned to the factories.” -New York Sun, 1895

 🍽️Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber of The RSVP Institute of Etiquette, is the Site Editor of the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia 

Gilded Age Glove Extravagence

“Gloves,” commented a woman recently, could never be had so satisfactorily as now. There is no excuse for any one wearing an ill fitting glove when they can be made to order and a perfect fit obtained. In some places here in New-York gloves are altered while you wait, just as a dress or cloak is. Often one finger will be too long or a thumb too broad or too tight, while the rest of the glove fits perfectly. 
–Image source, Instagram

“Gloves,” commented a woman recently, could never be had so satisfactorily as now. There is no excuse for any one wearing an ill fitting glove when they can be made to order and a perfect fit obtained. In some places here in New-York gloves are altered while you wait, just as a dress or cloak is. Often one finger will be too long or a thumb too broad or too tight, while the rest of the glove fits perfectly. A recent feature in some of the New-York shops is the keeping in repair of gloves sold at such shops. This is often a real convenience to busy wonion, and as the stitch in time is apt to be taken if somebody else will take it, the gloves last longer in consequence.

All of this glove talk is for the economist. The fashionable woman of wealth buys her gloves by the dozen, wears them only till the first freshness has gone, will not have them cleaned, and tosses them aside as she does her faded flowers. Not long ago, in a pretty morning room up town, belonging to the daughter of a rich man even among New-York's rich men, there sat, chatting lightly after the fashion of their kind, four young girls– one the owner of the room, the other three friends. 

They had all been at the same dance the night before, and the hostess was taking down the gown she had worn from the clothes tree, where it hung, to show and comment on a mishap which had nearly ruined its new Parisian elegance. As she did so, the long gloves, exactly the shade of the dress, fell to the floor. One of the girls picked them up. “Thank you,” said their owner, noticing her. “Their usefulness is over, too; but, fortunately, I bought six pairs of the same shade to have plenty of fresh ones.” 

“But these look perfectly fresh yet,” commented another of the girls. “No, they're not,” was the answer. “A pair of gloves to a dance is my invariable rule. And I never wear cleaned gloves.” “Well. I do.” “And I,” “And I,” came from her companions. Whereupon the pretty hostess turned quickly: “Why, girls,” she cried, “if that's the case, go through my glove drawer and stock yourselves up. There’s many a pair there will bear cleaning.” And she drew out a wide, shallow drawer in the bottom of a wardrobe. “Here.” she said, “is where I throw discarded gloves, and every once in a while I bundle off a lot of them to a little friend of mine in the country. She won't miss one drawerful.”

The girls laughed, and seated themselves on the floor before the drawer. The gloves were in balls, a pair to a ball, and when they were unrolled, smoothed, and laid out, not a pair was found with a rent or any marked soil. Seventy genuine pairs of gloves by actual count was the yield of the drawer, which gave each of the three twenty-five pairs apiece, with four pair thrown back for “the little friend in the country.” – From “Her Point of View,” New York Times, 1892

 🍽Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber of The RSVP Institute of Etiquette, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Gilded Age New Year’s Fashions, 1883

It is not in good taste to wear low-necked or sleeveless dresses for the daytime. It is done by brides on their wedding day sometimes, but for receptions or on New-Year’s scarcely ever in these latter days. It once was the foolish fashion. Indeed, the range of dress proper for this unique occasion is a wide one. One only custom is peremptory— a lady must wear gloves.

“Le jour de l’an,” as the French call it, is, indeed, the principal day of the year to many who still keep up the custom of calling and of receiving calls— a custom which has been in danger of falling into desuetude, through the size of the city and its immense growth of population, in New York. There are, however, other towns and “much country” (as the Natives say) outside of New York, and there are warm hearts and hospitable boards in it still, where the happy and the light-hearted, the gay and the thoughtful, will meet and exchange wishes for a happy New-Year.

To those who will receive calls, we would say that the best plan is, if possible, to have every arrangement made two or three days before New Year’s, so that the lady, or ladies, will not feel flurried, as calls begin early, even at eleven o’clock, if the caller means to make a goodly day of it. A lady should have her hair dressed for the day when she rises, and if her dress be not too elaborate, put it on then, so that she be not upstairs but down in the parlor when the first of the gentlemen callers arrive. 

In regard to the question of dress, as to what to wear, we should say that for elderly ladies black velvet, or black satin, or any of the handsome combination dresses so fashionable now, with handsome laces, with always a pair of Swedish gloves (of pearl or tan color, not white kids; these are decidedly rococo, and not in fashion), would be appropriate. A black satin, elegantly made up with beaded passementerie, is perhaps the handsomest dress for anybody. Brocaded silk, plain gros-grain — any thing even which a lady would wear at the wedding reception of her daughter is allowable, although the plainer dresses are in better taste.

For young ladies nothing is so pretty as a dress of light cashmere and silk, made high. These dresses, in the very pretty tints worn now, are extremely becoming, warm-looking, and appropriate for a reception, when the door is being thrown open often. White dresses of thick silk or cashmere, trimmed around the neck with lace, are also exceedingly elegant. In all countries young married ladies are allowed to be as magnificent as a picture of Marie de Medicis, and can wear on New-Year's Day rose-colored and white brocaded silk, pearl trimmings, or plain ciel blue, or prawn-colored silk over white, or embossed velvet, or what they please, so that the dress is cut high, with long sleeves to the elbow; and each lady should have near her an ermine cape or small camel's-hair shawl in case of draughts. 

It is not in good taste to wear low-necked or sleeveless dresses for the daytime. It is done by brides on their wedding day sometimes, but for receptions or on New-Year’s scarcely ever in these latter days. It once was the foolish fashion. Indeed, the range of dress proper for this unique occasion is a wide one. One only custom is peremptory— a lady must wear gloves.

Whilst much magnificence is allowable, still a plain black or dark silk dress, if well made, with fresh ruffles at neck and wrist, is quite as proper as anything else, and men generally admire it more. But where a lady has several daughters to receive with her, she should study the effect of her rooms, and dress the young ladies in prettily contrasting colors, now so easily and cheaply done since the pretty merinos have come in in the fashionable shades. Short dresses are usually worn in these materials. Imported dresses are now so cheap and so easily obtained that a mother with many daughters can not do better than to buy what the economical French make up for their jour de l'an dresses. They have no idea in France of our extravagant way of doing things. — Harper’s Bazar, 1883 

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia

Summer of 1891’s Fads and Fancies

“Most of the Louis IV jackets have elaborate jabots of old Mechlin lace or of embroidered chiffon drawn to the front.”
 – Photo source, Pinterest

What is the Proper Thing to Be Worn by Society Ladies? They say we are to wear all summer mittens up the arm. 

All the imported street dresses are made with a bias velvet ruffle running round the feet. 

Turquoises are being extensively worn, especially with necklaces, mingled with diamonds. 

Umbrellas and parasols designed to carry with mourning costumes have ebonized or onyx handles. 

A unique bracelet is the one of woven chain showing strands of silver, different golds and platinum. 

A bride's jewel-case is not complete when it does not include a diamond bracelet, earrings, finger-ring and brooch. 

It is the correct thing now to add a souvenir spoon to the conventional Christening present of pap-bowl and mug. 

Most of the Louis IV jackets have elaborate jabots of old Mechlin lace or of embroidered chiffon drawn to the front. 

Tables are now bought on purpose for the large lamps, which are so much used. White enamel tables, about knee high, are used for the delicate colored, porcelain lamps and ebony tables are used for the various kinds of iron lamps, some of these tables have a space underneath for a piece of bric-a-brac. 

This season a fancy crops out for long chains worn about the neck and hanging loosely over the bust. At the first ball of the season Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt wore a string of diamonds a yard long that went round her neck twice and fell almost to her belt. Mrs. Edmund Russell always wears at her art lectures a string of gold beads, superbly carved. Some of the gold chains have whole pearls introduced every two inches. Then there are the gem chains of plain polished stones, such as carbuncles, turquoises, amethysts, spinels, moonstones and onyx, none cut but the diamond. 

In favor of the woman who adorns herself, the feathers of the peacock begin to vie with rosettes and mock jewels. But let each fair maid pause and question with herself before she puts them on. There are conditions; can she fulfill them? In the days when poets and singers went about the world as troubadours they plucked the long feathers from the tails of peacocks and stripped them to leave on the midrib only the central eye. This, each troubadour wore upon his cap, and it meant that the eyes of the world were turned upon him. Are the eyes of the world turned upon you, fair maid, in attention and admiration? If so, you may wear on your cap peacock's eyes.— San Francisco Call, 1891

Etiquette Enthusiast, Maura J. Graber, is the Site Editor for the Etiquipedia© Etiquette Encyclopedia