There's a great little story that comes out from the beginning of the American Civil War, when wearing homespun was the height of Confederate patriotism:
"The young ladies were all preparing for a grand ball, that was soon to be given, and four of them were going to wear homespun dresses. . . The four girls were sewing on their dresses, vile-smelling, common checked goods, such as we used for our servants at that time. They were making them with long trains, low neck and short sleeves, and the lace they were trimming them with was Pointe de Alencon, Honiton and Valenciennes, suitable for the dress of a duchess at a court ball. . . When the ball came off the girls looked as lovely as when in satin and lace, for the dresses fitted their perfect figures to a charm. One of the young men who had danced with all the four came to me, and taking me to one side, asked in a hollow whisper: "Miss Lizzie, what in heaven's name is it that smells so awfully about those girls?" "Why, it is a new perfume they are using," I said. "They call it patriotism; I call it indigo dye." "Oh," he said, "it is the dresses; why didn't they wash them? It is a horrid smell." I told the girls about it, and when they got home they were a beautiful blue all about their necks, and they hardly allowed the word homespun ever to be uttered to them until we really had to make it at home and wear it." Source: Elizabeth Lyle Saxon, A Southern Woman's War-Time Reminiscences. Memphis: Pilcher Printing co., 1905, pp. 18, 22, http://sunsite.unc.edu/docsouth/saxon/saxon.htm. Vicki Betts ------------------------------------------- I don't know if indigo per se stinks, but it used to be common to use urine in preparing the dye solution. When I was studying textile arts some of the students were doing it and they said the process really stank, also the fabric stank until well washed Fran Lavolta Press Books on historic clothing www.lavoltapress.com _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
