THE TOILETTE IN SWEDEN.

CHAPTER XXXI.

HE inhabitants of this northern clime are distinguished from those that dwell in southern lands by having a national dress, which was established in 1777, doubtless with the wise intention of repressing or totally preventing those extravagancies and luxuries of clothing so prevalent among other nations. "The monster Fashion," says Swinton, in his travels, "created for a scourge for mankind, has occasioned every evil that infests the age." Gustavus III. of Sweden has shewn that he participated in this opinion, for his sumptuary laws regarding dress are very determined and exact.

By the edict on this subject, settled in 1777, the

men are ordered to wear a close coat, very wide
breeches, strings in their shoes, a girdle, a round
hat, and a cloak. The usual colour for all these
articles of dress is black on ordinary days, but on
court-days they must assume a singular appearance,
for they are enjoined to wear the cloak, buttons,
girdle, and shoestrings, of flame colour. The women
are obliged to wear a black gown, with puffed gauze
sleeves, and a coloured sash and ribands
; those,
however, who go to court are allowed white gauze
sleeves.

The higher classes on great occasions appear in a blue satin suit, lined throughout with white, and splendidly ornamented with rich lace. The women are allowed a white satin robe, with coloured ribands.

Coxe, in his Travels, gives a more detailed account of this costume. The dress of the men, he says, resembles the old Spanish; and consists of a short coat, or rather jacket, a waistcoat, a cloak, a hat, with a feather à la Henri IV., a sash round the waist, a sword, large and full breeches, and roses in the shoes. The cloak is of black cloth, edged with red satin, the coat, or jacket and breeches, are also ornamented with red stripes and buttons; the waistcoat, sash, pinks at the knees, and roses for the shoes, are of red satin. This costume, however, is only for such persons as have been presented at court: those who have not been permitted this distinction are not allowed to ornament their habits with red satin.

The Swedish gentlemen wear neither beards nor whiskers. The ladies turn their hair back over a cushion, and leave two large curls to hang down at the back of the neck. They were formerly exceedingly

prodigal in their dress, and followed all the extremes of the French fashions, until the legislature interfered to restrain such a love of expense and finery. In winter they wear dresses lined and trimmed with costly furs.

The Swedish peasants are generally well clothed and protected from the inclemency of the weather. The men wear long cloth coats, warmly lined with sheep-skins, and the women a striped woollen stuff of many colours, chiefly green, white, and red.

THE TOILETTE IN DENMARK.

CHAPTER XXXII.

HE ancient kingdom of Denmark still preserves an old national habit among its peasants, but the higher classes were almost the first of these northern nations to admire and follow the French fashions; so that if you would know the dress of a Danish belle, look in the " Magasin des Modes," and there you will find her gown, shawl, bonnet, and coiffure. The toilette of the gentlemen also strictly follows Parisian fashions.

The old costume of Denmark is not unlike the habit of the Quakers, and consists of, for the men, broad-brimmed hats, black jackets, and full, glazed, black breeches, left quite loose at the knees, and fastened round the waist with a girdle.

The women wear black jackets and red petticoats, and their only head-dress is a piece of blue glazed cloth bound round the head.

In a work entitled "Eirik's Rauda Saga," we find described the dress of a woman, which appears much like that of our gipsies. "She had on a blue vest, spangled all over with stones, a necklace of glass beads, and a cap made of the skin of a black lamb, lined with white cat-skin. She leaned on a staff adorned with brass, with a round head set with stones, and was girt with an Hunlandish belt, at which hung her pouch full of magical instruments. Her buskins were of rough calf-skin, bound on with thongs studded with knobs of brass, and her gloves of white cat-skin, the fur turned inwards."

Swinburne says that "the dress of the Danish men is after the German fashion; but what appears ridiculous to strangers is, that many of them, even during their hot summers, wear great-coats." "The ordinary women, in their Sunday clothes, appear exceedingly awkward," says the same author, "and their finery is put off to the best advantage, or the worst, with starch and beads, till they seem to be enclosed in a coat of mail."

which

In Otto Sperling's Observations, there is a passage shews that this warlike people formerly gave fashions in dress to those very southern nations who now govern their taste on this subject.

The shoes worn in some parts of Denmark, and other

of the extreme northern nations, for travelling over

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