best Shifts. One of my best
Neck Cloathes, and one of my plain Quieus. One Calico Vnder Neck Cloath.
My fine thick Neck Cloath. My next best Neck Cloath. A square Cloath
with a little lace on it. My greene Apron."

It is not probable that many women of the present day, far less any man,
will be able to recognize all the stuffs that are here represented; but
we can easily gather that Mistress Humphrey was well provided in the
matter of "apparell", and the fact that her wardrobe was deemed worthy
to be so divided into small portions--for each period as printed
represents a beneficiary, the name being omitted as of no interest to
us--of itself proves the value that in those days attached to the
smallest articles of clothing. Yet a gown could be made at a cost of but
eight shillings for the mantua-maker; the whole of the expense lay in
the stuff, which was costly in proportion to its difficulty of
attainment. Indian stuffs were very popular among the later colonists
and in the days immediately after the Revolution. In the matter of
general fashions at this time it may be best to quote from a work
written by a woman concerning feminine costume in the older days of our
country:

"We can gain some notion of the general shape of the dress of our
forbears at various periods from the portraits of the times. Those of
Madam Shrimpton and of Rebecca Rawson are among the earliest. They were
painted during the last quarter of the seventeenth century. The dress is
not very graceful, but far from plain, showing no trace of Puritanical
simplicity; in fact, it is precisely that seen in portraits of English
well-to-do folk of the same date. Both have strings of beads around the
neck and no other jewels; both wear loosely tied and rather shapeless
flat hoods concealing the hair, Madam Shrimpton's having an embroidered
edge about two inches wide. Similar hoods are shown in Remain de Rooge
prints of the landing of King William, of the women in the coronation
procession. They were like the Nithesdale hoods of Hogarth's prints, but
smaller. Both New England dames have also broad collars, stiff and ugly,
with uncurved horizontal lower edge, apparently trimmed with embroidery
or cut-work. Both show the wooden contour of figure which was either the
fault of the artist or of the iron busk of the wearer's stays. The
bodies are stiffly pointed, and the most noticeable feature of the gown
is the sleeve, consisting of a double puff drawn in just above