Sallie Darlington to Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch, 3 October 1860
[From Sallie Darlington in West Chester, Pennsylvania, to Elizabeth (Abbot) Bowditch. She responds in detail to more of Elizabeth's questions about the clothing Georgiana should have if she were to attend Sallie's school, and says she intends leaving in a few days for a four week vacation in Philadelphia.]
West Chester Oct 3rd/60
My dear Mrs. Bowditch,
I expect to leave home in a few days and shall be gone four weeks, so I thought perhaps I had better reply to your last letter at once, as in it you ask some questions with reference to dress, which I will try to answer definitely. If I were fitting out a young lady of G'a's1 age for a school in this place, her wardrobe should consist of the following articles, viz; two dark muslin de laine dresses, costing about 25 cts a yard, which would serve as school dresses until June, as we never have warm weather before then. For a best dress, a finer de laine or other material of that nature. For summer, two or three chintz dresses for school, 12½ ct chintz — for best in summer a lawn for very hot weather and a barege such as cost about 37½ cts. Those would be all sufficient and in every way suitable. I should make the de laine dresses high in the neck and long sleeves closed at the wrists, the others short sleeves, and either high or low in the neck, according to fancy, as both ways are worn here by girls of that age. Pantalettes are not worn except by very small girls; G'a's dresses should come down to the top of her boot; her drawers should extend down half way between her knee and ankle. I send you a little model of the kind of aprons the girls here wear; they are made of either silk or gingham; for school gingham is very nice, and when of that, the straps are of the same; when the apron is of silk the straps are of ribbon. Some are made without straps and are pinned on the top of the shoulder where a rosette is put; silk aprons are more generally made in that way. If her summer dresses have short sleeves and low necks, she should have some kind of a sack to put on in case the evening is cold or the weather should change suddenly, which happens very often in this latitude. They are very nice made of de laine, blue or pink. There is a new pattern called a Zouave which is a kind of sack, very much worn here; I could send you the pattern at any time. The girls wear knitted hoods to school in winter and straw hats in summer, and cloaks and other outside garments of every description are worn. I believe I have now answered your questions in full; perhaps have gone more into detail than you intended I should, but I think from this you can judge very clearly how girls here dress. Of course some dress very much more, but what I have written is the style in which I should dress a niece of mine.
Our school opened on the 17th of Sep. with 45 scholars, and several more have entered since, and as we can take but 60 in that department we are very well satisfied with our beginning. The Normal School will open the 1st of Novem. and will be very full we think, so I anticipate being kept pretty busy during the winter, and am therefore taking a four weeks vacation now, as I have been teaching constantly since last March until this very day.
If you have time or occasion to write to me whilst I am absent from home, direct your letters as usual and they will be forwarded to me; I need not assure you that a letter from you is always at all times and in all places most acceptable. Are Balmoral skirts worn South? Ladies and children here wear them in winter altogether, and they are much nicer than white skirts. Hoops are worn much smaller, especially around the hips, bell-shaped skirts being now very fashionable.
I trust you will excuse the style and appearance of my letter, as I am writing in a terrible hurry, and yet wanted to say a great deal.
Give regards to Mr. Bowditch.2 With love to G'a and a kiss to my boy.3
Yours sincerely
Sallie
Do not hesitate at any time to send to me for patterns or any thing of that kind as it will always give me pleasure to render any assistance in my power. I shall spend my four weeks in Phila. and I suppose get many new ideas with regard to fashions in dress, as at other times, when my mind is otherwise engaged it is a subject on which I do not profess to be very well informed; all I try to do, is to keep within sight of the fashions.
Some make those apron bodies plain. Others make them full, with a little frill along the top, made by running a cord about an inch from the top.
- Georgiana Abbot Bowditch (1848-1927), Elizabeth's daughter
- Joseph Henry Bowditch (1818-1900), Elizabeth's husband
- Frederick Darlington Bowditch (1859-1920), Elizabeth's son