Terms of Adornment

Can you identify these fashion statements?

1. The most primitive one may be the dried backbone of a fish. The word for this grooming tool means "toothed object," and It can pin any hair style in place.

2. The special feature of this elevated footwear for women was first utilized by men on horseback; the design secured the foot in the stirrup.

3. A fashion publication in the 18th century listed 32 different knots for this men's fashion item, among them a knot named for a famous English race course.

4. This 18th-century hat was likened to a black stovepipe. According to the London Times, it was so outrageous that it drew a crowd and disturbed the peace at its debut.

5. These items once had scented-lace arms, leather palms, and tiny buttons at the wrist. The lengthiest ones were a symbol of elegance.

6. This tailless dinner jacket with satin lapels caused quite a stir at a club in T - - - - - Park, N.Y. It was inspired by the riding jackets popular with British fox hunters..

7. From the Latin "bursa" (hide), this bag was in demand for travel by both sexes but was shortly replaced by pockets in men's clothing.

8. Historians believe that this German slip-on shoe got its name from the "plump, plump" sound it made on hardwood floors. It was originally worn by servants in the 18th century.

9. A Roman soldier was considered unfit for battle unless "anointed." It was the crusaders who brought the oils from Palestine to England and France in the 1200s, creating what is today a billion-dollar industry.

10. Developed by leather varnishers, this high-gloss, waterproof material glazed shoes beginning in the 1930s.

ANSWERS

(1) comb; (2) high heels; (3) necktie. The ascot is named for the racecourse at Ascot, England.; (4) top hat; (5) gloves; (6) tuxedo; (7) purse; (8) pump; (9) perfume. (10) patent leather.

SOURCES: 'Panati's Extraordinary Origins,' by Charles Panati; 'The Encyclopedia of Fashion,' by Georgina O'Hara; '20,000 Years of Fashion,' by Franois Boucher; 'The History of Men's Costume' and 'The History of Women's Costume,' by Marion Sichel; The World Book Encyclopedia.