Hope Greenberg, 1995, Notes on Zouave in Godey’s Lady’s Book

A timeline of the Zouave Jacket 1830s – French battalion defeats Algerian forces and, in honor of their enemy’s fighting ability, adapts their . 1856 – “Recollections of a Zouave before Sebastopol” a memoir edited by Dr. Felix Maynard, is translated in to English by Mrs. M. Harrison Robinson and published in the United States by Hayes & Zell. 1857 – Elmer Ephraim Ellsworth meets a former French Zouave, Charles DeVilliers, and later trains a local militia in French light infantry skills, forming the United States Zouave Cadets” and designing their uniform based on the French uniform. 1859 – the uniform jacket is adapted as a woman’s fashionable jacket. Notes of this begin to appear in Godey’s and by December 1859 the first engraving appears there as well. July 1860 – Ellsworth takes 50 members of his company on tour for drill competitions. Draws an audience of thousands in New York, after which many Zouave companies are formed. May 1861 – Ellsworth is killed while trying to remove a banner from a rooftop in Alexandria. Even more volunteers adapt the Zouave uniform of their martyred hero.

Gody’s Lady’s Book: The Zouave Jacket

The first note relates to the publication of a book translated from the French. This description was posted in the “Literary Notices” section which offered short descriptions of several books each month.

October 1856: from the “Literary Notices” section:

From HAYES & ZELL, Philadelphia:- RECOLLECTIONS OF A ZOUAVE BEFORE SEBASTOPOL. Edited by Dr. Felix Maynard, Ex-Sanitary Physician. Translated from the French by Mrs. M. Harrison Robinson. The reader will find this a spirited and entertaining volume. The description which the wounded trumpeter has given of some of the most exciting events of the war in the Crimea, of scenes in bombardments, ambuscades and trenches, of the discipline and sufferings of the wounded in the hospitals, of the watchings and the labors of Sisters of Charity, Protestant and Catholic, combined with tales of war and camp amusements, when taken all in all, render the French-Turk, as he was before Sebastopol, a more interesting personage than has yet been traced in any of the formal official dispatches of any of the French or English generals.

By 1859, the jacket based on the uniform of the Zouave’s has become popular. It is mentioned in the “Chit Chat on the Latest ” sections throughout the year and by the end of the year the first engravings appear.

January 1859 (Chit Chat section)

The small cloth , or Zouave basques, as they are sometimes called, are trimmed in military style, with of cord across the front, terminating in tassels on each side. The elongated points in front have tassels to correspond.

October 1859 (Chit Chat section) No later than last summer the white body and colored were considered excessively bad taste, and English ladies who preferred comfort to fashion, and still persisted in this mode of , were thought unpardonably old-fashioned. Now they are considered very novel. We are sure that those of our readers who look to economy in that frightfully large item of a lady's expenses, dress, will be glad of the accession to power of the Zouave , as it is an excellent way of using up of whose bodies alone have suffered by wear. To those more fortunate ones who have not to consider this, it will also be acceptable as a pretty, becoming, and, above all, fashionable mode of dress.

November 1860 (another “Literary Notice”) From D. APPLETON & Co., New York, through PETERSON & BROTHERS, Philadelphia:— REMINISCENCES OF AN OFFICER OF ZOUAVES . Translated from the French. The name and the fame of the Zouaves have become world- wide. These personal reminiscences of a corps so distinguished, in themselves of great interest, as conveying much information with regard to the French war in Algeria, and to the manners and customs of the people of that country, will, we doubt not, prove highly attractive. Price $1.00.

December 1860 (Godey noting, in his “Arm-Chair” editorial section, the power of businesses being mentioned in his magazine) WE published in our November number a paragraph upon secret letter-writing, headed "Secret, or no Secret." The advertiser informs us that he has received hosts of communications, and has furnished the receipt, which is only 15 cents, addressed to W.S. Gaffney, Washington, Indiana, to thousands of applicants. This is always the case with everything noticed in the Lady's Book. We think we have sent away more than 1000 patterns of Zouave jackets, many of which have been noticed as sent in our "Philadelphia Agency;" but not a moiety of what we send is mentioned even in that department. In fact, we have hardly time to record what we send. The Fashion Editor's Department has got to be almost as great an institution as the Lady's Book. We can only add, if persons do not want to be bothered with applications, do not insert any notice in the Book.

July 1861 (from the color fashion plate) Fig. 2.— Zouave jacket of blue armure silk, embroidered. The , with wide bouffant sleeves, is made of white muslin, buttoned up in front by a row of coral buttons or studs, and has a small standing-up collar and cuffs composed of blue embroidered silk, and edged with narrow lace. Skirt of blue armure, trimmed with a band of a darker shade, having the upper edge embroidered. The waistband is of blue velvet, ornamented with gold embroidery. The headdress is the coiffure Orientale, composed of a bandeau in gold passementerie, with a rosette on each side encircled with gold beads, and having pendent gold tassels.

July 1861

SUMMER TOILETTES FOR THE STREET AND WATERING PLACES.

SKIRT of blue grenadine, made over silk, with box plaited trimming. White muslin spencer, puffed lengthwise, and three rows of very narrow velvet between the puffs. White muslin , with flounce. Blue drawn crape bonnet, with flowers on the outside. ORGANDY chevron dress, white ground, with violet chevron stripes and wreaths of flowers between the stripes. Corsage half low, with a puffed muslin chemisette. White straw , one of the new spring styles, trimmed with fruit and black velvet. THE ZOUAVE NEGLIGE. THE jacket and skirt are of white pique, trimmed with two rows of very narrow colored braid. As the jacket is only intended for morning wear, it is much longer than the ordinary Zouave ; with it is worn a shirt with plaited bosom, and fancy silk neck-tie. Tuscan braid hat, trimmed with black velvet and straw.

July 1862 (from the color fashion plate) Fig. 5.— White piqué dress, braided with black mohair braid. Zouave jacket, with vest, and finished at the neck by a standing braided collar. The skirt has braided pieces on each side resembling pouches. Rice straw hat, trimmed with green ribbon and a narrow fall of black lace. June 1863 (from the color fashion plate) Fig. 1.—A pearl-colored percale dress, stamped in tunic form to imitate rich embroidery in black. The design, reduced, is on the Zouave and sleeves. The hat is of fine white straw, trimmed with pearl-color and black feathers, and black velvet ribbon. Fig. 2.—A dress of cuir-colored wool taffetas, barred with black, and a rich design woven as a bordering on the skirt. The design is also woven on the Zouave and sleeves. White Leghorn hat, trimmed with black velvet, loops of white ribbon, and a single white feather.

October 1862 (from the color fashion plate) Fig. 4.— New style of Zouave , made of purple velvet, richly embroidered with black, and trimmed with black guipure lace. Plaited shirt bosom and ruff. Black velvet neck-tie. Coiffure of purple velvet.

June 1863 (from the color fashion plate) Fig. 5.— Dress of cuir-colored alpaca, with Zouave of the same, trimmed with braid and drop buttons. The skirt is gored to form a corslet in front. Leghorn hat, trimmed with flowers and grass.

July 1864 Fig. 4.— Dress of French muslin. The skirt is formed of graduated puffs, separated by bands of insertion. On the edge of the skirt is an elegantly worked ruffle. The Zouave is trimmed with puffs, insertion, and ruffles. The vest is of rich blue silk. The hair is rolled off the face, and an Alexandra curl falls over the left shoulder.

October 1864 (from the color fashion plate) Fig. 1.— Dress of black silk, with Zouave body trimmed with bands of green silk, braided with black braid, and edged with guipure lace. The skirt is also trimmed with green silk to match the body. A flounce a quarter of a yard deep edges the skirt. White muslin shirt with standing collar. The hair is rolled off the face, and arranged in a waterfall style at the back. The waterfall is covered with a chenille net, and above it is placed a scarlet rose.

By 1864 the style has become almost completely a children’s fashion.

May 1868: Editor’s Table (Sarah J. Hale’s editorial pages) PRESENT FASHIONS OF DRESS.

"All general considerations on dress must converge towards the feminine costume," says the British philosopher. "Through the feminine toilet fashion transacts its weighty part in the world, and by its ebbs and flows keeps the world at work." And thus, for the last seven years' fashion has been actively busy in our country, changing old modes and boldly innovating in a way that can only be rationally accounted for by admitting that fashion, or the art of dress, has some mysterious connection with thought and intellect so close and intricate as to render it "almost the type of progress." Thus our present fashions of feminine attire are in harmony with the great events that have been hurrying the nation, as if with the swiftness and force of a rushing cataract, on its career, and also stirring the Old World's society to its foundations. The spirit of the age produces scientific discoveries; lays the ocean telegraph at the proper time; shakes down thrones; opens new paths to the statesman, and enriches the ample pages of history and knowledge with something more than the spoils of time; and also it changes the style of feminine costume! Why do we see the round hat, the cravat, the , the vest? Because men as well as women talk eagerly on the subject of "Women's Rights," sexual equality, and a parity of pursuits among men and women. So, also, we have the pert cavalry , the epauletted sacks, the Zouave jackets, the military glitter in trimmings, because we have been shaken by a terrible revolution and passed through a war that has stirred the heart and soul of the whole people. Is there not a pervading influence which makes us now see beauty and grace in dresses that float in billowy clouds over thick ribs of steel— now in narrow skirts that rob woman of half her last year's bulk? Yes, the glass of fashion and the mould of form are, as we believe, as surely governed by what may be styled occult influences, as are any of the grander or more high-sounding circumstances of human life. But though all are more or less under the government of fashion, it is the part of good sense and discretion not to attempt a revolution or individual rebellion against the ruling power, but to conduct its administration wisely and modestly, waiting for that tide in the affairs of the world's progress that will modify the present caprices of costume, and thus show that unwomanly modes of thought have been corrected. We learn from Paris that the present style of Lilliputian bonnets is to continue; but there are indications that fashion will not allow women to transform themselves into the semblance of men. The queenly trains for the drawing-room, the pretty and modest walking dresses for the street, are indications that the masculine rôle of pursuits is not in harmony with feminine taste and feeling. And thus may it ever be, for

"Woman is not undeveloped man, But diverse; could she make her as the man, Sweet love were slain, whose dearest bond is this, Not like to like, but like in difference."