‘The present fashionable dress of our fair country-women, having had for its object the imitation of the Hindostanee, might be supposed to preclude the necessity of a particular description, did not the same inconstancy equally pervade their taste. Within these few years, the shoes with the long-turned-up tops have been introduced and abolished, in consequence (as the story goes,) of a lady in Asoph ud Doulah’s _haram_ being thrown down by the entanglement of the string of a kite round the curvature of her shoe. The _n’hut_, or large ring, worn at the nose, is also going out of fashion: indeed, considering the inconvenience that must have been experienced from this ornament, it is strange it should so long have continued in use. The disuse of it is accounted for in the following manner. On the death of a married woman, or of her husband, (for no widows wear it,) this ornament, according to long-established usage, becomes the property of the _meeraseens_, a particular kind of _nautch_ women. A lady of Oude, of a delicate way of thinking, being in possession of a _n’hut_ of great value and elegance, thought she observed the longing eye of the _meeraseens_ continually fixed on this jewel; and, dreading the effects of their envy on her own life, or on that of her husband, took off the _n’hut_ and threw it away; a circumstance that created much consternation in the family, and astonishment in the husband, as it had hitherto been deemed a necessary part of a married woman’s dress, and was guarded with as much superstitious care as the marriage-ring among us. However, the explanation of her motives set all to rights again; the husband applauded her prudence, and the neighbouring families, taking up the same idea, the long-established rights of the _meeraseens_ in that part of the country suffered almost total abolishment.
‘The dress of the ladies of rank has become comparatively simple, and seems to evince a considerable improvement in the national taste. Instead of both ears being weighed down, as was formerly the case, they now only wear a slight ornamented ring in the left ear, in general. The having both ears ornamented they consider as the height of vulgarity. A pearl necklace, slight golden rings at the wrists and ancles, termed _zewaree ichanjeeree_, include all the ornaments worn by a lady of fashion. For the wrists they prefer silken bracelets, decorated with jewels. The hair, which was brought down over the brow in two semi-circles, so as almost to bear on the eye, is divided as before, but not permitted to conceal any part of the forehead.