The indoor costume of an Afghan woman is no less picturesque than that of her lord and master. Even to a plain and awkward woman it imparts some appearance of grace. The _piran_ extends from the throat to just above the ankles, with sleeves that reach to the wrist. It is of cloth of gold, velvet, silk, cashmere or calico, and in shape not unlike our own Princess robe. Beneath this are the _tom-bons_, very similar to the garment worn by men.[43] These may be of cloth of gold, silk, cashmere or calico; they are finished off at the ankles by a fringe of diamonds, gold or silver. A round cap, worked all over with gold thread, so that it looks like gold cloth, is fitted closely to the back of the head. The hair, parted in the centre, is done up in tiny braids, which are caught in a black silk embroidered bag, worn underneath the gold cap, but hanging down the back to below the waist. Married women wear a fringe of hair, often curled, on either side of the face. Descending from the top of the head to the hem of the _piran_, leaving the face uncovered, is the gracefully-draped _chadar_--a large wrapping of finest muslin, filmy gauze, or delicately tinted chiffon. Black hair is in vogue among the belles of the harem; if their locks reveal any shade of fairness or show indications of turning grey the vain creatures, adopting the custom of their Western sisters, at once dye them. Like all their sex, too, they delight in jewellery and conspicuous ornaments, and a considerable portion of their savings is expended upon the purchase of necklaces, ear-rings and bracelets. All who can afford it wear flowers just above the right ear, while they also indulge in the use of cosmetics. Paint and powder, rouge for the lips and the blackening pencil for eyebrows and eyelashes are the adventitious aids to whatever natural charms they may possess. Proud of their prepossessing qualities, the women of Afghanistan have exploited their charms so much that it was left to Habib Ullah to impose a check upon the increasing attractiveness of the street costume of the feminine portion of his subjects. One day, in the spring of 1903, to the unspeakable dismay of many pretty women and of all young girls, he issued orders, changing the white _burka_, which, although covering the head and figure and leaving a latticed insertion before the face, was in a measure attractive. Thereafter these white street robes were to be dyed kharki for Mahommedan women, red or mustard-yellow for Hindu women and slate colour for other women. Disobedience of this law was threatened with a fine of fifty rupees, while its requirements had to be fulfilled within fourteen days. Unhappily, by this change an attractive feature in the life of the city has disappeared, the lamentable hues enforced upon the poor ladies by the Amir’s edict emphasising the dirt and discomfort of the Kabul streets.