"The Ladies wore flowered silks of various sorts, of a large pattern, but mostly with a white ground with wide short Sleeves, and short Petticoats: their Gowns were pinned up variously behind, though mostly narrow. Some few had gold or silver nets on their Petticoats, and to their Facings and Robings; and some had gold and silver nets on their Gown-sleeves, like flounces: they wore chiefly fine escaloped laced Heads, and dressed mostly English. Some few had their hair curled down on the sides; but most of them had it pinned up quite strait, and almost all of them with powder, both _before and behind_. Some few had their heads made up Dutch, some with cockades of ribands on the side, and others with artificial flowers; they wore treble escaloped laced Ruffles, one fall tacked up before, and two down, but all three down behind; though some few had two falls tacked up, and one down before. Laced Tippets were much worn; some had diamond Solitaires to hook them together; others had their jewels made up bows and ends. Those without Tippets had mostly very broad-laced Tuckers, with diamond Necklaces and Ear-rings. Diamond Buckles were much worn in the shoes both of the gentlemen and ladies. Lord Castlemain made a very splendid appearance among the young noblemen in a rich gold stuff Coat; as Lady Harcourt did among the ladies, in a white ground rich silk embossed with gold and silver, and fine coloured flowers of a large pattern." The Editor of the London Evening Post has whimsically described the dresses then prevailing, under the character of Miss Townley, in one of his papers for December 1738, who observes: "I am a young woman of fashion, who love plays, and should be glad to frequent them, as an agreeable and instructive entertainment, but am debarred that diversion by my relations, upon account of a sort of people who now fill, or rather infest the Boxes. I went the other night to the play with an aunt of mine, a well-bred woman of the last age, though a little formal. When we sat down in the front boxes, we found ourselves surrounded by a parcel of the strangest fellows that ever I saw in my life; some of them had those loose kind of great Coats on, which I have heard called _Wrap rascals_, with gold-laced Hats slouched, in humble imitation of _Stage-coachmen_: others aspired at being _Grooms_, and had dirty Boots and Spurs, with black Caps on, and long Whips in their hands: a third sort wore scanty Frocks, little shabby Hats put on one side, and Clubs in their hands. My aunt whispered me, she never saw such a set of slovenly unmannerly Footmen sent to keep places in her life; when, to her greater surprize, she saw those fellows _at the end of the act pay the box-keeper for their places_."