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The present fashion is to have as many baths in the house as possible, and all the fittings of the bathroom are made most comfortable and luxurious. Some bathrooms are of course much more luxurious than others, but one and all are fitted up so that not a single luxury — in older days a luxury, now a necessity — shall be lacking.
Many of the new bathrooms are most luxurious; not only is the tub of porcelain, and whatever plumbing there may be of silver or nickel, but all smaller fixtures, such as sponge - racks, soap-dish, etc., are also of silver or nickel. The basin and pitcher are often of cut glass, while the tooth mug and other implements are either of glass or of fine china. There is a large white rug put directly in front of the bath-tub, but the ordinary cloth mat covered with a crash towel is often substituted. Where expense is not considered, the white fur rug is, however, generally left. Many of the bath-rooms have hard-wood floors, others have tiled, others again are covered with linoleum or oil-cloth, but the floor-covering must always correspond with the wall, which can be either tiled or covered with tiled wallpaper. |
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The bathrobes worn are very dainty garments, and while of course they are not  made tight-fitting, they are no longer the shapeless, awkward-looking things they formerly were, but, on the contrary, are very graceful and most carefully made. The purpose of a bathrobe is to have a garment that can be easily slipped on and off, and which must at the same time be warm enough to prevent a chill after coming out of the bath; the material ought therefore to lie selected with care, and almost all the new bath gowns are lined.
There are two different styles that are especially popular—one made on the plan of a Japanese kimono, and another style which has considerable fullness in the back, but the fullness shirred in several rows, so that it fits close over the shoulders. The latter style is made with the long shawl-like sleeves, and is fastened in at the waist with a cord and tassel. Flannel, flannel cashmere, and even silk are used for these wrappers, and they are lined through with with a flannel, an albatross cloth, or, most luxurious of all, have a wadded lining. It is rather a fad to have these wrappers in most delicate shades of coloring. 
There are some made up in all white that are most attractive. One in a heavy white camel's-hair has the facings turned back on the outside of both the sleeves and the fronts, the facing made of white silk like the lining. Then there are the quilted silk wrappers and the old - fashioned blanket wrappers, and some pretty styles come in elder-down flannel, the collar and sleeves bound with satin ribbon. These last are sold ready made for a surprisingly small sum of money. They are most useful and wear well. The ordinary bath toweling that, at one time was made up into bath wrappers is not often used now, but is a very good summer material for this purpose. |
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Bath slippers should never have heels, or else should be made of some material like quilted satin or silk, on the plan of what are called Romeos, slashed at the sides. These are easily slipped on or off, are very warm and most comfortable. An attractive idea is to have the wrapper and the slippers of the same color, or if a white wrapper is used to have it tied with colored ribbons, and then have the slippers match the ribbons in color. This is not such an expensive idea as it seems, for both wrapper and slippers can be bought ready made. |
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There are a great many perfumes and unguents now used, some of which are absolutely harmless and very pleasant. One thing in particular makes bathing a delight, and that is the little bags made of cheese-cloth filled with bran or oatmeal, orris root, and some fine soap chopped up. This gives a milky look to the water, is very good for the skin, and leaves a pleasant perfume. The many toilet waters need be chosen carefully. Anything with a very strong scent should be avoided, but a few drops of some of the good perfumes will make a bath much pleasanter. These bottles kept in the bathroom, either on the wash-stand or on a small white wooden shelf, should be in silver stands; indeed, everything in the bathroom must be as dainty us possible; and the woodwork should be white if possible. |
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The towels that should always hang in the bathroom are, first and foremost, the bath towels of the best quality and largest size. Then there should be the very fine damask towels, and also two or three towels of rather heavier damask, and a very fine face-cloth. This face-cloth will often remove dust and dirt from the face where a sponge is practically useless. The number of sponges can only be decided upon by one's personal ideas, but there must be at least two — one large and one small. |
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A much disputed question of the day is the soap. The fine French soaps are the pleasantest, but they do not agree with every one's skin, and some people prefer the plain soaps. In fitting up a bathroom for a guest there must always be a fresh cake of soap in its paper wrappings. This soap can afterwards be taken, washed off, and used by children or servants, but it is the height of rudeness to offer a guest any soap that has been used before. |
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The flesh-brushes seen in every well-appointed bathroom are of course private belongings.
... from Harper's Bazaar, 1898 |
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PERFUMES:
SOAP:
BRUSHES:
