narwhal and walrus provided ivory, which was used for sewing tools, clothing fasteners, and ornaments. In Alaska, fish skins were sometimes used for clothing and bags, but this is not well-documented in Canada. Dried grass and moss were used as insulation and absorbent material. They could be placed inside the stocking to absorb perspiration from the feet, or at the bottom of the to serve a similar function to a diaper for an infant. Some groups also stuffed their needle cases with moss to form a sort of pincushion. Fabric and artificial materials Beginning in the late 1500s, contact with non-Inuit, including American, European, and Russian traders and explorers, began to have an increasingly large influence on the construction and appearance of Inuit clothing. These people brought trade goods such as metal tools, beads, and fabric, which began to be integrated into traditional clothing. For example, imported duffel cloth was useful for boot and mitt liners, and quilted fabric was used to line parkas. Sewing machines appeared as trade goods beginning in the 1850s, allowing for easy production of garments made from imported cloth. Where men often adopted ready-made European garments, Inuit women after European contact used purchased or traded cloth to create garments that suited their needs. Beginning in the middle of the 19th century, the Alaskan Iñupiat began to use colourful imported fabrics like drill and calico to make over-parkas to protect their caribou garments from dirt and snow. Men's were shorter while women's were longer with ruffled hems; the Iñupiat called both styles . The longer women's version eventually made its way eastward to the Mackenzie Delta area of the Northwest Territories, where it became known as the Mother Hubbard parka (from the European Mother Hubbard dress) or cloth parka. The Mother Hubbard parka was originally worn with the fur (overtop or underneath), but later styles were insulated with duffel cloth or fur and could be worn on their own, especially during summer. These garments were valued by women as they were simple to make compared to the intensive process of making skin clothing. Their exotic materials were considered a sign of wealth and status. While they became common, these new materials, tools, and techniques generally did not alter the basic design of the traditional skin clothing system, which has always remained consistent in form and function. In many cases Inuit were dismissive of so-called "white men's