The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-12-16
EUGENIE'S OLD CLOTHES.
Annual Sale of the Cast-On Wardrobe of the
French Empress. '.'


Empress Eugene, who sets the fashions of the
civilized world, has a sale of cast-of dresses
every year, and she rarely wears a'dress
twice, the number sold is always very great. A
Paris letter-writer gives graphic account of a
sale just terminated. He says that the custom
was established by the royal families of the
Tuileries long before the great Revolution, ac-
ceded to by the Empress Josephine, continued
under the Restoration, maintained by the Prin-
cesses OF the House OF Orleans, andkept up with
great spirit under the present reign. A long
gallery, which runs along the basement story of
the palace, looking into the garden just opposite
the FRINGE lmperials winter walk, is fitted up
from one end to the other with oak wardrobes
This is called the De Froque of the palace. 1t
is here that the refuse dresses and the cast
apparel OF the royal and imperial ladies who
have succeeded each other for the last hundred
years in the occupation of the TuilerIes are in
variably borne, when rejected from the floor
above.
These wardrobe cupboards, numerous and ex-
tensiye as they are get generally well filed
during the year, and when the four seasons are
considered thoroughly over, n sale is made of
the whole, where every article is priced before
hand, and visitors are admitted to view and
purchase without the observance of further cere-
mony than the presentation of an invitation
card from one of her Majestys attendants, to
whom the privilege Of granting them belongs.
The sale of the regal wardrobe of the Tuileries
is conducted on the strictest principle of equity.
The shutters OF the long gallery are closed, and
lamps and candelabra, so that the light is
stronger than it would be were daylight adj
mitted the ceiling is low, and the
windows sunk deep into the wall. Every article
is ticketed, and, of course, no deviation from
the original decision can possibly be allowed
long line of stretchers are placed all down
the middle of the gallery, the doors of the ward
robes on either side are flung open, and the
visitor, walking slowly down on one side and
| returning on the other, makes choice of what
| may suit her taste, and, inscribing the number
| it bears upon card, hands the latter to the
| attendant in waiting at the door, and departs.
| The stretchers are occupied by the shawls, and
the wardrobes by the dresses, the shelves by the
| under linen while q sort of counter at the fur
ther end of the gallery is filed with the cham
| pignons, on which are exhibited the bonnets and
| dead-dresses. The white satin dress, most
| splendidly embroidered in silver with the tunic
| OF buillonee gauze and silver mouches, confined
| by bands of ponceau velvet, in which her Ma
| jesty went to the opera with the King COnsort
| of Spain, was not quoted higher than the nan
| keen-coloTed dress and jacket, braided with
| green, which was recognized the uniform
| invented by the Empress for the drive at Fon-
| tanebleau.
To be sure, the buttons were of malachite aud
| set in gold, but the material of the dress could
scarcely be considered as bearing. any value
| whatever. The shawls were principally OF
| French manufacture, and mostly for summer
| wear; the cloaks and mantles, deprived of their
| lace fur, are unattractve. The utmost exng
| geratlon seems TO exist in the prices put upon
the bonnets. In the first place, the article itsel
| is out of fashion almost as soon as seen; in the
| next it possesses no resources whatever, and
above all, it is liable to greater deterioration
than the dress. The habit of leaning back IL
the carriage, which has become so general, de
stroys the bonnet Immediately and renders Il
shabby in form, even while still bright and fresf
in color. The proceeds of the sale are generally
| brought up by the Wallets and women of the
wardrobe who dispose of what remains uusold
to the great dealers in Paris, who again sci
them to their customers at immense prices.