Wilmington daily gazette., 1874-07-30
The Empress Eugenie and her Corset
Maker,
From q Letter of Oliver Logans in Harper's
BaZar.

DdZdr.
During the period of the Emperor's reign
over France 1t pleased his beautiful spouse to
touch with her fairy wand the house OF q rim
golre, and Grlngoife became at once the cor
set maker OF Paris; and not OF Paris alone, for
does not her sign to this day read, Patented
Furisher 10 II. R. Ii. the Princess Of Wales?"
No one could pretend to be well corseted who
did not patroniZe GrlHgoire. Her prices ross
like the mercury in its tube on no. day. She
made no cOrsets for less than $50. 1--WE
have always charged the Empress $40 for
hers" said my corset maker, scientifically
bending my bones-my whalebones-to make
them flexible.
Madame Grngoire was a pleasant-manner-
ed lady, Summoned to London some six
months ago to attend II. Il. H." thePrincess
of Wales, Gringoire found that her own body
was more In need of attendance than that Of
her noble customer, and in foggy London,
Gringoire bade adieu to world of false vain
show" in femme outlines as well as all other
things. Her former fOrewoman continues her
business, and "GringOire' still glares its gold
letters at you from black marble sign. IL
| stands to reason that all the workers employ
ed by Gringore were good corset makers
81 never should have left madame II ma
dame hadn't died." said one of these young
| women, as she took the number of my waist
inches, and wrote them In her book. "AIadame
liked me to wait on the English customers
| am English Oh, such fine ladies as did
| come to us! And such lovely figuresl Did you
ever see the Marchoiness Of Hastings, ma
| dame"
| "Oh how beautiful her figure IS. only eigh
| teen inches around the waist, such bust, and
such sloping shoulders.
| "Indeed then, exclaimed tie book-keeper,
a fine looking French woman with positive
manner, "she must be very different from most
of English women. The generality of them
have waists so long that they reach to the knees
and busts fiatter than their backs"
.'The Empress was beautiful figure, was
she note" l asked of the corsetere.
Magnificent! Very stout, you know"
Stout. had seen her often, but never
| thought her stout,
"She is SO beautifully proportioned. She
measures twenty seven inches around her
waist, but her bust is so very large that her
waist looks very small"
"What sort OF c0rse!s did you make for the
Empress?"
always coutil, madame-neysr silk nor
satin as many ladies ordered
81 suppose she scarcely chose coulil for econ
omv- sake?" asked.
madame; b 1t sac liked cou il b's.. Then
We made night corsets for her.
might corsets That ID something | never
heard Of"
"They were rather funny looking. All little
tiny bones not thicker than pin, and with
straps and buckles in fruut instead of busks.'
i What was the object in wearing night cor
sets?'
"To keep her figure always right Her bsst
was so large thai she was constantly in fear oil
losing her shape"
l "Who had The pre;tiest figure next amors
: Gringoire's customers"
:, "The Duchess de Mouchy, the Emperor,
a cousin. She was the Princess Anna Murai,
o you know"
v "Did you ever wash the Empress cotsets?
i "Oh, yes, madame, frequently"
!. "Please tell me how it was done
n 1--WE removed all the steel busks IN the cor
9 ,s, then ripped out what We call the fans
: those little clusters elk threads which are a
the Top and bottom Of all the bones; all lace an
= = embroidery was taken off, OF course, and th
> whole carefully washed by special laundresse'
We put in the fans again in new silk, rear
o ranged the lace and embroidery, and then th
is corset looked like new. We charged her fou
dollars for each pair oi stays washed
le "DOes her ex- Majesty order her stays from
+ Gringoire's?"
IS "She has never had new pair since she lei
u the throne. Madame Grngoire went and ealle
;" on her once at Chiselhnrst. She ioand her dres
:, sed in plain merino dress with linen collar Nh
la cuffs. She told Madame c. that she was v.t
poor"
"She is good deal richer now than she vs.
e when she was Mademoisele DE Moniijo,
Or think" interpolated the black-eyed, rosycbeek
y ed French bockkeeper. 'She Is good de'
r richer taan most Of lls poor French are. whor
70 her husband ruined by his foolish war;