The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1883-05-08
IOVEITflHE
Mrs. Langtry Discusses American
q Women and Their Mode of
- Dressing.


NEW YoRK, May 7.-Mrs Iiangtry
thus gives her views of American women to a
Ipress reporter. = e3Att Sfa 8
land What impression ms the American
woman made upon you, Mrs Langtryy What
do you think OF herr"
IN the first place think American women
have very pretty faces, 50 bright and winning.
One sees many more pretty saces here than in
Engiand Then think iliey have beautiful
/ hair and very pretty hands and feet
| And their fgRresas" IS
i We'll, must take the liberty to say that
their figures are generally bad. The Ameri-
can standard OF figure is altogether too plump
to piease,me 1 have been called fscraggy in
one town visited"
~Ana where was that?"s o
"Pittsburg. think the most dsagreeable
| things were said of me there y
@whonl DO you consider the most beautiful
American woman you have SEEM
sMary Anderson decidedly !"
| @But Mary Anderson is not overplump"
/ '@shel is not should Save said that the
overpiumpness spoke of refers principally to
| the married beauties have seen. 1t struck
| me as very funny" Mrs. Langtry con-
tinued, that in every town visited
the local papers in noticing my first
appearance led of with the remark that
tLeir own town was exclusively noted for its
beauties, and with snch an array of native
beauty 1t was not surprising that the famous.
English beauty s face made but little impress
sion OH the audience Then they would be-
sin 10 notice the performance, sAs far as Mrs.
14angtry' ) ability as an actress is concerned,
Z '~ln which town did you see the prettie~t
women" 1 sa
81 In Baltiniores at struck me that every
woman there WAS beauty. And think that
Baltinlore Was the only town that did not boast
of It's native beauties"
=lo- yeu admire the dress of American
women" So
Il cannot say canalidly that do; on the
Whole l think they. dress too smarty for the
streets and too simply for the theatre think
theF mfxitheir eolor5 badly and have too many
bows aud ends to their dresses To my taste a
wamaa cannot be too simply dressed for the
steeet A dress Of simple neutral tints pleases
ire best.'I saw woman iii the street the
other day wearing'a gray ulster, a blue dress
and scarlet kid gloves Just think of that"
and Mrs I.angtry almost shuddeFed with hOr-
FOR at the thought of scarlet gloves, @and she
5tlso had a bouquet de corsage of daffodiIs. /"
1hat was rather gay mixture of colors was it
snossn
The reporter sympathized with Mrs Langh.y,
for on his way to the AfbemarIe he had met a
woman wearing ma1ve velvet dress with
'otue satilfsskirt and a bonnet of blue straw,
trimmed tn CRIMSON velvet out of which APP
Pe1ledto be growing ears. of barley -s.
The reporter by way of contrast somewhat
'eservedly remarked on the richness of Mrs.
l5AnSHry s cost tune
Iou may cali 1T handsome and perhaps it
is, aud it might look rather too fine on the
street, but Lam going out driving But it is
really a very simple dress. A peacock velvet
oyerIress oVer pefticoat OF turquoise blue
Yelled with moonlight jet
3. lyon want to know what think of the man
sners of the American women? l think them
charming, so free and open The Amencan
women are SO independent, and there is such a
delightful lack of self -consciou about |
thems They are, too very brightin conversa-
ton, and the freedom and frankness of their
manner inpresses one iustantlys tits so differ
ent from the reserve OF the general run OF
eiot said that they did not dress we'll enough
for the the atre Z" se s=a
74Nelb what meant to say was that like to |
see ladies' in full dress at the theatre; or they
might, ii they come in bonnets wear the |
charming little theatre bonnets one sees in the |
French theatres These big hats that women |
wear IN American theatres, 1 think, are abom- |
Unable:
Mrs. Langtrys maid entered at this point In |
the Interview and brought spray of forget |
-nots and ferns. HEY were 10 be attaehed |
to her ParasoL They were tied up with |
a blue bow. Mrs. Langtry caught sight |
of it and said 1lu5hingfy,. snow see /
that bow fly" and she tore it away
and threw 1t down II won't have any /
bows about me, she said, mot even ON my.
parasol. YES you can safely say that / am
making war against bows and ends.
W eli 10 SUN up On tfi6 AI15IICdH BOUfdA.
Mrs. Langtry said, returning to the subject, Il |
L think her very beautiful and charming and |
funk she has very strong national character
Istics would know an American woman any /
where In what way? Wen, principally from /
her frank and open manner and her independ-
enee
What do you think of the fashions in Amer
lea? Are they behind the European fash
ions2"s
WELL 1 should say that the American style
Ia dress, in cuts, and all that is about a year
nahnd Of Paris least T find the a
an dres8Tnakers have visited offer me the
styles saw year ago2i Paris Talking of
A merican women think we dress very badly in |
and have heard it said that / dress
fairly wen for Bnghshwoman But must
say that EnBlfsh4wonen dress admirably, and |
he princess of Wales set charming example
IA the matter of simplicity in Dress"