The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-02-04
VHATSAN EMPIREG0WN?
.,r WINTERS MASQUERADE OF
- r7STORIC COSTUMES.

HISTORIC COSTUMES.
,.,a Antoinette, the Citizeness and
~pl .orpine - What They Actually
I11ora IS Not What the Fashionables
1889 Are Wearing - The
9.ur+oenth Century Revival Revives
NV Hints and Suggestions
Copyright 1897
>--u, YORK. Feb. 2.-Said cousin Madge
ao,,sin MillY, "What is an Empire
gown" ,o,,,o, ora
hing about Directory costumes and the
.n,.rried ones are raving over Empire
- w.. Now. Wouldn't confess it to every
~ Init don't mind telling you, Milly
5ar that don't know exactly what they
mean" ..e...
,,ob TO be wondered at, you little country
.o,es YOU. for the two have become so
I'D this winter in one grand muddle that
:. g hard for the most experienced to tell
.-,;cb from t'other, let alone the fact that
-.;tber is at all like It's reputed original.
Tuck UP those red slippers of yours on
+bst cushion there and leo me pour you
slo.h cnn of tea. Such a relief isn't it, to
U.s. noon ona,s afternoon over and done. And
iav nnconscionably late some women do
atov Wen have half an hours good Cos
s;'' end IN unfold for your benefit all that
know of the seasons masquerade of his
torical costumes Did you notice by the
rav what q quantity of ostrich tips
Eti3na-wore in her hair? Such poor taste
for AFTERNOON. That goes behind the EN-
,irs fashions, away back to one sunny day
ip@hso Marie Antoinette spent half an hour
vomiting before her dressing table. If only,
ffbe said to herself, Rose Berth had kept
ber word and brought me the new caps, If
nniv | could think Of something entirely
now There were two or three immensely
iong ostrich plumes and couple of great
neaeock feathers lying Just in front of her.
She picked them up ana stuck them into
her hair. In a minute the king came in,
looked her over and said:
"'Those plumes become you admirably,
or whatever stood for that sort of comph-
neut in the French Of IT'S. Heigh no! what
q fine thing it would be if you and | could
catch husbands who would think as much
of ones appearance nowadays
"WelI, Louis admiration settled it.
Feathers became the rage, and now, it you
will believe me, the tiny pompons and aig-
regtes and white tips we dress our b air
with for balls and dinners resemble the
forests Of plumes, like a moving garden of
brigbt-colored flowers, which waved a foot
and half or two feet above the ladies'
heads whenever Marie Antoinette and her
court women walked in the Versailles gall
lery lust about as much as our sO-called
eighteenth century dress revivals resemble
the costumes which the women of those days
actually wore.
There was a modernized Marie Aut0in-
cite gown in the troUsseau of Miss Drexel, of
Philadelphia, who was married to Mr.. Nor
rel, two or three weeks ago. 1t was made
hv swell dresSmaker here in New York,
and three or four of us, to whom she of
fered a peep at it privily, jumped at the
chance. can tell you. 1t was-let me see
a blue silk shot with pink and worn over
brocaded Jetticoat of straw-colored satin.
II ere was a wide lace founce about the
bottom and broad lace ruffles fulled into
the elbow sleeves. The bodice was cut low
with gauze kerchief partially covering
the shoulders and fastening with q ribbon
bow across the top of the waistcoat, which
came down upon the hips and was covered
by small lace-trimmed paniers. 1t was a
lovely thing Madge, one Of the most fetch
ing gowns I've seen this season, but the I'M
happy queen would never know it for a
copy of the styles which she and Rose Ber-
tin originated We only hint at the older
fashions. No woman in her senses would
ever revive one of them literally.
"Paniers! How would you like this now,
Madge. to wear to the-ball! 1t is fashion
plate which | found the other day in the
Journal de Paris for 1777 and shows
nonidealized Marie Antoinette gown. Sill
yer gauze, sprinkled with bouquets of roses
ELL, lovely 80 far-stretched over a panier
eighteen feet in circumference. Coopers
and basket makers manufactured those
immense birdcages, you know. The petit
coat was pink silk bordered with silver en-
broldery, and the train dragged twenty
feet on the floor. Sashes of fringed-out
cloth Of silver fastened on trailing garlands
q roses and the sleeves we're draped like
the skirt and pinned up with diamond but
tons. With this fearful and wonderful COS
tune went shoes with four-inch heels, silk
stockings clicked with pink and silver,
waite gloves and gauze veil hanging to
tae hem of the gown, and covered with
large spangles. The hair was dressed with
lnk feathers with great bird perched on
one SIDE. And yet paniers we're going out
and were called small in those days.