The Dickinson press., 1889-05-04
WOMAN AND HOME.
COSTUMES IMPLYING MOURNING BY
ROYAL WIDOWS.

The Women of England and America.
Fashion Leaders Sans Beauty Two
Kinds of Famc-Goo Things for the
Hnrsekecpcr to Know.
The Gaulois of Paris gives some particu-
lars as to the mourning worn by widows of
royal and imperial rank in Europe at tho
present time. A modification of the English
widows cap, as worn for so many years by
Queen Victoria, would appear to be the form
of couture adopted at many courts, and the
same journal states that an English milliner
possesses a monopoly Of supplvinc these to
the royal families of Europe
The description given in detail shows that
the cap as worn at foreign courts has black
lisSe "wecpers." The aged Empress Augusta,
though she wears in other respects the CON
vcntional widows mourning, is obliged to
have very warm caps, owing to tho neuralgia
headaches from which she suffers. The i'm
menSe strings fall almost to the carpet when
She is seated in her large armchair, which is
mounted on rollers. The unfortunate En-
press Charlotte, widow of Macmillan of
Mexico, has always been careless of her dress
since the great tragedy of her life. When
She went to appeal to Napoleon Ill and the
Empress Eugene at the Tuilerics she wore n
crushed dress and II damaged white silk bon
net with the feathers all uncurlcd. Now, in
her widowhood and mental alienation, sle
loves to wear the brightest colorS, though her
attendants have frequently tried to disSuade
her from doing so She often puts rcd roses
III her hair, as she is represented in her por-
trait by Raudan, in which her remarkable
resemblance to her grandfather, Louis Phil
ipIe. comes out so strikingly
Tho nv. [.p, r,nr IH,,a..,; .....1:-. a..
writer. wears the very simplest sort of
mourning, Her gowns are of wooden fabric,
AMI fall in plain folds from the waist. Her
ton upon their uilstudied simplicity, but tho
empress always bids them revert to the un-
rlinmed dresses that she now prefers. The
queen regent of Spain has till quito lately
worn deep mourning that was almost nun
like in It's severity The dress, very fiat and
straight, has had Il long, full train. Upon
her head she has always Worn q mantiila of n
black WOODEN fabric, without even the relief
OF n loid OF transparent Grape. For extra
covering, when crossing the gardens or
tluvcrSinS the long corridors of her palace,
Queen Maria Christina wears II long black
mantle lined with white velvet. She uses
two pearl headed pms that King Alfonso
used to admire, for fixing the thick black
veil upon her head. For certain occasions
OF ceremony tue queen regent has of late
dolfed her somber black and worn n lilac
gown, but she seems to like to return to tho
black veil that denotes her widowhood.
Hers is u nature rs serious as it is sweet. AT
her convent, in her girlhood, sho could al
ways be counted upon for missions needing
courage and devotion.
Princess Stephanies still girlish head is tho
latest to wear the royal widows cap, under
which her fair hair is almost hidden, and tho
black and white of Austrian widows mourn
ing. Some dresses sent to the Empress Fred
elick illustrate the etiquette of tho first
twelve months weeds. Among them is Il
morning dress in plain English Grape, tho
skirt OF which is gathered all round the
waist. The empire bodice has a deep collar
of white batiste and cuffs to match that
reach to the elbow Another gown is mado
of dull black cloth, tho skirt being trimmed
with three graduated bands of Grape. A
wide, fiat fold of Grape begins at tho waist
and falls over one side of the skirt to the hem,
above which it is slightly drapcd. Over u
Grape waistcoat is n straight bodice with
large lapels of Grape. Tho orthodox white
batlste collar and cuffs are worn with this,
A long trained house dress is in black cash
mere. the front being entirely covered with
Grape, plated diagonally across it. Tho cut
rasse bodice has II plastron of Grape, the fast
cnlngs of which are concealed beneath two
bias folds. Large sleeves of white crepe lisse
are worn over the black ones, the lattcr show
ing through,