The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1891-03-29
PATCHES ON THE FACE,
An 0ld-Time Freak Of Fashion Is
Once More Restored to
Prominence.
The Little Black Spots With
Which So Many Women Mar
Their Beauty.
Grand Ladies' Follow the Lead OF Belle
Biiton-Men VINO Also Vicar
Face Patches.

l.
| nilton- Men VINO Also Wear
| Face Patches.
| Especial Correspondence of THE 1NDEpENDENT.
LONDON, March IA thing of shredi
and patohes.'' Her 'ladyship," that re-.
markably pretty and erratic young woman
who recently established her right to bt
called Viscountess Dunlo, and is known or
the English music ball stage as Belle Bill
ton, always weurs patch on the right aide
of her chin. The other evening, at the
Theatre Royal, Drury lane, where Wis
countess Dunlo plays the part of beauty
IN the pantomine, counted thirty nine
ladies in elaborate evening gowns, and
every one had patch on the left side o1
her chin. Now, the question that arises
did Belle Billion copy the ladies, or did The
ladies copy Belle Billion?
Patches, i. g., little circular disc oil
black sticking plaster, have been accepted
as adornments to beauty for the last 15C
years. They came in with the Georges as
an innovation of the court Of Louis
XIV, and they disappeared for q
Enrope, George w., suggested to one
Of the Indies Of his court, whose face
Was ali patches, that little cold water
might assist the beauty Of her countenance.
That was hint which was sufficient 10
kill the fashion, and until very recently
any beauty with a black patch on her cheek
| or chin was presumed to be suffering from
| a nimple.
What was the origin of patches? Well
for that matter, what WAS the origin of
rdffs. crinolines. high-hee.ed boots, wigs,
and pocket handkerchiefs? The answer ia
parsonage which that parsonage desired to
hide. Ruffs were invented by milliner to
hide the goitre ON the neck of queen of
France; crinolines for the Empress Eugenie
when temporarily threatened with the loss
OF her figure; high-lteled boots increased
the height Of Louis XIV; wigs first hid the
Patches, according to one authority,
Villiere, who did not care to appear
before her royal lover with half dozen
eruptions on her face. caused by the
spring weather. Woman's vanity, simply
inst 90 the Empress Josephine turned a
pocket hand akerchief into a dainty portion
81 woman's wardrobe by constantly hold
ing it to her mouth to hide defect in her
teeth.
Patches naturally became abused just as
hnlr powder ana wigs became preposterous.
The first woman who powdered her hair,
Henrietta. duchesse d'Orleans, did so be-
cause her looking-glass showed her that
the grey threads were sabjugating the black
hairs ia her natural chevelure, and SO she
coquettishly determined, ar she pnt it, to
be "old and beautiful" There is no doubt
that hair powder can make most women
lock younger. Who, however, could have
supposed that pretty woman's device to
hide the onslaughts of the grim enemy
would gradually bs turned into the fright
full ugly erections of powder. pomatum.
and false hair that distinguished the
ladies of the reign of George III. So with
Iatches; beauty puts on one little circular
disc to hide pimple; women with many
many patches, until it became fashionable
to have a neatly cut out coach and horses,
or a dog, or II rose covering an inch or so of
surface placed originally to hide an erup-
ton, and followed by slavish obedience by
deyotses of fashion.
Patches nowadays are distinctly revival
in keeping with empire waists, continental
hats. and four-in-hand coaches. So far the
revival is only to the extent of one, two, or
three at most OF sticking plaster SPOTS on
rosy cheeks OF ivory foreheads; but that we
may soon expect to see fashionable women
with their checks dotted with patches is
foreshadowed by the fact that wells Will,
spiders all over them are being freely worn
by pretty London girls.
Somehow patch or two does look CO.
duettish on a pretty woman's cheek, and
yet the smallest pimplc is at once an eye
sore and a blemish, One innovation the
duchess of Leinster has managed to make
even in old time patches. She has beauti-
full arms and a superb bust, and she man.
ages to place patch just where half
dozen dlmples appear i'll tantalising visi-
bility. Her sister, Lady Helen Vincent. a
a young and exquisitely beautiful girl, who
was married to Il fossil old man the other
day-,hesven knows why---also wears
drawing room both the young princesses of
Wales had patches on tho forearm. The
duchess of Edinburgh hnd three patches on
her neck, Miss CORVALLIS West had two on
her arms, Lady William Neville had one on
each cheek, and so on, with long list Of
the swellest ladies in London, clearly in-
timating that patches have come for a
while to stay.
But woman is not alone in her liking for
men wear them, the excuse usually
being that they have been cut while shaving
This, however. can hardly he the constant
excuse of Lord Rosebery, who nearly always
has q patch onihis left cheek, or OF Ba, on
Ramsay, lord-in-waltlng to the queen. who
generally appears with one on his chin and
one near his nose. Nor are Englishmen. the
only men of Europe addicted to the practice.
The Archduke Francis d'Este, heir pro-
to the throne of Austria, has worn
II tiny black circular patch just beneath his
right eye for more than nine years. and Don
Francois d'Assise husband of ex-Queen
Isabella OF Spain, although an old man of
sixty-nine years of age, has never been seen
without patches either on his cheek or neck. |
Another young gentleman addicted to
patches is the Duo d'Aosta, son of the dead |
brother Of King Humbert OF Italy, and the |
Prince of Naples. heir to the Italian crown. |
IS also fond of giving zest to his COMPLEXION |
oy means of these little black discs.
understand TINT the re.introduction of |
irtistic patches, i. c., little carved emblems |
III tho cheek or forehead, will DO left to |
Mrs. Langtry, Miss Terry, Miss Eastlake.
md Miss Eleanor Leyshon, the pretty and |
alented girl who was with Wyndham in /
America and is now playing lead" with |
edward Terry in London. The ladies' nm
iounce their intention Of wearing patches
n future on the stage whenever their parts
nable them to find an excuse for tho in
lovation. Such pretty women can do what |
he choose, but II is to be hoped TINT
American girls will, for many centuries TO
ome, require no further aid to their
beauty than the roses and lilies
hat nature 80 lavishly gives them.
Copyright
ALARMIsTs DIsCOU U>TENANCED.