The morning news., 1892-01-25
Worth, the Dressmaker.
Lucy H. Hooper, in HdrDer's Boza

Lucy II. Hooper, in Hdrper's Bozdr.
Worth has made dresses not only for the
royal ladies of Europe, but for the queens of
society both in Europe and the United
States, and for the queens of the footlighis
as we'll. His first royal customer was
Donna Maria da Gloria. Queen Regnante OF
Portugal. There is scarcely a princess mar
ried in all Europe-outside of the ladies of
tho imperial family of Germany, whose
principles forbid them from ever ordering
anything to be made in Paris-that does
not have a group OF Worth toilettes
included in her trOusseau. The EN-
press of Russia and the queens of
Italy and of Portugal, are his constant GUS
toners One Of the rooms in his beautiful
home at Suresues has been fitted up as a
small theatre, with a tiny stage, aud there
Mesdames Favart and Croizette, and others
OF the great actresses OF France, have come
to go through before him the new roles that
they we're about to create, so that he might
design for them dresses suited to the atti-
tudes and the gestures required by the
characters they we're to impersonate. The
first to consult him in this way was the
great Rachel, when she was
preparing to appear in the only
modern society play In which she ever
acted, namely, Lady Tartuffe" The estab-
lishment of the republic in France has
wrought no change In the prosperity of his
house. There are always courts to be
adorned and queens and princesses to be
dressed throughout the rest OF Europe
Poor commonplace, penurious Nine. Grevy
never dreamed, / suppose, of such an ex-
travagance as Worth toilette In all her
life, but the wives of all the other presi-
dents Of France-Mesdames Theirs, Mac
Mahon and Carnot-have all been num-
bered amongst his clients.
Despite his long career, Mr.. Worth Is now
but little past middle age. He is a stout,
genial, pleasant-lookinR gentleman, with a
peculiar low-toned voice, and very quiet
manners. He has never been known to lose
| his patience with even the most exacting
and unreasonable customers; but If pressed
too hard by the caprices of any one OF them
he will glide quietly away and leave her to
| find out what she wants before trying to
satisfy her, He is not only the head of that
vast establishment, but its soul and brain
and shows as well. He creates the pattern
dresses, orders materials and trim
mings to be manufactured. very
often from his own designs, and
superintendE in person all the delicate
finishing details Of a toilette, such as the
shaping and trimming of corsage, the
tying Of scarfs or of ribbons, and placing of
artificial flowers on the skirt. He excels in
combining colors, sweeping aside piece after
piece Of silk till the exact union of hues that
Is at once the most effective and the most
artistic has been reached. He studies the
portraits OF beauties and celebrated female
personages Of by-gone ages to CLEAN ideas
for new styles, as he observes the blending
of colors in the plumage OF birds
or the petals Of flowers or
the accidental combination of the
pale green of young grass in the spring
with the warm red of the earth in freshly
plOwed field. This last-named union Of
tints furnished him with an idea for a strik-
ingly effective toilette. He comes to his es-
tablishment from his home at 8 o'clock in
the morning. and remains there always un-
till O'clock. seldom leaving before z
o'clock in the hight of the season. He Is
ably seconded by his younger son, John
Worth, who has Inherited much of his
fathers talent. The eldest son. CASTOR
Worth, is the business manager of the
house.
OF Worth it may be said, as Louis XIII.
remarks Of the great cardinal minister in
Bulwers play Of "Riche lieu"
Ground him thrones totter-dynastles dissolve.
The soil no guards alone escapes the earth
quake"
The fairy realm OF fashion outlasts hun
dreds Of more durable thrones. Since the
house OF Worth was founded its chief has
seen pass away the empire that first brought
him renown, the emperor th at was its head,
the youth destined to be the heir to the inn
perial greatness. The lovely empress whose
charms found their highest enhancement at
bis hands is an aged widow. Half the beau
ties that first brought his toilettes into vogue
have become faded old ladies, and the rest
are no longer living. He has seen one riva
dressmaker after another rise in Paris. win
fieetin2 renown, and then disappear, and
still the name Of Worth remains spell to
conjure with amid the entertainments of
fashion. He has never advertised, and has
never sought publicity. But no similar
establishment in all the world can compete
with his own, not only' IN the taste and
elegance of its productions, but in the
conscientious care shown In the quality
Of the materials that are used, and in
the thouRbtfulness evinced for the health
and well-being Of its countless work.
women.