Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1894-11-15
GOWNS OF AN EMPRESS.
How Auguste Victoria's Dresses Are
Made and What They Cost.

The cost Of the dresses worn by
the Empress of Germany is enormous.
A state robe requires about fOrty-tive
yards of material, at from $50 to 200.
sometimes 800 marks. 1t is said that
the empress seldom wears silks or
SatinS costing less than $50 per yard.
The material for her demi- toilets cost
at an average, $50 to $50 per yard;
house. and carriage dresses, from SO
to $50 The later require, in addition
an immense outlay Of extras" bits
of decorations, etc. The decora tons
for the state robes are always eXclu-
sively furnished by the crown tresor,
or treasury, where all gold BRAID,
loose stones, jewels of any sort. the
historic races" embroiderieS, fans,
plumes, golden and jeweled buttons,
etc, are kept under lock and key
and under the strictest control. The
tresor is established in the vaults of
the royal castle in Berlin, and the
occasional visits of the empress to
the winter palace in midsummer
are usually due to her desire to re-
lease certain jewels for immediate
use. This can only be done in her
or the kaSerS presence. She has two
keys to the vaults and two cour,
functiOnaries have a key each. The
fifth key is held by the keeper of the
treasury. None of the keys will open
the vaults, unless simultaneously all
the keys are applied.
The empress wears a court dress
only once, Or, if it is of extremely
great value, twice; but before she
dons it a second time it's decorations
are entirely changed. A royal we'd
ding calls for eight or nine state and
full-dress toilets; a visit to foreign
court for twenty to thirty, according
to the time Of absence from the Ger
man capital.
When the empress has decided that
She is done with a dress it is sub
mitted to the superintendent of the
crown tresor, so he may order the re-
moval Of the jewels furnished by
him. Sometimes jewels have been
lost, and when a search for the same
proves unavailable the fact is duly
recorded and acknowledged by the
wearer. Then the dress is turned
over to the mistress of the robe who
marks with pins those parts that
shall be turned over to her use in
composing other toilets. Afterward
the dress is taken completely apart
and the materials are put away, duly
Tabled and at the disposal of her
majesty.
Auguste Victoria usually gives away
good many of her dresses to her
sister and mother, who are not rich;
others are used as presents for ladies
Of the court. Young ladies Of the
high aristocracy, especially the wives
and daughters of the army officers
are also occasionally treated to a !
regal toilet when they are about to
be presented to her majesty and have
not the whereWithal.
The cast-off demi-toiIets, carriage
and house dresses are the perquisites
Of the head woman of the bed
who after selecting clothes
for herself, sells them either to pri-
vate parties or to a certain store in
Oranienstrasse, Berlin. This is an
DID established business, whose pro-
Drietress was at one time in the en-
DlOy of the court. She is not allowed
to sell dresses as she receives them
out in all cases must remodel them.
20 as to obliterate their special fea-
-ures.