Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-09-22

mate now as to preclude any danger of
dress supremacy from that quarter; the
vienna court Is almost in a state of per-
petual mourning. St. Petersburg derives it's
fashions from Berlin. Queen Marguerite
alone is to be feared as a rival. And she is
formidable one, in respect to good taste as
well as in lavshness.
A Royal Tailor Shop.
The head tailoress herself is usually sent
to Paris, where she may prosecute her
original mission, while at the same time
looking out for novelties in the way of orna-
ments. These preparations demand, of
course, considerable outlay in money and
time, but as they apply usually to a dozen
or more costumes at once, the average is not
SO great compared with the advantages or
alleged advantages aimed at or derived
The term of chief tailoress should be ex-
planned. There are number of women in
kerlin and Potsdam bearing the title of
Taiioress to her Majesty" but their SER
vices are required only at special occasions
The kaiserin has a tailor shop of her own,
wnere she employs a dozen to fifty expert
cutters and sewers, under the direction of a
practical worker. with whom a trusty "wo-
man OF the bed chamber is associated. A
lady-in-waiiing superintends the whole. As
lar as possible the empress toilets and
the clothes of the younger children are
manufactured in the home shop. Only when
special occasion demands it, a tailoress by
appointment is called in
Das Atelier (StudiO), a little porcelain
sign bearing that name is always found on
one or more OF the apartments occupied
temporarily by the empress at home or
abroad. The doors are SO labeled to hide from
outsiders the secrets of the royal toilets
at the same time leading the occasional
passer by to believe a drawing or art school
Is established there under her majesty S
very eyes The sewing girls and cutters are
all very ladylike, young and middle aged
women, dressed in black, with snowy cuffs
anu collars Among them are many preach
ers WIDOWS and relatives of trusted court
lunctionaries. Aside from ability in their
profession they must, before securing an
engagement, satisfy the court marshal of
sne si surety domestic habits. They must not
nave acquaintance among other tailoresses,
anu must consider their duties entirely con-
iidential.
As Trade Promoters.
The empress will not submit to having her
measure taken,slnc lay figure Of her own
has been modelled by an Italian sculpturess
duplicates of which are in possession of GER
tam modAstes An increase or decrease in
the bust measure. for instance is ascertain
eu py SELF measurement, and then noted on
the model Dresses, wraps, etc. have to be
perfect from the start. and If any small al
'eiauohs are necessary the wardrobe wo-
man mas to attend to them.
1 should have said before that IN. sor.
ing nachlne Is an unknown quantity in the
e.hpresS tailor shop and that none OF the
cther royal ladies permit any but hand WORT,
Oh tneir garments. The taIloresses nv an
poihthient TO the Processes named are NOT
Siiowed 10 nave any other customers and a
predch OF confidence would he followed NV
ms taht withdrawal of patronage.
Inc hrst year after ascending the throne
.iie empress confiscateo'' all '.facons'' for
winter wraps, with elaborate braidin,- H.
wv months ner braided nantes anu iacx :
cts We're the wonder the envy ana rba 70 III
.. the fashionable world. Then learning OF
the great distress prevailing among ,ha
einbroiderers, the good empress semi WORT
70 the manufacturer that he could have the
use OF the models without delay provided
ne look up the wholesale mandatory at
VI &c. by this act of generosity nearly
io,OOO braiders secured work during the
haruest time of the year, Victoria Auguste
herseif engaging fifty to sixty extra hands
nist0ry tells OF queens starting or reviving
certain fashions (of wearing lace for in
stance) In order to alleviate the distress
among certain industries but whoever
heard OF woman giving up an exclusive bit
ot hnery Ior common use. knowing that
the act would deprive her of the pleasure
future? " WIG
The cost Of these royal toilets is enormous
a state robe requires about forty-five yards
OF material, at from 1JO to 100, sometimes
ooo, marks 1t is said that the empress
seldom wears silks satins costing less
than $40 per yard. The material for her
per yard; house and carriage dresses from
$40 to so. The latter require in addition.
an immense outlay in ''exIras,' bits of deco
ration, trimmings. etc. The decorations for
the state robes are almost exclusively fur
nished by the crown tresor. or treasury.
where all gold braid, loose stones, Jewels
of any sort, the historic laces," embroid-
cries, 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 I'm Berlin, and the occasional visits of
the empress to the winter palace in mid
summer are usually due to her desire to
release certain Jewels for immediate use
This can only he done in her or the kaisers
presen She has two keys to the vaults
and two court functionaries have 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
other keys are applied. The system was
established by the first king of Prussia
who had been taken in by his treasure
keeper selling him his (the kings own
jewels, at enormous prices. The treasure
keeper and his associates. two Berlin He
brews, were broiled for their trouble and
afterwards the fve-key system was estab-
lished.
The Cast-On Garments.
The empress wears a court dress only
once. or, If 1t is of extremely great value
twice; but before she dons 1t a second time
it's decorations are entirely changed. A
royal wedding calls for eight to nine state
and full-dress toilets: a visit to a foreign
court for twenty to thirty, according to the
time Of absence from the German capital
When the empress has decided that she is
done with dress it is submitted to the su-
perintendent of the crown tresor, SO he
may order the removal of the jewels fur
nished by him. Sometimes jewels have
been lost, and when a search for the same
proves unavailable the fact is duly re-
corded and acknowledged by the wearer.
Then the dress is turned over to the mis-
tress of the robe, who marks with pins
those parts that shall be turned over to her
for use in composing other toilets. After
ward the dress is taken completely apart
and the materials are put away, duly la
beled 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 when the
rounds of official festivities make 1t de-
sirable to determine the ever veXed ques-
ton of what shall 1 wear?" Young ladies
of the high aristocracy. especially the wives
and daughters of army officers, are also
occasionally treated to a regal toilet when
they are about to be presented to her mai
esty and have not the wherewithal.
The cast-off demi-toilets, carriage and
house dresses are the perquisites Of the
Of xhA baI obo nhar vH<~