Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1895-07-26
w Earring RARE LACEsI
A Return to the Fashion, as Noted in New.
port Swelldom.
Great Prices Paid for the Fleecy Ma
by Rich Society Leaders.
Special Correspondence Of The Evening star.


NEWPORT. R. T.. July "a. 1885,
The feminine fad most noticeable at
swelldom's gatherings this season is a con-
| spicuous return TO the wearing Of rare
laces. Rich jewels are not Sc popular as
| usual. but the laces worn by fashionable
women are quite as valuable. The return
to Newport Of the Goelets. who have passed
the last few seasons abroad, and are ex-
travagant admirers Of old laces, Is prob
ably responsible for this strikihgly OBJ
servable change. So much has been writ
ten Of the costly jewels Of rich women of
late that the fact that there are equal for
tunes in laces in Newport this summer
seems by way Of contrast especially inter-
esting just now. The Vanderbilt family
alone are said to have over half million
dollars worth here with them. These are
supposed to rival the celebrated Prussian
ard Austrian crown laces.
Mrs. Robert Goelet has a small cedar chest
completely filled with the very finest and
most expensive lace handkerchiefs. They
were all made by the most fashionable
French manufacturers, ard are Mrs. Goe-
let's especial delight. Her husband dislike ed
her wearing laces of any kind made by
other concerns, and SO an entire lace outfit
was bought through his special order. Mr..
Goelet, according to report paid as high as
500 for one handkerchief. and $4,000 for
lace dress.
Treasures of the AstOrs.
| The Astor family have many rich treas
| ures in laces. Connoisseurs value them at
not less than $35O.O0O Mrs. William Aston
| has a lace dress recently made which is
valued at $2S 900 besides an endless amount
Of handkerchiefs, FANS &c. Mrs. John
Jacob Astor (nee Miss Willing) is the happy
possessor of several extravagant gowns.
| her portion being said to be worth over
$50 900. The late Mrs John Jacob Astor
| had a life long fad for collee ting laces.
She left $4,000 worth 70 the metropolitan
| Museum of Art. The foundation OF this
collection was gathered IN France and Italy
| by Mrs. Astor herself. between the years
| Of 1915 and 1855. 1t was the especial fascf-
| nation of her whole life to hunt here and
| there in obscure stores and bric-a-brac
shops on the continent for specimens OF
| the finest lace work ever known to have
| been manufactured. She could never resist
| buying when satisfied that it was the real
| thing. Mrs. Astor's flchus and lace hand
kerchiefs became famous She had a won
| de.ful dress of lace. for which she paid
| $4,000. In this respect, however, she has
$4,000 dress is gensrall.- considered the
| creme de la creme about Newport.
A fashionable New York modiste here for
| the summer remarked yesterday that
| among the cottagers this season five hum
dred dollar fichus, two hundred dollar
handkerchiefs and thousand dollar over
| dresses are mere bagatelles. 1t is said by
| the same authority that New York has
bought more laces during this last year
| than any other city in the world. At least
| a score of its fashion leaders are believed
worth to their collections while probably
| a hundred more bought $4,000 worth.
Thousands of Dollars.
| Mrs Herman Oelrichs has many tllous-
| ands Of dollars invested in the costly ma
| terial. She is one of those who have ex-
| :ensively increased her collection this past
! year. The dress Mrs. Oelrichs was mar
| ried in was of the finest and rarest lace,
| 6raped over satin, and Of such ancient
| style that the manufacture OF 1T has long
! since become a lost art. 1t cost $4,000, but
its like could not be purchased now for
$4,000. Miss Virginia Fair. her bright.
| winsome sister, who seems to be the reign
| ing belle Of Newport, is also quite rich
| in laces as in jewels.
| among society leaders here in Newport has
revealed some interesting facts. The valu-
| able laces social celebrities all about the
| world possess, including those once worn
by society and court favorites now dead,
| give evidence that there are vast fortunes
| in laces as we'll as in gems. 1t is also plain
| to see that while the recent masculine style
| of dress put the platted-thread material
| somewhat out of use, a decided return to
| the old love in evening and house dresses
| If not so much in street costumes, has re-
|
| swell seashore.
Mrs. John Jacob Astor and Mrs. A. T.
| Stewart were considered the most thorough
connoisseurs Of real laces in the United
| States. Mrs. Stewart could tell 1t at sight
without even touching it. She had an i'm
| mensely valuable collection, which was
| given to her niece.
| The Stewart Collection,
One of the Stewart lace treasures, now In
the niece's possession is a lappet of fine
| Brussels point d'Angleterre in Louis XIV
style. The flowers and leaves on 1t are
| worked in all their natural colors upon a
sort of quatrefoil diapered ground. It was
| made with the intention Of recalling the
| mayfower and perdrix grounds of Sevres
ard Dresden porcelains. 1t weighs over
eight pounds. and the only other specimen
| of the kind is on exhibition at the Kensins-
ton Museum, London. The latter piece Is
| however, not quite so large as fine. Mrs
| Stewart was for several years in negotia-
ton for this rare treasure. 1t was owned
| by an impecunious count. who finally parted
| with it for $4,000, a mere song to what its
present value Is.
Another treasure of the Stewart collec-
| ton is an almost exact copy of a bedspread
| made by special command of Napoleon l. on
the occasion Of his marriage with the
| Princess Marie Louise. For this copy Mr.
Stewart paid $4,000. AS seen today, it has
| the same zephyr-1ke. fine hexagonal
| ground profusely studded with medallions
| arc lilies. Mrs. Stewards 1aces cost in all
| about quarter of a million dollars. The
| curtains hung at the windows of her big,
! gloomy mansion cost $500 apiece. The col
| lection has since doubled its value, the
| present owner possessing all Of a half mill
| lion dollar fortune In real rare laces.
Shot for Being Out All Night.
| George Reed, painter, shot and killed
| his wife at St Louis yesterday as the re-