The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-19
READS LIKE ROMANCE.
now WORTH, THE DRESSMAKER,
MADE HIS MILLIONS.
A Gingie Cloak Of His Worth $1,000
He kept i.e0O Dress-
makers Busv.

| al T.
,rbis firm, was noted for silks, which were
uoven nv workmen I'm their own homes.
| There was al this time no house In Paris
which sold material and made It up as
well. and this combining OF the two
branches struck NJ. Worth as "A good idea,
ard no obtained permission from his
PRINCIPALS 10 try IT, This he did, begin
ming with cloaks. and train that he de-
| signed gained "A medal In 1870.
The firm refused to take him into part
! nership. although he had been the means
| OF introducing a profitable ana novel fea-
| ture into TIE lusiness, so he determined
IN start for himself. This he did at No Z
| Rue de La Paix. In 1898. lie began by
, EMPLOYING fifty hands. At the present
| time his establishment employs about
| 1 2Ja Dcrsons and turns cut between 600
| and 1000 dresses and between 5000 and
! 1900 cloaks a year. At the time worth
began business for himself the second
Empire was in the height of its pros
perity. The Empress Eugene. then In
the prime OF womanhood ana the full per-
lection of her Incompatible beauty, was
delighted with TIE dresses invented for
Ter, by the brilliant young ElisDshman,
] who knew so we'll how TO combine perfect
taste with striking originality.
THE FAMOUS CLOAK.
| Worth speedily became the dressmakei
| par excellence TO the imperial court us
reigning bellies. the Princesse de Meter
| nich. the Princesse Anna de Murat. the
| Comtesse de Brgode and countless oth-
| ers,, became his patrons. and sought not
! only his creations in the way or gowns
and wraps but his counsel as well IN all
matters connected with the toilet. III
was at one time he custom FOR the great
ladies of the day TO drive to MS establish
ment fun dressed for dinner party OF
a ball and to submit the fit and flow OF
their costumes to him for a final super
vision. At the first universal exhibition
in Paris, that of 1855, Worth appeared for
the first and only time as an exhibitor.
His contribution, a court mantle Ill
white silk entirely covered with elabo-
rate embroidery I'm gold thread. the artis-
tic pattern OF which was designed by
himself. carried off the first prize almost
without condensation. Stree then he has
cared nothing for such easily won
triumphs This splendid mantle, even IN
those days of comparatively low prices,
was valued at 5000. IL is still in exist
ence amongst the treasures OF the house.
At that period Worth originated a num-
Der OF STYLES that were destined 10 reNo-
lutioniZe the world of feminine dress.
Among these VAS the short -skirted walk
posed of the same material, "A fashion
which speedily became universal. The
first dress of this style was made Tor the
Empress Eugene. and was in gray SILK,
trimmed with black velvet ribbon. He
thus suppressed the trailing skirt Tor
street wear-a fashion at once unclean
and inconVencnt, and which unfortG-
nately threatens TO once more make It's
appearance. lie was not responsible Tor
the introduction of crinoline, That having
originated with the Empress Eugene.
But the wide cxpanse of ladies' skirt
afforded him great opportunity for the
exercise Of his talent I'm drapinS fine
laces and rich silks and velvets, and,
above all, in grouping and arranging
garnitures of artificial flowers, and he
utilized these opportunities TO the utmost.
Worth made dresses not only Tor the
royal ladies' OF T. rope but for the queens
of society both in Europe and the United
states. and for the queels OF the loot
lights as well His first royal customer
was Donna Maria da Gloria, then queen
OF Portugal. For years thereafter there
was scarcely a princess married I'm all
Europe-outside Of the ladies of the i'm
perial family of Germany, whose princi-
ples forbid them from ever ordering any
thing 10 be made in ParS-that did not
have A group OF Worth toilets included
I'm her rousseau. The Dcwager Empress
of Russia and the queens Of Italy and OF
Portugal became his constant customers.
A THEATER TO SHOW DRESSES.
one of the rooms in his beautiful home
at Suresnes has been fitted up as small
theatre, with tiny stage, and there Mes
danes Favart and Croizette ana others
of the great actresses of France came
10 20 through before him the new roles
that they were about TO create, so that
he might cesign for them dresses suited
10 the attitudes and the gestures re-
CURED by the characters they were TO i'm
personatc. The first TO consult him in
this way was the great Rachel when she !
was preparing 10 appear in the only |
modern society play in which she ever !
acted. Lady Tartuffe. The establishment
of the republic in France wrought no |
change in the prosperity or Worth's |
house There are always courts TO be |
adou cd ana queens and princcsses 10 De |
dressed Throughout the rest of Europe. |
Poor Madame Grevy, who carried her
reasant tastes into the Elysee never |
dreamed of such an extravaganza as
Worth toilet In all her life. but the wives
of all the other presidents Of France
Mines. Theirs, Macmahon. Carnot and
Casirnir-Perier and doubtless, Nine.
Faure slso-fave all been numbered
among Worth's patrons, or clients, as IL
became the fashion to style his Gus
toners
Worth was not only the head OF the vast
in the Rue de la PaiX' but
its soul and brain and sinews as well.
He created the pattern dresses, ordered
materials and trimmings 10 be manufac-
turcd very often from mis- own designs,
and superintended in person all the dell
cate finishing details Of toilet, such as
the shaping and trimming of corsage,
the tying of scarfs or of iIbbons and the
placing of artificial flowers On the skirt
He excelled in combining colors. sweep
ing aside piece after piece OF silk till the
exact union OF hues ttat vas at once the
most effective and the most artistic had
been reached He studied the portraits
OF beauties and celebrated female per-
sonages of by-gone ages TO CLEAN ideas
for new STYLES. as he observed the bl nd
nG OF colors i'm the plumage of birds. or
the petals of flowers, or the accidental
of the pale green of young
grass i'm the spring with the warm red
of the eerth in a freshly ploughed Il Id.
This last named union of tinsts furnished
him with an idea for q strikingly effec-
tive toilet.
DESCRIPTION or soYE COSTUMES
A few years ago he gave 10 the cor
respondent OF an American paper the
account OF some Of the notable
costumes which he had created:
THE celebrated dress In which the
Comtesse de Castiglione. on one occasion,
appeared at a fancy ball. and which was
said TO he so extremely indicate would