The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-02-27
HER POSTAGE sTAMP COSTUME.
Thirty Thousand stamps or Various Kinds
Uscd In Making II.

From the baltimore Sun.
~ used about 10000 cancelled postage stamps
in making my dress, and ] would not make an
other like 1t for $780," said Miss Antoinette
WarlitZ yesterday. She was the winner of the
first prize at the Harmonic masked ball.
The idea OF the postage stamp dress was sug-
gested to Miss Warlitz by a friend who had
seen one at n masked ball in Vienna. Miss
warlitz thought it worth repeating. and ap.
pealed to her friends for aid in collecting
stamps-stamps OF all countries-United States
ordinary stamps. revenue or special delivery,
Spanish. French. Swiss. Italian. Dutch. Ger
man, even Chincse-any old thing was accept
able. just SO 1t was u stamp. A few OF the 80.
600 were bought from stamp collectors. The
most valuable, SO far M face value goes, were
a lb.cent United States stamp and a 25-cent
Mexican one r:r but nrS some n",i q the the TO foreign stamps p
anything like thoir face value.
Five weeks were spent in stamp collecting
and three In making the dress, which consisted
OF a short. full skirt and round waist with long,
full sleeves. The foundation OF the dress was
not an inch of the muslin was left uncovered.
Tho skirt was cut by 9 circular pattern. and
S SItST II a wss i, ti II Seh asH df E1spy on se .hS t 9; #, Was r.,
sign was carried out accurately.
In the centre OF the front breadth was an
pended from tho talons was a globe made Of
very old two'cent blue revenue stamps. the
borders cut from Columbia stamps. On either
side the globs was an American flag, the
stripes of blue one-cent stamps and red two-cent
stamps; tho stars of the blue stamps.
Except whore II was taken up by the design
the skirt was striiped--lot up and down, but
around. II was finished at the bottom by a
border OF brown Columbian stamps. 100 in num-
Der. Above this were three rows OF the red two
cent stamps, then another row OF the Columbian,
thon more OF the red. and 30 on to the top.
Blue instead OF brown stamps were
used in one OF the rows; in another the large
green mednllions cut out of the stamped envel-
opcs, and In another Il series of stamps OF all
values, from l up to 10 cents.
The foreign stamps were pasted on the bodice
made up OF portraits OF Washington cut from
revenue stamps. The full sleeves were made OF
blue and red stamps and were finished at the
hand with a cuff Of foreign stamps.
The bodice was fastened In the back. and after
1t was on a strip OF stamps had to be pasted on
to hide the fastenings.
A large Leghorn hat covered entirely with
red and blue stamps was worn with the cos
tune, and "a pink mask, and q round fan GOV.
cred with the red stamps. was carried. Over
with the letters L. 8. NJ. in gilt on 1t.
The wearer of this unique costume Is a
daughter OF DIR. Gustav Warlitz OF 81 North
His6 street. Miss Warlitz has big brown eyes
and dark hair. but to complete her disguise she
wore a blond wig, and even her best friends
were amazed when she unmarked.
Miss Warlitz's mother and sister helped her
to make the dress. but the plan was kept a close
secret, and whenever visitors would come In
the dress would he hustled out OF sight. After
everything was finished II seemed as though the
trouble had been for nothing, for the paste used
had %stifiened the skirt so that It stood out like
a balloon. A kindly disposed rainy day took out
the supernuous stiffness, however, and reduced
the refractory gown to something like submis.
sion.