The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1901-06-26

Three grand danes have furnished
| the cue a la mode for the last half
century, or since 1860. Queen Alexan-
dra, Nine. de Metternich and Sarah
Bernhardt are the trio. The queen is
a positive beauty, but the other two
are possessed only of negative good
| looks. In fact Nine. de Metternich,
whose influence upon the fashions has
been perhaps the strongest, is posi-
lively homely, few women being more
so her ugliness is unique, but rem
dered fascinating by certain charm
of manner
II was Queen Alexandra-then the
Princess of Wales-who made black
very chic; before her time it was dedi-
Gated to the bourgeoise. The wearing
of this dismal hue belongs only to
modern times; who ever heard of n
Greek. or an Oriental. or an Egyptian
In black. The only woman who can
wear black to advantage is the one
who has black eyes. black hair and is
fat, is the dictum of the disciples of
Edmund Russell.
The young Queen OF Holland is
making white the fashionable color for
gowns throughout aristocratc circles
in Holland. She has always preferred
white, and her trousseaus contain
white dresses of every kind of ma
terial-silk, velvet. wool-both for
morning and evening wear. On the
morning of her marriage Queen W!l-
helmina appeared at breakfac- with
| er mothe. in lovely gown of white
tloth, embroidered in white wool. Her
Wedding gown was cloth of silver and
very magnificent was the white velvet
dress she wore when making her pub
lie entry into Amsterdam. IL was
trimmed with sable, with an ermine
mantle.
Because she embroideed tunic so
beautifully for the viceroy, the pres
ent Dowager Empress of China was al
lowed to learn to read She was
slave and 12 years old, when she ex-
ecuted this really wonderful piece of
work, and when asked to name her re-
ward she said there was nothing which
would suit her better than to learn to
read.
and short sleeves in China. When
western women visit China two feat
ures of their dress are great shock
to the Oriental woman-the decollette
of the erening bodice, and the fact
that no trousers are worn. If bloom
ers or knickerbockers were worn, COW
ering the leg to the ankle Chinese
women would regard them vast i'm
provement on the present style of west
,rn dress.
Such hue and cry is raised about
the extravaganza of women of the
present day, but it is nothing COM
pared TO that of centuries ago. Marie
de Medici had a gown embroidered
with $4,000 pearls and 300 diamonds,
and Nine. de Montespan wore at a
court festival "a gown of gold on gold,
and over that gold frieze stitched with
a certain gold which makes the most
divine stuff that has ever been imag-
ined."
Even in ancient times extravaganza
in dress was not uncommon. Sarah,
pieces of silver for veil-to be sure,
the silver was a gift, and for that
purpose, that she might buy a cover
ing suitable to person of her rank.
Sarah doubtless wore this valuable gift
as symbol of modesty. Hermione.
daughter of Helen, when she leart ed
that her mother had been carried off
by Paris, tore in pieces her veil that
was interviewer with gold. All Grecian
ladies wore muslin wells interviewer
with gold thread, while servants were
not allowed anything but plain ones.
In Lacedemonia married women only
are allowed the privilege of wearing
wells. Young women ought to show
themselves, said Charcian, in order
that they might get husbands, and the
married women should go veiled, to
keep theirs.-Chicago Record-Herald