Omaha daily bee., 1902-05-11

slippers. In the room next to this all nat
ural light was excluded, electricity shed a
rosy glow through pink-shaded globes and
a gorgeous display of evening gowns was
made, by the exceedingly handsome girls
especially hired for the occasion from the
chorus in a popular vaudeville show.
TabIeaux and Tea.
The women who came to see this exhibit
ton were thoroughly appreciative and en-
thusiastic and though it cost madam a
pretty penny her entertainment repaid her
in the orders she got. She was not, how-
ever, the only one who prohtably offered
the hospitality of her establishment to her
valuable patrons. Some weeks ago a far
sighted woman, who deals in tea gowns,
silk petticoats, $40 negligees, breakfast
Jackets and such CONNECTIONS of the rich
woman's wardrobe, gave a 8 o'clock tea.
Her rooms were packed with the flower OF
fashionable society; a famous stringed band
discoursed sweet music; agile maids served
faultless tea and every ten minutes the
green velvet portieres, dividing her first
drawing room from the second, were drawn
aside and disclosed the most artistic tab
leaux vivant, of pretty girls in chiffon and
Irish lace posing at a tea table; Of q belle
in hand embroidered lawn and real lace,
having her hair combed before a dressing
table, or a charming invalid swathed in
Liberty tissue and Venetian lace receiving
her family arrayed in fascinating and gor-
geous lounging robes. There were twelve
tableaux in all and on some Of them the
curtain had to be raised six and eight times
before the audience could be satisfied.
A Lecture on Dress.
There was still another dressmaker, who
came up-to-date with tea and music and
a lecture. 1t was a talk on dress, given
by madam herself in a flowing and agree
able style. She appeared before her audi
ence in a wonderful panne gown and told
them, with an accompaniment Of humor
and anecdote, of the real facts In the fash
ions. When she would arrive at a good
point on lace, a pretty model would appear
in a gown that emphasized her remarks, and
when the use of lace had been illustrated
in would walk a sweet creature In a spring
calling gown and all the invaluable infor-
nation on undersleeves, stocks, cores,
length of train, ETC., would become as
luminous as possible. It was this contou-
riere who temporarily got ahead of her
rivals this spring by first sending home
completed wedding gowns in sumptuous
boxes Of light wood, enameled white out
side and with the owners initials in raised
silver letters on the lid. Inside the we'd
ding gown box is tufted in white satin
and it is fastened with two silvered locks
and straps of white leather.
The idea Is that every woman Of senti-
ment desires to keep her wedding gown
intact and that this box is the proper
luxurious receptacle for its preservation.
The wedding gown box sprang into instant
favor and has been supplemented by the
photographed likeness Of the gown itself.
When the price Of any costume reaches
into the hundreds of dollars the purchaser
finds, on receiving the complete toilet, a
big envelope containing an excellent photo
graph of her purchase. The fine robe Is
draped with artful care on a wax-faced
lay figure, or upon a pretty model, and
the result is that many rich women have
begun to collect albums Of their dresses,
carriage cloaks, hats, etc., to hand down
to interested posterity.