The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1904-07-31
Aaita Moore Examines Gowns, R~ummages Behind the
Sceass for the Secrets of Beautiful Effects
aad Describes Her Impressions.

Perish the thought tina I should bea'
Kifafy and his superb louisiana Pur
chase Spectacle any Ill will. but I 10 wisi
that the Western Dressmakers Conven
ton would get after them.
Please, dear Dressmakers' Convention
set a trap for the Kiralfy gowns and TIL.
Kiralfy actor ladies and cage them fol
your great fall show. The gowns are rea
Paris gowns. they have the makers nam,
on the neck and skirt bands; they are the
genuine stun: they are the real thing
silk. satin. velvet. chiffon, lace. gold and
oliver embroidery. jeweled and hand.
painted. Then the actor ladies' would
make such stunning models. for they veal
their clothes well. They are dreams-bott
the Kiralfy gowns and the models. 1,
doesn't make any difference what size the
gown is. they will wear 1t, and the gown
will look as II hey had been melted and
poured into ~it-honest, they do. I know,
for 1 was behind the scenes and watched
a slender 3+inch girl fill out a 4z-but I an
not going to tell how II IS d~one-because
that is a Kiralfy secret.
Believe me, 1t is the Dressmakers' Con-
vention that l am concerned about You
don't know how I have been worrying ever
since the opening Of the Worlds Fair and
the exhibit Of the gorgeous, dainty, ex-
quisite creations of the Partisan modiste
on the beautiful nfelike wax models.
When I have thought of What We Of the
wild. wild West had to compete with 1 have
been filled with the bitterness of despair.
Dear dictators Of fashion. II you can only
succeed in ~lassoing Kiralfy and his Lou
isiana'' outfit. they will run first on a
heavy track.
Whether o can lure them from the
glare of the iimelight and the applause OF
a madly enthusiastic audience at the
Odeon 1 know not. but you have had some
experience In lassoing and in tanning shy
models, and-and-What's that?-You can
manage the Dressmakers' Convention
without any eesistance?-Oh, very we'll
I know it IS none Of my business, but, just
the same. / think my idea about the XII
rally clothes show a very good one.
You see. I have just discovered the
glad rags" part Of Kiralfy's show. 1t is
awfully jolly to search behind the scenes,
down In the archives of the dressing
rooms. where the public Is allowed not,
and discover things. OF course. the pub
lie can see the things from across the
footlights. but then footlights nave such a
charitable way about them. Outlines they
cover a multitude Of shams. When you
turn you back o. their glimmer and get
on the other side and fnd the real thing,
you feel like preaching. You are quite
sure that nobody else really n truly
knows that the soft, shimmering gowns
the gold and the Jewels and the ermine-
lined robes are the real stun.
You who 81. on the front side of the
footlights and watch Kiralfy's wondrous
production OF Louisiana are enthralled
by the glimmer and the glitter. The whole
thing Is a confused mass of color and
form, IN amin tied kaleidoscope which
turns n flashes browns. grays. coppe
greens. reds, yellows, blues, pinks and
puppies and rainbow tints to the music
of the orchestra.
Here and there are bits of acting, as in
the death scene on the Mississippi River.
The steamboat companies sailing on the
Mississippi River should go and take les
sons Of the oartmen at Kiralfy's. for be it
known that De Soto dies from seasick-
ness, much to the joy and satisfaction of
Evil Spirit of the Mississippi the In
dian chief, but the audience becomes dig
zy. SO rapidly do the oarsmen pass the
scenery. 1t Is all very realistic, and De
Soto dies much more gracefully now than
he did at the first of the season. Nothing
like practice. you know.
Then the Spanish explorer does a gallant
bit of the heroic when he rescues the fair
Princess of the Mound Builders from a
huge green crocodile. The crocodile, after
he has been duly killed. crawls OFF the
stage and makes for to see"
Then. again, you are charmed with the
court of Napoleon. with all its splendor.
Perhaps the most strenuous bit of acting
in this scene Is done by the Empress
Now. you who have seen the perform