The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-01-25
WEARS QUEENS DRESSES.
CHICAGO GIRLS WARDROBE OF
 ROYAL CAsT0FFS.

she's Not she Only Woman Who He the same Faney-Rsady Market AL ways for the Second Hand Lingerie of PrIncess-corset and Garter Co.'s Isctors.
 At cost of one thousand dollars a young woman in Chicago has been fitted out with coming out gown and out fit consisting entirely Of the cast-off clothing of royalty.
 From her head to her feet she is at tired in clothing that queens have worn. She is not the only one with a desire to appear attired in clothes that queens have worn. So great is the demand that certain agents. especially in England. make a business of supplying it, and most of their trade is in America.
 The father of this Chicago girl either conceived the idea Of an entire royal outfit or else he ably seconded his daughter in her demands. He gave the order to the English woman who acted as the agent.
 The shoes were white satin, beautiful
 
 seed pearls. They cost one hundred and ten dollars. The stockings cost twenty five dollars. the gloves fifteen dollars, the lingerie, of the finest lawn trimmed with lace one hundred and seventy five dollars, corset fifty dollars, two under skirts of silk and lace two hundred dol lars, and the dress five hundred dollars. The father had given the agent unlim- ited authority and unlimited money. He expressed himself well satisfied at being able to secure the outfit at the price
 Stockings and garters of royalty are in good demand. One of the English women who make business of collect ing and selling the cast-off clothing said.
 I have a good many agents, who pur- chase for me all the articles of clothing belonging to royalty and other celebra- ted persons which come into the mar ket. I obtain great deal of stock from the Continent, and always dispose of it at good profit to persons who buy or collect such things.
 q have client in the Midlands from whom I have standing commission to obtain for her cast-off shoes and cor- sets and those of modern make which have been worn by royal or celebrated personages.
 She has one of the finest collections of old corsets in Europe, though it is probably exeelled as regards variety by that of an American woman who is also a customer of mine. In it are examples once worn by our own princesses; an exquisite Viennese corset of the late Empress of Austria, measuring, al- though stretched by wear, barely six teen inches in the waist; one belonging to the little Queen of Holland; one of the Queen of Italy (white satin, orna- mented with beautiful lace, and made by a famous Parisian corsetiere). and short pair in silk coutil, once worn by the Empress of Russia.
 Of the corsets of celebrities she has not a few examples. A leather corset of Ghariotte Corday is notable exam rie; one of Marie Antoinette-a mass of whalebone and steel, with a waist meas urement of about seventeen and one half inches; one of silk brocade, belong ing to a famous opera dancer of the eos, whose name forgot for the mo- ment, was originally sewn with jewels, and was told cost S1,250; and a corset ascribed to Catherine de Medici, but probably belonging to one of her court ladies, is strengthened by positive net work Of steel. and must have been a torture to wear. They did lace tight in those days, if you like, the waist of this corset being less than fourteen inches. "Of the numerous pairs of shoes in my clients collection none are more valued than a pair once worn by Queen victo- ria when a girl. There is also a single < shoe belonging to ill-fated Mary Queen of Scots in rough surface leather which must have originally been scar let.
 "A shoe belonging to the Empress Flu genie, picked up in the Tuileries after her flight from Paris, is of black glace kid with beautiful gold and paste buckle, and working in gold thread on the toes. One of Mime. Rachels shoes is also in the collection, the size ot which shows that the famous beauty did not possess elegant feet. A pair o1 white satin slippers belonging to Mime de Pompadour are also of considerable size and much worn, though probably by some one else than their origina owner. Many of these items are prop erly authenticated, as is also pair be- longing to Booth, the famous actor, one shoe of Washington, and pair once worn by Garrick
 But other garments are also collected by several of my clients A favorite article is the garter. Of these one wo- man has fine collection. In it are beautiful pair belonging to the late Queen of Italy; pair of the Queen oi Hollands; ribbon garter said to have belonged to Nell Gwynne; pair of the Queen of Servias with notices; a sin gle garter once belonging to a Georgian Princess of Wales: pair which onct were worn by Taglioni; a pair of blue silk ones once belonging to Spanish royalty, almost sufficiently large to gc araound 8 slender woman's waist: anc dainty pair given by a European prince to a Spanish dancing girl well known in Paris few years ago.
 'The stockings of royalty also are ir RRHE