The San Francisco call., 1908-05-24


OF the subscribers to the opera season
which opened at Covent Garden in Lon
oon last week is like reading page
after page of -Burke's Peerage." The
king andsthe queen, the prince of Wales.
the princess royal and the duke of Fife
head the list, and their names are fol-
lowed by long list of names illus
trious in history and brilliant in So
ciety.
To read Immediately beneath these
that "Signora Tetrazzini's engagement
adds an additional interest to the sea-
son" shows that she has surely reached
the pinnacle of success. No opera
house in the world offers more mag
nihcent spectacle than does Covent Gar
den on these gala nights. The beauti-
ful women OF England show TO best
with priceless gems. the. strawberry
leaves" OF their coronets and tlaras
sparkling in the light; for be IL known
that good form tabooes the wearing of
l.ese except at court functions, ana
py those whose titles are to be round
IA the .Peerage' referred to.
At recent performances of Lucia
asm prevailed and Tetrazzini responded
TO curtain cali after curtain call. To
think that those OF us now away of
at TINS OIner SlQe OF the WOTlO Will
messed, first of all, just such scenes,
not so very long ago, in tnat new-old
fivoli, in San Francisco, and which,
by the way. was never quite approved
of by the old guard or first nlghters,
as being an Improvement on the dear
old standby across the way! A group
of Californians in Paris were talking
over Mr.. Krelings ideas (Which were
call received here the other. day. to
revive the traditions of that first most
wonderful opera house. which was alb
soiutely without rival in the world,
Iuctions and the cheapness OF prices
charged Why, we had heard La Bo-
neme," .Tosca," ''Zaza'S and 'Pagliacci."
actually, before Paris had. and several
years before, too.
Mary Garden. who made such a sue
cess in New York the past season, was
taken suddenly Ill and unable to make
her debut at the Paris Opera this week.
People are wondering if 1t was q case
of stage fright. Like oibyl Sanderson.
Miss Gardens first success was Won at
the Opera Comique, az, compa.r,astffyedy mp .,s ~ dy
Sibyl she. too. will not be satisfied
until she tries the larger stage. 1t
was the beginning of the end of Sibyl
Sanderson's artistic career. Her voice
wouId not Mi the immense building,
and she failed there, as in London at
Covent Garden. followed by nonsuccess
in New York, and a nome IN the Grand
opera house Mary Garden has more
ality, yet 1t is doubtful if she succeeds
from the singers standpoint.
For evening. and house wear the
''trouser skirt" is decidedly Fascinating.
II is not a divided skirt, but GER tain
fastenings of the skirt down from the
knee to the underskirt form gait
ers in a vague way in front but not
behind, where the train falls as usual.
An evening dress of this description
was shown to me the other day. 1 was
anxious to see if it was graceful to
sit down in. The model was seated,
and by. exercising care the skirt was
really Very graceful She was then re-
quested 10 lift up her skirt for walk
ing. This was far from easy, as these
skirts twist and twine in an impossi-
bic kind Of way, and 1t is a matter that
requires really serious study.
a feature of ali the big Gress making
establishments, 1 am always In doubt
if they are really alive or merely big
wax dolls, wound up, from the way
they glide over the polished floors and
twirl round before the groups or Gus
toners, always a smile on their faces,
and as fresh and spick and span as
though they had just stepped out of
box There were at least Is of these
gorgeous young persons at Paquins,
where / spent the afternoon recently,
and such pretty girls, their hair beau
tifully dressed, and nearly all had a
snood of green ribbon encircling the
ppns and curls. i saw some lovely
models of gowns, many pleated voile
skirts, with satin jackets to match, a
inch above the hem, all round the
skirt. the jackets cut away. rather long
behind, trimmed with large buttons
covered with the satin, and much trim
ming of embroidery in gay colors, the
sleeves, long andAfinished with a fall of
lace, or batfste ruff1es, right down over
the hand
Many smart coats of tulle. or rather
net. and of filet lace richly embroidered
in relief, are in colors to match the
skirt. A beautiful evening gown exhib-
tied tied, was was Of II green green gauze. heavily en-
satin. Made in empire style, very sim
ply, the embroidery and beautifully
hung skirt formed lines which draped
the ngure. and made one think of some
With all the smart dress makers the
lines" are considered and discussed
till one wonders If one is hearing of
washdeF gossip.
at shop in the Rue de la Paix 1
saw such chic gown of the popular
was of rye color tussor. the long tunic
OF flet of the same shade opened in
front. and was embroidered In very
large designs of flowers and leaves, and
" GS G0eC GU Will d DTOdQ DduQ Oh SdIln
the same shade. The fichu like bodice
was Of the embroidered filet.
Yet another was of hortensia blue
wolfe: the tunic, princess style. fell very
low over the long train, and had a
band of heavily embroidered filet
reaching about to the knee and was re-
peated on the sleeves. A great deal of
these heavy and large designs of en-
broideries are seen applied directly on
the materials instead OF as formely on
nets or tulle-
White lace waists have given way to
those dyed the same color as the gown
which is point for economical
women 10 note. The cleaning of the
white waists make a big hole in ones
income, they soil so quickly. and moth
ing is more lacking In style than a
soiled or mussed waist
The vests L have spoken of several
times, worn over q chemisette, are
great helps TO smart appearance
when one does not expect to remove