THE PRINCE IN PARIS.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 March 1924, Page 3

THE PRINCE IN PARIS.

(Aiulree Viollis in “Daily .Mail.”) PARTS January 14. The Prince of Wales—or rather the Earl of Chester—has just left us. It was his first visit to Baris since 1918. "If this young man comes back to iis from time to time,” an old Parisian told me in an oracular tone, “believe me, lie will soon be as popular as his grandfather, who was the undisputed king of the boulevard. And qui suin' lie .may bring hack here tlie sense of real elegance which has so sadl deteriorated.” It is a fact; the Prince has not only won all hearts in Paris hy his simplicity, lii.s ready smiles, his keen interest in French ways and life—his gentillesso, in a word—but lie has also conquered the freaky masculine fashion.

One example :For Ids strolls and shopping in Paris, his smart, slender figure well set in an iron grey overcoat. lie wore, framing his young, fresli-complexinncd lace, a howler hat slightly tilted towards the hack. The result was swift as lightning; in the windows of chic hat makers howlers sat at once in glorious state, sending to darkness and disgrace the big cowboy felt hats, proud favourites of the dev before.

Such is the popular verdict. But what about the opinion of our supreme arbiter ologantiarum. Al. Andre de Fouquiores r “I -aw the Prince of Males at the British Embassy dinner,'’ our modern Beau Briiiniiiel said to me. “and he struck me not only by his youthful appearance- lie has not changed in any way since I met him on his visit to the Chateau de Dampierre a few years ago-but also his elegance, which is all simplicity and native ease. Nothing studied or effected, an elegance both unpretending and refined, just what it ought to be, e'est ea' Anyone seeing him without knowing he was the Prince of Wales, would think at once: 'This is a well-dressed mail, a real gentleman.'

••Wluit a contrast with the exaggerations ami eecentl'ieities of snobs

or parvenus who. at any price, want to be noticed. And what a lesson 1 Real, inborn elegance lias to find a Inippy medium between the two extremes. The Prince ol Wales Inis discovered this quite naturally, lie is alwaysy dressed to the oeeasiott, impeccably well diessed and acts as if lie was not aware of il and did not care about it.

-•For instance, at this Embassy dinner. over bis black dress coat and while waistcoat, irreproachably cut, be wore the Grand t oi'don ot the Legion of Honour with perfect, ease am!

You know v.hnt *1 is liku*

wide red ribbon which crosses the chest ami is knotted in a lossy bow low down on the hip. Not at till easy to wear! Eh Lieu, the ribbon looked as if he bad been born with it. That, is real elegance!”

Allow;! The prince of dandies pays the most Haltering homage to that other Prince who is now known, in France its in England, as the “Prince Clinrniant.”

It. is well that he should thus be supreme dictator of our fashions; hilt that lie should, like his grandfather, in spile of passing interests and political jot nones, make liimsell and. through bin.,''England, loved—that is hotter still. „„