THE CZARINA'S WARDROBE

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 81, 1 May 1909, Page 5

THE CZARINA'S WARDROBE

According to a writer in the Girl'* Own Paper, the Czarina takes no intereat whatever in her clothes, and, though her costumes are, of course, well made and of expensivu materials, they never have anything remarkably distinctive about them, for the very' reason that she cares so little about the, matter. She dues much of her shopping in Paris, but she does it by proxy. Each season one Of the ladies in waiting is commissioned to' buy in Paris her gowns and her hats and all the other little details appropriate for the wardrobe of an Empress, but many times when they reach the Czarina she discards them with the expression: "Indeed, that is perfectly lovely and very Frencby, but it would never do for me at all." For ovcrv-dav wear her gowns an; all of th e plainest, but, of course, there are occasions when she must wear regal robes. Her court costume is a magnificent creation of the richest satin, elaborately trimmed with heavy embroidery. .Masses of the embroidery are used, while the corsage is laden with jewelled trimming. The buttons which trim this court costume are each one of them worth a small fortune. They consist of a large pearl in a _wonderfully artistic setting. The Czarina's pearls, which she wears with this costume, are famous the world owr. Sometimes she wears drop earrings of matched pearls, which are wrv valuable. and her and necklace and corsage ornaments, also of pearls, are almost priceless. The Czarina is always glad when the time comes for her to tnk,, off her court costumes: the Ion" heavy train is a burden to her. She always prefers 'gowns that are light in weight. Many of her dresses are of the lingerie order, consisting of lace and hue cambric. Yet, on th e other hand, She-has many house gown 6 and cloaks Of velvet, trimmed with rare laces Perhaps, of all her jewels, she prefers a long string of wonderful pearls, which she wears very often. The string is so long that she can wear it twice round her neck and yet have the longest loop to the waistline, and is finished with one single pear-shaped pearl of enormous value.