WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 268, 3 April 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen"). HER MAJESTY'S DRESSES. THE ROBES AND WARDROBES OF THE QUEEN. Her Majesty's gowns and robes are kept in a large apartment at Buckingham Palace known as the robe-room, which adjoins the Queen's dressing-room in the personal apartments. The walls of the room are lined with solid mahogany wardrobes of varying sizes, each containing from four to eight or ten gowns. One set of wardrobes contains her Majesty's State gowns and robes, and another the Queen's ordinary drosses. The robe-room is in charge of a dressingmaid and two assistants, known as dressers. Overnight the dressing-maid is sent instructions by one of the Queen's ladies as to the dresses which her Majesty will require the following day. The instructions are written on a card, setting out the hour at-which each dress is to, be placed in her Majesty's dressing-room. Each dress in the, Royal wardrobes is, by the way, numbered, and in the in-1 structions the dresses required are referred. to by their numbers. Details of each gown, and the dates 1 when it was placed in the wardrobes, are entered up in a book, which is in charge of the dressiiig-inaid. When a dress is sent to the Royal dressing-room the words "in use" are written against it in pencil. A gown remains in the Royal wardrobes, as a. rule, for about six months, during which period tlie Queen would probably wear it about eighteen times. After that it is placed in a special wardrobe for dresses not in use. Once or twice a year all the gowns not in use are removed from the robe-room, on the Queen's instructions, and are disposed!of in various ways. Some gowns jire given to the robe-maid and her assistants, and others are sold, and the proceeds given to charity. As a r.ule, the Royal gowns are sold to a dress agency, and the transaction is conducted by the dressing-maid. A strict condition of the sale, however, is that the gowns mu'st not be sold in England. The sale is made subject to the condition that they must only be sold abroad. .Some sowns arc retained, of course, for a much longer period than others in the Royal wardrobes. For example, her Majesty might quite possibly retain some of her walking dresses er yachting costumes for a year or more, whilst an evening-gown of light delicate material might be put out of use after it has been worn half a dozen times. When Queen Mary desires to order a new gown, the proprietor or manager of the firm who is to receive her order is notified tint the Queen will call upon him at a specified time and date, when, of course, he n;u4 he prepared to receive Her Majesty in a private room. Possibly tye jiiight be requested to call at Buckingham Palace; but, as a general rule, Queen Mary, like Queen Alexandra, prefers to call on the modiste. The manager is also informed of the general style of gown the Queen wishes to order, so that lie may have some model gowns of the style required ready to exhibit to his Royal customer. The gowns are exhibited on a living model; and it may be noted that it is not etiquette for tile model to bow or courtesv on entering or leaving the. Royal presence. The Queen rarely or never orders an exact copy of a model gown. After having inspected a number of models, her Majesty may order two or three gowns, and her instructions how these are to be made up are taken down, usually by a shorthand writer, and sud.sequently read over to the Queen, to make certain that no mistake has been made regarding tile instructions. The gowns are ahyavs fitted on at Buckingham Palace, and as her Majesty desires if possible to have only one fitting, great care hag to be taken to avoid the necessity of having to make any alteration in a gown after the first fitting which would involve a second. °: It is understood among the ladies of Queen Mary's entourage that their mode of dressing must not follow too closely, or so closely as to be noticeable, that of her Majesty. This rule is more or less generally observed by all who come so- 1 eially in contact with her Majesty. When the Queen travels, the dresses she takes with her are packed in long robe-trunks by the dressing-maid and her assistants. A list of the dresses to be packed is given to the dressing-maid, and when the packing lias been completed the list is returned, signed by the maid, to one of the Queen's ladies. The dressing-maid and one of her assistants always travels with her Majesty. On her ordinary attire the Queen's expenditure is, comparatively speaking moderate. Many of the dresses in the Royal wardrobe, such as the Queen's walking or yachting costumes, do not cost more than six or seven guineas. There is one rule, howeyer, observed by the Queen in the matter of dress, and that is, never to have any imitation material of any sort used in the makin« even of the simplest gown. However plain and simple some of the Royal dresses may be, they are made of the best possible materials obtainable. Her Majesty has several almost priceless possessions in the way of trimming in the Royal wardrobes, which are kept there permanently, l<or example, some old Brussels lace and some Indian embroideries have adorned several of the Roval gowns. These trimmings are, of course, removed from a gown when it is put out of use. USEFUL RULES FOR WOMEN. SOME SENSIBLE ADVICE. The Women's Imperial Health Society has- issued, amongst others, a pamphlet addressed, to the "Girls of Great Britain," which would prove equally valuable to girls of New Zealand. It conbesides other sensible advice, the following rules: 1. The future of our countrv is in vonr hands. " J Look your best bv all means, but be ypur best also; the first attracts to begin with, but the. second produces the most lasting effect.

j :f. You must obey the laws of hygiene, J respecting fresh air, exercise, good food, j cleanliness and suitable clothing. A healthy girlhood is the best foundation for a happy life. 4. You must know about cooking, house-keeping and domestic economy. ;). You must learn about the feeding and cure of children. This knowledge ,i does not come by instinct, as many suppose. (i. Remember that home-making is the most dignified and important profession in the world. * 7. Attend, il you can, ''continuation classes" in personal and domestic hygiene in your own home, remembering that a good (laughter makes tho best I «"ife. ' !>. (Cfyoose the best companions, and, read the best books you ean find. 10. Accept, only the best men as your husbands, paying as much attention to their character as to their personal appearance. ITALIAN SOCIETY SCANDAL. A COUNTESS ARRESTED, j The Milan correspondent of the Daily _ Chronicle says:—A society scandal, |. wherein a beautiful young countess of B Irish origin plays the leading part, excited Hoiogna on January 17. Seven years ago, during a long sojourn in the ' British Isles, Count Rall'aele Vinci, who belongs to one of the most ancient and wealthy families of Ferrno, near Ans' conn, met a charming,-tall, blonde girl in e Dublin, whose father is an officer in the B British Army. Despite the opposition of B their respective families the youthful e cduple married, in consequence of which 1 step the count's father bequeathed the lion's share of his immense property to a nephew. The marriage turned out un- - happily through, incompatibility of tem- ; i per,.and the count became madly jealous - of the suspicious attentions which the i. bride's beauty attracted. A separation - followed, and tlie previous day the count r and countess arranged to discuss a finan-, Q cial settlement with lawyers at Bologna, e Shortly after midnight tlie most fashionf able hotel in that city was thrown into i a fever of excitement by the appearance 1 of a squad of police and carabiniers, who, :i guided by the suspicious count, proceeded s to an apartment on tlie first floor, which .- had been engaged about half an hour i. subsequent to the Countess Vinci's ar- - rival that evening Lieutenant Marsella; :1 the occupant-, and the countess were imt mediately arrested, and marched through e the streets of this old-world city in the 1, still hours of the morning and shut up u in the barracks. r A NOVEL WAGER, r p 'jfr. .lack London, the well-known r writer, who recently visited New Zealand, has entered into a wager with Mrs. Hilda t Gilbert, a young American actress, who r is endeavoring to get round the world,tor r nothing, living on Mie earning i that she 1 receives from dramatic and musical per- ( formances. It appears the trir> really g originated in a discussion at Mr. Lonthe journey round the world on his earnings en route. All seemed to be agreed j' that some men might do so., but that it would'be an impossible task for a woman. e Mrs. Gilbert, who is now in London, is s undertaking the journey alone, and ine tends to make her way by giving character sketches, in some of which a guitar e |.may be introduced, imitations of act- . resses, and negro dialect interludes, which j. she has performed from coast to. coast inj America. Mrs. Gilbert started with 200 <lol., and from Capetown the itinerary s is Kimberley and Johannesburg, followed by Zanzibar, if it is not too hof. iMt is, Mrs. Gilbert will double back to comr plete the European tour before visiting v Jsj ?. v pt n nd India, and while in the latter country she intends to study Hindu dances. From India the return journey! 0 lies via China and Japan, and the lady „ globe-trotter expects to reach there with-1 in two years. I t —— j v I