MISS COLONIA IN LONDON.

Evening Star, Issue 11725, 7 April 1902, Page 8

MISS COLONIA IN LONDON.

CONFIDENCES TO HER COUSINS ACROSS THE SEA. LONDON, February 21. Mr Dear Consirts,—Preparations for the Coronation are proceeding apace. The King visited Westminster Abbey last week to inspect the scheme of seating accommooot'on. His mantle is 'now being woven on (■''.•' looms of a Braintree firm, and the deli-':!- of the Peeresses' robes have been finally : :: led, to the relief of all those ladies fbr- {• rate enough to be privileged to witness t!ie i.rcat ceremony. THK KING'S CORONATION MANTLE, or pallium, will be of gorgeous cloth of ..'old. plain, but flashhur in the sunshine like molten gold. The embroidery on it will be ewuted in gold and silver thread, with correct lieraldic coloring, by the Royal School of Art. Needlework. Special gold' thread of purest metal is being used, and the mantle is so soft and pliant that it will fall into the most perfect folds and yet bear the rich ornamentation that will be put upon it The weaver is the craftsman who made the Princess of Wales's wedding dress. Her mantle will bo of the richest Boyd purple velvet, the pile of which is composed of many thousand thrown threads called organr.rne, each one composed*of ten threads of the finest filature. Tn every yard of this fabric these threads pass 2.200 times over grooved wires, and on each occasion are cut to produce the pile. The cronndwork forming the base of the pHe consists of many thousands of silk threads, tlrrongh which in the course of a yard the shuttle passes no less than 6.600 "times. The most skilled workman can make four vards of velvet in a week. The coloriiiu', which is also of Encash dyeinn- is of full and beautiful tone, which assumes all lovely effects of light and shade. Her iupc will bo of a beautnul white and silver brocade, an adaptation of a.n old English one. Another Royal order in the hands of the weavers is a long lengtn of heavy furniture brocade in shot peacock blue, as" a setting at Buckingham Palace- for some panels of antique Chinese embroi(l erics'. THE ROBES OF THE PEERESSES will be more elegant and less weighty than those originally desired, aud heirlooms in Il,p form of deep lace ruflies may soften the arms at the end of the short sleeves, and ifwel-i mav be displaved in all the splencuir of their scintillation. The miniature model exhibited at Norfolk House shows a. mantle with cape and train, bodice, and Kirtle <-t red velvet, edged with ermine, and a jnpe r.f white fabric, 'all wiih simple and graceful lim-s. the scalloped edsios and more compii,■;.ted features at first suggested having beau ■■!i.»!'-ihed. The bodice is simple, and geimy M-UD.'.ed so as to show the tij-ut-e, and the V-haptH» opening of the corsage can I.e. jilk-d in with lace', alfording a good setting :„■ livicres of diamonds. A narrow ime i.' .inline runs round the decollctage, and '.* i!.rvied round the shoulders. The sleeves ~. 'i.r i,i narrow bauds of red velvet ,tn- , iu/ted with jewelled embroidery), coming o-mv about a. couple of inches below the ~',',,'aldcrs. From the sleeves fall damtv V ;;> of white lace. The mantle of ermine "powdered according to the wearer's rank) .1-1.1 the train are suspended from the shouV«ieiv bv a. pair of jewelled clasps. The kirtle, i's cut awav sharply at the sides, tmishiriLT at the foot in an effective sweeping i-uivc. Scope is given for originality in ilie s-pravs of gold or silver embroidery, which, becrinninsj about the knee on either ?v : t> of the kirtle. are carried down to end in a, heraldic svmbol or other elaborate Jev;ce. These, embroideries will give work to the Roval School of Art Needlework and ii'-,.nv willing English fingers. The jupe.is like'that of "a Court dress, and formed of a deep flounce of creamy-tinted lace falling iiom the waist to the feet over shimmering "old tissue. Towards the bottom is worked a (iosi' f n in gold and silver bullion thread with glittering paillettes. On the- first model I "the coiffure showeii the hair somewhat fullr puffed on either side, while u firm, close coil is massed at the top_ of the head. The tiara is placed very far tu:--v. ard towards the brow, and there is tnen *puee for the coronet to rest over the twist of hair. The tiara on the model is very Lin-h in front, diminishing on the sides, and i)i°..eneral lines this will have to be the form of this ornament. Those ladies, there - lore, whose .tiara is a circlet mil find it neeessa,rv to have it rearranged. The tulle lappets or veil, will bo worn as before, lhe ri.-.,ni will be placed in front of the corone,. The coronets, of course, will be only put on when the Queen has been crowned by tho Archbishop of York, and this delicate operation will probablv need considerable lehearsul in order that it may be effected with neatness and despatch. It has been su"'-ested that peeresses should have mirrors orf "their fans, so that they may see their Irek hair is all light when the coronet was l,eeu [.laced in potion. A firm of jewelIns are attaching to the inside of the coronets made by them a couple of white si.k bands, by means of which the peeress may hold the'coronet in the form of a reticule dependent from her wrist as she enters ti.e ■Vbbcv. These Coronation costumes wilt be costlv as the robe-makers are celebrating ■i unique occasion by charging record prices. I hear that one furrier, recommended a.s being very reasonable, is charg- „,.• for the miniver cape and ermine Dor-,l-vs—that is for oulv tho fur on the robe—-j'V-5' The centre of the manufacture oi the crimson velvet, robes is at Sudbury, in Suffolk This little town, of some ti.IWJ inhabitants, was in former days the pim- ,• ~.|i of the industry, and the present r Vivalof its product ha* brought numbers „r old wavers back to their handhwnis, to uncover ihat, with a little use, dexterity !,as not departed from their long unpractised lingers. Both 'he Queen and tne Priuce.-s are •,i xious that all costumes for the Coronation should be of British material and British workmanship, and it was no doubt w ; th a view oi showing that British fabrics in quality, finish, and cheapness are equal to anything the world produces that Ijberiys organised the EXHIBITION OF ENGLISH SILKS, which is now attracting so much attention >ii Bond street. The silk, brocades, gausses, ciepea, and other lovely things fairly made mv mouth wafer, especially the Spitalfie'ds biocades made oa hand looms, just as tbey were by the Huguenots who settled at Spitalhvlds. Their flowered patterns were delicately colored, and the lustre of the silk and texture simply perfection. Then there were lovely gauzes of the finest substance, with hand-stencilUd designs, and the delicacy of a scheme of pink or mauve sweet peas in shaded clusters is simply indescribable. With the marked revival that there is of the Empire style in evening dress, these an: especially suitable, and in several variations of crepe dc chine the tinting is ino<t beautiful. Brocades, fine silks, "figured satins, and fabrics, introducing, like poplnus, the smallest admixture of wool, are to l>e secu in all hues and types of pattern. Only vegetable dyes are used, and the utmost taste is displayed sometimes in lhe production of delicate and harmonious color combinations appropriate to airv fabrics, and in other cases to the rich and striking eiTecU that distinguish brocades ami heavier materials. Examples of some new methods illustrate the renewed vitality of sdk manufacture in England. Among ihe«e is a brilliant and serviceable, tatin on a fine mohair foundation, and a material in which a fascinating effect is gained by printing the pattern on the warp and working the weft into the color. An admirable ft .-iture of the exhibition is formed bf (several evening gow.is and Court dresses of artistic design, otuarucnted with finelyworked embroidery, and hand-wronght or stencilled colm- work. There are also exc, Tent tapestries. Special interest nttache.-. In a peeress's. Coronation robe—the

o,!v fiill-M/o model anywhere to bo seen o'' "t!u- new design—with a petticoat of ivorv -atin, trimmed with Limerick law, ,i::d a bodice of the same lace Softly draped ov/ r white chiffon and satin. The Prin- ,•(.., of Wales, president of the Ladies' ■National Silk Association, accompanied by members of her Council, spent some time in the exhibition, and was much gra.tir-.'d by the sneosa of the revival of the silk industry m this country. Till-: LTNGrJITE OF AN AfOfDUCrTKSS.

If ! %«K an Anstriim iirvhduchosss, I tVmi tki* I should limit tlie diq>by of iny tiontsean to tb" fifty or so drea->-s which formed my modest outfit, and str-rald not

expose to the ga*e even of a sebit 2,900 IpriviJcged to obtain tickets of admission Ui toe palace) tho»e ntyhcr garments wliich are just now in London the subject of " great white sales." But the Archduchess Elizabeth' Marie, daughter of tli6 ill-fated Crown Prince of Austria, Mho wits married the other day m a replica of her mother's wedding dress toPrince Otto Windischgraetz, gave the inquisitive folks of Vienna a view of all her exquisite linen and lingerie, to whic' so much importance is attached fhroad. Four dozen of everything was the extent of. the order, and very beautiful indeed was the material and the art embroidery, representing the combined arms of the bride and bridegroom. The " couvrepiects" of soft down, quilted with white satin, nre encased in eove-rlets of finest 'awn cambric, with beautiful insertions of Brussels lace, and bordered with Brusselsedged frills, and in the middle they have the exquisitely-worked arms of the young couple, framed in the ermine cloak of oval ty, and surmounted by the T mperial crown. One-half of the bed-linen is trimmed with Brussels lace ; the other with the laces from the Bohemian mountain districts. The Princess's underlinen and petticoats are all embroidered by hand. The underlining is in sets—the same pattern, ;i flight of swallows, or deliciie sprays ol blossoms, or only dots in high relief, repeated in each garment. The. nightdresses ill' have collars, so high that it takes five long bows of pink or pale blue or white nbboi to fasten them. The fronts are worked with embroidery and insertion, and delicate, little puffs all the way down to the waist, and the sleeved likewise. The €xqmsite delicacy of material ind work reaches its' highest point in the ball chemise*, which go round the tody under lhe arms, and are only tied on to the shoulders with narrow satin ribbons tinderlied and tucked in when the ball dress has teen donned. These are so thin and nazy that the finest embroidery contrasts in nold white lines against the transparent background. In the body linen the marking consists of a monogram made of M and E, and surmounted by a tiny Imperial crown. The morning jackets are of eamVic the rateral disappearing under a watth of laoe frills and waterfalls, embroidery, and ribbon : flannel for chilly weather; and of silk, in pale blue, pink, and white, elaborately trimmed. The petticoats, with their huncheds of yards of Brussels lace, are of finest cambric, all leaving the foot. free, lhe presses of io«ewood, with stained -n indowpanes. and little nooks for bottles of perfume, are all lined in silk, and have costly lace falling over the shelves, and the linen is placed in packets of twelve and six, tied with pink and pale blue silk ribbon. OOBOEOUS STAGE GOWNS. Even the Coronation robes pa.? belore some of the splendid stage gowns which are now to be seen in the various theatres. Indeed, the frocks and frills are, :vs a rule, t ar better than the dramas, to which they shmila be the mere accessories. One of the most h»a-.rtifnl of these gowns is that worn by Miss Julia Neilson in the second act of the ' Eleel of Achilles,' *vhen she comes in from the Czar's reception. Tt is of palest pink satin, veiled with silken muslin, paler still, and richlv embroidered in a raised design of magnolia buis. The flowers round the hem are large, nd connected bv stems and foliage. The colors rhade from pale heliotrope flaming-rose, and are brightened bv pailettes n copper and gold. ' The stems and foliage are m reseda and willow-leaf green. From the garlands of large blooms round the skirt others rise of smaller flowers and buds, tapering towards the waist. The bodice is cut in a low V, and embroidered like the skirt. At one side are some folds of black tulle, and over each shoulder falls a flower in embroiderv, just touched with .dittering brtur/e and gold. The jewels consist of a large diamond star, worn at one side of the corsage, a large, fringed bodice ornament of diamonds, and a flat wreath of the same stones over the hair in floral desi<ni The trained skirt is frilled at and above the hem with silk, repeating many of the shades in the embroidery. In the brilliant scene in the gilded ball room of the Ministry- of Fine Arts in the •Country Girl' Miss Eldee appears in a, lovely Empire dress of vetry deep crinkled cold "gauze with lines from the low bodice to the hem of Greek design embroidery in pale green gold. The waist is indicated by the lines of the robe, but not defined. Bound the hem is a festooned wreath of roses of gold tissne in shades from copper to guinea gold. 'Die low bodice has a strap of these roses round one arm and over the shoulder, diamonds similarly arranged on the other, and from the rose shoulder two long ends of these bullion roses, falling down at the side. A long train is fastened from the back of the low bodice, and is en-tii-ely of gleaming, polished red copper sequins, bordered with miniver and lines with Dale gold satin. Miss Beryl Eaber is trnly magnificent in a robe of Venetian red satin, | elaborately wrought with gold over an underskirt of red shot with .gold. Her train from the shoulders is red crepe de soie, with a r;iised embroidery of gold-red roses, vbile at one side fall broad streamers of black satin and magenta velvet ribbon. The finest feature of ' Mademoiselle Mars ' i? undoubtedly its costumary. Mrs Langtry as the famous actress, wears in the garden scene of the second act a graceful gown of green velvet, the skirt falling in ff-ng, graceful lines from the short Empire waist. It is fastened down the front with strappings of the velvet, so arranged as to show an underdress of white mousseline de soie, and the edgea of the velvet where_ it touches the white silk are bordered with gold. There are also a quaint little shortwais+ed coat of fur, the famous muff to match, and a bonnet of green velvet and •Told, which tits closely like a cap at the back of the head ; but in front, where it is trimmed with folds of green tulle and edged with fur, it is turned back high, one long and pale-blue feather making a half-frame to the lace in a very becoming manner. In the third act, in her own boudoir, her classical costume has a skirt of white silk, bordered round the hem with an undulating line of silver and pale pink embroidery, with an Empire wTeath in deep pink raised silk embroidery between each undulation. The overdress is a pale pink silk gauze, short peplnm hanging loosely at the back and fiont from the low bodice, and finishing with points. The peplum is outlined with a bright band of silver. The sleeves are lines of satin down the aim, finished 'with an armlet of satin. Cameo ornaments in Wedgewood blue and white are fastened down the central line of white. One large Wedgewood cameo holds the soft drapery on the right shoulder. Of the costumes displayed by the costumier, Mrs Langtry assumed only one for a moment, a mantle of deep yellow velvet covering the dress to the hem. It has a deep border all round of rich raisod embroidery in gold, is spangled ill over with gold, and has a deep turneddown collar of gold embroidery. The liuing is of delicate pearl-grey satin. Mdlle Mars dims a turban of whrte tulle, with a bird of paradise at one side, its sweeping tawny ami gold plumage toning admirably wtili the cloak. In the bust act in Napoleon's cabinet Mrs Langtry wears a wonderful gown of white silk muslin embroidered close!v round the hem. and then tajKiring upwards in front with glittering polished and dull embroidery. The muslin is wronght all over with sprays of gold, and the bodice portion, rait low and falling with littl indication of waist line, is studded with diamonds. An Empire wreath of <n-een leaves, outlined with gold and flecked with gold, is worn over the hair, classically dressed, with a cluster of diamonds in the centre. There is an Empire belt, caught with a lurquoise and diamond chtsp. The sleeves nearly to the elbow are of suflcst white silk, gold gau/A*. and gold embroidery. The most majestic figure in 'Ulysses' is Miss Constance Collier as Athene, robed in flowing draperies of pure white, with a golden breastplate, a long crimson scarf falling from one shoulder, and a golden helmet, with a crimson plume. The dresses of the wanton handmaidens have rich tones of red, yellow, and bine, with gold embroderies. Miss Hanbury, as Penelope, wears, a wonderful rob© of wrung salk gauze, in a deep shade of orange, with an overdrapery of pure white, bordered with gold, and having gold embroderies scattered lightly over it Draped round her long, fair hair. Miss Hanbury wears a long, flowing veil of golden gausse. The loveliest costume of the play is that of Calypso (Miss Nancy I'ricoJ—a harmony in shunioeruie sea-i£reefl

and palest blue, with an underdresii of white silk gauze, embroidered round the hem with pale blue and slyer. Over tiiis is a loug, close- fitting tunic, glittering with closely-sewn moonlight blue sequins, and encircled at the waist with a girdle in the form of a pale gold serpent. Flowing sleeves of white silk gauze hang from the shoulders, • cut with square ends and bordered with embroidery in silks of many shades of sea-green and turqwriw blue. Round her auburn locks the goddess has a fillet of emerald-green velvet, starred with gold across the forehead, and arranged at tlic back to support die massive plaits coiled round her head. Two long ends of emerald-green velvet hang down in front, finished with gold ornaments.