GREAT WARDROBES.

Otago Witness, Issue 1862, 29 July 1887, Page 30

GREAT WARDROBES.

A collection of clothing extensive enough to fill a catalogue has lately been sold by auction at the Hotel dcs Ventes, in Paris. Seventy dresses and costumes were there, 15 mantles and 10 muffs ; dressing-gowns, paletots, pelerines, jackets, riding-habits and peignoirs in quantities innumerable, but all of the most expensive description, and all meant for the use of one mortal body, now mortal no more. Over 40 umbrellas, parasols, canes and whips ; 275 pocket-handker-chiefs, 70 petticoats, 165 pairs of stockings, 24 corsets, 40 pairs of garters, over 150 chemises in silk or fine linen ; all these did Madame Needham die possessed of, and, even under the disadvantage of the auctioneer's hammer, the total amount realised for them amounted to over 160,000f .

Under some circumstances the storing up of raiment has been not only excusable, but necessary. Fabrics represented wealth when weaving was a slow and toilsome operation. We get our word robbery from the fact that thieves stole robes as their most valuable and portable booty. The gift of wearing apparel was. a costly compliment, a custom that could only be indulged in by the rich, and we know that in sinning for the sake of changes in raiment, Gehazi did not run so much risk for a trifling stake. Still in Eastern countries is the practice kept up of offering honoured guests more or fewer dresses, as their rank would require to be recognised by. The Wealth Which Raiment Denoted has to be borne in mind when we estimate the luxury and -splendour affected by the Emperors of Rome, as when Heliogabaius is recorded never to have put on any garment a second time, no matter how costly it might be; or when it is told by Horace how Lucullus being asked' for the loan of 100

ess

suits to set out a stage play, pretended • doubt whether he had so many m posses^ but ultimately sent word that he founfl^ 5000 in his wardrobe, to the whole or part cf which the borrowers were welcow There is no excuse left for this ostentafe in these days of unlimited supply. *% stuffs were still valuable by reason of tls scarcity, English monarchs laid by gjj stores of cloths of all kinds, from cloths „ gold and silver to homely frieze. To tk day we have Wardrobe Court in Doctcj, Commons and the Church of St. Anik Wardrobe hard by, to remind us of b ancient depository for royal apparel & state furniture, and wardrobe officials have place in the royal household. Inyj tones of the purchases for the wardrobe ad deliveries from it make very pleasant, i rather monotonous reading, and the vefoj upon velvet, tissues, cloths of bandkin, ail many other forgotten materials, sefm t j light up the dry old documents. Elizabef-I and her dresses, of course, are recalled^ this subject, and we wonder once morei her great gathering of apparel : 99 offici, costumes, 102 French gowns, 100 robes %via trains and 67 without, 126 ■> •• antic " ft quaintly-fashioned dresses, 136 bodices, 1* tunics, 96 mantles, 27 fans ; not fewer thj 3000 articles of various kinds, when all caij, to be counted up and catalogued. It j remarkable that she owned only nine p^ of shoes with all this great array.

A still greater number of garments % left by Elizabeth of Eussia, no fewer that 8700 articles having been enumerated at tg death. But to both the queens must allot, ance be made for the necessary pompa^ display of their station in the days atj times in which they lived. There waj similar occasion for glitter and magnificent in the court of the first Napoleon. It an expensive privilege for a lady to be it. vited to Compiegne or Fontainebleau. j. was expected that she should change h5h 5 dress three or four times each day and thai she should not wear the same dress twice, " Your costume is elegant indeed, madam,' remarked the Emperor to a lady who broke this latter rule, " 1 remember to have seen it before." The outlay required for these visits was estimated at not less than 12,000f fe each guest.

With all the necessity for making the ne» court glittering and rich in the eyes of tfo people, something of the blame for this ci travagance attached to Josephine, who hac a passion for dress. Her allowance for thi purpose was 600,000fr per annum, but even year this was exceeded, and her debts ij. creased to an incredible degree. She changed her linen three times every day, and wculi wear none but new stockings. She mad; daily purchases of what she would wear, anc the most trifling. occasion was excuse suffi cient for ordering a new and elaborate costume. Amid all this glitter, the Empera went dressed more plainly than anybody about him. As he remarked on the eve c! his coronation to Madame do Kemusat, "It is not everyone who can afford to be plainly dressed," It is Tl/e Magpie Passion of Hoarding up Articles of Apparel which can never be worn out, or be worn more than one at a time, wbich is so hart to understand. If it is a hobby for collecting one particular kind, in' all the varieties that can be met with, there is at least i reasonable motive. Miss Minnie Palmer, fa instance, is reputed to have a weakness k silk stockings, and to have gathered over 20 pairs, ornamented with most wonderful clocks, some worth 20gs a pair.

The late Duke of Wellington had 107 pain of boots and shoes in his wardrobe whet he died. The motive here is intelligible, but when we read of the famous Count of Bruhl owning 300 suits of clothtJ, with 300 wigs to match, and an equal nun ber of walking sticks, snuff boxes, and hat« it is not easy to understand how a person, presumably sane, could find pleasure in sucl pursuits. The Princess Metternich left 1?" silk dresses, 194 morning gowns, 60 walkic; dresses, 60 cloaks, 50 shawls, 152 petticoat;, 280 chemises and other underwear, 3(55 pair; of stockings, 156 pairs of gloves, 50 pairs ri boots and shoes, 70 belts end sashes, Clj brooches, 72 pairs of earrings, 31 fans, 2', parasols, and veils and bonnets too numero-j| to mention. But she might have pleadti that she was a recognised leader of fashion, and so might Brummell when he had hnt dreds of cravats to choose from, and woul'i often try dozens before getting one in what he considered perfect folds. " These an our failures," said his valet one day, pointing to a heap of crumpled nect cloths.

A more remarkable sale than that <s Madame Needham's was held in Leiccstej square when ! The Effects of the Duchess of Someriti were put up to be bid for. There were 1$ lots offered, and among them 500 laced d other handkerchiefs, 2000 pairs of gloves, $ Indian and other shawls, (300 pairs of s3 stockings, and dresses of all sorts arij descriptions of 40 years' fashions. It rather a pitiful spectacle, too, for the owns of these things had for SO years before hi', death lpd the life of a recluse, shutting beself up in her house, and yet orderic? regularly from her milline&ai each chan? of season the dresses she would havefffl 5 if she had been mixing in society. Eva) three months she would be dressed in Con.'' costume, as if going to a reception, and wall in it up and down her own rooms, much »j the widow of Maximilian of Mexico won* celebrate the anniversaries of her murders husband's drawing room days by arrayfe' herself in her best, and preparing for & courtiers who would never more come to p>J him reverence. The First Gentleman of Europe-

Perhaps the most extensive sale of clotbitf ever held was that which disposed of wardrobe of George IV after his aW With no care as to cost, his purchases » dress were most profuse, and, as he g ß^ nothing away but his body-linen, which distributed every year, there was an mulatton sufficient to occupy an auctioD^ for a fortnight, and to realise over £15,00<--Grevillesays that the King's memory 11 * so particular that 113 knew and could nas any article of clothing he possessed, s matter how old, and would often em^' 1 ?" his.pagos by inquiring for some coat orotn garment of days long-gone by. There brought to sale every coat he had had w-

years before. There were a dozen pairs of corduroy breeches which he had had made to hunt in ; splendid furs, uniforms, pelisses, breeches, costumes, orders in wonderful variety ; boots and shoes of every kind, which were sold at 5s a pair all round ; handkerchiefs which fetched a guinea each ; stockings without number; canes in equal profusion ; 300 whips and 500 pocket-books. Among his effects were found, too, all sorts of trinkets that had been given, and old gloves and locks of Hair, which xepresdnted hpnejuests at balls' and, a^seirjblies: .Something like £10,000 was found ih cash in, odd places, in boxes' or pocket books. And t-here was, moreover; a whole cellar full ,of his kvourite snuff—no les^ than lGcwt— and this was sold by private treaty for £400.