SOME NOTES ABOUT ASCOT.

Otago Witness, Issue 2373, 24 August 1899, Page 53

SOME NOTES ABOUT ASCOT.

LONDON, July 1. Dear Emmeline, — It will be safe, I suppose, to take it for granted that everyone knows the four days of the Ascot raeeß form one of the principal functions of each London season as it conies round. On these days the •xtremely smart and moneyed people of the population feel bound to present themselves, j once at any rate, if not twice, three times, or the whole four. The majority who go do not care a pin for the actual races, but they go for the sake of meeting acquaintances and with the object of seeing the "beauty show" which the whole scene constitutes. It is perhaps more particularly on Cup Day, when most people assemble, that about nine tenths of the whole have their attention completely absorbed in admiring each other's dresses. This year admirable taste l.as been the characteristic of most of the ladies' dresses ; eyesores were very few and far between — a somewhat rare state of things at such a monster assemblage. One of the first essentials to a successful Ascot is fine, bright, warm weather, "Well, | this year that condition was a very weak j point on the first two days, for they were extremely chilly and dull, and the attendance was far from 1>- ng up to the average. There was a variety of materials displayed Ly the ]fnli(>«: the most sensible were those wh<" were fkeir warmest garments, and even in one or xm o .-iistances iurs were to the front again. There wtro other womenkind wh:i hoped that the dull early mornings would herai.'l warm afternoons, and these donned their muslin and other thin dresses, with the result that they looked blue and pinched with cold, and altogether unseasonable. Warm cloaks wore by far the most sensible garments for the firti two days. The third and fourth days, howover, were just the reverse, and the occne wai a vary gay and summeiy one under the bugbt blue sky and genial sunshine, which ft limes was rather 100 assertive. It is not possible, of course, thai I can even touch upon tho names of all who were there or give details of their dresse3, l>ut I purpose, as usual, to select some of London's foremost society women and give a short eccount of the dresses they wore. It w.s f(.vtwnate that the most important day of the series, the Cup Day, was the finest of all, as on that day the assemblage was the largest of j the four days. This year the Princess of "Wales was absent from Ascot, but the Prince was there, and took as keen an interest in the races as usual. Other roombers of the Royal Family included the Duke and Duchess of York, Prince and Princess Christian, the Duchess of Connaught, and one of her daughters, and (he Duke of Cambridge. On Cup Day the Duchess of York was most becomingly drereed in a gown of very pale blue, and a toque of the same colour trimmed with black and white feathers ; one of her other dresses was pale pink, and it being one of the chilly days of the series, she wore a smart little shoulder cape lined ■with pink, and a toque of the same colour with white ostrich feathers. In each of these costumes she was greatly admired, and it is astonishing, at a first glance, what a striking resemblance" she bears to her popoular mothei-in-law, the Princess of Wales. This great similarity is brought about largely by both of them adopting the same style of hairdrossing, especially as regards the treatment .of the fringe part. One day the Princess Chrisliai) wore a light grey dress, white feather boa, and a toque with crimson and claret coloured feathers; on one of the wintry days she wore as a wrap a very long cloak of bronze-brown silk. The Royal parly always lunch together at the back of the Royal Kn- . closure, and other swell people entertain par_iies of friends at the same meal in another • part. Perhaps it would be as well to mention here that in the Royal Enclosure there are two stands, ono being for the use of tickocholders and the other one for Royalty and anyone they may choose to entertain, as well as a box leserved for the Master of the Buckhounds, his family, and friends. Outside the sacred limits of the enclosure there is a grand stand for the general public. To get an order for enclosure tickets it is necessary to apply to tho Master of the Buckhounds, and now, for the first time, the price for these tickets has risen from one guinea to two guineas each. Also this year, for the first time, it was made a rule that the holders of the vouchers must have their names written on in full to prevent any transference of the« 9 coveted tickets. Those "in the know" had had their names written out a day or so beforehand, but crowds of others were obliged to wait in a tail while their badges were made out and their names inscribed ; this caused no end of inconvenience and delay. Eratwhilc the chairs on the lawn could be reberved by people if they placed visiting cards on the number required, but now this privilege has been done away with, and the rule is "first come first served." Numbers of people arrived on the scene by conveyances of the Coaching Club or by others of the four-iu-hand description. In this way large parties put in an appearance at once. _ i Now for some of the dresses. Matena»most worn were fine cloths, voiles, foulard and chine silks, silk muslin and Indian muslin The latter, of cour3e, were only patronised to any extent and to any advantage on the last two days of the four. As a rule the siik musline were figured with dainty ancl •tasteful floral dosignes. The Duchcw of Marlborough is always well dressed, and today I have the pleasure of recording three of the latest additions to her wardrobe. On the first day she was one of the few who braved the wintry weather by donning a beautiful gown made of the finest and softest while lace, which had inserted bands of narrow blsw>k Bfttinj. her toqu* sag black and white,

while her white feather boa was flecked with black. Dress number two was a combination of green and mauve, and in it the wearer was seen to great advantage. Her third costume, for Cup Day. was of creamy lace made over satin of the game tone. Among all society butterflies it is perhaps ■ impossible to come across anyone who is j more handsomely and becomingly dressed i than Mrs George Keppel. One day she wora j turquoise blue, with a toque to match ; next day she again wpre blue, but of quite a different tone, and it hac dainty touches of cerise ' colour about it; on Cup Day her's was one of the most successful and most admired gowns in the enclosure. It was of mauve and green satin foulard and while lace ; the accompanying headgear was a large white hat trimmed with strawberries, cherries, and their blossoms. The Duchess of Portland had several beautiful gowii3, one being of black with a sash of lime green silk ; another day she wore white, a blue and white toque, anu a while feather boa ; a third costume, worn oa , the first day, was of black and white with a : sash of light blue chiffon. Her cape it \ white had trimmings of black, and she wore a large hat with black and white feathers. Her ' fa\oui»te rlottorfc, Malmaison carnations, were '• worn on osch of the three days. j Lady Londonderry, always much admired, i had one gown of delicate silver grey crepor. ! with insertions of white lace, while another i was of stone colour. Her lovely daughter, ; Lady Helen Stewart, on one occasion was ' dressed in light green satin foulard, with a ; large black picture hat. Miss Muriel Wileon, j one of the prettiest girls "out" just now, had a dress of sulphur-coloured muslin with a hat to match trimmed chiefly with black tips ; this was a very striking costume. Her sister, Mrs Menzies, another beauty of, the day, looked picturesque in a dreea of delicate mauve with a mauve hat tied undec the chin with mauve chiffon strings. This~was by far her most successful costume, another one !)•- ing a skirt of white gauze over white silk and a bodice of broche terra-cotta silk. A third costume was of pale yellow accompanieTl by a large black hat trimmed with feathers, and sleel buckles. Lady '"re we made her first appearance in public s.. re her marriage. On the first day, when she was fortunate in seeing her father's horse win the principal race of the day, she was gowned in a simple robe of white figured with tiny bunches of pink roses and a white toque with white feathers ; during a great part of the day her finery was concealed underneath a long cloak of light blue. ( n eof T.a'ly Kilmorey's gown? was o7 dark pervenche blue, trimmed with a lighter tone uni, niie v.uri' a hat en miiu> ; another was of pale turquoise blue, trimmed with a darker shad© of blue velvet and a blue and whilo toque. On Cup Day a dress on which much attention was bestowed was the third worn, by Lady Kilmorey. This time it was of white muslin beautifully patterned with light bluu, while her large black hat was turned up at the back with pink loses, and in front with white ones. One of Lady Cynthia Graham's costumes was of pale grey with touches of rich orange, and she carried a bright orangecoloured sunshade. A second of her costumes was of black over white and s, hugo black hat trimmed with cherries Two pretty sisters were the Ladie? Muriol and Marjorie Erskine, and they both wore pale blue over white chiffon There were several other Duchesses and a great many ladies of title whom space will not allow of my mentioning. The stago, too, was represented well. One day Mr and Mrs George Wyndham were there, and Miss Mary Moore j was present on several days. Once she was dressed in pale ciearn with some lovely turj quoise ornaments. Princess Henry ofPless looked radiant in a gown of black gauze embroidered with black paillettes and a large black hat. In the stand reserved for the Master of the Buckhounds, Lady Coventry was surrounded by her family and relatives. Mobt assuredly one of the handsomest dresses was that chosen by Mrs Haynar Bass. It was cf whito silk with a beautifully embroidered overdrew of black net, patterned with raised velvet flowers, each one being outlined with jet. Her toque was of Bilver, black, and white.— Yours truly, ZEALIA.