Fashions that Must Not be Copied.

Otago Witness, Issue 2856, 9 December 1908, Page 73

Fashions that Must Not be Copied.

Both Queen Alexandra and the Princess of Wales dispose of dresses which they do not intend to wear again, by haying/them taken to pieces and the material distributed amongst members of their households. There is an inviolable rule, however, in Buckingham Palace and at Windsor that the recipient, of any royal finery is never, in any circumstances, to wear a gown in the form in which 4t is worn* by the Queen. Often her Majesty wears a dress only once, particularly " those in which she is seen at evening, courts,, after which the gowns are taken to pieces .and the parts distributed, with the exception of the valuable lace trimming, which' 1 is used over and over again. On the other hand, the Princess of Wales .does not hesitate to be seen in i.he same gown- many times, especially if it happens to suit her. The German Empress has the same rule regarding gowns worn on State and other important occasions as Queen Alexandra, and they are never sen again in the same form. ' Queen Ameiie of Portugal has long been known as one of the best-dressed queens in Europe. She seldom is 6een in any gown more th.an once, and is very generous in her disposal of old clothes amongst the less affluent ladies of her court. The Queen of Italy, on the other hand, is noted for the extreme plainness of her dress. She has one extravagance, however. She never wears a pair of evening shoes more than once. In this respect sh« is like the ex-Empress Eugenic, who used to give all her discarded slippers to ft -girls' orphanage in Paris.