THE GREATMAN MILLINER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5256, 11 May 1895, Page 3

THE GREATMAN MILLINER.

AN ANECDOTAL SKETCH' OF HIS

CAREER,

[FBOM OUB SPECIAL COEBBSPONDENT.j London, March 15.

The famous man-milliner, Worth, who died cf the current epidemic on Monday last, at the age of oeventy, waa an undoubted genius, and in his own line quite unapproachable. Forty years ago he conquered Paris, and became the dictator of Fashion. Hia away was absolute wherever French dress waa worn. He made for all tho Courts of Europe, and for tho richest and most distingue' ot America's daughters. There are " Worth et Cie's " now all over the world, iu Bond Street and Boston, in Vienna, in New York, and possibly (for all I know) in Melbourne too. People who patronise these firms are mostly under the delusion that they aro " dreaaed by Worth," and unquestionably pay through the nose aa though they were. But really, as a recent law case established, tho " Worth et Cie's " of Bond ebreet and elsewhere have absolutely no connecbion with the famoua Paris atelier in tho Rue de la Paix. It waß nob an easy thing to be " dressed by Worth." Latterly, indeed, the old man gave personal attention to royalties only. One of his best customers uaed to be Queen Maria Pia. Sho spent hours consulting the manmilliner. Tho Empreea of Austria troubled him seldom. She wears jerseys and tailormado dresses moßtly. It is said, however, that on one occasion yeara ego, when Bhe ordered a court dreas from him, her Majesty failed to recognise herself in the mirrors of the throne-room.

"What a nice-looking woman, and how beautifully she's dressed," she is declared to have eaid,

Curiously enough M. Worth was not a Frenchmen at all, but a pure-bred Briton, born at Bourne, in Lincolnshire. Having heard much of French fashions he, after au apprenticeship in the great Begeub Street house of Swan and Edgar, went to Paris. Mra Crawford gives an interesting sketch of his personality. She says :

He waa a determined-looking man, rather rude, or at any rate downright in manner, and resembled Prince Bismarck. The resemblance was even etrong. Like Prince Biumarck he found that blunt frankness answered. If he had nob been a dressmaker he might have been a great artist, the Benao of plaatic beamy being strong ia him, and allied with the sense of colour. Ha was first employed when little more than a boy in a wholesale silk warehouse in the Hue du Sentier. It waa found that he got most orders, and that this waß due to hia instinctive talent for draping and otherwise arranging stuffs he had to sell. He seemed to juggle with his silks and satins in showing off their hues and textures. This was during Louis Philippe's reign. Worth went from the Kue du Sentier to Gagelin's in the Rue de Richelieu. Gagelin's waß then the place where ladies of quality went to shop. It was a large place for the time, but not a "universal provider's." Its specialities were stuffs for dresses, shawls, linings and laces. Gagelin's set up to provide style, and was supposed to furnish, the beat gooda of the kind in which it dealt. The Comtease de Montijo and her daughters wero among the customers. Most of the ladies of the Theatre Francais used to buy materials for their dreaaea at Gagelin's and take them to a couturiers to be made up. Very grand coutuneres were not then above working in this way.

Worth made himself known to the firstrate patronesses of Gagelin. He waa bound not to set up as a rival to that houae. Ib waa thia which drove him into the dressmaking line aa a rival of Mdme. Yignon, who made for the Empress, and was exclusively employed up to 1860, when Worth opened hia famoua dressmaking rooms in a first floor flat in the Rue de la Paix. He waa in partnership with a Swede, who kept the books and waa general business manager. Worth devoted himself to measuring ladies, giving " consultations," and obtaining ordera. The Princess Metternich was freah to Paris, and had an exquisite figure of the slight supple sort. She started on her .career of fashion bypatroniaing Worth. As Bhe want in for a striking style of dress which necessitated constant change, she was a most valuable -oatroneaa.

Worth " auggestionised," and went on a track of hia own. On days on which there were to be Court dinners or other functions, ladies' who had ordered gowns for them came to him to be dressed. Firat come, first served ; but there waa a waiting room with choice refreshments— a very neceaaary arrangement, for a fair customer might have to watt seven or eight hours. When her turn came she entered tho consulting room. Worth stood there armed with a pair of scissors. Two women atood beside him. They undressed the lady behind a screen, for her petticoats were to the 1 ekirt of tho gown what the skeleton ia to the flesh. When her toilette so far was complete, the new gown was donned, and Bhe emerged from behind the screen to be passed in review by Mr Worth. He was particular about the cut and plastic points. He criticised alond, worked here and there with the scissors aud pins. The women acting on hia orders also pinned and plied their needleß. Glasaeß of wine were administered when nerves had run down from long waiting. Moat of those who waited came with their heads dressed by Augusta, who went to their housea in a handsome private carriage of hia own, and required a fee of 40f . When Worth was satisfied with a dress the wearer might be sure that it was as ib Bhould be. He had really a strong feeling of the idiosyncracies of his different customers, and their dreaaeß suited their dispositions. Nobody better knew bow to disguise a defect. He hated lean women, and sent away hundreds because they would nob do credit to lm art. The Empress's corsages fitted her like a Jouvin glove. As he liked to mould the figure, he detested padding. Ho > waa a despot, and thoso who submitted to his despotism paid heavily for it. A plain black Bilk gown, worth, in regard to tho cost of stuff, £7 or £8, would coat at Worth's £50, but ib waa admirably cub and had style. In five yaftt*9, eo rnpUlly did his buaiueaa grow, he had GOO workmun. He had 870 when he died. He had to buy the whole of the establishment in the Bue do Ift Pftix* andthea another equally largo

house in a less leading street for his workrooms. There was no bettor employer than Mr Worth. He paid liberal wages all round, and was kiad and even generous to those in hia employment who fell ill. He went direct to* the manfacturers for all hie stuffs. The fancj materials were copyrighted by him for three or six months, to prevent them becoming- common ab once. One could know Worth's customers ae well from the quality and huea of their garments as from tbe cut. The uprise of a number of great couturiers did not take from his business. He never desired to havo more business than he and hia son could attend to themselves. I think ha waa a genuine and very honest person. He had to take the world bb he found it, and to deal with rich foola according to their folly. Ho remained a Btaunch Protestant, and'sat for yeara under Paßteur Bsrsier. The funeral waa celebrated in the French Protestant church in the Avenue de la Grande Armce, where he bad a sitting. His son is of French nationality, and aa soft in manners as Worth was bluff. Worth must have left a great fortune. He was nob ostentatious, but waa liberal. He waa born in 1825.