The Cost of Court Dress.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLVIII, Issue 7, 14 August 1912, Page 36

The Cost of Court Dress.

Visitors from the 'Dominions have often 'been staggered on learning whit it would cost them in hard cash to prepare for an appearance alt a Buckingham Palace reception (writes the London correspondent of the “Alel bourne Age”). Their point of view is well understood in official quarters, but very slight attention has been paid to it at any time. The rigidity of the rules for court assemblies is emphasised anew in a handbook issued from the Lord Chamberlain’s office and in a statement made by a Court tailor who is regularly employed to see that guests invited to Buckingham Palace are correctly attired. This functionary is posted where he can intercept any visitor who has failed ito observe the full requirements of the sartorial law, and. if necessary, send him quieitly away. He is polite and tactful, but he can be a terribly disconcerting-person at a critical moment. A slight account which he has g’iven of some of his official experiences is rich in humorous suggestion. “Sometimes,” he states, “people in uniform come to court wearing the trousers prescribed for levee instead of the breeches necessary for court dress. If there is time we insist on their going home to rectify such mistakes, but as ‘there is no need at courts for many of the men to enter the Royal presence at all. they are often allowed to pass with a warning to keep in the background as much as possible.” On one occasion the' vigilant expert “had 'to point out to a well known general as

he was going in that his sword was fastened on the wrong side.” The regulation court clothes for a private gentleman eosit from £3O to £5O per suit, according to quality. There is a fixed sum of £lO 10/ for the black velvet eoat but

room is left for economy in the choice of such items as the sword—which may cost anything between 50/ and 15 guineas—-the cocked hat and Ithe shoo buckles.