3-085-836 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Ladies' Page: matinée of pink satin, 1898. Parisian fashion. '...the thing that most struck us...as being not only cheap but charming besides, was the display of marked-down lingerie at several notable outfitters. It was abundantly clear that these slightly crumpled garments of cambric, lace, and embroidery could never have been made at five times the price asked for them. Besides being a little tossed and tumbled, they were, moreover, oddments of one and two of a pattern, and as the superfine Parisienne buys her fine linen in dozens and half-dozens as a rule, the raison d'etre of these reductions was obvious...A matinée of especial seductiveness caught my attention at the Maison de Blanc, and is here exposed to view, being well worth the attention of a clever copyist. The material was a delicate shade of pink satin, trimmed...with a soft ruche of pinked-out silk, in two shades, the deeper rose being in the centre. Three rows of bébé black velvet ribbon led up to the wider neck and waist bands of the same material, each fastened with diamond and pink coral clasps. The front was of spotted black silk net over pink satin, with appliqués of fine lace sewn on. The sleeves to match were gathered, and treated to ivory lace ruffles at wrist'. From "Illustrated London News", 1898.