The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-03


with silver and gllt clasps, for chain
One eighteen.carat gold flagree card
One set gold whist markers, in hands on
little box, present unto her 80
One lady's small work-bag; silk fittings.
| One solid silver portemonnae l6
| One little blue portemonnale velvet and
COIuS ana taSsel
One lady's companion, with ixings in
One hair-pin stand-a small bookcase,
with small drawers and mirror Ia
One basket OF mother-of pearl, and gilt
and red satin, full of wax flowers 80
| One elegant Bible in gilt, edge mounted
; Forty three volumes various miniature
books, bound most elegantly in mo-
rocco and brought as present from
One silver pincushion and sewer for
fastening on the table %
One elegant richly carved ivory work
table, brought IRON Mexico; inside
fitted up with silk and different com
| partments, standing three feet high 400
| One lady's solid silver rutter, from
One gilt head ornament, representing
One ITs iady's English dressing-case, solid
silver fttings English make and
| stamp, rosewood bound, with brass
ana gilt, fitted and lined with silver 250
| One par rich carved ivory hair-brushes,
| engraved with name and crest l55
| One DO, engraved and crest So
| One small ivory hair brush II
One ebony hair-brush, inlaid with
One Berlin wool worked cushion SO
One sewing chair elegantly embroi-
dered seat and back 70
One Berlin wool afghan 100
| One fire SCREEN Berlin work, beads re-
| presenting Charles III hunting 155
| One large sole leather trunk, about four
feet long and three feet deep, standing
| against folding doors in my bedroom,
| lined with red morocco, handsomely
| ornamented in gold embossed on the
| red morocco with seven compart-
| ments; very scientifically constructed
for the necessities OF a lady's ward
| robe, with springs to hold open each
| compartment, and the lace compart-
ment could, at pleasure, be rested on
two steel legs, covered with gilt en-
bosscd morocco, representing writing
table, with portfolio containing writing
materials. This was full and severaly
pacAed with property which | have
! thought 100 valEable to put in other
! places than where no harm could
! come from dust or dirt or moth. 1t
had two very large French patent
One Iadys travelling trunk, with cover
containing quantity of worn dresses,
| Zouave cloth and gold Druid jacket
cloaks, woollen opera cloak, etc.
It is very easy to say that wardrobe like that
enumerated in this schedule is eXtravagant;
but the tact is the list scarcely gives a full
idea Of the extravaganza of American toiettes.
| S2l, GOO is an immense sum to have invested in
clothing; but it must be remembered that the
original cost of these articles was much more
than S21, 900. Many of these dresses, shawls,
bonnets and other portions of the young
ladys' costumes had been more or less worn,
and the prices affixed only represent their
values at the time they were burned, which is
all that the loser has the right to recover. For
example, 'nine pairs of boots and shoes" would
be very cheap at S45; ''dust wrapper from
Cashmere" could hardly be purchased for SIS;
'iour magnificent opera coaKs' are valued at
$685. when one of them would have cost that
sum if sew; cloth cloaks at $S, $40, and $l2,
must have been much used to be worth only
that amount of money. No fashionable mllli-
ner could sell flour bonnets, some exceedingly
elegant for $4O0, but would charge as much
for one elegant bonnet. II is evident, then,
that to get at the real cost OF the wardrobe #
a young lady of fashion in thus metropolis, we
must add several thousand dollars 20 the
amount claimed. The articles when first pur
chased must have cost at least $50 900.
We earL from this schedule that to make a
figure in the fashionable world a young lady
requires twenty-sX robes of silk and satin, two
of velvet, twenty four dresses of poplin, cash
mere, grenadine, and Swiss and India muslin,
with undeGs kirts and bodies of silk; nine Jackets
to wear over these dresses in the house; seven
teen cloaks, mantillas, and capes for outdoor
wear; fifteen muslin SKIRTS besides the under
skirts already enumerated; UWenty-one sets OF
iounces and capes Of lace, OF all qualities, from
Honiton to Maltese; and, in addition 10 all
these, quantity of worn dresses ClOaks, and
Jackets TOO numerous to mention. We must
take INTO consideration, moreover, the tact that
the lady was probably not deprived OF all her
clothing by the ire. The schedule shows what
she lost; but we have no means of ascerlaining
what she saved.
Yet it is only by getting at this own unknown
quantity that we shall be able TO realize the
full extent of the young ladys requirements.
At present we really feel that the list we publish
does her some Injustice. Twenty-six silk robes
and twenty-four other dresses would not satisfy
any but the most reasonable and economical
Flora McFlimsey. There are houses in the
Fifth avenue that could reveal much more ex,
tensive wardrobes. The jewels and jewelry,
too, which cost more heavily than dresses as
many a husband and father knows, are not set
down in this list, which must consequently be
pronounced inadequate. Still 1t will serve TO
, convey to the uninitaIed and to pnsterity some
3 conception OF the expenses Of American fash
lOnable lie.