The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1866-1891, 1866-10-05
nNoTH1NG TO WEAR"

80
We mentioned few days since. tl:at
professional gentleman in New York,
who, it is said, advertiscs largely, .
has broug ght asuit against an insurance
company for the insurance on his
daughters wardrobe, lately destroyed
by fire. The company, it is said, were
astounded by the magnitude of the
items presented in the claim, and re-
fused to settle. Hence the action in
court, which brought out a list Of the
young lady's wardrobe, as drawn up
under her own supervision.
The descriptive list occupies col
ulnn and a half in the New York Her
aid, and embraces nearly five hun
dred articles. Among them is emu
merated a satin7dress, appraised at
So, 500, and another at 81, 900, the
whole wardrobe being valued, at R2l, )
900. The Herald says: = !! :,
1t is very easy to say that a ward
robe like that enumeratedin this sched-
ule is cxtrmagant; but the fact is that
the list scarcely gives a full idea of the
extravaganza of American toilettes.
Twenty one thousand dollars is an i'm
meuse sum to have investedin clothing,
but it must be remembered that the
o,.;a;,. cost of these articles was much
more THAI $21, 900. Many Of the
dresses. shawls, bonnets, and other
portions of the young lady's costume
had been more or less worn, and the
nriees affixed only represent their val
ucs at the time they were burned,
which is all that the loser has the rig mt
to recover. For example" nine pairs
of boots and shoes" would be very
cheap at s45;a dust wrapper from
Cashmere, - could hardly be purchased
for SIS; four magnificent opera
cloaks" are valued at SITS, when one
of them would have cost that sum II
new; cloth cloaks at So, $40, and Sl2
must havebeen much used to be worth
only that amount of money. No fash
ionable milliner could sell four bon
nets, some exceedingly elegant, Tor
800. but would charge as much tor
one elegant bonnet. 1t is evident ~ t4h%'
fben. that to got at the real cost OF the
wardrobe ward of 4 young lady Of fashion
in this metropolis We mast g. add several
thousand dollars to the amount claim;
ed. The articles when first pure chased
must have cost $50, 900 at least. -.
q. We learn from this schedule that to
make a figure in the fashionable world
fashionable young lady requires
twenty-six robes Of silk ard satin,
two Of velvet, twcnty-four dresses Of
poplfn, cashmere, grcnadine and Swiss
and India muslin, with understands
and bodies of silk; nine jackets, to
wear.oEer these dresses in the house;
seventeen cloaks, mantillas, and capes
for outdoor wear fifteenmuslin skirts,
besides the underskirts already cru
merated twenty one sets ofFilouhces
and capes of lace, of all qualities,
from Honiton to Maltese; and, in ad-
dition to all these, IL quantity OF worn
dresses, cloaks, and jackets too numer-
ous to mention, We must take into
consideration, moreover, the fact that
the lady was probably not deprived; d, OF
all her clothing by the fire: The
schedule shows what she lost; but we
have no means of ascertaining what
She saved. Yet it is only by getting
at this. unknown quantity that we
shall be able to realize the full extent
Of the young lady's requirements: !:
At present s. 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 econ
omical Flora McFlimsey. There are
houses in the fifth street avenue that
could reveal much more extensive
wardrobcs. The jewels and .jcwelry,
|:too, which cost more heavily than
dresses, as many a husband and father
knows, aye not set down in this List,
! which mustconsequently be pronoun-
, ced inadequate, Still it will serve to