, 1873-06-01

view, and instructive, as showing how and by
whom the popular fashions Of dress arc set.
The defendant in the Paris suit Was Nile. Cora
Pearl, in the London suit Miss Walters, better
known ns "skittlea, ea,"-botn conspicuous
characters. Miss "skittles," who testified
that she was never called "Miss,"
but "Mrs." or Madame had retained
no less peraonage for her defense than sezgt.
Bal1antine, who complained that the opposing
counsel had designsted his client by . name
which WAS very unpleasant to her. Tbs suit WAS
brought for about s1,77o. claimed by Creed d
Co., ladies' tailors, for making and repairing
three or four garments. The defendant had de-
clinod to pay the bill because it was exorbitant,
but offered to settle by paying $1,000, which the
ungallant ladies' tailors refused to accept. In
Undertaking to determine tho value Of the arti-
c1es which had been furnished, mass
Of testimony WAS submitted on both
sides, which brought out that the ladies'
tailo1s are much more e1acting set Of people
than milliners, which would scarcely have been
credited as possible few years ago. They de-
ecrihed MiAa "Shttles II IS being Exceedingly
fastidious and particular" She was accustomed
to demand not only that patterns should be cut
and submitted for her approval, but that special
drawings should DO made and appropriately
tinted before sho would pass on them. She Was
also in the habit Of making the foreman come to
her house and await her leisure or pleasure, at 3
salary Of guineas q week. These items, Of
course, entered into the cost Of the gar
ments, and the bulk Of testimony
Of experts Was that the gross profits
Of ladies' tailors should be 50 per cent.
Lady readers will be interested in knowing some
Of the principal charges. 4 black riding habit,
With silk lining, Was put down at $40, though
Miss skittlos protested that she always wore
s'the simplest riding g-habits." There Was nero
alteration OF black poplin dress, the original
production Of Mr. Worth, Of Paris, which wes
charged at about $25. A single shoulder-knot
had cost oyer &c. blue silk costume, consist
ing Of tunic, body, under -slrt, and jacket, was
valued at 39o- black ai1k under-skirt, trim
med with velvet, was charged $95. brown
Saxony-cloth costume complete cost Miss "Skt-
ties" just $500. The whole bill came to
s1,T0, and, as the jury allowed 81, 500, these
items are fair Indication OF the charges that q
| ladies' tailor may make. The information is i'm
portant as ladies' tailor has recently set up in
business in Chicago, to the intense qualification
OF the fashionable ladies, and to the profound
disgust Of their husbands.
The defense made by Miss "Skitt1es" Was
! unique. She demanded first that her tailor
should bring model Of herse1f into court for
the display Of the dresses but the plaintiff 5
counsel claimed that, while he had no doubt
that this would be very gratifying, especially
to the younger members Of the bar,
it won6 be very difficult, If not impossible,
thing - do. This was in the nature OF q COM
pliment. Miss "Skittles !" then set up that she
had made the fortune Of Mr. Poole, a ladies'
tailor, Who had been making her garments for
many years, and that Mr. Creed, the tailor who
brought suit had been delighted when she had
gone to him and when he found out who ehe
| wns. The force Of this point can only be ap-
preciated when it is known that such women as
the skittles in London and Cora Pearl in Paris
furnish the fashions for the hdut-monde as
well as the de1ni-monde. The tailors whom
they take under their patronage are made men.
Miss Skittles evidently thought that this should
have been taken into account and that Mr.
Creed ought to have charged her less instead OF
| more. She admitted that she had paid 800 for
single dress, but then there wns lace on it.
There is little doubt that Mr. Greed Was migrate
ful, but ne can understand that 1adies' tailors
should have an experience calculated to SOUR
against the world, and to make ,misanthropes Of
| men who would otherwise be kind, gentle, and
generous.
Hiss Cora Pearl has beon sued in Paris for i
| bill Of about s700. This is the lady who, at 3
| bacchanalian entertainment one night, took q
hat from one of her admirers and boasted that
she could transform it on the spot to ladies'
hat that would be the rage Of all Paris within a
! month A wager WAS made, Cora Pearl punched
the hat in the side, pulled plume from her hair,
adjusted it to the hat in hand, and next day ap-
peared in the Bois with the hat On her head
The result WAS precisely what she had predicted
Within aweek every milliner in Paris had hats Of
this pattern in her window; within two weeks no
fashionable lady was complete without one; with
in month the inpro.nptu had crossed tho British
Channel and prevailed in London; the next
steamer brought it to America as the mode, and
SO it became the rage On two continents. Mile.
Cora Pearl has now set new fashion which has
brought her into lawsuit. Some time ago abe
hit upon the brilliant idea Of having cast made
Of her hand, and disposed Of teuarcotta fac SIM
les to her numerous admirers. Her first order
was for twenty-four, and then orders followed
in rapid succession to supply the demand The
idea was not altogether original, for,
when List, the groat musician, was
| the furore Of Paris, q great many years ago, in
his youth, it WAS common to find cast Of bis
right hand as the cherished object OF his lady