, 1873-11-02
BORROWED PLUMAGE.

Tho EttsfncsS of Iscntfng Drcsacs.
Ihc Now York Sun publishes report Of Al
interview hold with lady engaged in til
p'tainoaa OF ronting drossos.
+" am tho inventor Of t1a business" eh
sa'a' "lf you know anything nbout women yo,
khow that the most Of tllom 1layo not only
passion Tor dress, but woakness for novelty
Ihc woman with ono cslico-tlroas wants two
ana tlio woman with ton silks wants eleven
lilo rule Ia good with tito owners OF tho moa
complete wardrobe. Another thing you mn,
not know, women don't liko to wear tho sa,nt
dross to moro than ono or two partics In on,
scaaon. Now, 1t is upon theso fomalo character
istlos that thrive. You would naturally guest
TINT only poor ladies hire droaeoB bu
that isn't 30. Rathor tho reverse ia tho casa. A
good many of my calers ride within fow blockt
Of hore in their carriages and walk tho balance
of tho way. It wouldn't do, b1eBa you, to be
caught hiring dreas; but can assure you TINT
many borrowed one is worn at fashionable
gatherings. Sometimes, too, n Indy from out Of
| town wants to so to party or to the opora.
| sho has only travelling dress with hor, and bor.
roWed anery Is hor only recourse. The bus;.
ness, howeyor, is not entirely confined to renting
purity drosaeB. There is an occasional call for q
street dross, sometimes by shop girls, WHO want
| to indulge In m afternoon walk on Broadway.
Once In while an aotreaH, suddenly called
upon to play part out Of hcr
line, or from a desire for a greater va
riety than hor wardrobe affords, rents q tross
for wcck ; but they usually want dreases that
arc too snowy, or too peculiar or pronounced in
color and naho-up for my business.
"How ia that? Well. I'll toll you. It would
haf kill lady to DO caught wearing q hired
dress. 10 protect them against such terrible
catastrophe ;ata must altor the appearance Of d
color mnst not 10 too odd, nor tho style too DO
ouliar. Women bent tho dickens for remembor.
ing What other women wear, but by little IN
genu1ty,i manage to di9guiao my goods 80 that
,'so colors that ars not too odd. alter The trim
ming, too, every timo It is worn. slight
change in this respect ia enough to destroy tho
Identity. OF course, II you saw dross ono
night With , ono Kind Of trimming aud tho
foront lady In q diffcront gathering, you would
not be apt to recognize It simply because the cut
and color wero the same. Beaides, I usually
have two Waists for each skirt 80 40 to be able to
~ dlnerent sized ladies, and thcse are not cut in
sk skirt aud two waists. One is low-necliod
and very short-sleovod. That is large eno,,rh
for q tolernbly plump lady. The other ia tor .
slender form, and is only out square In tho neck,
plump, ones want the first kind, and
tho slender ones tho othor. II all m7
patrona would grow Of size 1t would save
vast deal Of Trouble. Scarcely do aver rent
dreea without hsylng to lot out or tako in the
when yon called: Blue silk? No, no; that il
Batin, not Bilk. Tie waist is small now-if Won
wero . corset c1erk you would guesa 1t sight thnt
It didn't measure twenty inchos. II was worn
last night by young lady whom know to be
in moro than comfortable circumstances. She
concluded rather suddenly to 20 to party, aud
had nothing to wear. That il to nay, she had
nothing that hadn't been previously worn at
gatherings whore the Bamo poop1e had Been lor,
Tho dress is engaged for Tomorrow night by a
lady alghlly stoutar. md nm letting it out aud
altering tho trimmings.
"WhRt do chargo7 Well, from s. to s. for |
party dresses, and less for street irssses. II
amount Of wear, charge for that. !
You aoe q nlce dress is au oaay thing to spoil.
spilled cup Of coffee, Or big grease spot, and
it IL gone but hayo all advantage that dross-
aged goods mud often turn thom cut AZ good as |
neY. Yet with all tile expelionts, nice dress |
IL done for in about ono Aeason, SO you SEQ the
roflt Fro lsnt 20 great afteE al whom You consdor
ming. It is aufully .worrisone, too. Women
one so particular. A dress mover exactly suits.
u course, aud tho patience OF what's Lis name
dob thauk you-is needed to please then,,
great many, too, como out Of pure curiosity,
onted. Perhaps tl,oy expect to catch so1no Of
heir friends, hiring one. They ALWAYS pick ont
! dress. though, and say Keep that for mo
lnt1l next Wednesday, OF. '1ll make up my
la nlnd tomorrow, .;I mover look on bargain as
made with woman until tho money Ia In nv
landg. and always get my pay In adYanco.
What security do havo against losing thu |
resa7 We'll, II tho lady gives har name and
dtlress inHiAt on sending tho drasa homo for
n ftphn
;hether she has given hor right name, and II
ho bag, why TINT Ia security enough. The OK
uses that my callers give are funny enough.
,ae !' saya Sue has plenty Of dreases at home, but
~ hire anothor just for tie fun Of tho thing;
nothor hasn't time to got one made; auothor
mt aoe Why 1t is any worse to hire bali
resa than masquerade coatume. As il I
ared why they patronizod mo. neyor aal any
loro questions than can help, and 30 seldom
onntcer the information. Now hero is Il new
hito silk that WAS hired last woek by a Girl who
ad boon invited to q fashionable wedding. She
as young and pretty, and Imagined Tint Sue was
poor relation Of the bride or groom. Anyway,
liking her mp for tho OCCASION. I'd havo
ven the price she paid to have seon her rich
lations stare aud wonder.
- Am l ever unable to fill IN order? Oh. ,
", and wantdd nice street dreas. sllo lived :
IN tho suburbs, and wanted to mako .
fashionable call. But I couldn't tlt hor-
'dn't waist that would GO more than two {
irds around. and eho had TO go away With !
It dress. bad cnll last week for seven
oourning treasoH for . funeral. and couldn't /
IT. You 500. I hadn't anticipated INV d.
and in that line but I shall probably have q 7
Iantity Of black goods made up. Onco q girl
me md wanted to hire walking-dreaB. Sho =
ID she was in great hurry, and aee1ned good 4
al Illustrated. She picked out ono, and said it
'uld do we'll enough. though It really needed /
'oring to make 1t fit her docently. What made !
} wonder was that Hho lad on as good q dress n
'eady as tho ono che hired. asked her where j,
ould send 1t, and sho said nowhere, ,--ahe ronld t
t 1t on. Sho paid the rent In advance. and loft n
security, and tho dresa aho took Of; but sho i
Yer came hack. Isuppose she wanted to disguise i
r8e!f Tor aorno rcason or other. Perhaps she i
been 1obbing. or something; but wasn't to !
'nle, mas II Another lady-a conlaing orea- n
70, this one-told mo that her husband lad Il
ion !or the money to buy strcot dress. Sho
ntod tho dress, but eho wanted dog moro q
u husband was willing to spend money for i
assea, but not for dogs. So ato just hired a e