The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1880-05-29
wOMEN's WAYS.
Fashionable Modistes and Their
Customers.

NEW fork LetterI
The Partisan autocrat Of fashion,
Worth, can afford to be exceedingly high
and mighty when the whim moves him
to show his independence. Recently an
economical American lady, hoping to Sc
cure one of his gems at lower price than
his usual rates, purchased her materials
elsewhere, ordinary Surah and brocade,
with languedoc lace for trimmings, worth
in all about $S5, took them to Worth and
asked what his charges would be to make
the costume.
Gone hundred dollars, madame" was
the reply.
Gone hundred dollarsp exclaimed the
astonished lady; "but 1 have my own
fabrics"
"It does not matter, madame, whether
you or furnish the materials; they do
not deserve consideration. | charge the
same in either case. 1t is my style that
commands my price,"
And you are astonished to hear
that the $100 was paid? But the lady
was at least sensible enough to see where
the shoe pinched the artist, so she let
him select the materials and charming
dress was the result.
Our New York modistes can not yet
put on quite so much style, and but few
are in position to positively decline to
make up ladies' own materials; however,
they all add little to the price of man
ufacturing when they do not furnish the
goods as we'll. Still very few estab-
lishments are devoted simply to cutting
patterns by measure, or system, or fit
ting and basting costumes which are to
be made at home. Such pattern costs
$1.50, and for cutting and fitting suit
the charges are So, and you would be
surprised to see how much of this is
done.
The other day, while waiting in one of
these rooms to see novel costume,
which was almost completed, three very
amusing scenes occurred, which serve to
show that even great artists have their
trials. An elegantly-dressed woman en-
tered the room in rage and demanded
the pieces left after cutting out her
dress. "They were all put in your
package, madame" politely replied the
attendant. "It is not sop she screamed.
"You cut out the Pompadour neck and
the pieces of that shape are not in the
bundle" Everybody laughed, and with
the threats of policeman she indig-
nantly left the room.
Another came in to try on dress.
The waist proved much too large. At
first the artist was puzzled; surely he
had taken the correct measures, as the
book proved.
care your undergarments the same as
you had on the other day, Madame"
eyes, the very same," wss the reply.
He felt her arm and suggested: You
have left off heavy fannels since I fitted
your waist, and, besides, you have on
an entirely new pair of corsets, and
they are very tightly laced.
"You lie, sir" was the quick re-
sponse.
The gentleman quietly turned to the
attendant, asked her to assist the lady
in taking off the costume and putting
up the package, and to take it out to the
carriage, bowed and left her.
The last scene was still more novel. A
lady called for costume which had
been completely manufactured there
an elegant reception dress, in the hello
trope shades, trimmed with rose color.
The trained skirt was of dark purple, the
apron front of rose-shaded lavender, and
the coat basque of purple velvet brocaded
in roses, the whole finished with Duchess
lace.
The robe fitted exquisitely, the lady
was delighted, and while expressing her
pleasure she, with her package in her
hands. backed out of the door, jumped
into her carriage and drove off without
paying herbill.
The fair one had given name and
address when she left the robe to be
made; both were false, and experience
has taught the artist to hold fast to a
costume until his bill is paid, and not to
be led away by smiles and praises from
collecting his money. A very novel con-
ceit adorns large bay-window on a
thoroughfare of this city.
1t is life-size figure of flowers. The
face and hands are in fesh-pink flowers,
deeper shadings forming cheeks and lips
The charming bonnet Of heliotrope bios
SONS rests on the hair, formed Of some
brown fibre. The dress proper is in deli
cate heliotrope, with flower damasse or
brocade in darker shades, while the front
skirt is formed of bayadere stripes in Ro.
man colors of bright-hued flowers, large
and small. This figure holds in her hand
an immense basket covered and filled
with blossoms in all colors and of every
description.