The Portland daily press., 1883-07-07
Wearers of False Hair.
How the Demands of Fashion are Salts
fed-The City that Leads in the Art.
Chicago News.l

Now, mamsell, zis gray should be light
er IAN ze back hair of re lady, Mon Dieu, but
re taste will zen be perfect. All, Eat is it,
Up grimY, dark flight Of stairs, and
through hallway, past doors bearing strange
devices of trade, Daily News reporter had
meander ed one bright afternoon last week
and had opened door, on the white-uaint
ed glass OF oh bore the words: u. RI
L'Amblee, hair goods" just in time to
catch theremarks pf the voluble little Gaul
TO several Iadisss He turned with bright
look and the characteristic shrug to the re-
porter afrsr the ladies had taken their de-
par ture, bearing away gray wig.
"Ach, zis is re way with Chicago ladies'.
now Eat gray hair is again coming into 70
style, they want to follow re leaders offashiou
but some one re tell 'em Eat it not become
them. Perhaps it is re Ferdinand, an
mamsell she love re Ferdinand. Poff, away
go re fashion. All, Eat is love.''
When the Professor had been claimed
down somewhat, the reporter asked permits
sion to look about him and learn something
of the trade. There were wigs, crimps.
waves, curls, bangs and switches on all
sides. classical looking head of wax.
whose severe outline closely reminded the
reporter of prominent provision dealer
who counts his wealth by the millions. sat
in glass case, with an iron-gray wig on his
caput. This was pronounced masterpiece
of art by the professor, and it was shown
the reporter. The hairs were fine and nat
ural, and placed very even. When placed
on the head no one could detect its false
ness. As the Professor declared. 1t was no
wig unless it could no. be detected on the
head. OF course a greater proportion I the
trade that the twenty-five ffrst-class WIG
makers and hair-drcssers of this city have
comes from the theatrical world. Actors
and actresses daily haunt these places, and
many buy wigs simply because they find
bargains, Or fall into ecstasies over some
scratch" scurl," or ''waye.y MANY pos
sess wonderful collections of wigs of all
styles, from the pure white peruke of six
teenth century noble down to the comedy
scratch" of s'far-down." John McCui-
Tough, Thomas Keene, and Lewis Morrison
have excellent collections of stage wigs.
The professor showed the reporter change
wig for Harry Weber, of Nip and Tuck
fame, that was simply three wigs. one over
are made so that when wig, perhaps of
blonde hair, shall be snatched off, perfect
ly bald head CLEANS out; then another sud
den change is from old to young
While the artist had been detailing little
incidents and stories of actors and the 'spro-
flesh" several ladies had passed in and ou;.
leaving orders. The conversation then MAJ
urally drifted toward the fashions Here
the Ii tie Frrnchman grew enthusiastic and
Int At q
trade. Pure white hair for young fashion
votaries was ruling no longer. GRAY was
fairly fashionable. When two years ago the
warm tint that Titiens loved so well glowed
and q stened from many fair brow it was
thought that the auburn woul, hold the
reins for some time, but it was not to be.
Glossy blackness swept the red away, and
now light bloade leads. The Langtry bang
left on this shore by the stately but much
discussed Lily, still continues the fashion,
though the bangs are to be much more
banged OF as the male critic would say,
more tousled." The shades are also light
er.
The styles come about once a month from
Paris, but if nothing catches the fancy of
fashion leaders in the new bulletin, they are
cast aside. Chicago really ignores the claims
of New York in settling the styles In hair.
AS leading dealer says, "Chicago ladies
are the most tasteful in the styles Of dress
ing the hair Of any in this country"
There are over 200 dealers and dressers
of hair in this city. These astounding fig
ures are cut down, however, when It is
learned that only about one-eighth are
known as first class wigmakers. II seems
hard to think how all these can find any
money profit in the business, but the Daily
News reporter was informed on the quiet
that this is most wonderfully paying bust
ness. Wigs sell from S. to $500, the Lang
try bang from SO to 500, and besides there
are many waves, crimps, etc., with fanciful
names given them by dealers, which come
and go the same as the seasons. There
were the PinafoIe wave, ETC., the coquette
curl, the Chicago wave, each dealer giving
some peculiar style n8me.
All this time the reporter had eyed the
DOR quietly, but with an idea that at any
moment its portals would yield up shah
ply dressed form of some fearful, clinging
girl, whose old plaid shawl would conceal
under its folds bunch Of golden hair cut
from her head, and which the scheming
hair dresser would purchase for the paltry
sum of cents. This was the way he had
always heard the hair was bought. He fin
ally bec~me a trhe uneasy on the subject
and asked the professor about it,
An sacre, dat is one grande mistake.
You see 1t would be impossible now to do
dat. Most efery little miss in zls land has
an idea what her hair is worth. | have not
doubt but mabbe in New York or some
Eastern city some girl wiz nice hair NAV get
poor an sell re hair, but it would never do
for re trade to depend on zat ley could
not h If supply us. We get most OF re hair
direct from Paris. See, here is one box Just
received" and the agile Frenchman pirou-
cited around the end of the counter and
whisked into little closet, and then came
out with paper box which, when opened,
contained black, brown, blonde, gray, white,
every color and style of hair. Each was
tied up in punches or packages Weighing