Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-11-07
FASHIONS FIAT.
The Eyrant Says Feathers.

IL want hat frame such az I can trim with
some flowers and wear until cold weather. said
young woman to the girl behind a millinery
counter.
Flowers are not Worn on hats" said the
counter girl. THE only trimmings worn by any
body are feathers. and almost the only feathers
are ostrich feathers"
The reporter who CHANGED to hear this CONVEX
satiOn forgot it at once, and yesterday, three
weeks after he heard it, dropped in upon firm
OF artificial leafmakers in Prince street and
asked to be taken through their workshop. 1t
was empty and dust lay on the great tables
and coated the delicate dies, the waxed muslin
sheets and the presses.
why, where are all your grls:" the reporter
inquired.
Il don't know" was the reply; 1--WE had sixty
one day. as suddenly as If knife had dropped
upon the thread of our trade our orders
stopped. Fashion had said Feathers"
"But feathers are always worn in winter
Eyes, and they have been worn more or less
In early autumn heretofore, but now and for
weeks past the fashion has been for feathers
altogether We shall not do stroke Of work
again until after New Years. and our business
season, instead Of occupying the greater part of
the year. looks as if it might take up less than
half a year.
us fashion applicable? Why use feathers?"
For two reasons. The ftather-makers have
been supplying them so cheap as to put them
within the reach of even the poor. Then feath-
ers can be dyed over and over to suit changes
OF hat and changes of styles"
Has this same disaster overtaken all the
flower and leaf makers?"
Nearly all. Some of the makers are running
on full force making cheap goods. Such ones
are making goods SO cheap that could not buy
the material for what they wholesale the
finished goods tor. But, as a rule the flower
and leaf trade is dead and gone until January
The flower district is all around us here in
Broadway, Blocker. Houston and Prince
streets-What you New Workers cal, French
town. Walk past the stores and workshops
and you will notice that the trade is almost in
Variaby connected with some other pursuit
The signs read: Flower and Feather Makers.
Flowers and Ostrich Feathers Flowers and
Artificial Plants etc. Here We deal in French
china and send our hands home. Probably most
of the flower hands are at home or engaged in
other Work. though the custom of training
flower hands Tor the feather trade ard taking IN
feathers EN- flower making stops is growing
in usage"
This is a French business. is it not?"
Yes; Paris is the great artificial flower mar
ket of t world, though it is not an ancient &C.
cupatiO: .ere by any means. We French mo-
nopOlized the trade here for long while get
ting, as we do yet, our tools and designs from
Paris; but now the Germans, and the Poles. and
the Jews are crOwdihg into the trade MANY
use American tools. but they are not artistic
There is no genius for the work IN America.
Speaking of Paris. though. the business has not
stopped there fcr tha autumn and winter. as it
has her, ..plies the world. and when
she isr 20 the French there is the Eng
sh del "a. II that stops Germany, or NORWAY,
or Russia, or some other land keeps all the
Partisan shops in full blast"
The rer"rter found that the capital locked up
and idle account of fashions decree is ire
mendOns. Great lofts are vacant, and in them
are stored hundreds Of thousands Of do1}ars,
worth of unmarketabIe stock, of imported ma
chinery. and of the costly and delicate tools with
which the shapes, the veins. and the finish of the
cotton, silk, and plush are made to take on the
closest possible appearance of natural blossom
and folis