The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-03-08
FINE DRESSES.
How Society ladies Vary Their Elegant Cos
tunes at Small Expense,

tunes at Small Expense.
Washington Letter in st. Louis Post Dispatch.
What becomes Of al the elegant dresses that
society ladies wearN was asked, to day. of a lady
thoroughly conversant in matters of that nature.
VI course a lady in society. after her dress has
been once or twice described by the daily papers,
does not want to appear in it again, does shel"
oh" she laughed, that's easily remedied.
A few changes in trimming, in front a few bows
and lace, will transform Il dress in such a manner
that not even the most acute society reporter or
the most observing society lady, could recognize
1t. Oh, no, bless YOU. these dresses cost too
much to be thrown aside after two or three
evenings wear. The fact is, they are worn five
or SIX years, perhaps longer, iii many instances"
But, don't fashions change so much that it is
difficult to make them seryiceable any length of
timer"
NO was the reply; ''the fashions do not
change as much as is generally supposed by you
men who don't know anything about such mat
ters. The fashions for the past five or ten years
have changed very little. OF course, there is a
little change, such as in the manner Of draping
and trimming, but comparatively little. The
dresses worn this season are laid away now until
carly next fall; then they are taken to some com
petent ress-maker, and the coming fashions
studied, and they are refitted for the coming sea-
son. Sometimes they need a little change here
or there, and perhaps a new front or some new
lace but it is surprising to any one not con-
Versant with these matters to know how. long
these dresses do service. Society writer's do not
recognize the fact that in describing a dress to-
day they are telling of one they have described
IA dozen times within a half a dozen years, and
every time different. 1t is very easy TO trans
form a dress as they are now made so that it
cannot be recognized again. For instance, those
that are made with front of u different material
from the waist and skirt usually have three or
four fronts to go with them. then a few small
changes of Trimming and lace accompanying
these changes of fronts makes the transforms
ton complete.
What do you suppose the average society
lady pays for her dreSSes-for the dresses worn
at the evening parties and receptions here?"
Il should think that a thousand dollars a year
after the first stock of dresses is laid in would
keep the average society lady in fair condition
She would need a couple or three thousand dol
lars worth of stock, so to speak, to begin with.
You see a lady who goes very much into society
must have ten on a dozen evening dresses. They
cost from 800 to $500 apiece. You cannot get an
evening dress that is at all the thing for less than
500, and really that will be only a very plain one.
You can get up a very good one for 5000 or $3.50,
suitable for evening wear. If il is for day wear,
though, it will cost more than that, say $500.
After this stock is laid in the society lady will
not ind it necessary to buy more than two or
three dresses each year, the remainder of her
thousand dollars she can use in ~reftting the old
ones and transforming them so that they will
not be recognized
Evening dresses, you say, are less expensive
than those for day wear!"
Eyes, decidedly so. You can use a class of
material for evening dresses that could not pos
sibly be used for day wear. The cheap material
looks as well by g~as-light and answers the same
purpose that the more expensive one would.
There is a great deal of sham even in the best So
ciety.