St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-02-08
ADORNED AND UNADORNED.
Society Ladies in Washington Striving
for the Greatest Display at
the Least Cost.
Flimsiness the Prevailing Feature
Even on Such Occasions as the
Presidents Reception.
Evening Costumes That Would Bring q
Blush of Shame to the Cheek
of Modesty.
Minister Kuki Gives the First Reception at
Which Japanese Ladies Appear in
Public--Capital Chatter.
Special Correspondence.

Speclal correspondence
WASHINGTON, Feb. 6.-The town Is full
| just now of 'smodistes,'' who have come over
from New York and set up temporary estab-
iishments to ft out the people here for the
inaugural ball. And they are the worst dis
! gusted lot of people that have struck Wash
| ington in long time, not even emitting
disappointed office seekers. "Why it's per-
feetiy astonishing said one of them talking
/ to your correspondent, ''the sort of stuff that
society people here wear, and pretend tina
it is fine or elegant. Bah. Shoddy,' don't
begin to tell it.''
''Realy''
eyes, indeed really. Why have been to
the most elegant and important events that
have taken place hrre,-the presidents re-
ceptions, the grand society opera at the new
opera house the other night where everybody
was expected to come in full dress, and othe r
places. and the sort of stuff that 1 saw worn
was perfect astonishment."
"Cheap stuff?''
"Cheap stuff. Well should say so. Why,
one would suppose that If lady had any
thing good she would wear it when invited to
receive with the president ON New Years
day. Eh2 Cheap stuff might do for some
evening event in which she was not to be a
conspicuous figure. but for day reception in
which the wearer was to assist the president
in doing the honors of the day, of course the
best that could be had would be the proper
thing. Well, with my own eyes saw one Of
the ladies there arrayed in an
OLD AND MUCH WORN SILK DRESS,
the ntcoyered with lot of cheap lace that
you can buy at any store for eighty-seven
cents yard. Ridiculous2 Well, it is worse
/ than that. And this is not an exception at
case. The general run of dresses at these
entertain ments are thin, cheap. 'sleazy'
affairs, pulled together in any sort of way,
i'll fitting and i'll made, and of the cheapest
material that can be had. They say: oh, it
looks just as well by gaslight.' Well If that's
the style in Washington society, then I don It
want much of its trade, that's all. They
come here to US aud want dresses made of
this sort Of stuff. Cheap satin worth eighty
cents yard, covered with some tulle to hide
its cheapuess, little cheap lace or few
beads, and that's all. Yes, we make that
sort Of dresses, of course. We came here
|
but 1t is funny business. We get up an
evening dress in Washington style for as
low figure as S75, but il is curious affair
beside some we are accustomed to making.
For instance, one that we finished not long
ago had on It several yards OF lace costing
$3.50 per yard, or double as much for sin
gle yard of the lace with which 1t Is orna-
mcnted as the entire dresses cost"
''Do you have many customers Of that sort
in Washingtong''
"Not many. There are a few in Washing
ton who understand the art of dressing well.
Take the legation people, for instance.
They are accustomed to seeing good dressing
on the other sde and whatever they buy is
first class. Then there are a few members
OF congress whose families dress well. Those
coming from the great cities, who have
wealth and experience, some of them wear
pretty good clothes. A couple of ladies from
St. Louis, for instance, who came to see US
to-day have pretty good ideas about clothing,
and there are some from Chicago
who are ditto. We have some
very good customers in Mime
sofa, too, for there is good
deal of genuine wealth there. But the
average congressman aud his family seem to
be under the i'm preston that anything will
do so that it makes a showing of color and
gloss. II we can show them something for
s75 in the way of dress or $50 in wrap
THEY ARE DELIGHTED.
But when you talk the sort of price that must
be had for really good articles, why it drives
them wild.'
"What do you class as good prices' for
good articlesr'
swell, 500 or $500 for wrap, and from
$500 10 5000 for a dress. Now here's some
material, for instance, uncut velvet on old
gold ground, that costs us between $50 and
$40 yard. You see there are only a few
pieces of this particular pattern made by the
manufacturer in France Then his agent
distributes 1t judiciously-a few pieces to the
UnitPd States, few TO Paris, few 70 Lon
don, and so on, the world over, so that 1t is
very rare, and very costly by reason of the
| few pieces made upon a very costly
| pattern. We'll II doesn't take much
of this and of the sort Of lace / spoke VI
little while ago TO make dress cost some
thing. just laid aside dress for ladS to-
dsy, which costs $500. Now here Is a wrap
that costs over $500 TO import. Here Is au-
other, at 800. There are others running
down as low as s75. For good plain dress
of good material, you will have TO pay about
$3.50 or $500. Then you may use this as
foundation for as much point lace and trim
ming as you like and run the cost up as far
as you desire. Or II you choose TO 20 on
Washington style, you can have one Of cheap
satin, tulle aud cheap lace at s7j."
NOT QUITE LION.
/ There are some echoes Of the DeCastro-
/ Holman Affair." thai do not reflect as great
credit on Mr.. D-CAstro as did bis course In
the event itself II Is intimated that be is
inclined 10 suppose himself qui.e lion after
| the incident. aud 10 make himself unpleas-
antly numerous in certain quarters for this
| reason. He even had the bad taste to IN axe
| frequent visits to people at the Hamilton
house where Mr. Holman and his family re-
| side. aud where there is un-
! bounded sympathy for the family, though
none for the scaiawag son. II
am Of the opinion - said an old society goer,
talking OF iiie matter TO your correspondent,
.sthat some people fn the social world have
rather turned Nr. DeCzstro's head. For in
] stance. the very night that It occurred, as
1 soon as II was fairly over, Mrs. Stewart her
l self took his arm and pronirn AIDED about the
bail room and paFlas with him, as much as
/ 10 sag, see our lion. Pm afraid Mr. De-
I Castro-s bead IS good deal turned by this
ineident''
FULL UxDREss EvEST.
/ Some yery modest prope were q good
/ deal scandalized last Saturday pight By the
display at the Grand opera house, when the
op<rz Of Paul and yirzinius was presented By
some society people I. vas advertised as 10