Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1886-03-03
FASHION SPOTTING.
4 QUEER PHASE OF METROPOLITAN
DRESSMAKING TRADE.
Eharp-Eyed Women Who Earn . Liyeli-
hood and Keep Up with the Times by
PiratinS Patterns and Counterfeit
ing Costumes.

Rot many days ago the reporter CHANGED in
his round to spend little time in one of the
great dry goods caravanseries that abound in
New York, and there observed the newest
phase in the great art of dressmaking. He
stood in the cloak-room. when all at once
there was a connection above the confusion
Of ;r;rfiiic, and he saw, IS did others in the
room, tile store detective take a tastefully
i.-ssod young woman by the arm and gently
but firmly eject her. There followed whis-
pered chorus among clerks and customers Of
as sho ashoplifteri- and "What has she GoIe!'
At the losing of the door the detective re
si.lncd his former disinterested air, and KEEP:
il li:;il ;,,,ed what the lady had done to be 50
SUI u :sly turned out into the cold. Then he
answered:
ooh, she 5 what we call fashion spotter.
The reporters ideas of spoilers Ind always
ctntcred on the reprehensible individuals who
deceive ic.der-hearted bartenders on Sun
days, and he waited for more. 1t came.
LATEST FASHION OF PARIS.
"it'5 new line of business among some
the most Inn tum and snobbish dressnakii;;
and millinery establishments in this city
that's got TO be quite the caper lately, ar
just row as their opening season is comment
ins they are out to spot and get on to ever
| You see such houses as OURS send every year
special buyer or order to Europe to SECURE ::
tho newest STYLES in the cloak. millinery a,e
d.rcSsri,al;ac lines, especially for their con
Germs. T:ais is done to keep each other wei
supplied against the composition OF outside Or
private trades, and at the same time tonot al
low their houses to fall behind in the lates;
fashions of Partisan or other foreign desig:s
| or rove .ics About q year ago it was ii,a-
possible to excel theso large establishments II
procuring such goods, and when lady o;
fashion desire! 10 get anything recent, out
side of importing it herself through some
| friend abroad, she was compelled to come t.
our stores and departments.
1T y,ss this pinch to secure patterns sld
STYLES from some perfect specimen or mode!
made il iaris that brought into existence tic
class 90 which belongs that woman you just
s:tw III lead ont of the store. These concerns
get a i..In or woman in their employ who Is
possessed with a knack for at once 'sl'otting'
or catching at a glance the color, material
| and ,i,si \ of any new dress, bonnet or cloak
Such parties must be experienced in this line
| of trade and when the season for new styles
/ and European novelties is about opening at
the leading establishments they are sent out
on their important mission to provide designs
for their employers, and upon them rests the
| great responsibility Of the winters work and
trad. The fashion spotter,' after looking
through the advertising columns OF the pa
,oers i.otcs the announcements of the leading
store r,---iris,s and at once starts on her mis-
SIGN. First one establishment Of standing Is
entered and il The house deals in millinery,
each sample bonnet is picked up and every
detail in its material and make mentally
noted. This is the millinery fashion spoilers
( job Then, SO it goes on with the cloakmak-
ers' and dressmakers' spoilers
DETECTIVES ON THE ALERT.
| The heads of biz stores at length deter
mined to keep detectives on the alert for the
fashion spoilers and TO keep them out Of the
show-rooms. We are getting on to them as a
set now, through shadowing and keeping a
regular description list of them at headquar-
ters.
The best time to nip these damsels is on
wet days. when regular customers do not care
TO venture out. They all seem to have plenty
of leisure in rainy weather, because their
trade is also dull, and, beside, they think they
can accordingly take time by the forelock.
| There is no law to prevent or punish them for
stealing fashionable ideas and turning them
| to their own advantage, but Of course a man
has right to forbid person frequenting his
establishment whom he might deem objection
able Then when you look at it, the business
does seem regular piratical piece Of work. l
do not believe the style can be copyrighted,
| but it seems almost as much Of an ofense as the
plagiarism or piracy of a book or play. You
must understand these houses pay pretty big
premium for securing the first importation
and exclusive use OF these styles in America
brooklyn Eagle.