The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-10-26

porttr-GaFment ounu IN Sceo"o hsnn"
Clothing store, of the Better Cisss-Thc
Poor Relations Not Forgotten.
what do the fashionable and wealthy
women Of New York do with their dis
carded garrnentsy" This question is sug
rested by one Of our thoughtful readers.
Be SAYS: ITO be in the swim these ladies
must have cords and cords Of clothes TO
, cast of, entirely too many for supply Of
their poor relations. Do they sell themf
Do they invite the old SO psn 70 ibeir
Servants. What l Do tAly va 90 vii With Z emf
Looking this subject up, reporter
learned that the ladies Of New York have
various ways of disposing OF their dis
csrded garments, and instead OF being at
all embarrassed to do so, they could dis
pose Of many more. 1t Is certain that
none of them is thrown into the street.
That many Of them are sold Is obvious
from the fact that an second hand cloth
ing stores Of the better class there are al
ways 70 be found rich garments that have
been but little worn. There is quite Oh
much difference between second hand
stores as there is between stores where
only new goods are sold There are plenty
of second hand stores where only goods
OF first quality are solo, where very nice
silks, satins, lace, upholstery and brica.
brec can always be found, and where the
prices are kept quite above the reach OF
ordinary people, although far below first
hand prices for such goods. Ii need not
bo inferred that all these GOODS are bought
directly from first owners. In many cases
they are bought of second owners, who
have received them as gifts from the first
owners, who discard everything the mo
ment that 1t goes out Of fashion.
DISLIKE THE BOTHER.
Yet there are rich ladies who sell every
thing Of this kind, not so much for the
money as for the convenience Of 1t. They
do not like the bother of doing out gifts.
OF course. they do not call in the ordinary
old clio man. They would not for the
world exchange word with the conten-
tious junkmen who are so ANXIOUS to ex-
change crockery for old garments. They
deal with quiet, nice people, who make a
business of going TO dwelling houses by
appointment TO appraise and purchase
such goods The advertisements of these
upper class" dealers may always be found
in the newspapers. The fact that the
business is profitable is apparent from the
fact THAT such advertisements do con
stantly appear. and such garments may
always be found in second hand stores.
One very capacious outlet for such goods
is found IN the aid societies of the various
churches aAd the rapacious demands OF
ladies' fairs. Much rich clothing gets cut
up TO make crazy quilts pin cushions and
the million knlckknacks that go 10 mi
q ladies' fair. The undertaking is easily
seized by the benevolent ladies for dIstri-
button among the poor, TO whom rich
outer garments would be All inappropriate
gift
Some rich ladies do Ect scruple 10 use
up all their old silk or satin dresses as
lining for new garments. These silk and
satin Innings are not ouly elegant and styl-
ISL, but they are very comfortable and
convenient They arc lighter than ordi-
nary Innings
But the poor relations are not forgotten.
There are many of them in New York.
Most Of tho rich families have come up
from POVERTY by long course Of hard
work and active business. Very few have
been able to bring up all their relations
with them The poor relations have
daughters who must be made presentable
when they visit the rich houses, and they
arc not only not ashamed to accept gifts
of clothing but are very glad to get l..
There are also many poor women In New
York who have once been rich, whose hus-
bands or fathers have failed in business
. or died with embarrassed estates, and who
rely upon old associates among the rich
for suitable clothing to keep up respect
able appearance.
ACTRESS COSTUMES.
AS to the leading actresses who have
large and expensive wardrobes, they DO
not need TO give away or sell much cloth
ing. The exigencies of their profession
require large quantities Of material to pro
vide costumes for various parts, and their
good dresses are made over and over
again and reappear in various forms, are
interchanged, mixed and mingled so that
the original shape Is unrccognizabie
There is no end 10 the uses that expert
costumers can make of good material
which, whether the property of the rich
or the professional, need never go a-beg
ging. Much Of the discarded clothing ct
rich ladies does find it's way to the stage
costumer, and rcappears III the court
trains, the ball room robes, and other
wonders of the toilet that grace the fair
forms of walking ladies, and astouud the
unthlnking female in the audience at the
lavish expenditure which the manager has
made.
Much Of the best material of the dis
carded dresses of rich ladies finds its way
TO the dye house, and there assumes some
moro marketable or fashionable color, or
gets done in black, which is equally the
taste of the grave and gay, the lively and
severe And thus in many ways the old
dresses of rich ladies are conserved and
contribute their mite TO Illustrate that
triumph of civilization that is approaching
when nothing goes to waste The refuse
of the gas house IL made into the most
gorgeous aniline dyes, and applied TO
faded rich materials to again reappear in
those delightful forms that ever fascinate
the gaze of man and absorb so much Of
the time and thoughts Of women. Thus
over the old Is transformed into the new
in the alcmbic Of time and through the
genius and invention of man and woman
New York Sun.
improvement OF the Race.