Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1889-01-18
WHAT DRESS COSTS.
OUR YOUNG LADIES COME HIGH, BUT
THEY MUST HAVE PRETTY THINGS.

dress
'Thunderi my dear. Didn't you get a new
one for the Assembly balll Do you want q
new gown every weekg When your mother
was a girl she wore a white muslin frock &c
every ball Of the season."
Eyes, papa dear, but you know Shake
speare says, Costly thy habit as thy purse
can buy, and it's my first season, and you
wouldn't have me look like fright"
"Oh, yes, that is very pretty but doesn't
the same gentleman remark somewhere that
Our purses should DO proud, our garments
poor'n
"But he didn't live in New York, papa, and
20 to Delmonico ballsn And then poor papa,
being nothing but meek American million
ARE grumbled and fumed a little, and
finally put two crisp greenbacks into little
rosebud hand, and, with kiss as light as
thistle down and after calling him ''you
darling old dear" she ran away.
An unwilling but interested listener TO the
interesting conversation, | began TO Won
der what it cost to dress young lady Of
fashion. At the rate Of 500 week 1t would
DO over $1,000 year, and as my income was
only half that and my lady love person Of
fashion pondered. l asked a young mar
ried man at tho club how much bis wife
spent year on her clothes. know Iput
the question meekly, but be howled at me to
Ego 10 thunder with my impertinence,'
and SO I went-or, rather, | Went TO visit
IN aged female relative She told me
that clothes had gotten beyond her, and said
all she knew was that her granddaughter
could 'dance a $500 ball dress to ribbons il
a night Then became frightened, and SC
/ consulted a nice little debutante who volun-
teered to post me on clothes
"Of course there Is no limit to tho amount
you can spend on clothes,n she began. IF
/ you want to 60 to Worth and Pingat, or, in
fact, to any Of the fashionable Paris dress
makers, you viii be Obliged to pay pretty
reasonable price. | have very nice ward
robe this year, and 1t cost papa Just $1,000
When we came home from Europe brought
just two Paris dresses, because, don't you
know, II you can't say, Some Of my things
are imported, you are really nobody One
was perfect love Of ball dress, you know
wore 1t tho other night, that pale yellow
tulle, all embroidered in silver, with the big
yellow sash and satin bodice. It looked very
simple, but it cost me $500, and then papa
had lots Of duty TO pay on it 1t was made
from a special design and the design do
stroYed, 50 that 1t could not be duplicated.
Then brought over a carriage dress |
haven't worn It yet-Im wanting until the
other girls wear theirs, then shall come out
In miDa IL was quite cheap gown; only
cost $3.50 1t is In four shades Of fawn and
OF silk and velvet, made in ono Of those long
directoire redingotes that are so much worn,
with sash Of crimson. 1t was made for the
Princess Somebody, believe, but she would
not pay her last bill, SO they sold it to me for
half price You need not say anything
about that, though
Here she paused for a moment and asked
her i her dresscs were as costly as those Of
tho Misses do Batteur up the avenue.
a should hope sol Why, those girls EN-
ploy - dressmaker, and do all the plain
sewing themselves, and their father dresses
the whole five Of them on 5000 yearl /
20 not think ! am At all extravaganza, but
could not dress on 5000 year,
Then ws came back To the subject Of her
clothes and what they cost
some sweet little dancing gowns, one for
each OF the Delmonico balls, only cost me 500
each. have specially nice one for the
fatriarchs to-morrow--a white silk crepe
lease. with an accordion plated skirt all
tucked with white satin ribbon, and jar
diniere ot lilies Of tho valley down one side
and about the waist Of the brocade, and an
empire sash OF cloth of silver. Ghormley
made that
Then there Is one for the New Years. hall
Of lightred Brussels net, all caught up with
tiny black humming birds, and one for the
last assembly, Of rose pink gause, made a la
Grecque-awfully sweet gownl | have lust
seven Of them need fresh one for each
ball, you know, and then l wear each one
ar 1.
opera and dinners With my imported
dress, that makes only eight ball dresses
not at all extravagant, do you thinkFr
After assuring her that would not do such
a thing, we proceeded.
well, you see, needed two new street
costumes, so | went down to Redfern. and
he turned me out two beaUries for $50 each.
both with hats and jackets to match. One
is that dark green and black cloth gown that
hts like glove. | wore it yesterday. Won
remembering buttons down the front
and long, straight flaps 10 the polonaise.
Directoire, you know. Everything Is direc-
toire and empire this year. | have a plain
cloth jacket with that and a little velvet
toque, with a princes feather in il This
blue cloth, touched up with the silver braid,
Is the other dress wear it with long boa
But when asked about the coat to 20 with
1t was informed that noue was required.
because the gown was lined all through
with chamois skin, and was as warm as
sealskin without the bulk Of the lat
ter. SO do not imagine when you see one
Of your feminine friends walking about with
out jacket, and the Thermometer down to
zero, that she is silently freezing. She isn't.
II she hasn't chamois lining 70 her dress she
has one Of cotton batting; but this letter
only IN case she IS very thin, when 1t serves a
twoiold purpose Of giving her warmth and
rounding out her angles.
MY tea gowns were marvelously cheap.
You know that green and pink brocade, all
bofdered with humnling birds wings, SO
olzarref continued my tutor swell.
only paid So for that A perfect bargain
call H. Then have that morning dress Of
pink and white flannel made Marguerite
fashion, and the one Of pearl gray cashmere.
They cost me $50 each. l had them made ct
home should Like two more tea gowns.
hear one Of the Van Vantry girls has seven,
but cannot afford il this year, shoes and
stockings cost 50 much, you know
lt was quite shocking 70 hear that hall
Shippers Of satin were Sl2 a pair, and YOU
could pay more for them If you wished.
swell walking shoes, with patent leather
tips, were either s. or S, and house slippers
s., and as for silken stockings, IS and "a
were the prices always paid for plain ones,
and was told you could dance hole ia tho
heels in one evening without much trouble
A church dress IS quite necessary. 1t is
the fashion 70 DO very plain at church, and
the women, l believe, try to see who can
dress the plainest A olack alpaca, with a
very quiet short seal jacket or a cloth with
scroll braid, is the correct thing, and a small
velvet or cloth bonnet without strings. This