Wichita eagle., 1889-01-11
WHAT DRESS COSTS.
OUR YOUNG LADIES COME HIGH, BUT
THEY MUST HAVE PRETTY THINGS.
a Nice Little Debutante Gives Some De-
tails Dresses That Cost $500 Must
Have n New Rig for Each Ban-Tea
Gowns. Slippers. Etc.

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 be proud, our garments
poor"
''But he didn't live in New York, papa, and
go to Delmonico balls" And then poor papa,
being nothing but meek American million
aire, grumbled and fumed a little, and
finally put two crisp greenbacks into little
rosebud hand, and, with a 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 it would
be over $4,000 a 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 the club how much his wife
spent a year on her clothes. ! know put
the question meekly, but he howled at me to
Ego to thunder with my impertinence,"
and SO | went-or, rather, l went TO visit
an 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 in
a night" Then L became frightened, and SO
consulted a nice little debutante who volun-
teered TO post me on clothes.
''Of course there is no limit to the amount
YOU can spend on Clothes" she began 'If
you want to 60 to Worth and Pingat, or, in
fact, TO any of the fashionable Paris dress
makers, you will be obliged to pay pretty
reasonable price. | have a very nice ward
robe this year, and it cost papa just $4,000
When we came home from Europe brought
just two Paris dresses, because, don't you
know, if you can't say, Some Of my things
are imported you are really nobody One
was perfect love Of ball dress, you know
/ wore it the other night, that pale yellow
tulle. all embroidered in silver, with the big
yellow sash and satin bodice 1t 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 de-
stroyed, so that it could not be duplicated.
Then brought over a carriage dress. 1
haven't worn it yet--rm waiting until the
other girls wear theirs, then | shall come OFT
in mIpe. 1t was quite a cheap gown; only
cost $50. It is in four shades of fawn and
of silk and velvet, made in one of those long
directoire redingotes that are SO much worn,
with a sash of crimson. 1t was made for the
Princess Somebody, L 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"
Her she paused for a moment and asked
her if her dresses were as costly as those OF
the Misses de Batteur up the avenue.
81 should hope sol Why, those girls en-
ploy So dressmaker, and do all the plain
sewing themselves. and their father dresses
the whole five of them on $4,000 yearl l
do rot think | am at all extravagant, but l
could not dress on 5000 year"
Then We 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 a specially nice one for the
PatTiarchs tomorrow white silk crepe
leise, with an accordion plated skirt all
tucked with white satin ribbon, and a jar
diniere OF lilies of the 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 ball,
of light red Brussels net, all caught up with
tiny black cumming birds, and one for the
last assembly, of rose pink gauze, made Ia
Grecque-awfully sweet gownl | have just
6al, you know, and then l wear each one
four or five times at small dances and the
opera and dinners With my imported
dress, that makes only eight ball dresses
not at all extravagant, do you thinlIF
After assuring her that | would not do such
q thing, we proceeded.
''Wel, you see, l needed two new street
costumes, so | went down to Redfern, and
he turned me out two beauties for $50 each,
both with hats and jackets to match One
is that dark green and black cloth gown that
fits like a glove. | wore it yesterday, you
remembering buttons down the front
and long, straight flaps to the polonaise.
Directoire, you know. Everything is direc-
toire and empire this year. | have a plain
cloth jacket with that and little velvet
toque, with n princes feather in it 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 go with
it / was informed that none was required,
because the gown was lined al through
with chanois skin, and YVES as warm as
a sealskin without the bulk of the lat
ter. So do lot imagine when you see ono
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 channels lining 10 her dress she
has one Of cotton batting; but this latter
only in case she is very thin, when it serves q
twofold purpose of giving her warmth and
rounding out her angles.
My tea gowns were marvelously cheap.
You know that green and pink brocade, all
bordoEed with hunlmiDg birds wings, SO
bizarreT continued my tutor. "Wen, 1
only paid $50 Tor that. A perfect bargain /
cali IT. Then have that morning dress Of
pink and white flannel made Marguerite
fashion, and tho oue OF pearl gray cashmere.
They cost me $50 each. had them made at
home. / should like two more tea gowns.
hear one of the Van Nantgy girls has seven,
bat cannot afford 1t TINS year, shoes and
stockings cost so much, you know"
II was quite shocking to hear that hall
slippers OF satin were Si2 !. PAIR. and Won
could p1v more for them if You wished.
Swell walking shoes, with patent leather
tips, were either IS or IS, and house slippers
81, ana as for silken stockings, 50 and 81
were the prices always paid for PLAIN ones,
and l WAS told you could dance hole IL the
heels il one evening without much trouble.
\ church dress IS quite necessary Il is
the fashion TO be very plain sc church, and
the women, 1 believe, try 70 see Woo cal
dress the piaiueSt 4 olacS alpaca, With
very quiet short seal jacket or q cloth with
scroll braid, IS the correct thing, and : small
velvet OF. cloth bonnet, wlr!.ou@scriags. This
rig, Without tte saceue. can Is procured fot
sornething liss saa New York Herald
Brutsi.
Jones is franknoss itself
/. ~ -