Morning journal and courier., 1889-04-11
HOW THEY SHOP.

Many 8 woman has looked at her own small purse, and longingly at the costly fa- brics displayed by the great stores, and has thought that it would be glorious thing to shop, if only she were Mrs. Astor-Mrs. As- tor standing for the genus of rich women and has pictured to herself the pleasure which that lady must take in shopping ex- petitions.
 She will be surprised to learn, according to St. Louis Globe correspondent, that
 Mrs. Astor knows nothing about the delights
 in question; that she has never felt the
 pleasant thrill of looking at an exquisite fa-
 brio displayed on counter and saying,
 while others look enviously on, 'I choose
 this; it is mine," for Mrs. Astor never goes shopping at all, that is, never in the ordin- ary way.
 The ultra-exclusives of fashion disdain the public shop. No "buying and haggling in the market place" for them. An article which has been displayed on a public count CT they would not wear; a thing which the populace could buy or duplicate is shorn for them of every charm.
 To meet their demands are industries which cater to them exclusively.
 Weavers and other manufacturers make
 designs which are sold to private houses on-
 ly, and which the large dealers are not al- lowed to handle. Thus they manage to
 dress in fabrics and styles which have the
 desired virtue of exclusiveness.
 Another motive to keep the leaders of fashion away from the shops is the fear which they have of being utilized as adver- tisements by commercial dealers. They are
 fully alive to the advantage it would be to 8 shopkeeper to have their carriage waiting be- fore his door and be able to say. stMrs.
 Vanderbilt is one of our customers, Dor, "We
 made Mrs. Orme Wilson coat of that sort, :" Our aristocrats would never regard with pa- tience their names or their pictures affixed to commercial articles, thing which I under stand is common in England, and no dress maker will be allowed to announce over his door, "Costumer to Mrs. Astor." Where our exclusives buy their clothes is kept pro- found secret, and no dressmaker dares to di- vulge that he sold dress to one of them, on pain of dismissal.
 This is how it is done: On quiet streets, out of sight of the great thoroughfares,
 there are inconspicuous offices. The uniniti.
 ated would net think of looking there for as
 much as paper of pins; but they contain,
 nevertheless, the latest Parisian kinks in
 women's wear, from Worth dresses to under.
 garments. As you enter one of these places little is to be seen, for goods are not dis played; but when you ask for 8 garment, presto! box after box is brought out and opened ,and with rustic of tissue wrappings and 8 rush of liberated perfumes, you are surrounded with bewilderment of dainty and exquisite garments, the ne plus ultra of their kind. They have the desired appear anoe of never having been seen before by mortal eye, but to have been made for your own express delectation.
 Almost everything is made in Paris, and is brought thence by these brokers. who are constantly going back and forth, always with many private orders. All the under clothing comes from there and is hand made. It is the most charming frou frou stuff imag- inable, as would be seen if were permitted to describe it in it's different phases as my lady wraps it in successive envelopes about her. May I venture2
 First comes a silk-ribbed shirt. It is of
 white, or possibly of black, but in no in-
 stance colored; even the demi monde have discarded colored underwear. It is low necked and without sleeves, as is necessary to permit the wearing of evening gowns, and
 clings like cobweb. Over it comes the cor
 set of linen coutil. It is not very tight, for
 women do not lace as tight as they used to. Mrs. Fortunatus draws on a pair of long, black silk stockings and fastens them above the knee with garters clasped by gemmed buckles, or, if she prefers the American method of fastening, with stocking supports
 CTS. Then comes the calecons of batiste or paiusook. They reach just over the
 knee, are slightly gathered there, and sthe
 elaborate borders of needle-work and Valen-
 ciennes lace are caught up each with a bow
 of ribbon. At this stage she tucks her feet
 intoa pair of suede slippers, and puts on
 flannel skirt, hand embroidered, which just
 reaches the knee, and over it one of batiste
 bordered with valenciennes lace, which just
 covers the flannel. There is a corset cover
 or batiste with elaborate frills of Valen-
 ciennes, and at this point we may be par- doned if we pause. Whorls of lace above the black stockings; pillows of lace about
 the shoulders, and the black silk undergar-
 ment just peering above in exquisite con-
 trast-it is effect a danseuse might en-
 ". Next comes small hustle and the long
 skirt. either of white, hand-embroidered or
 ce-edged, or else of changeable silk with
 pinked ruffies; in either case but one. And
 so my lady is ready for gown, boots and out side wraps, which must be heavy to make up for the light weight of the garments under meath.