The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1891-07-08
A womAN's DRESS EXCHANGE.
When the 400 Sell Their Costumes ano
When the 400, 900 Buy.

When the 400, 200 Buy.
It is pretty generally understood that
when a man of fashion has tired OF his
slightly-worn clothing he disposes OF 1t
with reckless generosity to his valet or
butler, or to any needy friend or rela-
tive who will take it out Of his way.
But what becomes of the gowns the
fashionable woman wears once and then
discards forever. They are never seen
again; but they are utterly useless to
the servants, and to bestow upon poor
relations the Worth or Felix creations
of gauze and brocade would be like
giving Dresden china to man who has
nothing to eat. Sometimes one is
tempted to believe that there is a kind
of dress bureau to which these wonder
full cOnfections which fit before us for
moment are translated without touch
of human hands. How many a woman
would like to revel in the glories of
such a paradise.
But there is Il more tangible solution
to the question of what the fashionable
woman does with hergowns. A secret,
Sacredly concealed, sort of dress eX'
change gives occupation to many gen.
tlewomen of modest means, behind the
veil of most profound gentility. The
most fourishing exchange is so man
aged that the proprietors own husband
never dreams that his clever wife
clothes her daughters off the proceeds
of buying and selling other peoples
gowns These places are never adver-
tscd for publicity would speedily kill
patronage One woman whispers to
another of the wonderful bargains to DC
found at Nine. BIS, and one matron
suggests to another the advantage of
leaving her cast-off finery in this mar
l<ct. The woman proprietor is neces-
sarily one of the elect, knowing and
known by q large circle of friends. Per-
haps her husband lost his money,
perhaps his income will not keep the
daughters i'll Paris gowns and pay the
caterer for balls and dinners. The
lady begins in small way to act as
mediator between the woman who
would like to sell gown and some 9th
CT friend whom she fancies will suit,
and all for small present. But when
larger custom is secured she deals in
more important affairs. A society
woman who goes to many dinners and
balls finds at the close of the season Il
large number of valuable gowns on her
hands. Each has been worn but once
or possibly twice, and can not be worn
again. She sends them by private mes
10 3bo
sold for whatever they will bring, gen.
orally about one-half their value, the
seller receiving a commission on the
amount she manages to secure for the
gowns. Perhaps lady gets misfit
gown that she can not wear. That,
too, goes quickly to the woman, who
perhaps knows some one it will suit,
and notifies her. A lady going into
mourning usually has many gowns, and
jewels as well, to be sold, all of which
bring fair price.
Now as to the purchasers. They, too,
are ladies either of different social
circle from those who sell from another
town, or, perhaps, of small means, who
would never dream of buying gowns in
secondhand place, but can find won
derful bargains in these exchanges.
The woman who goes to many din
ners in a season very often buys for one
hundred dollars dinner gown costing
three hundred dollars, and made of
most expensive and elegant material,
which can be remodeled into every ap-
pearance of q new gown. And women
hangers on to the rim of society's bright
circle are glad to avail themselves of
the gowns for which they could not pay
first cost.
One lady bought almost her entire
summer outfit at a brown-stone house
in the fashionable district where man
in buttons opens the door and the ele-
gantly addressed woman who receives her
looks less like shopkeeper than like a
queen. Another point, occasionally the
woman who drives in her carriage with
servants in livery on the box, has less
hard cash to call her own than the maid
who combs her hair. And such a woman
is very glad to sell the old bits of jewelry
that perhaps her husband has forgotten
that he gave her, or to raise little
money on her diamonds for a time of
need. Jewellers in good standing will
not purchase lady's jewels without
asking too many uncomfortable ques-
tions, consulting the husband, perhaps,
or the father when her comfort and
safety depends on the greatest secrecy
in the transaction.
1t is an interesting, and to the wife
an aggravating fact, that many men of
wealth, while allowing their wives
every luxury of life on account, give
them very little spending money. A
woman in sables and diamonds must be
in rather desperate circumstances to
step down from her carriage and ask to
have ten dollars worth of postage
stamps charged, and then ask the clerk
to buy the stamps again, that she may
have the money. Yet this has been
actually done by the wife of one of the
most prominent men in the city. Conse-
quently it may be readily seen how the
dress exchange is patronized by women
whose husbands would be furious if
they knew of this little resort for ready
money.
And on the other hand, woman
obliged to dress on small allowance,
if she happens to have a friend who is
this kind of dress broker can secure a
Paris gown which has never been worn,
perhaps because its owner went into
Grape after the seasons outfit was Sc
cured. One of the gowns hung away