The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-08-07
ARTISTS WHO TIE cRAVATs.
There Are Men in Paris Who Make
Money Tying Knots in Scarfs.

The employees in the fashionable hair
dressing shops are called salonniers, and
they not only cut hair in the latest style,
but sell linen collars and at the same time
tie the knots of the cravats worn by the
purchasers of the collars. This operation
is. it appears, very important one, for the
"artist" is expected to make the knot IN
such a way that it will harmonic with the
cut of the collar and with the physiognomy
of the person wearing it.
Certain rich and fashionable young men
take delight in making themselves re-
marked by their eccentricity; their supreme
idea Of elegance is not to do anything like
the common run of mortals. They adopt
expressions among themselves which fire.
ouently find their way with the general
public they decide each year the cut Of
trousers, the shape of the shoe, the form Of
the hat, the length of the overcoat; in short,
of the whole of the masculine toilet.
Now, the way cravat is tied is very
important matter for gentleman in even
ing dress. Swells recognize each other By
this mark of good taste. They know in
looking at a necktie if its wearer is or is
not a customer of such or such a hair
dressing salon. If the knot is wanting in
the distinctive stamp its wearer is regard
ed as profane and does not enjoy the IA
miliarity accorded to those who have passed
through the hands of a celebrated salon
nier. We all know how quickly fashions
spread and how easily excessive notions
are adopted.
Young men who would consider that
they were compromising themselves in 60
ing into barber shop, and who neverthe-
leSc wis RI IRA ar ia6
in the most approved fashion, have the sa-
lonniers come to their apartments. When
ever there is grand fete, these artists"
get into a cab at 6 o'clock in the evening
and begin their round. In two hours they
can tie the cravats of some twenty fashion
able young men and thus earn from eight
to ten dollars, each knot being paid for at
an average price of fifty cents, or nearly
half what the cravat is worth.
The employer takes two-thirds of the re-
ceipts and the assistant the other third
This facility of earning so much money in
short time prompts salonniers to work on
their own account as soon as they obtain
the promise of employment from a sufii-
cient number of customers Then they de-
vote themselves exclusively to tying era
watts. They hire a small apartment where
bD6N Can IeC6IN0 tu6lE CuSJOntESy IOT q
great many fashionable young men prefer
to have their cravats tied at the salonnier's,
as it costs less than to have him come to
their house.
1t is rare that the form of a cravat knot
lasts for an entire season. A new style is
quickly initiated and as soon as everybody
begins to wear a tie that was at first the
privilege of select few, the fashionable
ones abandon it. Then the salonniers are
obliged to find something novel, either a
change in the shape of the knot, or of the
cravat itself. They alter fold or make it
in new place, round or point the ends,
make one end longer than the other; in
short, they have thousand and one ways
for distinguishing their customers from
the other persons who go about in society.
Frequently these changes are made at
the suggestion of clubmen, who, when the
knot suits them, adopt the new shape, and
on the morrow it is worn by all the men
belonging to their set. 1t is during the
winter months that these tiers of cravat
knots are kept continually employed, but
they are never wholly idle In the summer
they go to the principal watering places
and manage to make their expenses. TAX
ing one month with another they earn
from a thousand to twelve hundred dollars
a year.-Charles Seymour in New York
EDoch