The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-06-10
The auieha 1ay eagle "Wednesday gornine gnne TO- 1891.
EXCHANGING DRESSES.
PEOPLE WHO SUPPLY EXPENSIVE
COSTUMES FOR A SONG.

Sell Their Old Raiment and How Many
of tho Four Hundred Thousand Secure
Beautiful Gowns for q Small Price.
1t is pretty generally understood that
when a man of fashion has tired Of his
slightly worn clothing he disposes Of it
with reckless generosity to his valet or
butler, or to any needy friend or relative
who will take it out of his way. But what
becomes OF the gowns the fashionable
woman wears once and then GAcards for
ever? They arc never seen ag1I.s, but they
are utterly useless to the servants, and to
bestow upon poor relations the Worth or
Felix creations of gauze and brocsde would
be like giving Dresden china to man VINO
has nothing 10 est.
Sometimes one is tempted TO believe that
there is kind of dress bureau to which
these wonderful confections which hit be-
fore Us for moment are translated with
out touch of human hands, How many
woman would like TO revel in the glories OF
such a paradise.
But there is a moro tangible solution to
| the question of what the fashionable wom-
an does with her gowns. A secret-sseredly
concealed-sort of dress exchange gives oc-
cupation to many gentlewomen of modest
means, behind the veil of most profound
| gentility. The most fourishing exchange
is so managed that the proprietor's 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 advertised, for
| publicity would speedily kill patronage.
One woman whispers TO another of the
wonderful bargains 10 be found at Nine.
> 4.
| er the advantage of leaving her cast off
| fnery in this market. The woman propri-
etor is necessarily one of the elect, knowing
! and known of large circle of friends.
COSTLY ROBES CHEAP.
Perhaps her husband has lost his money;
| perhaps his income viii not keep the
| daughters in Paris gowns and pay the ca
| terer for balls and dinners. The lady be
| gins in a small way to act az mediator
between the woman who would like TO sell
gown and some other friend whom she
| fancies it will suit and all for a small pres
ent. But when larger custom IS secured
| she deals in more important affairs. A
| society woman who goes to.nany dinners
| and balls finds at the close of the season a
| large number OF valuable gowns on her
hands.
! Each has been worn but once, or possibly
| twice, and cannot be worn again She
sends them by private messenger to the
exchange, and they are sold for whatever
| they will bring, generally about half their
| value, the seller receiving a commission on
the amount she manages to secure for the
! gowns Perhaps a lady gets a misfit gown
| that she cannot wear. That, too, goes
| quickly to the woman, who perhaps knows
some one il will suit and notifies her. \
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 per-
| haps of small means, who would never
dream of buying gowns in second hand
| place. but can find wonderful bargains In
these exchanges.
The woman who goes to many dinners in
a season very often buys for Sl00 a dinner
| gown costing $500, and made of most ex-
| pensive and elegant material, which can be
| remodeled into every appearance of 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 has bought almost her entire
| summer outfit at brown stone house in
the fashionable district where a man in
buttons opens the door and the elegantly
dressed woman who receives her looks less
like a shopkeeper than like a queen.
HOW RICH WOMEN GET MONEY.
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. AID such a woman is very glad 20
sell the old bits Of jewelry that perhaps her
| husband has forgotten that he gave her, or
TO raise a little money on her diamonds
| for time Of need. Jewellers in good stand
| ing will not purchase a lady's Jewels with
out asking too many unc0m Portable ques-
tions, consulting the husband. perhaps, or
the father, when her comfort and safety
depends on the creates. secrecy in the
transaction.
II is an interesting, and 20 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 he in rather desperate cir
cumstances to step down from her carriage
and ask to have ten dollars worth Of post
age stamps charged, aud then asks 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 bow the
dress exchange is patronized by women
whose husbands would be furious II they
knew Of this little resort for ready money
And on the other hand. woman obliged
to dress on a small allowance. IL she hap
pens TO have a friend who Is this kind OF a
dress broker. can secure Paris gown
which has never been worn, perhaps he
| cause It's owner went into crepe after the
| seasons outfit was secured. One Of the
gowns hung away in dress brokers' cab
met is a wonderful composition Of SILK and
| lace prepared for, but never worn, 20 the
! queens drawing room There Sc 10 more
! resemblance bet weeu these exchanges and
| the ordinary second hand store than be
tween a Bovvery pswnbroker and Broad
! way bank. and the ladies who patrouize
| them would scorn 70 cell their hnsry at q
| second hand store almost As much ~ 70 bay
it at the same plaee.-New York Sun.
]
Il Is not generally known that the late
! Marshal Won Noltke's wife was al English
| woman, his sisters s;epdaughtsr. He was
! many years her senior, bat the marriage
! was extremely Ea9py. and her death w&s