The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-12-30
SOCIETY GOWNS CHEAP.
WHAT BECOMES OF EXPENSIVE
DRESSES BUT LITTLE WORN.

Very Many Garments of tho Wealthy Can
not Be Used More Than Few Times
by Their Owners and Are Then Within
the Reach of More Humble People.
The other day an inquisitive person
asked a leader of New York society with
the reputation Of never wearing q gown
more than three times: "How do you man
age not to be swamped in sea of gar
mentss Your gloves cost more than all
my wardrobe, yet / find my closet disa-
greeably full at least once year"
The woman smiled inscrutably, saying:
''.The poor we have always with us. | see
you look incredulous, but it is an absolute
fact that my Worth gowns help 70 warm
many poor creature every winter. Not,
of course, in their first estate Madame Is
the magician that makes them available
When have told you my part OF the story
| will send you to her for the rest
"You see, il one goes out a great deal,
heaps Of clothes are a necessity, and the
more unique and striking a gown IL, the
shorter its season Of usefulness. For peo-
pie remember it and do not forgot 20 re-
mark its appearance If at all frequent.
Then you must either remodel it, give it
away or send for madame
"a clever maid, with knack in her finger
tips, can transform a simple gown with
new draperies and trimmings, but give her
an embroidered French creation, radiant
with the individuality Of Worth or Pingat
and she bungles terribly-so terribly, in
fact, that the last state of the garment is
more notable than the first.
FORTUNATE RELATIVES.
The most serviceable gown in the
world is a silk or velvet, very handsome
and well cut, but severely plain, upon
which all sorts of trimmings may Be super
imposed to give the effect Of different cos
tunes. BY so clothing yourself you viii
escape reproacb On the other hand, your
style viii never be remarked, and what
woman could bear thsts Nearly all prom
inent society women have sisters, cousins,
aunts, friends or proteges so situated a.
to make the gift OF their scarcely WORE
garments more than acceptable That is
what becomes Of deal Of socisty's friiis.
Their new owners make them over or wear
them intact in fresh fields and conquests
new.
''One Fifth avenue n1afron within my
knowledge Is a sort Of special providence
to many people Of whom she knows hardly
more than their names. The surplus Of
her wardrobe goes into the hands of nobly
generous creature who delights TO distrib-
ute among other gentlewornen who are Sc
cure enough Of their gentility not 20 take
olTense AZ the gift.
That sort Of thing goes on largely
abroad, where the ranks q poor gentle
women are 50 pitiFuily crowded. There IS
more Of II here, too. than ron would i'm
agine. I could name you more than one
belle and beauty whose career would he
impossib Die but for sucn good help. Very
handsome studs are. OF course. sonstimss
worked over by dressmskerS outs.de, but
IL l. the exception. hot the rule
''In london. though. you always count
on getting ne~ evening gown ont Of your
court train after you have been presented.
II il four 70 i've yarsis long. and heaven
knows how many breadths wide-so Il -
a. easy - deal with a. rev stuff. besides,
there Is the lining fer ne~ undergone.
Historic brocades, too. are kept and mace
ever.
wHERR TIE cows 60 To