The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-06-17
TYING cRAvATS FOR SMELLS
How Employees in Partisan Hairdressing
Shops Make Living.

| Inc empfOVeS In the IaShiOna Die nafr-
| dressing shops of Paris are called salon
niers, 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 delicate one, for the artist is ex-
pected to make the knot in such way
I 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 remarked by their
eccentricity; their supreme idea of ele-
gance is not to do anything like the
common run of mortals. They adopt
expressions among themselves which
! frequently find their way with the gen.
| eral 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 era
vat is tied is very important matter
to gentleman in evening dress
Swells recognize each other by this mark
of good taste. They know in looking
at necktie if its wearer is or is not
customer of such or such hair dressing
saloon. If the knot is wanting in its
distinctive stamp, its wearer is regarded
as a profane and does not enjov
the familiarity accorded to those who
have passed through the hands of eel
ebrated salonnier. We all know how
quickly fashions spread and how easily
excessive notions are adopted. Young
men who would consider that thew were
compromising themselves in going into
barber shop, and who, nevertheless.
wish to appear with their cravat tied in
the most approved fashion. have the
sRlonniers come to their apartments
Whenever there is a grand fete. these
artists get into cab at six o'clock in
the evening and begin their round. In
two hours they can tie the cravats of
some twenty fashionable 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 receipts and the
assistant the other third This facility
time prompts the salenniers to work on
their own account as soon as they OBJ
ain the promise of employment from
sufficient number of customers, Then
they devote themselves exclusively to
tying cravats. They hire small apart
ment where they can receive their Gus
toners, for a great many fashionable
young men prefer to have their cravats
tied at the salonniers. as it costs less
than to have him come to their house
1t is rare that the form of cravat !
knot lasts for an entire season. a new !
style is quickly initiated, and as soon as
everybody begins to wear tie that was |
at first the privilege OF a 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 into a new place, !
round or point the ends, make one I
longer than the other; in short they |
have thousand and one ways for dis
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
the men belonging TO their set. 1t is
during the winter months that these
tyers of cravat knots are kept coptinu-
ally employed, but they are never
wholly idle. In the summer they go 70
the principal watering places and man
l.. I
one month with another they earn
from one thousand 20 twelve hundred
dollars year.-N. Y. Epoch.