Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1893-04-25
EXCHANGING DRESSES.
PEOPLE WHO SUPPLY EXPENSIVE
COSTUMES FOR A SONG.

|
Sell Their Old Raiment and How Many
Of the Four Hundred Thousand Secure
Beautiful Gowns for a Small Price.
1t is pretty generally understood that
| when 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 relative
who will take it out of his way. But what
becomes OF the gowns the fashionable
| woman wears once and then discartls for
| ever? 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 a man no
has nothing to eat
Sometimes one is tempted to believe that
there Is a kind of dress bureau to which
these wonderful confections which fit he.
| fore us for moment are translated with
out touch OF human hands. How many a
woman would like TO revel in the glories OF
such paradise.
| But there is a more tangible solution to
| the question of what the fashionable WON
| an does with her gowns. A enthusiastically
| concealed--sort of dress exchange gives oc-
cupation to many gentiewomen of modest
| means, behind the veil of most profound
| gentil:ty. The most fiourishing exchange
| Is 80 managed that the proprietors own
husband never dreams that bis 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 to be found at Nine
| B--'s and one matron suggests to anoth-
q m IF 1na vi t,ar of
| fnery in this market. The woman propri-
etor Is necessarily one of the elect, knowing
and known OF large circle Of frends.
COSTLY ROBES CHEAP.
| Perhaps her husband has lost his money:
| perhaps his income will not keep the
daughters in Paris gowns and pay the en-
| terer for balls and dinners The lady be-
| gins In small way to act ms mediator
| between the woman who would like to sell
gown and some other friend whom she
fancies 1t will suit, and all for small pres
| ent But when larger custom Is secured
she deals In more important affairs. A
society woman who goes to many dinners
aud 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 commission on
| the amount she manages to secure for the
| gowns. Perhaps lady gets misiit gown
that she cannot wear, That, too, goes
! quickly to the woman, who perhaps knows
some one 1t will suit and notifies her A
lady going into mourning usually has
many gowns, and jewels as WE'LL 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 ia
| these exchanges.
The woman who goes to many dinners in
a season very often buys for 800 a dinner
| gown costing $500, and made of most ex
| pensive and elegant material, which can be
remodeled into every appearance of n new
gown. And women hangers on to the rim
of socety'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 man in
buttons opens the door and the elegantly
/
like shopkeeper than like 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. 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 diamond
for time of need. Jewellers in good stand
ing will not purchase a iady's jewels with
out asking too many uncomfortable ques
lions, 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 sabes and
diamonds must be in rather desperate cir
cumstances to step down from her earrings
and ask to have ten dollars worth of post
age stamps charged, and 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 how the
uicSs tAcuhnEe Is pAtronlZeu Dy 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 a small allowance, II she hap.
pens to have a friend who is this kind of :.
d,ess broker, can secure a Paris gown
which has never been worn, perhaps, be
cause its owner went into crepe after tho
seasons outfit was secured One of the
gowns hung away in n dress brokers cab
met is a wonderful composition of silk and
lace prepared for, but never worn, at the
queens drawing room. There is no more
resemblance between these exchanges and
the ordinary second hand store than be
tween Bowery pawn broker and Broad
way bank, and the ladies who patronize
them would scorn to sell their finery at a
second hand store almost as much as TO buy
1t at the same place, York Sun.
In Tornadoes.
Those living in portions OF our country
exposed to tornadoes will be glad to know
that scientists tell us there is always warn.
ing OF the approach of tornado to those
inf oh mt lie r.,