The morning times., 1895-11-24

A model who does not pose for artists
| or sculptors, and, unlike Trilby. never poses
| for the ''altogether," is the cloak model
Tine season of her activity is plain. She
has again returned from her summer va
cation, where she displayed the latest thing
in bathing suits to good advantage, and has
begun work in earnest. To people who Inn
agine that the daily existence OF a cloak
model is cross between pleasant dream
aud Bohemian and champagne suppers IL
may be well to add that the life OF these
bright young women is anything but
dream. 1t is more often a horribie night
mare.
The cloak model is usually very la nd
some young woman, and one whose figure
is beyond criticism. They are selected from
among the best formed women in the big
stores and transferred from the counter to
the cloak department.
The models In this city have other du-
ties besides displaying the goods She has
TO submit to the pulling and hauling about
of Il class who imagine that she is nothing
more or less than a dummy" which is the
wooden figure on which the cloaks are dis
played in shop windows.
The whole object and the only aim of the
model Is to aid the salesman in making a
sale. When the customer comes in she sell
dom knows exactly what kind of a coat
she wants, and there Is where the sales
work.
The saleslady sizes up the woman and
puts the coat or cloak on the model which
she thinks would be best suited to the Gus
toner.
MODELS MANY MANEUVERS.
The model puts the coat on her dapper
figure and then begins n number of maneu-
vers, which are not down on any OF the
army regulations of the world. She wheels
and turns, executes flank movements,
marches and counter marches, and all the
while the customer is sitting in a comfort
able chair, resembling in many respects q
general reviewing his troops
The model bitches her shoulders up and
expands her chest in order to make the
garment fit. After trying on innumerable
wraps, one is finally found that the Gus
toner thinks she likes This one also is
put on the model and then ensues about
half an hour more OF marching and pa
rading around
The model, If she knows her business
and she usually does, displays all the fine
points about the wrap and expatiates at
great length upon the warmth and style
of the garment. She tells how Mrs So
and-so, wife of Senator So-and-so, went
wild over it, and that she liked IL so well
she made her daughters all get one.
Government clerks are the bane OF ex-
people always shop in pairs.
Inc department people, On the other hand,
believe that cloak models are horn with
about four times as much original sin in
them as other people and that it will take
centuries OF patient labor and effort to get
It all out.
When the government clerk and the model
get together the whole store knows it.
The model is at work. patient, good.
and thoughtful. An air Of calmness and
resignation pervades the cloak department,
when in comes the sweet department clerk
and her friend
CHAOS AMONG THE CLoAKs.
She states her mission and the work OF
producing chaos among the cloaks begins.
Coats and capes are hauled down, and
general bnstie is noticeable all over the
floor Finally some that suit the customer
are found-that is, after nearly all the
others have been submitted to her inspec-
ton. The mIdel, OF course, has been trying
on tine different styles all this time and is
beginning TO lOse the look OF patience and
resignat ion she had when the performance
started.
The customer puts on Il coat and asks her
friend what she thinks OF it.
The friend has some criticism 10 make and
the saleSlady makes another effort. This
time she puts coat on the ward OF the gov
ernment that shows her perfectiUns off well
The friend is again appealed to for her
opinion. The coat is a .ewel in every way,
and il makes the customer appear as a
Venus. hut the friend being only woman,
and having all the weaknesses and fOllies of
her sex, doesn't like ii 4 bit.
She hates to see the wrap fit so well
and show off the other woman TO such good
advantage, and when she does give her
opinion of It 1t is usually that 1t makes
her appear short wasted, stoop-shouid-
cred, or too fat or too lean. There is al
ways something the matter with good
fitting coat in the mind of the friend of
the purchaser, so the model thinks.
HOW THE COMEDY ENDS.
The comedy usually ends by the friend
holding a whispered conversation with
the w0uld-be purchaser, and the customer
turns to the saleslady and tells her that
they only get paid twice month and that
she will look around and if she finds moth
ing that suits her better she will return
about the 10Th or the 1st. The result is
nine times out of ten that she never re-
turns.
Then the model and saleslady begin to
dissect the taste and styles of the two,
and incidentally to put the wrap away
again.
This in itself is no small task, the cloaks
having to be brushed and hung up on racks
or folded and put away in boxes. Such
work as lifting heavy garments, when no
sale has been made and about an hours
time ia ken up, is not calculated to sweeten
the temper OF an angel, il they should
sell cloaks, much less that of a model.
Another trying thing in the life Of the
model is the customer who comes in about
closing time, gen orally O'Clock. She
must be waited on and treated as court
eously as though the model and saleslady
had not been working hard all day, and
had nice warm dinner awaiting their
coming at home.
A sale may be expected about fifteen
minutes after closing time, but the trouble
does not end with the sale. The goods must
all be put away before the saieswoman
and model can go home.
The life of a cloak model is not a bed Of
roses, nor even lone grand. sweet song"
as President Cleveland would say.