The copper country evening news., 1897-12-31
FASHION In THE EAST
THERE ARE NO WOMEN DREssMAk-
ERS IN CHINA.


About Forty Gents. but Really Hand
some Suit Can BE Had For Two Dollars.
business Methods.
Woman, lovely woman, is very much |
the same tho world over. In every city
of Christendom her eyes turn toward
Paris and her thoughts to the latest
mode of that illustrious capital of fash
ion.
In the Flowery Kingdom they turn to
the great metropolis of Canton, out OF
whose workshops and ateliers come gar
ments of equal style and splendor if not
of equal grace and beauty. Ignorant
male travellers to the contrary notwith-
standing, there is fashion in the far east
just the same as there is at home.
A keen Chinese observer can tell even
more from woman's clothes about the
wearer than can be done at home. Lit
tie peculiarities invisible to western
eyes reveal the province where the
clothes were made; equally intangible
things show her status and rank. be-
| lieve there are Europeans who have
mastered these mysteries, at least L
have been told so, although have never
yet met one.
There are no women dressmakeIs in
China. They are all men, and every one
with the Importance and arrogance OF
Mr.. Worth of Paris.
Woe to the customer who dare criti-
else their work or suggest improve
ments. So superior are they to the 9TH
er sex that their clerks are men. There
are any number of these establishments
in the city of Canton. When you have
been to one Of the great ones, you have
been to all.
In front Of the house hangs great
signboard in scarlet and gold. 1t is q
, foot or two wide and reaches from the
sidewalk up to the second or third
story. The characters read: "Happi'
ness and prosperity. The house Of gold
en- splendor, women's dresses" There
are no show windows or easements O.
any kind The entire front is open t.
|, the thoroughfare. There is a low ant
! wicked railing across the entrance, how
3 ever, which bids defiance to sneal
t thieves and compels ingress and egres
t through gate as narrow as the on
n mentioned in Scripture. When you pas
= this, you find yourself in q large AM
very neat store some 20 feet wide, o
feet long and 10 to 30 feet high. Th
walls are covered with shelving fror
floor to ceiling, and these seemed file
II to the last available inch with bundle
!, - done up in paper of all sorts OF color'
=, These bundles contain each one articl
O. of clothing and are supposed to be proc
against moths, white ants, cockroach'
i'd and the other insect pests OF the far eas
n Upon each bundle in clearly write
Ill Chinese characters is brief memoral
n dunn of the contents and the price.
VS. small ebony counter at either end pc
ss mits the exhibition of the goods, al
:, light bamboo ladders enable the clerl
al to reach the upper shelves about q
,ot place. There is quite an army OF er
al ployees, who seem half bookkeepers al
,er half statesmen. There is a larger arm
Ter of customers examining and buyll
ed goods. There are no shoppers Sho
y; ping seems to be mysterious mode
ak vice that has reached its most dead
"a stage in the leading cities OF Un'
me- Sam. If Chinese lady were asked
go shopping, she would first want
thing explained to her and then woI
probably scream and run away unt
me tbe immersion that her interlOcutor
o. raving mad.
l.o r The people of the establishment
led very polite and bring down everythl
os- which they think approaches your
his sire. They first reach down the bum
OF and open it upon one of the counte
The folding of these bundles is
tremely ingenious. They are so ma
mn of salient and re-entering angles tl
when the last triangular point is folt
0. over and forced into itself it is imp
the sible for any living thing or even
,ry, nv dust to get inside of it. On one occas
sed dropped bundle OF this sort ov
and board and fished it out again Al
SEQ driving the outside opened it and
,sed nv surprise and delight found that
nc. water had not penetrated to the go
,seu ,sV within.
,.ss; ,sad The bundle, opened, discloses the G
ment inside neatly folded according
cry. the conventional system employed
rrsh the Chinese trade. There Is not m
.evs evs' variety to woman's garments IN Cnl
Icks, SO far as general form is concerned,
500 wears a pair of trou'srs which alw
nois' come from the upper waist to the
b. kles and a coat which is either long
"a short. In these bundles, therefore, II
day, not inexpressibles it is coat ana
for versa. The cheapest goods are mau
tor light thin muslin or cotton cioth
and black, brown or blue. Other ooiors
re- also used, but to no such extern
ions the three first named. The trousers
x.ra ar unbroken and are held in place
com string or belt. The coat is also a 81
hers niece and is fastened with little II
Ssd;}} Sa}}o In cheap materials the frogs are !
tags. cotton cord of the same Color a.
q66O suiting.
Esti- A costume Of the cheap class
quo rsnally 40 cents, but sometimes
mbs' sold as low as 80. Next In graa'
those made from finer stuffs, sneet