Evening star., 1897-01-16

knew 1t event her"-as they say in French
SO well. this costume have on Is not IN
the full style. yet because it Is individual,
not common. intrinsically pretty ana
general success in every way. l am con-
tented with it. It was a good bargain at
500, all made and then altered to me. The
skirt is really very good silk. the corsage
is fine brocade, and the trimmings are OF
the first quality. Look at these buttons
They are like fine jewelers. work. The
skirt is lined-as they always are in Paris
with silk. And this lining-as does not al
ways happen in Paris-is good SILK NOW
as / said the design of this costume is
nalE'individual'-and while 1t Is not
exactly dernier cri, it is, of course quite
sufficiently in the present mode. l suppose.
as a matter of fact. 1t is conscientious
and able copy of a costume made two
months ago by Doucet or some other
grand for a valued customer-because 1t is
really artistically conceived. 1t has been
stolen and is now being duplicated by TINS
grand magasn. But what does that mat
ter to me? l am not likely to meet any
one else wearing it. But that would be
awkward, wouldn't it?'
Partisan Hats.
And so she smiled bit uneasily and
changed the subject to Partisan hats. This
lady has been buying great deal of late
and if my story seems to be scarcely more
than an interview with an unknown, 1t is
pure and from the fountain head.
You canno. get pretty hat in Paris
under fifty francs,'' she said. And, again,
you can get as good bargains at tne
Louvre, the Bon Marche, the Trois Quar-
tiers other great shops as anywhere
else. These grands magasins have pre-
sentable-looking hats, in the latest style,
from as low as six dollars up; but 1t would
not be true to say that one can really be
satisfied below ten dollars. But perhaps L
am misleading you even here"
'.How?' l asked, wondering.
In this way" replied the thoughtful,
helpful creature. Just as there are hats
of different price, SO there are different
wearers for them. Many nice girl,
thinking herself lucky to get to Europe
under any circumstances, will view all she
sees with an enchanted eye. To her the
fact that every woman in Paris wears a
Paris hat-yes, think, Paris hat!-is in
itself a wonderment, as was the fiuency
with which French children speak so diff
cult language continual wonderment
to-was it not Mark Twain? These hats
become glorifed to her, and any one of
them will suit. Now, there are others
ladies who have bought their Paris hats
at home-imported hats, direct from Paris,
signed by the great makers-all through
their soft, luxurious years. TO such a
trip to Paris causes no excitement on the
score of hats. They will study the new
styles and store their minds with useful
information but will buy no hats, or few,
in Paris. They know that the great milli-
ners in this deceitful, tourist-exploitng
capital have two prices-one for foreign
ers-especially the English and Americans
and rich, hgh-class Parisians, the other
for their ordinary, middle-class compa-
triots. That is to say, Partisan ladies of
good bourgeois stamp, as wel-to-do or
better off than. say, the average travelling
American, can step into the choice, select
establishments. and make what we would
deem great bargains. But-and this ap-
plies peculiarly to hats, and hats alone
though l cannot at all imagine why
Americans can never learn the trick. 1t
has often been tried. Ladies have cliqued