The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-22
AS TO DRESSMAKERS.
The Exorbitant Prices They arc De-
-s nandinE These Days,

New York Sun: The Increasing prices
asked by dressmakers have alarmed
Paris. and one case was fragrant enough
to attract the attention of the experts.
The present head of the Doucet estab-
llshment testified that no dressmaker
was justified In more than so per cent
profit. This was brought out when
dress.naker sued woman to recover
part OF her bill which the defendant
refused TO pay. The court decided. after
hearing the famous dressmaker's tcs-
tfmony. thai the remainder need not be
paid. The margin of allowable profit
had been exceeded Since that time
various other cases have arisen with
the result :hat committee has been
formed 10 investigate the conditions
scientifically and decide whether or not
there really has been during recent
years 4 steady and continued advance
In the prices demanded for dress. New
York women would willingly give 1t as
their opinion that this advance had
happened in New York. There were tr-
teen years ago dressmakers in New
York who asked prices quite as high
as any that are demanded nowadays,
but they were at that time exceptional.
The very high-priced dreSsmakers have
Increased in numbers along with in
crease in wealth. and ut the same time
the moderate-priced dressrak0rs have
nos failed TO increase In the same pro-
portion. Women who make up mater
ials fairly well for SIS or so are nova
days scarce. All OF them are doing that
merely to fill In the time until they are
able to ask more and undertake, at
least. only the kind OF work they de-
stream employment that never in
cludes making up materials that are
brought to them. The profits at that
are considered much less than those
possible when everything is provided.
Light summer silks that are made for
sl25 and $3.50 In the hghest-priced
places. and plainly made at that, will
cost from SIo to $50 al what women call
"little dressmalter's.T even II she
happens to weigh two hundred pounds.
The adjective little is applied not to her
figure physically. but financially. The
probabilities are that she will charge
even more the following year. The wo-
man who makes up materials that are
brought to her will not be iikeiy>to ask
less than $50 Il she IS I person capable
OF making them up properly. I'm
tired OF changing dressmakers every
year." asid one young woman after q
visit from one who had proved most
satisfactory to her the season before,
"and trying to follow them up their
steady ascent In prices At one time 1t
is SO more than 1t was the year before.
| and the next year 1t Is $50. So long as
they are good, people find them out, and
the advance in their price goes up as
steadily us a Thermometer on n summer
day. It Is disgusting. Now I have to
Start out and look for u woman who
will probably be satisfactory this year
and may be reasonable. If she is good
there Is not the least chance OF getting
her the next season at the same price.
II she's bad. though, there's likely to
be no increase in rates. The good ones
so up at the rate OF about $40 u season
| until they get to the grade Just one be-
low the really impossible chargers.
There they stick, unless they're Won
ders. 1t takes little while. though, Tor
them to reach the top notch. probably
| five or six years. I had ole tailor who
was the most successful example of tina d.
sort of thing ever saw. He made a
| dress first five years ago for $50. Now
he's got up 10 $il0 for the same thing,
! ard there he Is nj present. Maybe he'll,
never get any higher, but II ANYBODY
| can, lie VIII. He described all his sue
| cess, which is probably one reason WIN
he got 1t SO quickly. still. they all "a
up in price after whilc-cven the bad
ones"