The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-02-25
GOOD TIMES, GOOD CLOTHES.
The Treasury Department Records
some Wonderful Dress statistics.

some Wonderful Dress statistics.
Society wears better bonnet. finer SILK
dress. and richer jewelry than it did
year ago 1t is clothing itself in finer furs
from France-and drinking great deal
more champagne. For society is feeling
the benefit and expansive effects OF good
times and returning prosperity. 1t is
common delusion that the diamond buyer
is quite beyond the touch Of poverty, that
she dresses as well one year as another,
/ that she drives as well and entertains as
/ lavishly. but nothing could be further from
the truth. Indeed, society is the first to
| skimp when hard times begin to pinch.
! When railroad earnings fall off the rail-
road prince confides that fact first to his
wife. and Mrs. Railroad Prince concludes
not to buy that set of furs until next win
ter. whereas Mrs. Common Person, who
doesn't know that railroad receipts have
fallen off, keeps on buying for year or
two more. and then she, too, begins to
skmp.
Now. these assertions are not mere sup
positions. The Treasury Department of the
United States keeps a very complete set
of books. in which some of these secrets
Of society are set down in the coolest and
blacklist of type. Society may do IT best
to keep IN appearances. but certain
easily obtainabe fat book of figures shows
| remorselessly just what the condition OF
| society really is Just now il is reveling in
/ all manner of luxuries after n. long Lent
OF hard times Indeed. never before in
| the history of the United States was there
such rush TO buy fine raiment, fine jew
| elry, expensive wines rich tapestries ana
art goods and elegant furniture as there Is
| this last year of the century. lnde ed,
never before was the human race, or, at
| least the upper strata of it. so surrounded
4 by the trappings of luxury. A few figures
will show better than anything else tie
present craze of the American public for
buying fine things.
Ten years ago. according to the reports
of the United States Treasury Department.
We were contented with about Sl4,Ot9.oOO
worth of foreign diamonds and jewelry
which are bought largely in Holland and
France That was the sum we expended
in 1890, 1891, and 1892. Then came the
great crash OF 1898 and a period of hard
times. Even society had TO have its bread
and meat and so il cut down on the luxu
uries. In 1894 the total amount expended
abroad for jewelry was only S6OOo,OO0,
| reduction from the years of prosperity OF
| over IS. OO0, 600. In 1895 and 1896 society
| revived q little and spent 900 each
year and then came the blacklist darkness
| of hard times-iS9T-and this expenditure
actually sunk to less than sS,500000. Think
| of society contenting itself with such
bagatelle of jewelry in one year! But
| good times were already on the way. In
| 1883 the foreign jewelry bill amounted TO
over 10000 goo. and then came 1899 with
society perched high on the crest OF the
prosperity wave and spending nearly VS.
| 600. coo for imported jewelry-about five
times as much as the expenditures OF two
years before and by all odds the greatest
sum in the history OF the nation. And that
sum does not include of course, the i'm
mense sums spent for homemade jewelry,
and II must be whispered. for struggled
jewelry Diamonds alone jumped from
hare 50 coo 900 in 1897 to over So 600
| in 1899. Was there ever better argu-
ment that prosperity has come again?
And then there is the matter OF bonnets
and hats Not only was there larger
number purchased in 1899 than ever before,
but the quality was finer. France sent
us more creations than ever before. Our
bill for foreign hats in 1899 was nearly two
and one-half million dollars, 100000 more
than in 1898 and near $500. eco more than
in 1Ss7-showing that in spite of the skill
of the American bonnet craftsmen, French
art is still popular.
Society also used more foreign perfum-
cry and cosmetics in 1929 by nearly $780,
geo worth than in 1898. the total bill reach
ing more than half million dollars But
the fat book shows still another thing
about perfumery which will be found Gu
rious. if not significant. inasmuch as it
answers the question, ARE perfumery and
cosmetics going out of style?" All during
.bo ba-s .ir,as NJ 1857 Americans spent