The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1900-11-18
DOWEST

tho litile girl who holds the pins Tor the
filters The establishments IN this part OF
Paris that cater 90 women with money
and tatstc eli over the world are different
from any existing here; they are noi Ike
our private dressmakers' establishments
nor yet like the department. stores. They
are something between the two. The
best known houses are able 10 supply a
woman with everything 10 be worn from
the finest linen 10 an opcra cloak, and yet
they are more Ike the private drsasm X
crs ln New York than the Department
stores. Few places Of the more eXclu i've
and exp usive kind in New York make
any attempt 10 provide women with any
thing more than their dresses. although
the bcst-knowu Paris shops o. the kind
usually furnish lingerie ana mill merry az
we'll
The hes; patrons Of these high-priced
places in Paris are the women who live
there. in spite Of the common impgc sion
that only Americans and other foreigners
spend money enough for their dresses 90
pay the prices asked by the French mo-
dists. Parisians pay them much more
Willingly and frequently The women
who are thought 10 be- the leaders OF
fashion. tho wives Of wealthy bankers.
actresses with large sums a. their COM
maud. and women who are wealthy. with
out having husbands. OF having hesu
on the stage VIII pay regularly
for their costumes sums that would
nstonish any but the richest Eng
lish women or Americans. To wom
OF this very varied Partisan class. wnich
includes duchesses as we'll as SINCE Of
couplets IN music halls. there Is nothing
unusual IN paying 5000 Tor dress or 500
FOR six psttlcoat For an o. era cloak
500 is not considered extortionate. ard
for nightgown there T. though, TO b.
nothing excessive IA Siol a price.
These sums. asked By the most fash
lounhlo Paris drcssmakcrs. mean. %
course immense profit TO them although
IL is said that the average profit lt not
more than Is per cent. Some Of the
famous drcssmakers pretend to make no
more than per cent. ana II s. said that
the average is not more than l0 This
is. OF course. difficult To believe when the
cost Of materials IS taken into consld-
grafton and one remembers that the most
expensive stem On the making Of gown
or anything else FOR woman's wear s. the
taste Of It's designer More e. paid for
that feature than for anything else for
II alone cannot b. duplicated. while the
rarcst materials can usually be found n
enough be paid for them. Nothing how
ever. can take the place OF the genius In
fashions.
Tho cost 81 the labor Of making up
dress which sells for 500 Is said 10 be
only So and the balance includes the
profit OF the proprietor. the cost Of the
material and every other Incidental OK
pcnse. AZ least 800 Is thought 70 be the
share allotted 20 the designer for his
unique qualities Then there Is the cost
Of the maintenance OF the expensive es-
adjustments considered necessary to-day
Not only are the rents IN this particular
quarter Of Pars high. but the decoration
and general style OF the rooms OF a fash
iOnablc drcssmaker must now be little
short Of magnificent lie must have
polite. well-dressed capable stan Of
assistants and they are drought 10 rep
resent $50 on the cost Of the dress.
Interest on tho capital invested and
| outstanding debts Will exhaust $40 more
and FOR bad debts. which are more fire.
quent IN these establishments than the
wealth OF their patrons would lend any
body 10 suppose. the sum Of SO IS allowed
with $40 for material the total cost OF
a 500 gown would be $50. leaving a clear
profit OF $50 That Is about 70 per cent
and most dressmakers are said 20 earn
no more In view OF their great outlay
and the amount o. risk they take IN 1T
ting up and conducting such expensive
establishments. az smaller prices there
would bs little or no opportunity for