The suburban citizen., 1901-08-03
CREATING COSTUMES.
The Vast Army in France Devoted to the
Cause of Fashion.


The vast Army in France Devoted to the
Cause OF Fashion.
1t is a matter of great interest to the
visitor in Paris to observe the extent
to which the whole city is given over
to the service of fashion, Costumers
and their assistants abound on every
hand. 1t is estimated that some fifty
thousand Of these. including women
and young girls, are at work in the
city.
The name OF the Rue dc la Paix,
where the most Fashionable shops are
situated, has come to stand for the en-
tire dressmaking quarter, although
many equally attractive establish
ments are to be found on the Avenue
Le rOpera, the Rue ROyale and Boule-
ward Haussmann. A glance at the
books of some OF these houses proves
that Paris is all that she claims TO be
as capital of the world Of dress. The
leading queens and princesses of
Europe order their choicest gowns
here. Even the fayOrites Of the Sui
tan and the women of the Mikados
Court are said to wear on occasion
dresses created by the artists of the
great Paris houses, and bellies Of South
America are their most extravagant
clients. English and American women
are naturally among the most fire.
quent shoppers seen in Paris from
abroad. ,ss 5,N's, =, ..sss.-s.sv. '---. ,.','
To adapt themselves to this foreign
patronage the mannequins or models,
who stand to try on and show off the
superb costumes, are chosen to repre-
sent the average style and build Of
women of different nationalities, Ger
man, Russian, American or Spanish.
These girls receive about $3.50 a year.
Sometimes the dress is created in a
modest ateler. or shop, or again in an
apartment which has not the least re-
semblance to business establishment.
Places like Paquin's are almost thea
trical with their spacious rooms and
well-dressed attendants. Those sales
women who achieve success in at
tracing and retaining customers often
receive it is reported, from $4,000 to
$4,000 yearly. The profits of popular
establishment are large, but the per-
sonnel of the assistants in such place
is of the utmost importance, tact, ex-
perience and good taste being abso-
lutely essential. The dressmakers Of
Paris take the greatest pains to keep
themselves informed as to the fuctua-
tiOns in fortune Of their clients, so
many Of whom are persons well
known to the public, and the credit
of aristocratic or theatrical patrons Is
always carefully noted. In fact, lit
tie secret police force, it is rumored,
has these matters constantly in charge
Many persons who cannot personally
visit Paris contrive to trade there by
means Of samples sent through the
mails. 1t Is to this custom, as the
story goes, that the introduction of
the well known mirroir velvet is due.
A sample of ordinary velvet sent by
mail was crushed in the stamping in
such a way as to assume an unusual
brilliancy The dealer receiving it,
studied to gain the same effect in
new velvet, and produced the MIRROR
variety, which proved an immediate
success.
If Paris is the centre OF fashion,
nearly all industrial France assists
in the production of articles of dress.
Whole towns depend for their pros
perity on the making Of the materials
used by Partisan costumers, such as
Lyons, Amiens, R0ubaix and others.
Taking the country in all, probably no
less than 100000 masters and work
people are employed in this manner,
and since caprice is ever the chief
element of fashion, these Industries
are being subjected continually TO
change.-NeW York Tribune.