The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-11-30
SHOPPING IN JAPAN.
A Little PIutocrat Bought a Wealth
of Clothes for n Mere Song.

New York Tribune
She is a dainty little plutocrat, an author
ity on clothes. with a capital &C. and she
talked clothes all around the world as she
sat surrounded by the spells of a seasons
globe trotting.
why" she said, "they can make a dress
in twenty-four hours in Japan, and cover
it with embroidery into the bargain.
don't know how they do it, but they do"
when you land in Yokohama you will
find the corridors Of the hotel lined with
Cinnamon. runners from the dressmaking
houses. They give you their cards, come to
your rooms to get your orders and give you
fittings, and the next day they will send
the dress home. Jack ordered broadcloth
suit, with frock coat, and it fitted him
better than any he ever had in his life 1t
cost him s15 and it was as good as any suit
he ever paid $50 for on Fifth avenue.
Now. here you see this little pongee
dress that they made for me. You see it is
all embroidered in red and blue silk, and 1
and ii cost me s..
Then here's a white flannel, with sailor
collar and cuffs embroidered in pale blue
They charged me SIS. and it's a regular
Paris fit Here's a white India linen You
see the skirt is composed of clusters of fine.
vertical tucks, alternating with drawn
work. 1t took them four days to make
that, and they charged me S. Here's a
linen frock for child. embroidered with a
vine pattern in blue silk, that they made
for g.
are simply wonderful. They can take a
Paris or New York gown and reproduce il
so that you can't believe your own eyes
They tell story in Yokohama of the man
In the early days of tourist travel who tore
his trousers on board and had them mend
ed. He sent them TO the tailor when he
landed to have them duplicated, and they
sent back the new ones with the darn neatly
reproduced, every stitch just like the old
one But, seriously, women have awful
times with their clothes in trip around
the world. After three weeks on board
every stitch of a silk gown will fall apart
There was one bride who reached there in
despair Every gown in her elegant Paris
rousseau was ruined. But she had them
the diTerenee. and at one-seventh of the
cost. Her $500 gowns they duplicated for
$50: That's what living on rice does.
Its just the same with materials" con-
tinued the experienced traveller do you
see this magnificent piece of cafe au iait
brocaded satin, yard wide? 1 got that for
this county. And just look at this" and
she flung out opulent lengths of cloth OF
gold, shimmering and beautiful This wa
ordered by Lady Curzon for the corona
tion, she said, and then she didn't take II
got IL for 81 yard; il would cost SIS or 500
In this country. I'm going TO have Ii made
into gown covered with Irish crochet
Now cast your eye upon this tablecloth."
The tablecloth was large enough for TWEEN
ty-four covers. 1t had a hem of drawn
work third of yard wide. and the rest
OF the surface. excepting the spaces left
for candelabra, was covered with emhroi-
derry, which stood up half an inch or more
There were twenty-four napkins a yard
square, with hens OF solid embroidery
That tablecloth was ordered by some
body and never taken" said she. .aThe
original price was $50 and I got If for s75
The napkins / ordered and had to nav
s25 apiece for them. The set is worth 81 osSo
In TINS country; And We expressed it from
That's the way you get around the dr.
ties, is it?' said the interlocutorf
On, that's not the only way" said the
little plutocrat. wisely. 1--WE learned a
number OF ways. but 1 will say that the
Japs, or rather their Chinese worxmen
are the cleverest people at the businass
ever saw. Will you look at that?'
II was beautiful. pleated skirt Of male
blue silk poplin, apparently never worn
when the Chinaman brought that in.
oh. John. you've cut into my goods He
wagged his pigtail. No. no. said he:
'Chinaman no fooee' And he wasnie.:
Then she did something or other 70 the
skirt. and 1t suddenly collapsed: rolled on
ly fresh from the counter.
That's one way 10 get them mast IN.
customs house" said she. calmly ..No
man would ever know 1t wasn't MADE IN
/ brought one trunkful Of that kind 81
clothes. But never saw anything like the
indignities to which travellers are subjected