Evening star., 1902-08-30
AMONG THE MOD|STES
American Women 0Verrun
the Temples of Fashion.
WILL PAY BIG PRICES
IF THINGS ARE CHEAP THEY
WILL NOT HAVE THEM.
Paris Acknowledges They Are Artists
in Dress and Admire Their =
individuality.
WILL PAY BIG PRICES
Written for The Evening star.

Written for The Evening star.
Yes, said the manager. there are days
when a visitor might be excused for sup
posing that this was simply an out-and-
out American institution running fun blast
| in the center Of Paris"
We were in the superb salon of one Of
the greatest, if not the very greatest OF
the Partisan couturiers or ladies taiiors.
one Of the two aIl-powerful autocrats OF
Ia mode whose word on matters of cos
tune is law In every civilized center. and
whose creations or designs, win admira-
tion for their fair wearors at every brilliant
social gathering in the world.
As the autoCrat himself piloted me over
his immense premises. explaining the mys-
teries of the creation of costly gowns he
amply justified Incidentally his statement
about our country people. II is fact that
rich Americans are the mairstay Of the
great industry Of Paris They are the best
customers of the establishments Of the Rue
de la PaiN-muCh more profitable than all
the English duCheSses and Russian priu-
cesses of whom We hear much IN this
connection.
The Partisan dressmaklng firms always
had an immense and unrivaled reputation,
but it is since the American began regularly
to come over in shoals some ten years
ago, that princes of fashion have become
SO rich. They build splendid private hotels
out of American money, and every year
they increase their space and multiply their
work people to keep pace with the growing
demand from American cities or from the
wealthy Americans who come themselves
every year to stock their wardrobos with
the latest Paris robes.
No Limit for Them.
According to what l was told. there Is
absolutely no limit to what the bulk Of tho
Americans are willing to pay for their cos
tunes. The richest brocades, the rarest
silks, the most unique designs are what the
American women demand-and are willing
to pay for "A German grand duchess"
the manager said, wants the best she can
get for her money; but she knows to a cent
how much she can afford to spend, and She
keeps within the mark. The American
woman. on the contrary. seems never sure
that she is paying enough. She is not sat-
istied that she is getting the best Paris can
offer her unless she feels it in the bH"'
And he told with a hearty laugh how
once he found himself forced almost to
cheat an American customer to prevent her
going away in disgust 1t was the WELL
known daughter of prominent millionaire
politician She had chosen light, sum-
merry fabric for garden party costume.
When all the details Of the design had been
settled she asked the price of the finished
robe. Two hundred dollars" said the
manager. The customer flung the dainty
fabric down with contempt; she wanted
something much better than that They
tried in vain to persuade her that that was
the best material that existed suitable to
the light, summer style Of costume she de-
sired. In the end he appeased her-ard to
secure her order they had 10 bring out an
almost precisely similar stuff and price the
costume Of that at $500 And even then
she pouted,' said my informant
Cost of the Trade Mark
He hastened, by the way, to justify his
action by the interesting remark: "Our
ola, l.
will and knowledge such colossal prices for
our 'cachet,' quite apart from the value
of the material that S1c0 one way or the
other makes no great difference" At a re-
cent trial, where a coUturior sued a bank
rupt society dame for his bill. it was shown
that some of her dresses had been priced
at as much as 1000 francs. This. it was
calculated, was just nine times the trade
value Of the fabric.
American women, all the same have
reputation in Paris for good taste. They
like to pay high prices for a stuff and style
that suits them, but they will not consider
for a moment a costume-eNen though it
costs Sl,oUo-Which-as not in keeping with
their physique and personality. Ny friend,
the manager. confessed with sigh that
often enough people dressed tas they
call it, at his world-famOus establishment
were hideous frights, none the less. These
are people with no taste or great stock
of obst5nacy; they cannot choose properly
for themselves and they viii not listen to
the suggestions Of the highly skilled experts
of the place.
This" he said, almost never happens
in the case of my American customers;
nearly always they have a most delicate
sense of color harmonies and Of the hang
and flow garment must have TO suit their
own personal style. Quite apart from
money considerations. IL is a pleasure to
serve them; they do credit to the house
with their admirable taste and their noble
figures and carriage"
In which opinion, / may remark, by the
way, the couturier is sustained by the
critical opinion of Paris. At nearly every
great fashionable reunion some of the ladies'
of the American colony singled out by
the society reporters as having been con-
spicuous for their attractive costumes and
splendid presence" That is small COM
pliment in the city which prides itself
the beauty Of Its women and their fine,
tistic sense.