Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-23
SHOPPER AND SHOP GIRL.
Both Sides of an Interesting Cues
ton Investigated by Woman.

| ton Investigated by Woman.
New York Trlbune.l
"Breathes there a man with soul so
dead that he has not listened with his
heart swelling with sympathy to the
pathetic shopping stories related by
his women folks?" said woman yes
terday.
The women who shop are divided
into two classes-the buyers and the
lockers. 1t is the former class whose
experiences are the most narrowing,
altho, to be sure, one must look, and
look well, before one can buy; but 1t
| is, perhaps, the ones who are only look
ing with no intention of buying) who
cause much of the trouble. Most wom
en- have horror of buying the first
thing they see, even tho 1t is suitable
in every particular 1t gives one such
a comfortable feeling to be quite sure
the article one has selected is the very
best to be had In New York for the
money, therefore women go from shop
to shop and come home with all sorts
| of experiences to relate.
81 went down town to buy suit
this morning. said woman to me
the other day, and have never had
Eevery saleswoman with whom I came
in contact was horrid. Just dread
buying millinery or anything ready to
wear, anyway. In those departments
the women are so exasperatingly SUI
perior. In one store entered the de-.
partment and saw at least eight wom-
en- standing, or rather posing, about
the room just where the long mirrors
would reflect their superb figures and
their trailing black gowns. Not one
of them stirred. I was obliged to ask
to be waited upon. I was shown one
suit that / liked very much, so I tried
1t on, and, would you believe that while
was looking at the front that wom-
an gathered a great fold of the mater
ial up at the back in order to make the
jacket set smoothly thru the waist?
Then she said it fitted me beautifully
without alteration. was so Disguised
that left.
The next place went the young
woman was charming and most ac-
commodating. The sleeves of the
jacket was trying on were entirely
too short, but she assured me they
looked much better on my fat arm than
longer ones could possibly look. The
shoulders were much too roomy, but
she was quite sure a stout person be-
came more shapely in loose clothing,
and, as for the waist line, which was
fully an inch too low, that would give
the much desired long effect that was
so stylish.
THAT was the way 1t went for more
than half a day. BY that time I had
found suit. and had begun to look
for a hat. Now, suppose I tried on
In the course Of a few hours not less
than eighteen hats and every one of
those eighteen were the most becom-
ing hats the miliners had seen this
season. found out that my particular
colors the most suitable for my COM
plexion, the ones I could wear by day
and by night, were red, white, purple,
green, gray yellow, brown, pink, blue.
orange and black. I could wear any
shape, and there was not single in
stance where the prevailing color of
the hat did not harmonic beautifully
with my hair. Miss Smith was newt
ably appealed to. Yes, Miss Smith
thought it looked grand-just grand,
and such a stylish little hat, too. I
would have welcomed anybody who
would have declared positively that I
was fright
1T takes lot of courage to come
boldly out and say that you see moth
ing you care for. / believe lots OF
weak minded women purchase things
against their better Judgment just to
avoid the sullen eyes and the insulting
manner some of these girls display
when they can not sell goods.
Another woman of my acquaint-
ance has told me how the saleswomen
would snatch up the suits, run out of
the fitting room and slam the door
after them, leaving the poor shopper
who did not buy to get into her clothes
1T is these little annoying occur
rences that so to make up the great
volume of complaints that we SO often
hear against the people employed in the
department stores. However, as there
are always two sides to a question. 1t is
unjust to allow all our sympathies to
20 to the customer until we have heard
the other side.
ut was too hear this other side that
entered into conversation with a
woman employed by a representative
department store. An automobile coat
was thrown over her arm and her face
was radiant.
"'oh, I'm so glad I made that sale!"
she exclaimed. 1t was probably my
last chance today and there had been
nothing on my book
II looked at the clock. It was 5. DO
you mean to say I asked that she
was your first customer today7'
my first sale. I've had any num-
Der of people looking. 1t has been one
OF those days when people just won't
buy 1t makes 1t very hard for US. No
wonder we are not always pleasant.
Now, to day Is an example have
shown first one and then another the |
entire stock Most women think If they |
are pleasant we should be. Some of
them seem to think we should be any
way. But being pleasant isn't always
easy when you see the other girls SELL
ing goods while you are working Just
as hard and selling nothing. Every
night our books are turned in. II they
show big sales 1t is all we'll and good,
and nothing is said about 1t, but If
there is not much there it is sure to be
noticed and spoken of. We are put
here to SELL 1t is sell or get out. Do
ing the best you can isn't counted at
ALL
II talked with man In silk de-
partment. He is also an expert on fine
laces. I asked him If it was not to a
advantage to be obliging
,,x3 ,l,yo,,o o5, fc chow Goods He