The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-11-15
BABY'S COSTLY OUTFIT
BIG FORTUNES EXPENDED ON THE
LITTLE FOLK.
Babies, Rfcs. Garments Are Made
by Hand Exclusively and Are
In Demand.
New York Press.

New York Press.
One is accustomed to lavish outlay In the
bridal trousseaus of the ultra-wealthy. but
what do you think of $50 being paid for a
baby's Iayette? 1t vas paid recently by
the baby's father. the Marquis De San Mai
sano. who married a New York heiress.
The wardrobe was TO last for but one year.
At Best's. In this city, where the layette
was ordered, II was said the sum was the
largest ever spent IN clothes for one baby.
In spite OF the lavish scale on which the
outfit was planned there was nothing
gaudy about the infants clothes. The finest
and softest fabrics were used, and every
garment from the long linen dresses to the
little silk stockings, was made by hand,
with the monogram OF the tiny aristocrat
embroidered upon It. 1t merely goes to
show that thers Is such a thing as fashion
in Babylon. and the opportunity for pur-
chasing expensive hnery is as extensive AZ
In the case OF adults.
To be sure. the infant IN this case had
specially made toilet articles OF solid silver
bearing the arms Of the house Of San Mai
sano. The little soap box was OF this metal.
and It alone cost $50. The basket contain
ing the clothes and toilet articles was the
most gorgeous piece in the layette. 1t was
trimmed IN the finest draperies. handmade,
fringed with real lace and m-onogrammed.
Each compartment was lined with white
satin. The basket cost $500. Then there
was baby's washstand. with accessories Of
the finest china and q miniature bathtub OF
porcelain
Outfits for other babies have been planned
on q scale OF almost equal magnifcence.
The Vanderbilt and Gould heirs have had
as much as 5000 spent on their baby
clothes. Each garment was handmade.
had its little wearer's initials embroid-
cred upon 1t. The layette for the baby born
to Lord and Lady Curzon MARY Letter.,
which was purchased in this city, was even
more costly, the sum expended being placed
at more than $500. And there were few
frills about 1t at that. Every effort was
while the fabrics were scft and costly, the
germ-catching ruf1e was conspicuous by Its
absence. The little undershirts were knit
ted of the softest silk. The flannel skirts
were like velvet, the nightslips and dresses
were made by hand, and the silk wool caps
and shawls and wrappers were maryels OF
expert workmanship.
While a total of E.oOo-to say nothing OF
s9.20o-for a baby's outfit seems stupendous,
there Is nothing remarkable about 1t when
one figures the cost Of some Of the items.
Ask TO see some OF the most expensive
dresses for an infant too young even to hold
up its head without support and you will
gain an insight into the surprising aggre-
gate When q reporter for the Sunday
Press asked this question q pasteboard box
fully i've feet long was brought from be-
meath the counter by one OF the sales
women. AL smoothed out, as II II were a
gown for a society leader to wear to the
trst night Of the opera, lay a snow-white
linen dress 1t bore the N Of the
most expert needlework- Real lace frtnged
the tiny cuffs and real lace nearly a foot
deep was 1t the bottom The price was
$3.50, with not even 80 cents discount for
cash. Not every woman attends opera first
nights IN a two-hundred-dollar gown.
A long cloak OF white silk. heavily lined
with wool batting and with a wide collar
OF drawn work was next displayed. Its
price was 300.
DEMAND EXCEEDS SUPPLY.
ID we sill many OF this kind?" repeated
the saleswsman. Why, we have difficulty
IN keeping a sufficient stock on hand"
It Is not fair to blame the babies with
this extravaganza. 1t In the fault of the par
ents. At the counter OF the infants de-
partment sat a man from California. He
was purchasing an outfit for an expected
heir. His bill already had passed the two
hundred-dolar mark and he had a lot OF
other things to buy
81 am gong to surprise my wife with
thing aboutit until the goods arrive"
He could nve purchased an outfit for one
tenth the sum he had spent and this was
II suppose the baby would like it just as
well" he relied. but m wife and / would
not. Who vpuldn.t be glad to spend money
The babies shopping place is a great field
20 study human nature, as shown by little
men and wfmen. There you will see the
pampered drlings OF the Four Hundred
and the ros-cheeked toddlers OF the we'll
TODD.
! hunter abor babies when they are out on
their shopptg excursion. They never bag
gle about ts price OF anything. and the
J chief Difficulty encountered by their moth
ers and thesaleswomen is TO get them to
! try on thins- On busy days the children's
] store Il hkea babies congress. with moth
ers, and OCCASIONALLY fathers, brought along
for the pur2se OF completing the picture.
The babiel are never asked. Have you
| been waitedon?' Babies would be likely
60 roll theirbig eyes and pucker I'D their
lips az suchdireotness OF speech Instead
f yoS hear; 2h, wha a little Ssari Does
soft and co0g Is the voice that the baby's
head stops 'cbbing around like an apple
stuck on II and OF q slender twig, and
: there Is an MANTLE expression Of interest
that mearsthere VIII be ne crying until
the ordeal fitting Is over.
These shQing trips show how strongly
marked archie sex lines, even at the ten
! along with heir hands ciinging tightly to
spis Is novet a FUN year out Of short
dresses. sitsndependently o q stool, gaz-
! ing about the shelves and the people
y with an atiof masculine unconcern that
shows bis srdy contempt for fnery.
4 The eterni feminine is manifested In the
little love &c display. A miss OF three, too
small to be zen over the counter from her
stool, gets Ton the counter. and from this
vantage pot parades back and forth In a
new poke banet that provides an antique
frame for E delighted face.
When IL mes 10 trying on wraps and
clothing thsame traits are apparent The
boy looks lbit sheepish In his new suit.
He IS alwa. ready to show dissatisfaction
quickly engh: but one feels he will re-
serve an gression OF pleasure over his
new raimeuuntl he gets around the corner
10y himself.
But the g Is on parade. No FIfth-avenue
bud IN herlaster array Is more seif-con-
sciously deshted than she. No sooner is
the TOD butn OF her winter cloak fastened
than she hfbits q desire 10 see how IL
looks. Thngh the thin veil OF shyness
peeps her ny vanity, the bubbling Joy In
being seen her best.
Perhaps lis when being fitted for shoes
that the pence OF the little shoppers Is
tried most. Here one finds customers try
ing on everything from the first soft, fuzzy
wooden ''btes" OF helpless infancy 10
dainty footsar for girls. Those who at
tend TO tn children must be experts IN
keeping nepus little feet from wabbing
while tired tile backs are kept straight IN
a chair I'll smallest habv sandals are If