The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-08-01
FROM MODELS POINT OF VIEW.

FROM MODELS POINT OF VIEW.
Every once in while. possibly through
tragedy like that of H5ttie LaroGue,
which starTles the world. the attention
Of the public is drawn to the details
of the cloak models life The pitfalls
and SHARES by which her path is sur
rounded are particularly emphasized I'M
III IT. would seem that no self-respecting
woman could bring herself 10 adopt the
vocation. Girls are warned 10 shun il as
they would the chorus stage. with all its
glittering alluremcnts. But that is an
unjust and extremely unfair view of the
situation
In some way. however the cloak model
is peculiarly singled out for that doubtful
kind of admiration which some men think
il a compliment to bestow upon 4 We
man. She must be attractive. graceful
and of nearly perfect form 10 be a sue
cessful cloak model, or suit figure, as
she is sometimes called. for all the sam
pie garments are fitted upon her. and
they must be of undeniable style and dis
tinction- For this reason the cloak model
must approximate very nearly TO 2 GER
tain recognized ideal.
One model. who was for years with a
leading cloak house, tells of her first en-
gagement. She had the required bust and
hip measure. but her waist was too small
by two inches. and there were one or TWO
other deviations from the perfect lines.
Il saw the three heads close together
in the glass partitions" she said, and I,
knew they were talking about me and
my shortcomings. But the designer was
urging my claims. She's a good locker.
all right enough he urged. She made
that blue outing Jacket look stunning
I'm for giving her a chance Do you
think you can make her goT asked my
future employer. snxiously. Sure re-
piled my champion. Look at the way she
holds her head?
Then the designer emerged from the
retreat and asked me whether I couldn't
let out my corsets an inch or two. IL
was all done in such a matter of fact
way that there was not the least hit OF
embarrassment on either side. I simply
was 10 him a lay figure whom he was
trying to make as satisfactory as posi-
bic for the best interests of his firm.
ne was a nervous little fellow and a per-
feet martinez about fitting. but he proved
to be a good and true friend. / learned
many valuable secrets about padding and
altering the form and adapting it TO the
changes of each season.
Il remained there till the firm went out
of business, and got my next position
solely on the strength of an improve
ment that the designer had suggested to
me.
"A girl soon learns to discriminate and
know a good deal about human nature.
She knows when it is safe 10 smile and be
agreeable, and when a cold, dignifed
behavior is her best method. She real
ICES that buyer does not mean TO be
disrespectful, even if he puffs away at
cigar all the time that he is having the
model promenade up and down before him
in the latest CONNECTIONS. 1t is simply
the way some men have.
\ smile will often aid in effecting a
sale. The model knows this and will
often not resent attentions that are not
personally pleasant from sense of loyal
~ 10 the house She does not wish to
ALLEVIATE a profitable customer It might
possibly, Also lead to the loss of posi-
ton. So. when the fiippant young buyer
from Chicago invites her out to dinner
or the st. Louis man presses her TO go
TO the roof garden she often accepts
through a sense of duty, while the gay
young fellow feels that he is perfectly
irresistible to the New York girls, and
that he has made another conquest.
"Of course, IL rests with the girl wheth-
er she encourage or repel any further
advances II she have a strong sense
Of humor. and good common sense, she
can get some harmless fun out of the
situation. but ii is a dangerous game for
a girl fond of pleasure, easily nattered
and eager for the holiday side OF life
after the stern, workaday realities. Such
one is decidedly in danger. If she
takes even the preliminary step. Ii is
almost sure to lead her into the way
that leads 10 destruction ana disgrace.
Il was invited out once by western
customer whose invitations had succeed
ed in parrying once or twice. This time
however, there was no getting out of 1t.
My refusals were getting too marked.
and 1 think he noticed it. So / con-
suited with a dear old spinster who board
ed in the same house, and who had been
like a mother to me ever since / came
TO New York, and we Matched up a
wicked little plot. / was dressed in my
prettiest dinner gown. and my would-be
escort had a very fine carriage at the
door, when in burst my dear Old friend.
accompanied by a boy bearing divers
packages, and a parrot cage. She was
gotten up like the typical Aunt Maria
of the bucolic stage and as such
introduced her 10 Mr.. -.
"Of course, I could not go out and
leave dear old auntie the first night Of
her arrival in big. strange. lonely New
York, when she had Travelled all tn,
way down from Oneida county, too, so
l modernized her a little. and took her
along.
The dear old soul surely missed her
vocation when she took music teaching
instead OF acting. for she played the part
Of the country aunt 20 the life. and Mrs
Gilbert herself never gave a more finish
ed character sketch. You ought 10 have
seen Mr.. Young Man from the Vests
face when she thanked him for buying
'sech nice vittIes for her and her niece /
and said she had fetched down some
nice homemade cookies. which she want
ed him to accept in return for his kind /
ness.
My employer smiled roguishly the next |
day and said: 4 hear you had quite a
gay time last night Hows Aunt Maria /
after her Outing2 You're al right. Miss /
.. l was wondering how you'd manage I
it without getting him sore on the |
house and taking his trade away