The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1908-10-19
Dress Agencies in London
Sell Products of Most
European Makers.
OFFER BARGAINS
IN RICH ATTIRE
Women of Limited Means Get Cos
tunes Otherwise Far Beyond
Their Purses.

Dress agencies have in London
achieved a remarkable degree Of sue
cess. although II would perhaps seem
more remarkable II they had not, for
they mean the saving Of no end Of
time and trouble. and best Of all, Of
expense to the woman whose means
are not unbounded.
These agencies make a speciality OF
buying from Viennese Partisan, and
even London creators of fashion,
gowns, wraps, and costumes of all
sorts that have been exhibited on
their manikins or models. and which
are thereby only slightly damaged, and
may be easily made TO look as fresh
as though never worn at all, before
they are offered their customers.
These agencies make it possible for a
woman TO get a creation that, made
for her. would cost between 500 and
$500. for SO and up to $l50 and in the
same proportion for evening wraps
Many women IN society are thus cloth
ed, though It is never suspected, and
actresses and singers often buy all
their outfit from them
Few Worn Gowns Sold Now.
For a time. and at their start these
agencies sold secondhand goods that
had been perfectly cleaned and reno
waited, but nowadays they accept only
a few choice gowns that may have
been worn only two or three times. and
these they buy from the owners them
selves, not doing business with ladies'
maids. as popularity imagined. How
ever. they do not care 10 handle these
secondhand goods, and make no at
tempt to buy them, as they think it
lowers the general tone OF their bust
ness They. therefore. buy them chief
" to please unusually influential wom-
en-. who may some time be their Gus
toners as well as those Of lesser means
and social standing.
These agencies have buyers in Paris
looking up the gowns shown on mani
lIins, and If customers Of the agencies
have indicated what sort of gown or
gowns they desire. the agent looks for
these, and when found, books the order
for them in advance. Then when the
model Is no longer worn by the manikin
II IS, II necessary, refined, its trimmings
renewed where worn or soiled, and all
the other little tricks performed 70 make
II a fresh frOck, and over IL goes 70
London to the fortunate wearer at only
q fraction Of its original price
Elaborate SaIesrooms.
One Of these agencies has day room
an evening room, another for furs. and
another for motoring garments, and so
on, where the individual goods are
shown and sold Zach color has its
own closets. and three floors of the es-
tablishment are devoted to stockrooms
for these particular gowns. They carry
between 1000 and 5000 models, all OF
exclusive materials. some Of which
range TO SIS per yard for the gown OF
wrap material alone. and they are
made by the leading fashion creators oi
Paris-Worth, Beer, Drecol, and others
Evening robes are in the greatest de-
mand. Day gowns, since the advent OF
the motor, have fallen off in sOles. The
great change from the selling of second
hahd 10 manlkin and shOp-wOTn goods
has been evolved In the past half dozen
years and Is now large and profitable
business