The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1910-05-18
STEALING THE STYLES
London Millinery Pirates and
Their Methods.
TRICKS or SMART WOMEN.

Use Thetr position 70 Get q Look At
ths Advance Models and Then Sell
Their information In Bsriin--ons
csss Where There Was . Sip.
The ehiect If the medera millinery
pirate h by some means to get hold
of the new fashions well In advance
of the coming season, and, however
jealousy guarded the now models are.
she-most pirates are women-very
often succeeds. and the real owner has
the modification of seeing his novelty
anticipated by some firm of infinitely
less importance than his own.
Last spring the proprietor Of one of
the smartest shops in the west end of
London noticed lady walking in the
park attired in Il dress almost an ex-
act copy of Il brand new model of his
own, IA model which not half dozen
people had seen besides its inventor
and himself. The design had been reg
istered, but the copy was just sutti-
ciently altered to steer clear of legal
difficulties.
the fact that the culprit was lady
who had always been considered one
Of the firms smartest and best custom
ers.
Her birth and position were less i'm
peachable than the state OF her
finances. and she had accepted the
offer of Berlin firm to dress her on
condition that she supplied 1t with the
very latest creations that found their
way from Paris to London.
Having the entree Of the innermOst
sanctum Of the London firm referred
to. she had taken advantage Of its con-
fidence in her to draw its designs from
memory and post them to Berlin,
The London firm had no legal rem
edy whatever. All it could do was
when the autumn styles were due and
the lady called again to inform her
hat her patronage was no longer de-
sired.
Another lady detected in similar
trick by the manager of Regent
street firm was very clevcrly punished.
with the same cordiality as ever and
taken into the showroom. where the
latest models We're usually displayed.
She never suspected until too late
that the room had been specially ar
ranged for her reception. The models
exhibited were anything but new. and
the too smart firm which employed her
was put to vast expense to work up
dresses from patterns resurrected from
those of years before which proved
absolutely unstable.
1t is by no means exclusively for the
purpose of stealing other peoples orig
inal designs that pushing firms ell
list the services Of well dressed re-
cruits.
Last summer lady arrived at 2
smart seaside hotel. the sort of place
where people stay for the whole sea
son. She WAS pretty, smart and per
fcctly turned Out--so we'll dressed. Il
fact. that other women. flied Will
envy, did their best to find cut who
was her dressma!,cr.
But. though she frequently bcasted
that The peopl" were perfect treasures
and that her bills amounted TO next tc
nothing. she p0GfaS;ly refused to dis
close Tie name.
Orc G1y. howcvcr. she accidentally
dropped an envelope inclosiug a bill
from the mysterious drcssinalier. bill
artfully FAXED" so rs to show prices
Of startling cheapuoSs. Within week
the firm that employed this clever lady
welcomed Il dozen new customers.
Hotels, TOO, find the lady tout most
useful. Last autumn "A very pretty
girl arrived 1T Il certain Scotch hcalll
resort establishment with her mo,her
She was smart. well dressed. clever
musician-iust the sort of girl to be
thoroughly popular with both sexes
AT once she became the center of q
large cOtcrie of admirers.
Then after II few days her vivacious
expression gave place to look Of TN
utterabic boredom. Il cap't stand this
place. It's so deadly dull" she said
over and over again. Finally one
evening she announced that she could
not endure 1t IN hour longer. She
was going.
"Whcre?' was the question.
Back to Rlithcrington." was the de.
cided answer. 1T may be little
dcarer. but you get your moneys
worth there. One has such good
time there"
Next day she left. and before the
week was out large proportion Of
her friends had followed her.--LonGon
Grand Magazine.