The Birmingham age-herald., 1912-02-02
From the Kansas City Times.

From the Kansas City Times.
 "HE man who shies at a shopping
 iaunt with his wife is an exception
 ! in these days The establishment or women's departments in mems stores ap- pears to have wrought the chahse'
 doesn't require great strain on 'he memory to recall the time when Woiiiai had to coax and beg to get the man oi the house to the milliner's. Possioiy ne
 would consent. but after a wrangle. He then followed after her like whlppeo dog. dodged women customers Tn shaihe
 faced way, and glanced surreptitiousy at the sal esw women to see if they were iaush- ing at him. He felt about as much at home as a muddy pup at an afternoon tea
 The wife had her troubles, too She either had to undergo this ordeal or pc
 greeted. when she came bearing her new iv chosen headgear, with uncomplimentary remarks concerning both it's looks and the price.
 "Where on earth did you get that
 thing?" is an inquiry familiar to the ear
 of every women who has made habit or subn itting her new millinery to the man or men of her household.
 She spent hours prinking her hair ana practicing with the hat on before her mir TOT and finally paraded 1t for his lord- ships inspection.
 If was not unusual for her to wait un-
 iii she was all dressed and ready to start
 for the theatre Then she sallied forth
 with gay little manner, trying to carry
 off the initial appearance of her new nat To her utter discomfort and distraction the remark called forth was: What have you got on your head? If she became facetious and answered that it was stewpan, he resented the remarks strangely, as a personal JaD a' his taste, she grew teary and the whoie evening was spoiled.
 Whether the man who first made the
 venture realized these conditions and was
 clever enough to make capital of it, Is not
 known. But the established fact is that
 women's departments in mems stores are
 a great success.
 Now men go into these places with head
 up. amiable intention and relaxed purse strings.
 .aThe reason we like to buy there,
 said a young woman, who apparently Is
 not obliged to please any one man-yet. lis because the hats as well as other articles carried are of excellent quality. We are waited upon promptly and we are not afraid of dozen duplicates just around the corner
 s.,These shops sometimes mark things
 down. but they never have crowded sales which make your head buzz" matron hot. rlsa
 .conseouently you don't get excited and buy things you don't need. My husband looks upon women's bargains with sus- picious eye, and he likes me to- go to the mems stores because he says they don't buy in job lots and my life is not in i danger
 1 That last is very well put in," said a
 man present. "Why. only yesterday l saw more picture frames advertised as I was going by store, so l elbowed my way in through mob of pushing women. I picked up three frames in succession, l only to have them jerked and snatched, every single one, by some woman in the, crowd. I felt as foolish as the dickens 1 till I got mad. Then I realized that I l couldn't fight That was enough for me. When l want anything hereafter, it's mans store for me, or my life doesn't get the article"
 I MT. E. E. Crafty, buyer for Woof Bros, the particular shop in Kansas City that l should know whether this venture is I paving, was asked to explain it. 1 "Women like exclusive stuff, said Mir. Crafty. we have a signed contract that | the special goods we buy will not be sold | to other houses and the manufacturers have stuck to it. well dressed women I is well dressed only so long as her dress- | ing seems exclusive, inconspicuous ana
 in quiet taste. We catered to this type
 of woman first in our hats After that we went into gloves, silk hosiery, hand bags and toilet articles Now we are to have a .woman's mannish shoe. A man
 comes insto buy for iuseis eAs IS often | attracted to some rfc1s s' he buys fo,, his wife Fremeaf1y ue man wio