The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1913-09-29
WHAT IS THE LURE
OF FIFTH AVENUE2
Women Have Made 1t the
Most Expensive Street
in United States.
SHOPPING AT NOON
Street Shows Displays of Fine
Costumes, Hats and
Shoes.
SHOPPING AT NOON

Nowhere else in America does one
find such splendid window dressing,
says Frederick Starr in the Ladies
Home Journal Nowhere else does
one wander freely through such be-
wildering displays of beautiful fabri-
cations. 1t is no wonder that the
American woman loves to visit the
Fifth avenue shops. At score of
stores, famous almost the country
over, one may see beautiful stocks
tastefully displayed. OF course Fifth
avenue prices are thing by them
selves 1t is true that women quar-
rel over the question whether one
pays twice as much for the same thing
on Fifth avenue as on Seventh ave
nue., but no one is ignorant that there
is a Fifth avenue price.
| know a woman who for many
years had her hats made on Seventh
avenue. She was able to pay hand
some price and always had the finest
article The man who for many years
constructed her headgear, with IN
creasing trade and reputation, finally
removed to Fifth avenue. His Gus
toner followed him as was natural
but to her surprise the next hat pur-
chased after the removal cost her
more than was expected. When the
proprietors attention was called to
ale matter and questions were asked
lie stated that she could no longer ex-
pect to pay the price OF Seventh ave-
nue. OF course in extenuation some
thing may be said about increased
rents, greater expense in conducting
business, higher wages paid to sales
men-but, after all, the Fifth avenue
price exists because it Is Fifth ave-
nue..
Correct Hour to Shop.
There is naturally precise regula-
ton for New York women in regard
to frequenting Fifth avenue. There
are still some women of wealth who
take their morning airing, but no New
York woman of quality must be caught
on fot upon Fifth avenue after IL
o'clock. At that time shopping be-
gins. For most women who live for
shopping IL o'clock is the earlist pos
sible hour for indulging in their favor
lite occupation. Most of these women
are out every evening to social func-
tions. They are to exhausted by their
efforts to start out upon the new
days labors earlier than IL o'clock.
From then until 3 o'clock in the after
neon they may shop, but no woman
should think Of shopping later in the
day.
But Fifth avenues present speciality
does not lie even in the shops and
shopping, but in the promenade. Again
we take the bus and from its top look
down upon the busy scene from 3
o'clock in the afternoon until even
ing. A gayer, livelier scene is hard
to imagine. The sidewalks on both
sides of the street are packed with
people, chiefly women. The street
itself is damned with motor cars,
making all the speed which the watch
full guardians of the law permit. 1t
is a mass of swarming humanity. AT
ter we have ridden through it we de-
scend and mingle with the people on
the sidewalks.
Here are dresses of the latest
styles, a Kaleidoscope movement of
brilliant colOrs. Here one sees tints
never before witnessed. One is apt
to say, the colors of the rainbow, but
the simple seven colors of our child
hood teaching are nowhere visible.
There are shades for which new names
are coined this year to be forgotten
next All the crowd is in a hurry
burly. Everybody laughs and chats
and hustles, frightfully busy about
nothing.
Large Crowds.
Who compose this sidewalk crowd
What are they doing? The most curl
Gus fact is that the crowd is composed
almost entirely of women who are no,
New Workers. They are people from
The country and outside towns, parad
ing to show their own good dresses
and TO study what they are pleased tc
consider New York" fashions. They
are out, of course, to see and to be
seen. They scan the dresses and make
apps of all they meet, comment upor
hem, make mental memoranda fol
future guidance, and commend or criti
Use.
And the motor cars and the people
n them? They are not out for pleas
ire. They are not Inducing in
paseo, back and forth, for inspection
out they are going somewhere. This
ciders, indeed, expect to see and b,
seen. They are New Workers and ar,
dressed with care. but they are no
out for the sake of being seen or, TO
he sake of seeing. Nor. curiously, d.
hey attract much attention from tn,
crowds upon the sidewalk. In fact tn,
most astonishing thing in all this re
narkable parade is the scantness Q
attention which the sidewalk crowd
give to the riders as they pass.
What Ia Lure?
l have been asked. are the brillian
shops and the magnificent displays o
goods in Fifth avenue an appeal t
woman'S savagery% | have been asked
Is the Fifth avenue parade compare
BILE with the scenes and facts of sa,
age life in Central Africa? To thes
questions | would answer yes, and Nc
The real savagery of woman is SUI
vival. 1t is akin to childishness.
Is due to innate conservatism.
The true savagery of woman is sin
pie, native. The child. too, is say
age. The savagery of woman and tn
child finds its delight in noise an
movement and glitter. But the delfgh
Is due to ineXperience. If We are {
compare the lure of Fifth avenue I
savagery We must distinguish careful
ly between two kinds of sayagery. w
sometimes speak of second CHILDHOOD
1t is very different thing from act,
al infancy. The sayagery of FIT
avenue is second childhood 1t
senility. 1t is over refinement. 1t
complexity. If savagery it is relaps