The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1946-10-03

1 L 3 Z
through the lei
esst breeze that
Winter has to y
offer.
Reason?
One pair nationally advertised
hose, which cost 1886, and lasted
exactly two days.
One pair So-called sheers, describ-
ed as durable, costing $2.35. Three
days wear.
A grand total Sisters of the Skill
let, of $50 for two pairs of hose
giving altogether five days wear.
Or, $1.14 per day for not going bare
legged.
That's too much.
In fact the whole situation is too
much-beginning in your clothes
closet and ending in your pantry
Or vice versa.
Having spent some years in the
advertising department of one of
the country'S finest department
stores-for which job l had first to
spend months on the selling floor
learning merchandise 49, I'm fairly
good at coming within a few dol
lars of the price of a dress at q
glance-in normal times, that is.
Recently l was with friend who
was desperately searching for a
dress in one of Baltimore's larger
stores. Just a simple afternoon
dresS-nOthing special. There was
literally nothing to be had in the
better dress department
Passing the French Room we saw
displayed in the front showcase a
little gem in grey Canton crepe.
Very elegant nice lines, clever
draping. In short, neat but not
gaudy.
That's it, I said to my friend,
If they have it in your size-and
here goes $6995 of your hard-earn-
ed"
In a normal market it would have
been $49.95 but l knew better than
to expect that. Inquiry revealed
that the little number-'Its pure
Canton crepe" the saleswoman eX-
planned, hastily-was $135.
Startled out of being polite l bid
her not be ridiculous, you know,
said, that $6995 should be tops
for that piece of merchandise.
Is it Schapiarelli, or a Hattie
Carnegie, or a Mainbocher, or even a
Milgrim?
No indeed. it was none of those,
nor was it from any house that I
had ever heard of. 1t was just an
afternoon dress at $135 for no con-
ceivable reason.
But you know how things are"
the saleswoman said sadly. 81 do
have a Milgrim that might interest
you," she added.
Out of nothing more than curios-
ity we waited to see the Milgrim-
which turned out to be satin-back
crepe loaded down with belts and
buckles and rhinestone ornaments
and weighing about fifteen pounds.
1t was a mere $95 and would have
looked well on Dowager Queen
Mary
The Saleswoman and she was
charming and experienced - who
told me about the hundred and
thirty-five dollar model was embar-
assed. She knew perfectly well that
that expensive dress would rip out
at the seams at the first couple of
wearings, just like something you
had paid $6.98 for She knew it
because everything rips out at the
seams, and has, for the past several
years. Not because the wearer is
hard on clothing but because its
poorly finished.
My friend then tried to buy pair
OF perfectly plain brown suede
shoes. There was not brown
suede shoe in Baltimore, appar-
emily. In fact there was not brown
kid. There were however lots of
brown lizard and alligator and
other reptilian varieties beginning
at $28 and surging upward and on
ward.
Last night had to 60 to dinner
meeting which meant getting din
ner for my son, first. Nothing but
beef at the store, SO I ordered g
small T-bone steak. It arrived, il
was small, and it cost 80 cents.
Time was when three T-bones