£3000 a Year for Dress.

Otago Witness, Issue 2784, 24 July 1907, Page 73

£3000 a Year for Dress.

It is not always the woman who moves i.i the highest circles of society whose dress bills mount to the highest figures. Accoiding to a writer in the Pall Mall Magazine it is the woman who has a reputation for perfect dress and a varied toilette to maintain who. make& the fortune

of the dressmaker. Her expenses, itappears, can modestly be set down -at £3000 a year. No ■ wonder we are told that it is absolutely necessary for such a woman to be married to a very rich man. That the estimate of £3000 a year is not an exaggeration is proved by a number of actual bills. The writer says: " To the courtesy of the best London andi Paris houses I am indebted for the items, and prices of the same, ordered by a good customer during a year. A very exclusive London dressmaker, on being asked J»*"7 much a lady .should spend on.

dress, replied that 'she could dress fairly on £1300 a year.'" — A Representative Dress Bill. — A wealthy and fashionable lady, always dressed perfectly by a London house, had her — Court dress £ 60 0 0 (not extravagant, when another was made at the same time for £230). 3 evening dresses at £35 each .. 105 0 0 1 evening dress 45 0 0 2 at £20 er.ch 40 0 0 2 tailor-mades at 23 guineas each, and 1 at 24 guinep.a .. .. 73 10 0 4 afternoon dresses at £28 each .. 112 0 0 3 smarter still at £36 each .. .. 108 0 0 3 linen dresses af 12 guineas each, and 3 muslins at 15 guineas each 85 1 0 amounting in all to £628 lls. , .' — Mantle Department. — 1 evening cloak .' .. ..£36 15 0 Another £10 0 A smart dust coat 12-0 0 A dressy race coat 25 0 0 A motor ooat ; 15 15 0 A little fancy caracul coatee .. .. 70 0 0.--*-Fancy summer driving coat .. .. 16 0 0 * 1 little fancy scarf mantle „ „ 18 18 0 Another . .' . . .... „ „ . . 13 13 0 Madame's mantles, then, may be set down at £229 Is. ■ . This, it must be remarked, is only the bill for gowns— the mere skeleton, as- li 1 ' were, of a fashionable: wardrobe. —Hats.— Safe are " the great feature of th~ fashions of the moment, and it may, in terest readers to estimate some of tfo creations of the moment by comparisoi with this estimate: — 10 hats for morning, boating, and ■ travelling,, r.t 3J guineas each £36 M 0 8 hats rather mor^e trimmed (in- . eluding a for Casino wear) at 4£ guineas each 37 16 0 4 hats, trimmed with feathers, at I " 6 guineas each 25 4 0 • 4 for Ascot and weddings at 8 I guineas each 33.12^0 112 motor veils at 12s 6d> each . . . . 710 0 2 motor veils at 30s each (the latter hemstitched and embroidered) 3 0 0 12 ordinary veils at 64 each .. .. 312 0 making for millinery a total of £147 9s. This millinery bill will look moderate when we learn that- gloves- and sunshades cost the same lady over £200. - —The Etceteras— To these estimates are added others for lingerie, 'shoes, belts, handbags, blouses, trifles for neckwear, motor outfits/ French cleaning, hatpins, and the hundred other odds and ends which fashion provides daj by day for the fashionable woman.