HOW THE AMERICAN WOMAN SHOPS.

Otago Witness, Issue 2811, 26 August 1908, Page 81

HOW THE AMERICAN WOMAN SHOPS.

By Maokilanda. v For the Witness.) Shopping may be the brearth of life be women the world over, but to the Ameri can women it often seems the raison d"etr>s of her existence. Elsewhere •women entei shops because they want to purchase, sonw specific article. American women go foi the sport of the^ thing. To them it, if an entertainment- "" They i take friends on a shopping tour much, as otlier^ womei take those t . they, , w,ish^ jto amuse' to th^ latest picture gallery O£ ; exiiiDi<ti6n.., -v .. The extraordinary freedom/with,., which -goods can be returned is a t>ocra,,Qn these occat sions, and permits many >a curious ebullition of character, if the. tales of. departmental heads tan be believed. ,i .Tliej affiiin that it is no •jmconunon >! thing £01 a city lady to spend an entire in one of these colossal stores buying with the luvishness >f a millionaire wiii the sole object of dazzling her country cousin. The very latest in costumes, gloves, and shoes to match, the newesi design in furniture, a particularly comfortable couch, all are chosen H3eneath thf friend's yearning eyes!-' They are delivered,, and- a .day or, so later a telephonic message •»._ eoroesr. to *tibe : ' ( Adjustm!emi Bureau": "Kindly 'send a- 'call* 'for -the goods bought ly Mrs A on Thursday last."-. - The, various objects- and 'then values are -entered; rup7 and * the '- waggon collects them on "its '-next' found -in r tbaf district. Mrs A-r received -a ticket from the driver, and a cheque-is mailed tc her within the week, or else she calls in at the shop to receive cash in exchange *foz her ticket, according to the manner 'in which she arranges the matter. •In what other country would such privileges be accorded? Those with, accounts make still more use of the custom. Some of .them, before giving an afternoon "coffee," repair to the' best chop's./ and' furnish t up their drawing rooms ,by .adding -a dainjy chair or so and some particularly charming rugs. It is considered "real mean" on the part of the merchant princes who own these stores that they have sent forth a fiat demanding the return of rugs within 10 days! .Millinery, too, is another -line in which there ,-36 v now ,^a, , limit of } .tome, in /the majority .-, EEats^c^mnot £ n6-w-be returned at* all. - Gloves, ,will jseon*- be upon the same list, for it is becoming by no means unusual for ladies going to a grand reception to purchase- gloves considerably more expensive than they can afford, to wear them the once, send them to the cleaners, and return them wh-ence they came ! On© woman over-reached herself in. a. new way a short time- since. She gave a "violet tea," which became the talk of « ; the town. Violets "were everywhere. Her' rooms were bowers of the delicate' flowers. Those ' <>n the tables were real', 1 but the other masses, had her guests known it, were artificial. She had purchased on her account every bunch in. the largest store in the place. Her order had been so lai-ge that the stores in the wholesale department had also .to be drawn upon. A few days after the affair she sent a. "call" directing the shop to send: for the violets, as she wished to return them. Unfortunately for her the wife of the superintendent of the adjustment department had attended the affair, and besides giving a verbal account to her family, had read the newspaper descriptions aloud. The worm turned, and the "violet tea" hostess was politely but firmly told that the flowers could not be accepted ! Another quite ordinary use American women make of- this returning privilege is to have the latest creations in dresses and cloaks sent up to their house at • the beginning of the season to serve as patterns for themselves or their dressmakers. After doing such a thing -the pride of the perpetrator of the act is immense. She will proudly tell you of the number of dollars saved by the transaction. I have known a coat to be kept threo weeks. It is not altogether unusual to return material that has been cut off the piece. Some stores make such a specialty of this returning branch of their business that they advertise "duplicate presents can be returned here without difficulty." Women are not die only ones to make use of this convenience of returning purchases. On« man is on record who sent back a clock which had been bought two years before! After any festival, which means the dress 'parading or the giving of presents, the returning of goods is most noticeable. Carts stand at every other door, and toiling errand boys can be seen collecting armfuls of bundles! As for the cars, they ai*e overcrowded with women who personally carry back, their purchases. I have counted a dozen band-boxes among 30 women wending their way to the less "exclusive" shops where the objectionable rule about the returnine: of hats is not enforced. "My Easter hat was so much less becoming than the one Mamie wore to church that I really could not keep it!" one will say to another.