Life — November 23, 1911 — page 18: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

900 -LIFE- Paris Pleads in Vain Hereafter All French Ladies Will Have to Wait for Six Months Before They Can Copy Our Styles—Drop in and Have a Cast of Yourself Made—A New Department, UR latest Christmas and New Year’s shopping cos- tume consists of a galvanized iron blouse, solid brass toque trimmed with aluminum, skirt of chilled steel, and Irish crochet slippers with velvet edging. With this it is en régle to carry a shepherd's crook of solid gold, with steel prodding points. The success of this costume with several thousand of our patrons is evidence that there is no department of human activity to which we do not cater. Our manager has just returned from Paris, where it is needless to say he was besieged by the dressmakers and tailors who are anxious to obtain our styles in advance. His object in going was to make some sort of arrangement PARISIAN WOMEN BEG THE MANAGERS FOR PERMISSION TO COPY OUR FASHIONS with the Paris people, whereby they can obtain the use of our styles about six months after they have appeared in this country. They begged for a three months’ margin, but we would not grant it; six months is the limit, and by the payment of a handsome royalty—which we shall use in increasing our buildings in Lire Park (formerly Central), hereafter all our styles will appear in Paris six months later. This affords the French ladies an opportunity to keep fairly up to date, and does us no harm, When it is con- sidered that only a few years ago we got all of our styles from Paris, and were aping them, it is quite a change now, when our cry of “ America for the Americans” is heeded and the Fashion Reform League leads the world. Every American woman is eligible to become a mem- ber of the Fashion Reform League, which entitles her to all privileges, on payment of the customary fee; you are thus kept informed of the latest styles. On entering our OPERA NEAR-GOWN MATERIAL FOR NECK, BACK AND ARMS, peau poudrée, THE REMNANT OF GOWN OF n’importe brodée establishment you are first looked over critically by one of our trained artists. Every possibility is noted—whether you are too fat or too thin, too long or too short, and so on; after this examination you are taken to a quiet room, where one of our breakers-in sits down with you and, look- ing tactfully into your eyes, tells you all your faults. Do not be disturbed for the moment if the story seems a sad one; it is our business to make you over and our rule not to spare anyone at the start. To illustrate our methods, here is a letter just received from an ardent patron: Dear Leacue: About a year ago, when I entered your establishment, a young man took me aside and told me that I was twenty-five pounds over weight, was lopsided, vulgar in appearance, didn’t know how to carry myself, was short of hair, had a gunny bag complexion, and, in fact, was almost a hopeless case. 1 was so mad that I threatened to sue him for damages; how- ever, I controlled myself and agreed, after a scene, to take your advice; now I have a svelte figure, my hair is growing like wheat in the Kansas belt, my cheeks are alabaster, and I have developed such a languid air of utter indifference that my friends are all green with jealousy Gratefully yours, This lady was even worse than we made her out; indeed, such tender hearts have our critics that oftentimes they shrink from telling the fatal truth, Be prepared to have your feelings hurt, but, remember, that it is all done for art’s sake, In six months after you have gone through our establishment you may be able to capture a millionaire. In the meantime, if you, are living out of town step in on your next visit and have a wax mold made of your figure. Our new method enables us to do this easily and comicbook eam