Sketcher.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1188, 30 October 1882, Page 8 (Supplement)

Sketcher.

SHOPPING IN MELBOURNE. Thinking that the fair portion of the colony would like to know what one of their sex—lately arrived from the centres of fashion in Paris and London —thinks of shops and shopping in Melbourne, we have been permitted to publish the following extracts from a letter sent home recently by a well-known new arrival, who is making a tour through the colonies, to a relative who intends coming out here to settle, on account of delicacy of constitution :—“ Dear F., —In my first letter, written as soon as I had got off my sea legs, as Bertie calls feeling that you are not rolling about, I gave you my first impressions of this town as regards the buildings and people we saw during a drive round the place. Since then we have been visiting several families on the strength of our introductions, of which Bertie only used those he learned from a fel-low-passenger, an old resident of Melbourne, were worth presenting, and, so far, wc have not found ourselves mistaken. But I will not venture any remarks about this matter till we see more of the good folk. I will, as you have asked me, tell you my impressions of the warehouses and shops I have visited, and what is to be got there. But before beginning to give you a description of one of the largest, and best, both as regards the goods and prices, I will just say to you, as a preface, don’t bother yourself bringing things out, you can buy them quite as cheaply here, and then you are saved all the trouble and expense of bringing them. The warehouse I refer to belongs to Messrs. Craig, Williamson and Thomas (I mention it first because it is near the central railway-station, and most convenient.) I believe they have been many years in business, but only within the last few years started on the new principle of supplying goods in small quantities, at the same price as they formerly charged as wholesale dealers. On. hearing this, I was so struck with the goodness of the idea, that I asked to be introduced to a member of the firm, who happened to be passing at the time. He, in a most kind manner, took a great deal of trouble to explain to me (as I had told him I wanted to write to a friend at Home about buying in London or out here) that they were able to sell at the wholesale rates (which he told me meant saving 30 per cent.), because they did only a cash business, which saved them booking accounts, bad debts, interest on the money out (and interest here is nearly double that at home), and then they could turn over the money more quickly. He assured me that the firm made no reductions whether one bought £lOO worth of things or £lO. I was easily led to go over the large establishment (especially as I knew Bertie had gone out to one of those cruel pigeon-shooting matches, which I only allow him to attend because there is always a nice pigeon-pic afterwards). As we began our tour of inspection, it was explained to me that the buildings which belong to the firm have 120 feet frontage to Elizabethstreet (one of the principal streets in Melbourne), with a large depth back. There are three stories in one, and four in the other: but, till the new stories are built, the factory, where all the cutting, sewing, etc., are done, is in another street, and connected with the main buildings by a telephone, through which orders are given, to save time. In answer to a question, I learned that the firm employed HOOJiands, men and women, or, I should say, I suppose, young ladies and gentlemen ; that their hours are only from 9 to 5 o’clock, except on Saturdays, when they work to one o’clock only. “ A difference to the poor creatures in London,” you will say. The wages, also, are half again as much as those at home, and, certainly, those I saw seemed well-dressed intelligent, attentive, and perfectly contented with their lot in life. Some of the “ young ladies ” were really pretty. Most of the counter work is done by men—the girls, under lady-heads, attending to the underclothing department. And on the top story of one of the buildings there are luncheon rooms, lavatories, &c., for the use of the fair attendants, and here they can make a cup of tea, or cook a chop if they like. In order to work such a large establishment correctly and quickly, every department is under a head, who is treated as if he were owner of a separate shop, and all business between the departments is settled up by the heads, to whom, also, is entrusted the ordering of goods, There are no imported slop goods kept by the firm: they make all they sell, and in the ladies’ department they have experienced Home designers, &c. But I hear you say “ Oh, bother all these business particulars,” but I know Fred will take an interest in them, especially if he is thinking of going into business here, and remember, a flood wife always thinks first of her husband. Now I will come to the part which you will read carefully : and I had better explain this as I saw it. At the principal street door, you are smiled upon by a porter in livery, who|looks as if he had known you for years, and would like to shake hands with you. He has the closest resemblance in his manner, to the clerks who interview newarrivals at Amercian hotels. They are so frank and genial, and receive you with such a gush of pleasure that you feel as if they were old friends. The left-hand side of the warehouse, as you enter, the building, is called the “ Manchester” Department, where all household linens, calicos, &c., are sold. At these I had a good look, and saw some very pretty patterns in tablecloths and. napkins to match. They were beautifully embossed, with sporting scenes and Egyptian mosaic work. I saw here, also, some new cloth called German tweed, made out of cotton very suitable for summer wear, as it is light and yet warm. There were also some curtains with the latest patterns. you see, have spread here, as you will think when I have finished my description. On the other side of this large room is the “ Gents’ Mercery Department,” as they call it in business parlance. I did not examine into the mysteries of this, as Bertie is not one of the husbands who allows a wife to purchase for him ; but there seemed to be a great display of different kinds of hats and ties—some of these fantastic enough to remind me of Burlington Arcade on a fine summer’s afternoon, when the “ utterly utter” Lords of Creation are in a strolling mood. From this we were conveyed up by a lift (which saves daily some hundreds of the fair sex going upstairs) to the second storey. This is devoted to ladies, and here are sold dress-stuffs, fancy goods, and haberdashery of all kinds. Among other things I saw a £5O sealskin mantle of beautiful fur—a sort of present for which a husband might have his worst faults forgiven with a kiss ; also, some of the fashionable brocaded silk velvets, of -Esthetic pattern, colored flowers

on black grounds. And now we come to the spot: of the place—the third storey. Here JEstheticism is the ruling Goddess, though I was told that some of the newest, choicest, and the most “ utterly utter” goods in ribbons, feathers, etc., for the coming spring and summer use, had not been unpacked yet, but would be in a few days—a treat in store for the lovers of fashion and change. But what was shown me was, in some instances, exquisite, quite equal to those to be seen in Regent-street, particularly some peacock-blue ribbon with yellow bars, nine inches wide. This was for bonnet ribbons, and it struck me that if size went on increasing much more there would be no need for dresses soon. The young lady who showed me this ribbon, said that the fashion for ribbons, of (which they had some being unpacked) this season out here, would be bright-coloured flowers—chiefly Sunflowers, pure iEstheticism again, you see, on fawn background. In mantles, I saw handsome black silk and satin ones, bordered with passementerie trimmings, and covered with lace. There were also some “ Newmarket ” ladies overcoats, of old gold coloured tweed, very striking in appearance, and a good wearing colour. I can quite fancy why dear old Punch finds it difficult to tell the difference between a man and a woman (dressed in one of these) from a back view, especially when she has her hair cut short, and wears a dear stalking hat. I would tell you more about this department, but must describe the different places I saw. Having satiated my eyes with the beautiful, I was taken to the adjoining building, in which there are three flights. The bottom floor is the “ Gents’” tailoring department, where I saw a large variety of all kinds of tweed, and was told, for the benefit of Bertie (for, of course, it was soon found out that I was married), that by getting a suit made here, instead of at one of the fashionable tailors, as good “an article ” would be got at one-half the price. There were some “ colonial ” tweeds, which I was surprised to see so good, both in pattern and quality; but I was assured that a large quantity of them were used now. Our last visit was to the second and third floors, used as a furnishing warehouse, with carpets, bedsteads, &c. The carpets comprised all kinds, and here, again, the .Esthetic patterns were striking. Some of the carpets being Esthetic to a glaring degree. Yet it is curious, how one got used to them at Home; and now they appear strange to me, because,. I suppose, I have not seen one for some time. Among the bedsteads, I saw two different kinds of new mattrasses, the one made in Manchester, of steel wire, which can be stretched when required, and is called the “ sanitary spiral spring” mattrass, and it does look full of spring ; the other was made in the colony of copper wire, and called the “ star mattrass.” Now I think I have said enough about these warehouses, and if you take my advice, you will only buy at home what you actually want for the voyage.