On the pavements of the streets a striking feature is the number of women who go about their business without wearing hats. In the dinner hour of the _midinette_, between twelve and one (from which she derives her name), this is particularly noticeable, the streets and public gardens overflowing with this hard-worked and underpaid class of _Parisienne_. These girls and women are the "labour" of the dressmaking establishments wherein is produced all that is most admired by the well-dressed women of the world. The majority are very underpaid, the young and inexperienced earning about 1 fr. 50 a day, the _petites couturieres_, as a rule, having a wage between 1 and 3 francs a day, which does not go far in Paris, where the cost of living is roughly double that of London. In the leading establishments the _midinette_ may earn from L35 to over L50 a year, but these are the highly skilled _ouvrieres_ and do not represent a very large proportion of the whole, whose incomes have been roughly estimated in three divisions, each representing one-third of the whole number. The most poorly paid third receives less than 5 francs a day, the intermediate section attains the 5-franc level, and the most prosperous third exceeds it to the amount already mentioned. A small number of women become what is known as _premieres_ in famous houses in the Rue de la Paix, the classic street from which the fashions in woman's attire for the whole of the civilised world are believed to emanate. These clever French women are endowed with a very high degree of taste and skill, and their gifts reach a comparatively high market value, bringing in an annual income of about L150. [Illustration: AUTUMN IN THE CHAMPS ELYSEES, PARIS.] The work-girls who take sewing to their homes can earn from 75 centimes to 2 francs a day. In her interesting book on Paris life Mlle. de Pratz gives the following two budgets of _midinettes_ receiving L34 and L48 per annum:-- 850 fr. per annum 1200 fr. per annum (L34). (L48). Lodging 100 L4 150 L6 Food 550 L22 750 L30 Clothes 100 L4 150 L6 Heat, light, washing, and 100 L4 150 L6 recreation ____ ____ 850 1200