Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-12-29
Man Measurers or Women.

We cut from the New York Home
journal an article upon the subject of
male measurers of women:
At several of our more fashionable
dry goods shops there are departments
devoted to the making up of ladies'
cloaks, basquines, waists, etc., and as
the persons employed therein are skill
ful, a vast amount of patronage IL be-
slowed upon them. A few days since,
having occasion To make purchase in
one of the palatial edifices in question,
| noticed party of ladies who were
being measured for c!oaks. They dives
ted themselves of shawl, and Jackets,
aud were duly Strengthened up, pushed
about, chucked under the chin, patted
on the neck, bosom, and back, by the
measurer, n great hatking bearded Mani
The fellow is q six.tooter; should be i'm
a regiment of grenadiers; would make
a splendid drum-major, ii size il requi-
site; and yet there he was, mincing and
paving over the ladies, who submitted
to his manipulations with all the air OF
being used to it. | felt annoyed To see
this man so uncercmoniously handling
those young women, and wondered at
their want of modesty in submitting TO
1t. IL 1t possible that young girls do
not shrink from this ordeal? / hope
they do, though had the evidence that
ladies, married l suppose, were not In
the least disinciincd for the male meas
ures to fit their waists or cloaks. / pur-
posely called several times at the shop,
and ascertained that the business done
in the making up department. is very
great, and concluded we were fast drift
ing into state of affairs very similar to
the idisSer alter OF Paris, the bright,
beautiful, frivolous capitol of France
the home Of fashion; the birth place OF
caprice the ruling moiMrch of all wo-
mankind. Paris dictates, and the man
date, be it ever so absurd, SO Outre, so
risbue even, is Obeyed with blind sub
mission.
If our ladies will submit to male
measuring for cloaks, waists, bus9ues,
what is to ensure that, ere long, they
will not initiate the ladies of Paris, and
enrich an establishments such as Worth's
on the Rue de Ia Paix, in that city. i
suppose that your readers have all heard
of this wonderful man, the male meas
urer, Worth. lie was clerk at Gage
Inns in the Rue Richelieu, and, at his
advice, the establishment undertook the
making up of c.oaks. The ladies were
soon attracted to the place by the taste
displayed in the articles manufactured,
and from the novelty OF the fact that
men, not women, took their measures.
Worth, who IL shrewd fellow, saw the
length to which this idea might be car
ried, and so opened drc5,-making and
cloak-making shop, which he fitted up
in the most magnificent but tasteful
manner, and he measured the ladies for
dresses as well as cloaks or jackets
This was piguG1at and the btd8s women
of fashion began to flock to Worth g.
In II short time it became n matter of
course, that no lady was prepared for %
ball or soirce unless Worth had fitted
her, and his business increased to fab
ulous extent. The most aristocratic
ladies of Paris, the noble and the
wealthy, came ia their carriages, waited
en- D,asse in theante-chambers of Worth Is
that he might, as their turns came, dress
them. In their under garments they
stood up to be laced, tightened, fitted by
Worth, who pulled and hauled these
noble women about, was pettish and
overbcaring with them, ruled them
submitting to it all be-
cause not to be dressed by him was to
be out of the fashion, and that, in many
cases, they were over head and ears in
debt to the mar. No thought cfshame,
at being exposed, but half clothed to
his gaze, nay, his touch, seemed not to
disturb the ladies. 1t was fashionable
TO be dressed by him, and modesty had
nothing TO do with the matter. DO not
believe that French ladies alone patron
lied Worth there Were English ladies,
and, | grieve to say, American ladies
who did il.