, 1877-11-11

S@u per sut, IL taxes Three persons six DAYS to
/ make two, and IL to The aggregate wages Of $50
] for these three, are added rent, hire Of Il boz,
| gaslight, aud the time OF q superintendent OF
affairs. Yet $40 per week Is lower than the nv
] cragc wages which skilled dress1nakers demand
and receive and two ordinary suits, composed
| pieces well made and nicely trimmed, would
! be considered good average for three persons
| to accomplish In the time mentioned, one lcyot-
ing her time to cutting, fitting, and arranging,
| trimming, and the execution OF the liner parts
of the work; the other, who earns less, to the
commoncr sewing, aud that which is done By
| machine.
WHAT IT SHOULD COST WOMAN TO DRESS.
An indignant individual Of the male pcrsua-
sion addressed to nc recently what he evidently
concidcrcd u highly sarcastic letter on the score
OF remark III one OF my letters, to the effect
TINT majority Of women had not more than
from $3.50 to $500 per annum to spend on their
entire warirobes and therefore could not BE- ex-
pertcd To spend TINT sum Oh one dress alone.
mot more tllan S2250 to $500 per annu1n,'' he
repeats; lie should rather think not" and he
adds that perhaps l am not aware there are
plenty OF people with families who actually live.
on these SUMS and less. Quite true. But, Then,
they do not dress, at east only in such clothing
as the people who do, give them, and they do
not read fashions, and naturally fashions are
not written or created with reference to them:
IL is undoubtedly true that some women spend
too much OIL dress, but it is only true OF con-
paratiycly small number. The majority spend
too little.
There are men who make and lose hundreds
and even thousands OF dollars, who complain Of
the cost Of necessary dress or a pair Of shoes
purchased by their wives.
Complaint is tile normal condition Of those
Tho hold possession Of money against those
who have to spend it. Women in the country,
spend altogether too little Oh themselves anu
their dress. They grow old before their time
with hard work, and they look older still from
the poverty Of their personal belongings. The
subtle influence Of becoming dress, tue refine
1nent Of habitual association with the fine in
stead Of the coarse, is unknown to thcm-
The clothing OF peEsons ought to BE- repre-
sentative OF their position, aud man should be
ashamed who has money to spend on lands or
horses, Or his own pursuits, to @ruage that
which his wife needs, and which she would
probably have were she moi tied to him. Two
hundred and fifty dollars seems q large sum to
some men, who can very we'll afford it, for a
woman to expend on herself. But how much
will it buy Of ordinary clothing:
One silk dress. 65
One wooen costume. ......... ...., ........... 35
One indoor drt61. ....-.....-... -..... is
Summer dresses, making, trimmings, and be-
lon1lnes. ....... ......-...-... ~
Shoes, including shippers. .......... 20
Hats for summer and winter. ........,.-. .. Is
Underwear. corscts, and hoBiery: :............ 25
Cloak, shawl, or some other outside garment. 25
Total. l.......-e. .......-... $3.50
This is very bold estimate. There is surely
nothing superfuous, and the prices are such
that good materials could only he secured by
having the garments at least partly made at
holnc. Yet there is no margin for ribbons,
laccs, gloves, handkcrchiefs, pcrfnnery, nor
anY Of those small items of personal expense,
such us stationery, which social life involves;
nor does tt mention fnrs nor gifts OF any de-
scrptiOn for BIRTHDAYS or HOLIDAYS.
No doubt thrifty women could save on some
Of tile items mentioned. but it would be By
adding to tue burdens OF their lives the burden
of cutting and making their best as well rs their
common dresses, by buying low-priced stuTs
and the sacrifice Of their taste to their economy.
This may be all right, but they should at least
have the credit Of It; nor is it always economy
10 spend S. Instead OF $40 in the purchase Of
materials or articles for use Many women are
forced into wastelul habits by never having |
money enough to buy really good thing. It
is always q smaller sum than they need |
that is do1ed out to them, and so |
they are always in arrears with their
necessities, and are obliged to make cheap !
afford no satisfaction in the POSSESSION, and ure
the dearest in the end. The conditions Of our I
daily life are very different HOW from what they
were fifty ycars ago, aud it must be reme.n- |
bered that women neither make them nor can |
they change them. Men make much more !
money than they did then, but they seem to |
consider it their exclusive right to saye it or |
spend it as it pleases them, and exact from |
their wives rigid system, which has not the !
ucts Of the spinning wheel furnished them at
least with comfortable covering, and The march
OF civilization had not proceeded far enough to
awaken social competition. j