The Red Cloud chief., 1881-05-12
Girl ~DressmakerS.

Why do not n girls OF to-day be-
come their own dressmakersp They
would find an extraordinary stimulus
and pleasure in the occupation, and
there is nothing that would do more to
take the nonsense out of them and put
sense in its place. Paper patterns, and
the shortening of the skirts, have made
the task easy, and once undertaken, it
would not be given up, for it would be
more interesting than fancy work.
Probably the lnducement. to many,
would be much greater if the custom of
giving girls an allowance for dress
money was as common here as it is in
England. But unfortunately it is not.
and the majority of the daughters of
well-tO-do fathers feel that the effort
would not be appreciated, and would
bring them no conversation. Young
women, whose parents occupy high pO-
sitions in England, do all their own
sewing in order to make their allow
ance which ranges from $50 to $3.50
per annum do its work. They may
have one dress in Il season made by a
dressmaker, not more, and this will
probably be superintendent by a dress
IllthtI Ill lIC HOuoC, WIN OCCuDicS HcE
time in cutting and fitting. while the
young lady herself, with perhaps the
help of a family seamstresS, does the
sewing. There is 4 great advantage in
thus becoming acquainted with meth
DDS and personally conversant with
ways and means. with the exigencies.
and necessities of work, the limitations
as well as its possibilities. AgOOd serv-
ant would infinitely rather work for q
mistress who was thoroughly ~acquaint-
ed with the duties to be performed. and
therefore willing to make allowances;
and on the same principles, it is easier
in making a dress to satisfy n whose
ignorance makes her at once eXacting
and non-appreciative.
1t is strange to what an extent Amer
lean women allow themselves to exist
at the mercy of dependents, through
want of actual knowledge and practical
experience of work. Some times they
rebel against an innovation, or long
continued abuse, but the throwing up
of the work, and the dread of being left
to their Own resources, brings them
back quickly to the proper state of SUBJ
jugation to the dreaded cook or the in
Hated modiste.
The coat sleeve, such as women are
at present wearing, only exists by the
sublime Inconsistencies of the laws of
philosophy and anatomical formation On
the part of the wearers. There is no
elbow to it or i'm it. The outside seam
is rounded, tbs true. but the inside
seam is straight, and every bend of the
arm paralyzes it. Thirty years ago coat
sleeves were cut so Is to allow for a
upon the under side, which
gave perfect ease TO the arm, and al
it to move and act without strain
or pain. Now this is, and for a long
time has been, impossible. Women
who are not engaged in work that re-
quires the steady use of the arm and
hand may not find it so serious a diff
but those engaged in writing.
working st telegIaphy, painting, or
operating a sewing machine. suffer tor
lures.
Ladies who do their dressmaking
soon learn TO pay attention to these
of comfort, which have nothing
all to do with fashion, but it is inn
possible to impress them upon the
dresslnaker. For one thing,
she is too busy to attend to individual
She follows copy, and only
branches out where you would rather
not have her-in trimming, and in
massing up ~"drapeIies-" This sleeve
business has become m of the minor
miseries. With the reduction in the
width and general outline of the dress,
The sleeve has grown closer and shorter
until it holds the arm like a wise and
covers it like another skin. The white
inside cuff has disappeared. As there is
no room for it. The sleeve is three
inches shorter than the arm, but the
ong glove is supposed to come down to
meet it. The tight sleeve would be
ess Objectionable if it were occasional,
but it is the sleeve of the everyday
working and walking dresses: the oc-
sleeve-that is. the dressy
leeve-is varied and modified in MANY
ways, and often is no sleeve al
III.
When . street jacket is made BY .
en suite with. say. q wooden
lress, the misery is doubled The arm
5 twice encased in sleeves which are so
hort there is no ..Pulr' upon them.
md so straight that they stop all the
currents and send the blood rush
ny to the head, where it creates in q
-ery short time a lovely red NOSE.
There are patterns Of sleeves IN which
ILLNESS is allowed for the elbow, but
do not seem TO get hold of
hem. Let ladies' who are about hay
ag spring suits and jackets msde, lOok
ut for the straight, paralysing coat
leeve.Vesnje June