The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-11-04
What 1t Costs to ClOthe u Fashionable
Lady.

what 1t Costs to ClOthe u Fashionable
Lady.
One of the largest private dresSmaking
establishments in New York is carried
on by seven brothers, six of whom at
tend to the business here, while one
travels for nine months in the year, send
ing constant reports of style and change
OF fashion to this country, and forward
ing the newest materials and most costly
fabrics from the various lands he visits.
In this house, the preliminaries of
making a dress are carried out by lady.
who attends the customer in the parlor,
and takes the measures, ETC., for bust
pattern. Having the measurements she
cuts out a pattern, which is then trans
ferred to man who makes model of
it, to be kept for that particular customer
and used Tor no other purpose whatever.
The material is cut to this model by one
man and given to another to be basted
to the lining, while third undertakes
the stitching, waist thus passing
through four hands, while the sleeve
cutter and button-hole maker add two
more to the number. The skirt is cut
out by professional man skirt-cutter,
while the trimming for it is the work of
sewing girls, and the drapery is super
intended by lady who attends to nothing
else. Here, too, the trying on is in
the hands of the genter sex, but when
the fit is considered perfect, and the
customer is so far satisfied, a last iudg-
ment is passed upon it by one of the
artistic members of the firm, and his APP
proval is a necessary element of its
completion. Before the dress leaves
the house, it is thoroughly examined
by lady, whose Endorsement of its per-
lection is required, and who is response
BILE for its delivery to the right customer.
We gain some idea in this way of the
attention which dresS-making requires
when it becomes an art. Every detail
| is studied, every stitch set as if for mi
croscopical examination. Excepting for
the close stitching of cloth or heavy vel
vel waists everything is done by hand,
and it will take one girl an entire week
to make the shirfing for one puff upon
an elaborate skirt. This one statement
also throws some light upon the exorbi-
tant prices asked for by fashionable
dressmakers, whose reputation depends
| upon the excellence of the work they
turn out. The scale of salaries paid by
these tirst-class houses is a great deal
heavier than one would suppose. A
fine sewing girl will receive eighteen
dollars week, while the wages paid to
the cutters, filters and diapers average
from S25 to S45. superintendent and
! oyerseers receive higher remuneration,
and those hands who do piecework in
such establishments can easily realize
$50 a week. Bearing these facts in
mind, it is not surprising to learn that
the price of dress-making in such estab-
liShments is high. The lowest rate is
$40 for the making alone, and the price
ranges up to $50, exclusive of Innings or
furnishings of any kind. For evening
dress, when the materials are provided
by the firm. $500 is the lowest price
taken, and this is for very simple dress;
dinner dresses and ball costumes cost
anything from $500 up to $4,000. None
but the best materials and most expen-
sive fabrics are made up-brocades cost
ing, for example, from 500 to $50 a
yard, and other goods in a like proper
| ton. Ladies' own materials are not
made up, nor can they supply trim
mings, except in the case of costly laces
which customers may possess and wish
to use Tor particular costumes.
In several of these large private estab-
lishments there are over $50 employees
who undertake the separate portions of
dress. The large work rooms are we'll
arranged and we'll ventilated; long tables
run down the center, and on either side
of them the workers may be seen seated
in order; thus, all the waist hands will
be together at one side, all the sleeve
hands at another, while skirt cutters,
diapers and button-hole makers are by
themselves. One man has exclusive
charge of alterations; does nothing else.
| When dress returns for alteration-nO
matter how slight-it is given into his
hands, compared by him to the model,
which has been carefully kept, altered
! by him and returned to the lady super
intendent. Ladies would be surprised
if they could learn how much they owe
to the Saroir .faire of these artistic dress
makers. A costume which suits one
figure may not be equally desirable for
another, yet people are very apt to desire
to possess themselves of that which looks
elective on neighbor. A stout, mat
ronly woman may order the counterpart
of the drapery that has excited such
admiration when worn by her tall, slim
neighbor, but her order will only be
carried out with such amendments as
difference of make and figure neccssitate.
A fold inserted here, flounce extracted
there, puff or less will make all the
difference possible, and the customer
will be as pleased as she anticipated,
whereas had her order been carried out
in exact accordance with her expressed
wishes, very different results would have
been obtained In the same way with
color. the artistic dress-maker will not
sacrifice the effect of dress to the exist
ing fashion. If the prevailing tints are
ruinous to the complexion of a client
they cannot be worn--that is all about
it-and something equally de haul ton
must be substituted.-N J. Times.
DO not let the frost or even cold
nights pinch the window plants you have
hnn,, ont pf doors ITNt;l