Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-07
MAKING UP 4 BEAUTY.
1t Takes Pads, Wads and FIounces-The
story of the Artistic Part of a WOman's
FOrm-Why Mary AndersOn's Dresses
Fit Her-Mysteries Whose Result is
LONELINESS
Chicago Herald.

Chicago HeraId.
''Oh, you're a reporter, are your Well,
/ glad to see you, but you don't want
/ dress, do yOu,7
"WeI. hardly. But | would like to
/ know something about the dressmaking
business"
IF you're coming here to get points for
/ future use in the trade, just let me tel
4 you to select a better pursuit. Oh. to be
/ sure, there is money in 1t, as there is in
/ every business that's properly managed.
/ But it's a dogs life. You can't please
I the women to save your soul, and the eX-
! penditure OF amiability, the wear and
tear of your nerves and the utter disgust
with yourself and everybody else is
prOdigiOus."
The speaker was a very pretty little
North side dressmaker, of perhaps forty
three, with a superb figure, a soft white
skin. and a general plumpness and vivac-
/ ity that did not bear her out well in her
/ condemnation of the trade. She certainly
I was prettier. healthier. and. to all out
ward appearances, happier than any of
the Weather ladies who entered the re-
/ ceptiOn room during the writer's visit.
Eyes, it's all very well for you to pro-
I lest.'' she said, ''yOu never fitted a lady's
/ dress and so you are not competent to
argue the question"
perhaps not, but tell me some of the
T evils YOU nave 10 cONICQu MlLu III making
+ pretty dresses"
''In the first place, before a woman can
I get dress to fit her she must have a de-
cent corset and know how to wear it,
which is a thing few. women besides ac-
/ treSses know how to do. Let me show you
what | mean by illustrating with a thin,
bOny creature, which most Chicago wO-
men are. As she has no flesh on her bones,
/ the next best thing is to put clothes on
p
/ shirr. drape, do anything. only cover the
( skeleton at all hazards, and if it don't
/ coincide with the style, throw style to
f the wind and dress individually. A
good thick merinO vest is the first
requisite and absolutely necessary,
the thicker the better. In winter
/ it NAV be of chamOis. OF course it costs
money. but you save the price out of the
doctors bills and escape the inconven-
fences of throat ana lung diseases. But
all summer have a thick merinO. | know
I the ladies, particularly the young and
/ knowing ones, Will take issue on this, but
any common laborer will tell them, and
/ convince them, too, by example, that a
thick wooden shirt is cooler than a gOssa-
mer the hottest day in the year. If she
must have extra light sleeves, the shirt
I sleeves may be cut off and the necessary
plumpness obtained by lining the sleeves
of the basque"
- No, don't do that" she continued after
a-thOughtful pause. " A girl with a skin
ny neck, all bones and cords, don't want
a square neck. just rub that out, please.
and I'll tell you when to put in lace cor
sage. The shirt on and snug in fit wants
a chemise, or better, short waist over it.
! think the chemise a prepOsterOus null
sance, and wonder why they have been
tolerated so long by intelligent women. l
have not had one of the hateful little slips
I r,lI .,rr1,4
care for my rousseau myself In the first
place. If chemise is as wide it should
be, it makes too much fulness over the
hips and waist, and this is the reason why
waists wrinkle. If the bag for
that is what a chemise is with
a hole at each ends well
gored. it is too narrow to walk
in, and trips woman up when she is try
ing to get in or out of street car, jump
gutter, or, in fact, perform any athletic
feat in which the freedom of her limbs is
essential. Those are my objections, and
so far as | am able to do so, ] prejudice
my customers against the garment. As
"A substitute | recommend a corset cover,
as It is called in commerce, or a plain
muslin waist, For my model ! would
make it with yoke and extra full, have 1t
come about six inches below the belt, and
make the sleeves and trimming to suit the
taste. The fullness adds to the scrawny
figure. and the yoke insures nice tit across
the aeck and shoulders. Now, get the cor
set, with cross-b0ned bust and hips; see
that it has plenty of stout whale in the
cores, that it is properly laced, and is plia-
pie enough to adjust itself to the flgure.
| wish you would lay particular stress on
the lacing, for many women not only get
the corset lOp-sided, but grow so them
selves; Vow is the time for the corset
cover, II the woman has urgent need for the
garments thickness, or if the corset is a
delicate tint and easily soiled, But it is
very essential TO have the waist close fitting
as the fit of the basque will bemarred or
improved according to the nature of the
garment Immediately beneath it. Then
for the skirts: white flannel first and as
many white or colored ones over as the
weareris judgment may dictate. A num-
Der of petticOats is very apt to increase
the hip measure, and where this