Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1884-10-04
MEN AS DRESSMAKERS.
Ladies' Who Have Their Suits Made
by TailOrSs


| THE REVELATIONS OF A FASHIONABLE sARroRIAL
ARTET-How HEiMEAsUREs AND FITS HIS LADY
CUSTOMERS - WASHINGTON BECOMING LIKE
PARIS, FROM A TAH0R'S POINT OF VIEW.
"a woman's much easier to fit than man. ~
said fashionable down town tailor the other
day as ne sat cross legged on his table making
button holes int igeon-breasted garment some
what resembling coat. They're much more
| satisfactory to fit. There's form-grace-sym-
metry; beautiful! Not all angles like men!
Bah! You can't fit a man. But look at that,''
he cried with burst Of professional enthu-
siasm, holding up the garment that lay in
his lap SO as to display the swell of the bust
| and graceful curve of the hips. Look at
that: Isn't it graoe-symmetry-form
what is 1t, asked The STAR man? who
stood with his head on one side cycling the gar
ment from distance. "What is it,"
'What? Why ladies' waist. What have l
been talking about? You don't think there is
| man with snch fOrm?"
DO you mean to say you make ladies' gar
| ments?"
"Of course. 1 fit dresses on some of the
don't think they could get dressmaker to
make waist like that? No one but a man
an artist tailor-could do that
but how do you manage? How do YOU
How-that is, how do you tit them--try them
! on, you know" asked the scribe. trying to hide
| his bushes behind red bandanna.
Manage? Manage? Oh, yes; | see Easily
enough The fitting is very easily managed.
| You have never been to Paris? They know how
| to do everything there The fitting is easily ar
ranged. Our customers are ladies who have
| traveled-ladies of refinement. Fit? Why Just
! few minutes ago measured lady for pair
of pants"
"A pair of what2"
oir pf
their riding habits. They wear them under
| their riding skirts. This has been the custom
| for some time. They wear their skirts shorter
| than formerly-just SO as to touch the ground
when they stand. Then they wear pants under
! meath, nothing else; no skirts. Oh, an YOU are
| wondering how manage about the pants" he
| added, noticing the puzzled and embarrassed
| expression which had taken possession of the
scribe s countenance at is all extremely deli
cate and modest. You ought to go to Paris.
| We measure the size of lady's waist Then
the distance from the waist to the floor. Then
| we have her sit on a table. and measure the dis
! lance from her waist to the table. Subtract
| this from the distance from her waist to the
| 1ioor and we have the length of her-1 mean the
| leg OF the pants. When they are cut and basted
she tries them on for herself. The fitting is all
managed very nicely. We make a great many
| ladies' suits In fact. all the fashionable ladies.
particularly those who have been to Paris. have
their suits made by taors. Washing
! -.
ladies have good taste l could name
| lots OF ladies-I don't know how many-whO
come Id and have their measures taken, just as
graciously as men would, and they are much
easier to lit and pleasanter to serve than men.
| And the trying on OF garments? We have par
| Tors, and maids in attendance. They retire to q
| parlor and put on the garment, which is basted
| together and when they get it on | am sent for
| ana go III and tit it, taking it in here. marking
1t Tor alteration. and letting it out there When
1 nave finished | retire, and the lady again
changes her garment. Everything is very mod
est. This is the custom altogether in Paris, and
! is very rapidly becoming so here
What Is the cost of lady's suit"
ut depends somewhat upon the material.
Some are $50, some $780, some S125 and more Is
"Do YOU make party dresses, or anything of
that kind!"
No we don't do anything at that They can
| be blown together by dressmaker We make
Walking suits, and superintend the preparation
OF the better partot their wardrobe. Fashion
| able ladies' generally hare quite a number of
different styles OF. cloth suits, and heavy silks
| and satins. These are what we make. Some
times We have lady's entire wardrobe brought
here. and repair it, as it were. We change the
cut OF some suits, alter the looping in on
| another: arranging the drapery; and then make
new suits to supply the places of those which
the latest fashion. Then we make large num-
Der of riding habits. We have a wooden horse
which they sit on While We arrange the folds OF
their habits
"Oh. yes" he added. drawing his legs up
under him once more and running his hand over
the face of his goose THE ladies' costumes
that are intended to fit are made nv men