The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-27
GIRLS DRESSES.
How They Are sensibly Made by Certain New
York Ladies.

York Ladies.
New York Mail and Express.
At one of the fashionable wedding receptions
held in this city, a few evenings ago one Of the
lady guests was heard to remark in reply to a
gentlemans depressed admiration of the hand
some toilets worn by the young ladies, that if he
knew how many of the dresses had been made
up by the fair wearers themselves. he would be
greatly surprised.
Il don't believe that one of you men realizes
she added, "or even suspect the long and often
hard hours of work that many of the handsome.
ly-dressed girls you admire so much have put
upon their dresses. Indeed, can tell you from
my own knowledge that the American girl at her
home, even though well off, is by no means the
idle butterfly you to think her to be-"
Learning the ladys address, a reporter of the
Mail and Express called upon her yesterday,
and asked for some particulars of this home in.
dustry of the present day society bellies.
You are perfectly welcome to ali know on
the subject" she said, land l think it is no
more than justice that our New York girls
should have the credit they really deserve in
getting themselves up so becomingly. In spite
OF the modern influences of French fashions and
the apparent necessity of engaging expensive
and fashionable dressmakers to carry them out,
many girls that are Of attraction in society be-
cause of their handsome and tasteful dresses get
them up themselves. 1t shows that our girls
still possess many of the economical traits so
praised in our forefathers, but which you news
paper men seem to think are largely wanting in
the present generation"
but do not the young ladies themselves en-
deavor to make people think in this wayT" was
asked
81 confess that they do, and blame them for
it. They delight to represent themselves as the
gay and idle butterflies of fashion, which they
are not and could not be if they wished, for
they have too much of the American
60 aheadativeness about them. If you
doubt this, watch them any fine day at the
counters of the large dry goods stores. Their
thoughtful faces there as they carefully ex-
anime and compare laces silks and velvets will
tell the story Or at any time within two or
three weeks previous to fashionable wedding
or other event let a person visit, as have done;
families whose daughters intend to be present
Not only during the day, but at night as we'll,
the young ladies will be found deeply engaged in
occasion and as thoughtfully planning about
them as would be the most practical and hard
worked dressmaker.
why do they do thisY Because, for one
thing, they delight in being economical, and
also for the satisfaction it gives them to know
that they have by their own labor accomplished
work. At wedding a few days ago in one of
this city's churches the bride, as she walked
down the aisle, carried herself with an air of
honest pride and spirit that was pleasure to
see. OF course she was proud of her husband
and proud of the OCCASION but / hattered my
self that there was another reason for it, and
this was feeling of independence and satsfac-
ton from the fact that she had with her own
hand made the handsomely fitting white silk
dress she wore, as well as her entire trousseau.
where do they get their ideasl l will tell
you. Call at any of the large city dry goods
houses at what is known as an opening. You
will there find any quantity of these young
ladies we refer to inspecting infinitely the rich
and handsome dresses just imported but by no
means with any intention of becoming purchas-
ers as perhaps person seeing them would DO
led to suppose. 1t is to get ideas for their
spring or fall or evening wardrobes and they
not only succeed in accurately copying very
elaborate costumes, but in many cases they i'm
prove on those which they see This is often
the case also, with reference to millinery.
These girls sometimes spend day after day hunt
ing about town in search of a hat or bonnet
ready trimmed to suit them. Then they go
shopping for material like it to make its ex-
act counterpart at probably half the price.
'Yet men wonder what women find to do
with themselves all day long and a young
man on a moderate salary can't afford to marry
because the girls of the present day are so
dreadfully extravagant his ideas wholly OBJ
tanned from the fact that several of his young
lady acquaintances happen to be smart enough
to dress nicely and stylishly perhaps very
small allowance. And she annoyance and dis
comfort these girls undergo, especially when
shopping, is not little, l can tell you, and
makes them deserve all the more credit.
Crowded stores, impertinent shop ladies' pokey
and exasperately slow cash girls are obstacles in
the way of the independent young dressmaker's
progress that men have no knowledge of and
little realize how annoying they really are"