Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1885-01-09
Male Dressmakers.
ALL THE RAGE IN FASHIONABLE
CIRCLES AT WASHINGTON
JUST NOW.

a wOman's much easier to fit
than a man, SAID a fashionable
downtown tailor the other day as
he sat cross sslegged on his table
making button-hOles in pigeon
breasted garment somewhat re.
scmbling a coat. They're much
moro satisfactory to fit. There's
form-grace-symmetry; beauti-
full Not all angels like menp
'Bah YOu can't fiji a man. But
look at thatp he cried with a burst
Of professional enthusiasm, holding
mp 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
grace-symmetry-formf =
'What is itY asked the star
man, who stood with his head on
one side eyeing the garment from
a distance. 'What is itY
'What Why Il ladies' waist.
What have been talking about ?
You don't think there is a man
with snch n form 2
DO you mean to say you make
ladies garments ?
'Of course. fit dresses on
some of the most fashionable la.
dies in Washington. You don't
think they could get dressmaker
to make a waist like that? ? No one
but a man-an artist tailor-could
do that
But how do you manage? How
do you-lIOw-that is, how do you
fit them-try them on, you know 2
asked the scribe, trying to hide his
bushes behind a 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
ittingis easily arranged. Our GUS
toners are ladies who have travel
ed-ladies of refinement. Fit?
Why just a few minutes ago l
measured a lady for pair of
pants
a pair of whatY
"A pair of pants. Ladies wear
pants with 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
underneath, nothing else no skirts.
Oh, ah, you are wondering how |
manage about the pants, he added,
noticing the puzzled and embar-
rassed expression which had taken
possession of the scribe's counte-
nance. 1T is all extremely delicate
and modest. You ought to 90 to
Paris. We measure the size Of a
lady'S waist. Then the distance
from the waist to the floor. Then
we have her sit on a table, and
measure from the distance from her
waist to the table. Subtract this
from the distance from her waist to
the floor aud we have the length of
her-I mean the leg Of her pants.
When they are cut and basted she
tries them on 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
!ailors. Washington is getting al
most like Paris. The ladies have
good taste. could name lots OF
ladies-I don't know how many
who come in and have their meas
ures taken, just as graciously as
men would, and then they are much
easier to fit and pleasanter to serve
than men. And the trying on OF
garments? We have parlors and
maids in attendance. They retire
, to a parlor and put on the garment,
which is basted together, and when
they get it on am sent for and go
in and fit it, taking it in here, mark
ing it for alteration, and letting II
out there. When | have finished /
retire, and the lady again changes
her garment. Everything is very
modest. This is the custom alto.
gether in Paris, and is very rapid,
ly becoming so here
'What is the cost Of lady's
suitP
1T depends somewhat upon the
material. Some 800, some 800
some Sl23 and more
do you make party dresses, oI
anything of that kind?'
mo, we don't do anything al
that. They can be blown together
by a dressmaker. We make walk
ing suits, and superintend the prep
aration of the better part of Their
wardrobe. Fashionable ladies gen
orally have quite number of diff
ferent styles OF cloth suits, and
heavy silks and satins. These are
what we make. Sometimes We have
a 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 ; arrang
/ ...,< a.. Iro,,orx. ouH than mali