St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-11-22
The Popularity Of Man Dressmaker in
New York Who is English, You
Know"
The Sparkling Diamonds Which Mrs.
Stanford Will Wear at the Ma
tional Capital.
The Romantic History of a Chicago
Woman Who was a Cardinals
Sweetheart.
Various Matters Which Appeal tC
the Interest of Sweethearts
and Wives.
The Man NIilliner.

NEW York, Nov. 21.-"COme with me
and see how man dressmaker fits a
gown" said friend. We went up the
stone stairs just south of Delmonico's,
over which a strip of rich red carpet was
spread, and entered Redfern's.
AS my friend was not rolling in wealth
marveled. Redfern gowns cost something.
Eyes," she said, in answer to my express
sion of establishment this is the path of
high prices, but it leads to perfect fits, l
would rather have one gown that fits we'll
than half dozen that Pm not sure Of"
And will you be sure of this one?"
''Oh, it's English, so English, you know"
she replied with laugh. ''Do you sup
pose the tailor to her majesty the queen,
the Princess of Wales. the rest OF the
Guelph family and ever so many other
royal highnesses can err?"
To be sure, there was the British coat of
arms over the door, and as soon as we got
inside there was the English accent on
every tongue, the ''NeO, madames," and
''Yeys. madames," of the native Britishers
in all their pnrity. Everything was Eng
lish, from the small servitOr in red and gold
livery at the door to the managers them
selves who are quite young men. But it
was all very agreeable English. Everybody
was polite, without being etfusively so.
Every employee knew her duties, and dis
charged them with the utmost courtesy and
dignity.
We went up stairs to fitting room
there are thirteen of them-and the fitting
process began. The filter wore gown OF
brocaded silk so snug that l wondered how
she could use her arms so rapidly and skill
fully as she did. She pinned the garment
into shape on my friends handsome figure
with dexterity absolutely stunning to a
looker-on. There was no waiting to begin
operations. She was ready at the instant
appointed, and when it came to fixing a
time for the second and last trying on she
had no voice in the matter except to say:
''Suit yourself, madame"
| And how the shears flew around the neck
and armholes of that basque, cutting and
slashing, apparently reckless OF cOnse-
quenceS yet making no mistakes. An as
sistant-there is one to every fitting room,
clad in blue and gold livery-helps the lady
on and off with her clothing, and hands the
filter pins, scissors and other necessary i'm
Elements of crucifiXion.
went to the second fitting, for then the
man was to assist The gown was almost
completed the sleeves in, the skirt hung.
1t was putson and one of the Redfern BROTH
ers called in. He gave it a comprehensive
| glance, walked around the lady, stopped,
took hold of it and pinched in seam till
the waist was as taut as drum head.
sit must be tighter here" he said, and
he spoke as one having authority.
but madame doesn't want it very snug"
said the filter.
| Madame herself spoke up. 81 think my
shoulders are too broad to have my waist
narrowed too much, and then you know we
American women don't lace like the Eng
llsh, do we?"
The young man parted the question.
Madame continued: 'English ladies do
lace. don't they?"
Eyes, they lace" he said, Loyalty trying
to dodge particulars on that subject.
But there is no lodging the fact. We
hear no end of twaddle about the comfortable
and healthful garments of English women,
| but they are death on corset strings
| Wherever you see them in swell attire you
| will see bodies laced and stayed and whale
| boned till they look like hour-glasSes.
Another English dressmaker told me that
English women frequently wore their
gowns so tight that tool like an enormous
| Shoe-buttOner was necessary to make them
meet at all. asked the Redfern filter how
it was. She smiled and admitted that she
had known similar cases. and indeed her
own gown could only have been brought
together by forceful persuasion. Amer-
can women are not prone to tight lacing,
but they are the fussiest in the world to
| work for.
The sleeves, the skirt, the drapery of the
new garment were all inspected by the
young man and pronounced good. and the
business of fitting, usually so wearisome,
was done. And the gown! 1t was, in
deed, beauty in its quiet elegance. giving
its wearer the distingue look which only a
tasteful garment can give to the most
beautiful woman. And what was it? Only
| black English serge, with a little silver
braiding On the collar and around the
wrists, and small silver buttons down the
front of the basque. 1t was a genuine
tailor-made gown, if there ever was one
The tails of the basque were stiffened,
stitched and pressed like coat, and it
showed plainly that the hand of the tailor
was over all. The skirt was kilt-plaited
below, and finished with long, graceful
drapery brought high on one side. Yes,
and it had springs in it, and a cushion for
the basque to rest on, and it was somewhat
heavier than thistle-down. Yes, that was
all, but the effect was transformation.
A jealous little woman who sat at the
same table at the hotel where my friend
| boarded, quite lost her appetite from sheer
envy when she first saw the gown on it's
owner.
And its price? Only $50, everything
furnished. High! 1t sounds so, doesn't it?
! They tell graphic tales of the Redfern's
prices. Perhaps that is why the swell peo-
pie of Fifth avenue and the gigmanity of
Newport will wear nothing that hasn't his
stamp upon it. They value most what
costs them most. 1 heard story of a
woman going there to ask what they would
charge for making gown if she furnished
the material. Eighty dollars was the calm
reply.
are always boasting of our originality,
freedom and independence, are never
happy unless we have monarchy to pat
tern after in dress and social custom. We
used to want everything French, but that
was when France was an empire. Now
that is Republic, we are English, so
English SO dreadfully English, you know"
because we are such snObS that we must
have a court somewhere to initiate.
And so these English tailors for women
| came over here and in less than year have
an establishment here, in Newport and
| Saratoga, in addition to their houses in Lon
don, Paris and Cowes, in the Isle of Wight,
where the original house was located in
1SO6-and are quoted and patronized in a
way that even Worth might envy. A house
Oh Broadway stores their goods. which are
all imported They employ 400 workers,
/ men and women, sixty of whom live in the
house. They do all their own designing,
and pattern after nobody. Young ladies
are continually engaged in copying these
designs; others in mailing them to the
orders that are constantly coming in.
Sparkling Diamonds.
Philadelphia Times.