The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-10-24
A NEW INDUSTRY.

Men Who Make Clothes for Women, and the
Enhancing Garments They Produce.
Special to the Indianapolis Journai.
NEW YORK, Oct 23.-A year ago there were
three or four "woman's tailors" on and near
Fifth avenue, and there was one in Brooklyn.
Their signs read simply "Donnelly, Robes" or
some such legend equally manufacturing And
these were not exactly womans tailors. They
were simply men dressmakers, like Worth, in
Paris, and were trading on the popular idea set
afioat by Worth, that man has more taste and
originality, and boldness in designing than wom-
en- posses. But now there are twenty four men
dressmakers above Fourteenth street. They do
not adopt the old Shakspearean phrase, ''the
woman's tailor" but proudly dub themselves
ladies tailors" in letters of gold and of boast
full dimensions. And the number is constantly
increasing, as one sees by the little signs the
mems tailors adding to their former shingles
so as to make them announce, Also riding hab-
its and costumes for ladies'" In a word, the
signs on Broadway and Fifth avenue announce a
social revolution, though any one with eyes to
see can read the same thing in the attire of the
women without looking at the signs at all Ev-
erywhere uptown cloth jackets that fit like jer-
seys, and usterS that are nodded to the graceful
rounding figures of the ladies, as men can
scarcely hope or wish their overcoats to be,
inclose the persons of all well-dressed women.
1t Is impossible for any man Except a
woman's tailor to Judge whether the
new fashion is or is not a good one l would
not give fig for the opinion of a man so dull
that he could see half dozen Murray Hill girls
who have strained art and poured out money in
order to look their best, and then could express
any but the one opinion. Amid the rack and
stress of shifting fashions since have been
among them each alteration in their gowns has
seemed to make them more and more entranc-
ing.
What brought about this revolution9 Well,
first the jersey, which made display of the out
line of the figure fashionable, and then the de-
mand for an equally tight-ftting oversarment to
keep up the accurate exposure OF outline when
the weather called for something outside and on
top of the jersey The mems tailors were called
upon to construct these feminine ''ulsters" as
they were called. These tailors got extra prices
for this new work, and liked it THAT is, the extra
prices) so we'll that they enlarged their signs to
attract more ladies. This encroached on the
field of the men dressmakers, who then hired
tailors and also altered their signs Thus the
words ''ladies' tailor" appeared on the signs of
two sets OF tradesmen. And thus also, came it
to pass that the original mems tailors went on
from making ulsters to making dresses and the
men dressmakers became the makers of tailor
made garments of all sorts.
1t is interesting to visit one of these ladies'
tailor shops, as / did yesterday. Here were
trousers by the score hung in a line on hooks,
like beeves before butchers stall, and across
the room were great glass cases filled with
ladies' jackets and skirts, blazing with en-
broidery in gold, with gaudy ribbons and with
buttons big as butter dishes. A helpless dude
with his coat off and one arm out stiff like
mailbag catcher Oh a postal car, was being
measured for q coat in tho thick of a beYy Of
circing ladies, one Of whom stood on low plat
form, while young girl encrcled her with a
tape measure, and the great woman's tailor
talked on whalebones. Innings, founces and
don't know what not. Over in a corner, through
the parting of a curtain. peeped a white and
pink suggestion of the shoulder of another lady
trying on a dress. JULIAN RALPH.