Morning journal and courier., 1889-09-03
FITTED BY A MAN.
A New York Man Dressmaker Wh, Does a Big Business.
 iFrorn the Nav York


 The woman dressmaker, if fashionable own figures laces, ribbon, whalebone and all other small articles which enter into the making up of a costume. She does not usu- ally itemize the bill for these things, and 1t is said that mint juleps, absinthe and other refreshments" are sometimes included in the general lump of findings" The man dressmaker is more insatiate. He not only insists upon furnishing all the etoeteras, but the material itself of which the costume is made. He usually charges from eighty to one hundred and twenty-five dollars for a cloth gown made to order. If he "compos- es" receiving or ball costume to suit the style or taste of his customer his prices are regulated by the length of her purse and her willingness to draw it's strings, and often run up into hundreds of dollars. Recently a young lady visited Fifth avenue establish ment and asked the price for making plain street gown. The charge was one hundred dollars, but it was reduced to ninety dollars. "How much for the makingf' she inquired. "Ninety dollars" was the reply. "But have some very beautiful broad
 
 said.
 "Very well," answered the tailor, blandly; "we will make is. The price will be ninety dollars"
 "Do you allow nothing for the material2" "Nothing at all. Of course If you wish to use your own goods in preference to ours we have no objection; but we make no deduc- | tion in price,"
 As ferryboat was making an effort to en- l ter it's slip the other day there was over- heard snatch of conversation between two ! we'll dressed women. They were evidently ! discussing the masculine dressmaker, pro l and con.
 | "A man made garment has fit which no woman can give," said one.
 stThat may be-" said the other, little spitefully; 'but, in the eternal fitness of l things am sure 1t is not proper for a man l to fit woman's dress; and. according to my idea, no modest woman will submit to such thing"
 stIt is greatly matter of use," said the
 first speaker. "The man simply looks upon his customer as an object for whom he is to
 If her figure needs improving by artificial
 means he proceeds to make 1t as nearly per
 feet as his skill will allow. The lady only thinks of him as the agent who executes her orders. And then the finish. A man is 30 much more careful and painstaking, and | whom the WOrk IS Qone It mas @ por1ectlOu seldom seen in that which comes from femi- nine hands. Thers Is no reason why @ wo.
 mans gown should not be made as we'll as 6 mans coat, and no man would employ e
 tailoress to make his coat"
 s.I care nothing for that" said the friend
 obdurately. "I would not have man make
 a costume for me if he did the work better
 than any woman on earth could do 1t, an6
 charged absolutely nothing for his labor
 Every man who makes a dress or a bonnet
 takes the bread from the mouth of some wo
 man."
 "Does not every woman who sets type ol
 digs potatoes take the bread from the mouth
 of some mani"
 "That is of no consequence," was the re- ply: Ca man can always find something te
 do. If one avenue Is closed he has @ thou 1 sand others open" Just here the gangplank was secured and the rest of the conversation was drowned in cries of "Kee-ab!" "kee.ab!' , Did you ever see girl behind the counter of a store whose gown fitted her like glove made for her hand, or pretty chorus girl l who wore street costume that might have haan made by Worthi These young womer . could never get money enough to pay Fiftl avenue or Twenty third street prices, and ye they wear costumes which compare favora , bIy with those made in fashionable quarters They probably patronize man who make , | hundred dresses @ week; who allows hi
 customers to furnish their own materials