Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1896-10-22
GOOD FIGURES ONLY.
YOUNG WOMEN AS GARMENT AND
ARTISTS MODELS.

The Requirements Of a Model In a Cloak
house-Hours Of Work and Pay-BaIIet
Figurantes-Artists' ModeIs-Posing For
the Nude.
Copyright, 1896 by the Author.l
Among the throngs of young work
ingwomen crowding the business sec
tions of every large city there are al
ways some who attract particular notice
by the striking beauty of their figures
and the perfect fit of their close fitting
gowns. 1t is easy for the city denizen
familiar with all types to pick them out
as cloak models.
The large wholesale houses where
gowns, jackets and fur garments are
sold employ them.
1T must be easy, II" thinks the pretty
girl who is about to begin earning her
own living, just to stand in a big,
comfortable salesroom and show off
pretty clothes.
But it is not SO easy. 1t is a well
paid, fatiguing business with as many
drawbacks as favorable conditions.
A goddesslike creature of feet 10,
or perfectly formed little beauty Of
the shepherdess type, can never be a
cloak model no matter how arithmet-
ically correct her proportions may be.
A figure of medium size or q little over
is required. On such a model large
garment can be seen to advantage, as
almost all ready made clothes are lit
tie larger than medium size. This al
lows for alteration to smaller figure,
while the styles required for women of
amazonian build must be made to order
and cost proportionately more.
A cloak model should be about feet
6 at most, have broad shoulders which
she carries well, bust Of about 81
inches, a waist Of about 20 and hips about
40- She cannot in the smallest degree
be either too long wasted or short
wasted Her hand must reach little
below her knee when sitting.
Out Of her good salary Of from SIS to
$18 per week she must wear gowns
which show her figure and are the per
fection Of style, generally tailor made,
as this severe mode displays fully the
graceful lines which enable her to earn
a living.
She has to reach the big wholesale
cloak house at half past s or possibly
O'Clock, assist in getting the stock in
order and be ready to see customers by
10. Sometimes whole day is devoted
to one purchaser, large buyer from
some other section of the country, and
during the inspection our cloak model
has to try ON dozens of garments, re-
volve like a dummy so that all sides
may be inspected and do her best to
make the garments attractive by reason
Of her good carriage and her beauty Of
face, if she possesses this, as she fire.
quently does.
This never ceasing putting on and
taking off, revolving and pacing are ex-
tremely monotonous-more monotonous
even than the selling at a counter where
a thousand different faces come and 20.
The salesronm offers no variety, and the
remarks Of the one or two customers
have wearying similarity as garment
after garment is criticised and disposed
Of.
Favorable points Of the business are
the short hours, as many Of these houses
have no work for the model after 8
O'Clock during the week and frequently
permit a more early departure on Sat
urdays. The salary is large compared
with that earned by women in other oc-
eupations. While the work has same
ness that is wearying it permits of rest
full intervals and generally a decent
amount of time for lunch. Other draw
backs sometimes met with are the close
contact with the buyers necessary for
the sale of cloak. 1t is nothing for a
man to take model by the arm, turn
her around and pass his hand over the
garment when on her to assure himself
Of the s1noothness Of the fit. All this can
be done in a way to give no offense, but
sometimes the ''fresh'' man, who crops
up at intervals in every large commu-
nifty, comes along and in some way turns
the necessary familiarity into an insult.
However, the position Of cloak model
can be held successfully by any young
woman fitted for it by nature, who is
not overeensitive nor on the qui vive
for insult, who has proper amount of
independence and spirit visible in her
personality, and who possesses a cool,
discriminating brain.
Too often the girl with pretty figure
and no money drifts to the stage and
becomes a igurante in a big ballet. To
any one who knows anything about the
seamy side of footlight life she awakens
pity-a poor, little moth, caught by
glare and bound to have her wings
singed. Temptations are met here under
which the hardest morals totter and
hardships to undermine the most bound
ing health.
Rosina Vokes once gave sound advice
to a stagestruck girl which may be
quoted here:
"You see me in the sunlight, you
poor, little dear I have a big parasol