The Indianapolis journal., 1903-12-13
GrueSome Tale Of Ready-Made Tragedies
Stout Woman and Her Petite Sister

either hikes up in the front or dips on the
side. or both.
.And yet I'm not an absolute freak. now,
am I? There are thousands of other wom-
en- who are built very much as 1 am. and
1t does seem as though the makers of wom-
ems clothes might pay us a little consid-
GRAFTON. If ever open a department store
l know one thing; therell be department
of coats and gowns designed especially
for stout women, and I'll coin money
More likely you'll retire from business
with no money at ALL" said the other wom-
an grimly. do you suppose any woman
is going to admit-particularly to the clerks
that wait on her-that her measurements
are so far from those of the model figure
that she has to take advantage Of spe-
cially prepared clothes? If l know any
thing about women, the stout ones would
boycott your store"
And then the car rushed in, and the two
women clambered aboard and were whirled
cityward on their quest for clothes.
SHE HAD REAL TROUBLES.
There is truth in the plaint of the unfor-
tunate stout woman. She surely has her
troubles. The garments that the stores
show ready-made are tempting to the busy
women of this rushing age; to fit ones self
in ready-made clothes means that one saves
much time and energy by escaping the fire.
quent visits to modiste ind tailor and the
long tryings-on. The ready-to-wea things
are apt to cost less, too, than the made-eo-
order ones, and, as they are cut on good
lines and attractively trimmed, one loses
nothing in distinction in acquiring the
whose plumpness is beginning TO settle into
too solid flesh discovers that those gar
ments which her slenderer sisters find so
adaptable TO their lesser curves are well
nigh impossible on her own generous pro-
portions.
She never gives up trying. She is perse-
vering above all else-let that be said for
the lady OF the large measurements. She
may be filled with disgust at the effect of
her last ready made coat or suit, but as
soon as she decides that she wants a new
OUTFIT she begins to have visions OF just
how successful she is going to be this time.
She sees herself in frock of particularly
good lines, which shows off all her good
points and conceals her defects. Then she
goes a-looking for the frock. She finds
one that answers fairly well TO her dream
made gown; she views it displayed on the
straightforward sylph of the department
store, who swishes II gracefully about the
room for the purchasers benefit; she orders
1t and stands for hour or so for the nec-
essary alterations. and then, when 1t comes
home with all Its long lines shortened to
suit her lessened height, all its slender ef-
fects broadened to fit her greater width.
she views herself in her unfiattering mir
ror and realizes that ii is only another
failure.
1t does not seem a bit odd, considering
the number of women inclined to embon-
point, that there Ii not a special provi-
| sion made for their needs i'm the way of
ready-to-wear gowns. The unfortunate fact
is. however, that only the woman whose
proportions conforms to a certain standard
of measurement is sure of being taken into
| consideration by the people who turn out
| the lovely coats and gowns found nowadays
| in the shops. This does not necessarily i'm
ply that every woman must be Venus 10
| be able TO wear the ready-made garments;
| there be those, far from the perfect loveli-
ness OF the marble lady, who wear the
ready-cut things very satisfactorily. But
| the garments are all cut by certain stand
ard of measurement, and as the size of
I bust and waist and the length OF waist and
arm increase proportionately. the stout little
woman whose waist measurement Is that OF
| the largest size garments, while her length
| OF weirt and arm are about equal to those
| OF thu mallest size, cannot find In all the
collectL i a garment which can be satisfac-
| torily altered 10 proportions which depart so
| radically from all the traditions OF the trade.
WHAT SHOP PEOPLE SAY
But there Is another side to the story.
as to all stories. The snop people say that
| there is one thing that initiates strongly
against there being any pronounced con-
] sideration shown to the plump ones by the