Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-16
Worked Six Months for Nothing.

Worked Six Months for Nothing.
$50, you did your learning before you
went to Paquin's?' 1 said
Il worked six months for nothing in the
Rue de Colsee. Its 'patronne,' who was
good and charming woman, making for
few rich families of the Champs Elysees,
did her best to push me, as did also her one
premiere At the end of six months 1 was
earning Is cents a day. Six months later
1 got p cents a day. At the end Of two
years 1 was full worker at 80 cents a
day. where l stuck, as all must stick. 1
was a complete Partisan couturere, and
those were my wages-90 cents day, with
out food or lodging.
THAT is why you went to Paquin's," /
| said. 80, remember"
Having just the necessary influence, l
| entered Paquin's work rooms at % cents
day, without food-no one had lodgings. 1
! was one among 800 hands and little
hands earning between 60 cents and dol
| lar a day of ten hours, as the law pre-
scribes. with 10 cents an hour for overtime.
| In all those great concerns they work over
| time half the year and reduce the force
| the other half. There were some sixty ap>
| prentices besides, many of them being al
ready expert dressmakers. They had slipped
| in to pick up Information and to say that
| they had worked for famous house"
| "You saw a lot l said.
yes l shall never forget when the pres
| ent-day straight-front .suppressing' corsets
came in. was only girl still; but said,
with most of my companions, THAT corset
will never succeed" Perhaps it was two
weeks later before we saw the mannequins
wearing them. Then understood"
You soon became mannequin your
self?'
yes; one day they discovered that had
| a figure" laughed my jantors daughter.
at was from that day that my real lie be-
! gam"
The Pretty Mannequins.
| 1.-The mannequns are those beautifully
| dressed girls one sees standing in attitudes
in the sales rooms?' I said
| oh she laughed, 1.-The saesgirls also
stand around in attitudes. l found 1t an
other world. Having a figure and small
knowledge of English l was promoted to
| talking mannequm,' replying to customers,
assisting to make sales. and particularly,
keeping customers patient, at $50 per month
and the table
"That Is, 1 had my lunch and dinner
with the saleswomen, the other mannequins
and my old taskmistresses. the 'premieres'
and 'secondes of the workrooms. 1 think
my most immediate satisfaction was to be
no longer screamed at by these latter!''
| Screamed att"
From morning to midnight, in the sea-
son, Monsieur Sterling, the workrooms of
a great Paris dressmaking concern are full
to the point of madness. Every fashion
able customer expects to be first served
and best served. Every moment there are
| imprisoned demands for this skirt or that
! corsage! But in the saesrooms, the
English poet says, there is a region of mild
calm and serene air Swell messieurs wait
| there"
| Flirting with the mannequins," I said.
| '"They always look to me like beautiful,
| expensive dolls. What do they really get?"
IA mannequin is pretty girl replied
Dicka, consciously, "a pretty girl blessed
with a fashionable-but not necessarily a.
good-fgure. AS 1 am now, am too
plump to be an ideal mannequin, although
| ideals are changing Of late. The very i'm
| portant American trade long ago brought in
| the American type mannequin. wearing the
costumes of robust girl. You understand,
| the mannequin ought really to have the
| ideal figure of this or that type of customer.
ply to wear and show off the models of
the season. There are skinny. bony manne-
auins, and very badly made, but being prop
| erly corseted and wearing the name
| quip's .sheath' instead Of upderclothes. the