The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-06
PLANS HER FRIENDS GOWNS
A WOMAN WHOSE MODE OF
LIFE rs ENVIED BY OTHERS.

I A WOMAN WHOSE MODE OF
, LIFE rs ENVIED BY OTHERS.
II Keeps Her Travelling in Europe m
Pays Better Than Painting Picture
Need Of Individuality in Women
!. Dress the Basis OF Her Success
"A few moro weeks and IN be of +,
take q running inventory Of the notable
costumes to DO seen at the Fashionable
resorts Of Europe declared q younl
woman who has for the past six or save,
years made q comfortable living by
planning costumes fo: her friends. .!
know that people a I have the be-
time Of any girl In New York. Some
even 60 80 far az to express envy Of my
life and opportunity. women who coulc
buy everything / { Own with one month
income and hardly miss the money.
Il do enjoy it all very much. but at tht
same time I am in 1t for what is to IL
made. II / didn't make money by
my travelling around / wouldn't bt
happy, because l would not be abls tx
pay my way.
Twas taking art lessons when the death
of my father threw me on my own re-.
sources. When the crash came, there I was
with less than $500 a year. 1t mightn't
have been 30 bad had I not been 40.
Customed to much more.
Il had invitations from friends, and
n Of my relatives went so far as to
offer mt a regular income provided
1t wal that word provided that put me
on ny guard. Before accepting her
offer I determined to see what 1 could
do for myself My father had been a
self-made man and I didn't see why I
shouldn't show the blood that was in my
veins, 80 I proposed to three Of my friends
that they allow me to plan their summer
wardrobe.
They were to tell me the amount
they wanted to spend and l was to plan
gowns. hats and all accessories. II my
designs panned out what they expected
l wa to be paid 500 or 500 for my trou-
ble; II not it was to be my loss.
"Althoughal all three OF them were women
I had known for years, after getting their
estimate / went about studying their
faces, figures and coloring an though l
had neve seen them. After 1 felt that
/ knew them as to appearance and char
acter I set TO work on my designs.
THE costumes I mapped out for them
were 30 promising and looked so we'll In
water colors that they were all accepted,
and n by n my clients took me with
my designs TO their tailors and dress
makers. That was the hardest part.
OF course they all had firms they had
been dealing with for years. Each firm
had been In the habit Of buying especially
for them. When they began to show
signs Of taking the planning Of their own
wardrobes into their Owl hands assisted
by me the tailors and dressmakers natur-
ally objected. One tailor informed one
Of my friends that unless she was will
ing to submit herself to him for styles as
we'll as materials and fits he would have
nothing to do with making her outfit.
Fortunately my friend had q little
Independence and "a willing to follow
my advice and try my own tailor. She
saved lot OF money and still declared abe
was never 80 we'll pleased with her gowns.
We had the same difficulty with several
Of the dreesmakers. which resulted In
giving the woman who had worked for
me good customers.
Il now have twelve clients for whom
I design everything they wear and often
superintend the making or building. as
the stylish makers prefer TO have II called,
Of the clothes. / make designs for these
women four times each year. A lot Of
clothess Yes, but II a woman goee out
as much as they do here In New York
they haven't many things they could con-
trive to do without.
you ask what is the advantage to be
gained by having special designs. To
begin with there Is the great satisfaction
Of knowing that you will never be brought
face to face with a woman wearing your
gown. hat or any part OF your wardrobe.
Then comes the equal satisfaction Of
believing that your clothes suit your
style and have your individual character
istics. The reason many women fall
short Of looking their best is not because
their clothes are not beautiful. but because
they do not suit them.
Il design for my clients costumes that
have the stamp OF their individuality.
designs TO ONE and asked whom they
looked like. II they didn't name the
right woman ! would work them over,
because knew l hadn't made tho indi-
viduality Of the customer sufficiently
pronounced.
nave ndu uST VI teTy ROOO salaries
indeed by several firms here In New York
and in Paris to make designs for them.
Why should | accept their money for do
ing the very thing I don't believe in?
They would sell costumes made after my
designs by the hundred. and to every
woman who took a fancy to them. That
would give me the money, it is true, but
at the same time 1t would take away the
pleasure. the inspiration of my work.
1T is an easy matter Il design fetching
costumes. The charm and difficulty ne
in designing the right costumes for the
individual woman. or course / consult
the taste Of my client always.
Though many women fancy thin es
that are u~nbecoming b them, the same
styles oan be modified 10 that they will
be made to he becoming. This giving
them the desired style will often add to
their satisfaction to such an extent as to
make them look their best when they
wear the style,
only last winter I designed a whole
pile OF gowns for a stout woman on lines
that she begged and begged to be allowed
to wear. She wanted to be In the fashion
regardless Of what was becoming. / ex-
planned to her when submitting the de-
signs that unlees she held herself in a
certain way she would be a fright. Though
the style was against her figure, / 90
manipulated the oolors and softened the
lipoa TINT har ah~orfoopinp xr,.o ia.