New-York tribune., 1911-11-19
CHAPTER ".


You have never thought Of dressmaking
as possible vocation for your daughter
have you? The dressmakers you know
ANYTHING about-the village spinster, VINO
in your youth went from house to house
for a bare 81 90 a day. the widow who wore
her fingers to the bone taking in dress
making in the effort to support six hungry
fatberless children-these weary figures no
doubt. loom up in your memory and make
Won say mo" to dressmaking as possible
vocation for your daughter.
But don't let these memories prejudice
YOU against dressmaking. for II Is iacI
that clever dressmakers nowadays WoIh-
en- with ideas pluck and business ablllty'
make good money about as surely as any
other women workers. For example, there
are to-day in such cities as New YORK.
Chicago and Boston dressmakers Of wealth
and prominence. whose busy lives are filled
with the happiness Of achievement, VINO
twenty or thirty years ago began as eager
little dressmakers apprentices with noth-
ing but their wits TO help them on. More
over. there is more real estate held within
the confines Of New York City by dress
makers than by any other class of women.
This condition has been brought about by
the Steadily increasing incomes made in
dressmaking-not only in New York, but
in all cities where wealth and fashion are
found-and by the excellent business ability
that dressmakers need 10 possess.
There is now even greater opportunity
than ever before for the young woman
Of purpose and ability to make a COM
70
herself in this profession, and now that
dressmaking is coming TO be regarded as
an art rather than a trade it is taking
into its ranks women Of wealth and high
social station.
But don't let your daughter get an IDEA
into her head that TO run a successful and
fashionable dressmaking business she her
self need do very little actual dressmaking.
That is an idea that some young women
who decide 10 go into dressmaklng obtain
from an occasional visit TO fashionable
dressmaker These aspirants think Of the
great dressmaker as a magnifcently
gowned arbiter Of fashion who sweeps
leisurely through her establishment direct
ing a corps Of well trained assistants. 1t
IS an alluring picture, but it doesn't quite
get up with the facts in the case.
million dollars and had, a few years ago.
countrywide reputation for the gowns
she put out. had her own work dresses
made out Of common blue and white strip
cd bed ticking. because a few dresses Of
this material would last almost indefinitely
and in the arduous round Of cutting, fitting
draping and designing in which she took
q hand she had no time left 10 replenish
her own wardrobe.
Bed ticking. Of course, is not necessary.
hut the kind of intensity Of purpose and
absorption I'm making dresses and doing
nothing else which in this case led to in
difference TO appearance is absolutely
necessary for the woman who would earn
one Of the fortunes that most certainly do
lie in the way of clever dressmakers.
Whether the fortune is worth such a sac
Tihce or not is another matter.
Another thing your daughter must pos
sess right from the start, If she is 10 take
Up and make a success Of dressmaking, is
a natural fCndness for dress-not so much
for her own dress as for dress wherever
she sees it, If she is what might be called
a natural-born dressmaker-if her talent
lies In that Neutrality-suspicious. and at
all times she will have her eyes open to
the detail, the effect Of the line and the
color Of the dress All this she will see
and absorb AT the theatre, in the street, al
home. i'm the church even.
That favorite picture Of yours-thC
Mona Lisa, for instance-you have looked
al il hundred times; but ten to one yot
don't know how the dress in the picture
ts made You know the effect-the grace
fl curve of the shoulders, the majestic
sweep Of the sleeve-but unless you are
something of q dressmaker yourself YOU
have never stopped 10 notice how tnat ef-
feet was produced. Your daughter, on the
other hand, If she is cut out by nature, as
a. were. for d successful dressmaker would
catch at a glance the details of the dress
IN the picture.
The principal Of one Of the biggest pro-
fessional training schools for dressmakeri
and tailors I'm New York City declared tc
INC that invariably the college women who
went through a few months training Will
hsr made successful dressmakers and tha
they could be assured on leaving her OF
stepping out and getting s25 week TO begir
with: whereas, the women of the same
amount Of professional training In th'
Gressmaking school and no previous educa-
tDI would nave 10 content themselves WIN
5, a week in their first positions.
However" added this principal, ''yol
can't keep a good dressmaker down, and
guess there are few little bright faced
pirls in dressmaking shops to-day who II
twenty or thirty years will be counting
ta,ir fortunes in six figures"
But IL Is a hard row 10 hoe-this working
fIom the bottom up 70 the top-and the
mere education you give your daughter tC
lccin with the easier time she will have tC
YIN the laUrels Of success.
So now granted that your daughter has
finished her regular schooling and knows
Low to- sew. how shall she be transformed
into the fashionable dressmaker? BY al
odds the quickest road to success Is
through d good dressmaking and tailoring
school. where IN the space Of six months
az "a cost Of from so 10 $50 she can learn
thoroughly the principles OF drafting, cut
ting. dtting and designing. II possible, LEI
your daughter get this training in one OF
the larger cities where she can through
Introduction from her school. visit the noted