The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-03-10
By MARY MARSHALL.

You have never thought of dressmak-
ing as possible vocation have you?
The dressmakers you usually think
about-the village spinster who in your
childhood went from house to house Tor
a hare $50 a day, the widow who wore
her fingers to the bone taking in dress
making in the effort to support SIN nun
gry. fatherless children-these weary
figures no doubt, loom up in your mem
DRY and make you say NO 10 uress-
making as q possible vocation.
But don't let these memories prejudice
you against dressmaking, for 1t Is TACT
that clever dressmakers nowadays wotn-
en- with ideas. pluck and business ann
ity, make good money about as surely
as any other women workers. 1t Is
fact that there is more real estate held
within the confines of New York CITY Dy
dressmakers 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 ana
fashion are found-and by the excellent
bushes. ability that dressmakers are
said to possess.
But don't get an idea that TO run
successful and fashionable dressmakins
business Won need do very little actual
dresSIndklnp. Hdl IL an 4NSo 't'~ o--@~
Young women who decide to go into
dre.smaking obtain from an occasional
visit to a fashionable dressmaker. These
aspirants think OF the great dressmaker
as a magnifcently gowned aroiter OF
fashion who sweeps leisurely through
her establishment directing a corps OF
well-trained assistants. 1t Is an allurins
picture but 1t doesn't quite gee up
with the facts In the case
One dressmaker who made a quarter
Of a million dollars and had. few years
ago a countrywide reputation Tor the
gowns she put out. had her own work
dresses made out of common blue ana
white striped bed ticking. because few
dresses of this material would last al
most indefinitely and In the arduous
round Of cutting, fitting, draping. and
designing in which she took a hand she
had no time left to replenish her own
wardrobe.
Bed ticking. Of course. is not necessary.
but the kind OF intensity OF purpose and
absorption in making dresses and doing
nothing else that in this case led to in
difference to appearance is absolutely
necessary for woman to possess II she
would earn one OF the fortunes that most
certainly do lie in the way of clever
dressmakers.
Another thing that you must possess
right from the start. II you are to take
up and make success of dressmaklnS,
is a natural fondness for dress-not 50
much for your own dress as for dress
wherever you see it. If you are what
might be called natural born dress
maker-if your talent lies in that direc-
tion-everywhere and at all times you
will have your eyes open 10 the detail.
the effect of the line and the color OF
will
at the theater. in the street, at home-in
the church. even.
The first steps in dressmaking are les
SOILS In plain sewing. and there are many
possible ways OF gaining this grounding.
IMPORTANT as are these first principles
in sewing remember that general edu-
cation carries good dressmaker a long
way: for the more general education she
has the more she knows OF the world
OF art of history and of society. the
more ideas she will have when 1t comes
to designing and originating costumes.
The principal of one OF the biggest
professional training schools for dress
makers and tailors in the country de-
clared to me that invariably the college
women who went through few months
training with her made successful dress
makers and that they could be assured
on leaving her of stepping out and get
ting IS a week to begin with: whereas,
the women of the same amount of pro-
fessional training in the dressmakinS
school. and no previous education would
have to content themselves with - a
week in their first positions.
However added this principal, you
can't keep a good dressmaker down, and
I guess there are few little. bright
faced girls in dressmaking shops today
who in twenty or thirty years will be
their fortunes in six figures"
But It Is a hard row to hoe-this work
ing from the bottom up to the top-and
the more education you have to begin