Evening star., 1933-08-06
Fine Work by Seamstress
Creates Pride in Clothes

She learned how to sew almost before
she learned how to read.
When. at IA or Is, she is appren-
ticed to a couturier. the young French
girl knows already the art Of fpe
sewing She takes pride in it. The
handsome gown costing hundreds OF
dollars, on which she works for some
wealthy client. Is to her q work OF art.
She wouldn't dream of doing poor work
because it was hidden from sight Every
single stitch that goes into the gown
must be beautiful.
VISITORS to Paris department stores
sometimes marvel at the beautiful
handwork which is to be found on
cheap little cotton underwear. They
feel that it Is waste OF time. In u
sense. Of course, they are right. 1t
same work been done on fine piece
of material. But the reason for beau
tiful work is not hard to find. 1t lies
in the French woman's adherence TO
certain traditions of craft. The girl,
engaged to embroider or hemstitch q
chemise de mutt, will do the work beau
tifully, even though her employer gives
her only the poorest fabric on which
to do it. Her pride of workmanship
would not let her do anything but the
most exquisite work Of which she was
capable. -.
her ideals in the gowns that come from
Paris. They must be beautiful and
gerie, 1t must be the finest and best
that can be made. Embroidery must
be painstakingly wrought out, stitch by
stitch. No machine work, no tawdry
lace or imitation trimming. 1t Is all
handmade by expert werkmen.
That, / feel, is the real hall mark OF
Paris gown-its exquisite hAndwork.
Styles come and 60. Some are attrac-
tive some are, we must confess, hideous.
| But the fine workmanship remains con-
slant. It never changes. no matter how
styles may change It Is the one thing
that marks your gown as truly Par1-
sian.
In this, feel, there is secret
dress with distinction. I have some
times been appalled, when American
! customers come to me to note the
careless manner in which their gowns
| had been made The costume was per-
haps smart and effective when viewed
hastily, but when studied, one dlscov-
cred that the lace was only imitation
or the hemstitching had been done by
machine. 1t failed from the standpoint
of fine workmanship.
LINE workmanship Is something that
L any woman can achieve. 1t doesn't
take genius. Painstaking interest Is all
that Is needed That means any wom-
| an can, If she wishes to be dressed
with distinction, do that fine work
which insures q beautiful result. II
were q woman Of limited income I
should find q little dressmaker some.
where who could assist me. and to-
gether with her should work until I
had created a wardrobe Of real distinc-
ton. should not permit cheap, tawdry
lingerie on q gown. ! should not per-
| nit carelessly finished seams. While
the d-essmaker was cutting and Mt
ting I should be carefully hemstitch-
ing q bit Of lingerie or ennhreidertng q
motif I would see to 1t that the inside
of my costume was as beautifully nm
isted as the outside.
BY working in this manner would
have not only an individual wardrobe,
but would have one As beautifully
| made as If it had come from any one
of the great houses. I should be proud
| to wear it, or to exhibit 1t anywhere.
Why? Because such a wardrobe, even
il made by the little village dress
maker with my assistance, would have
the cachet that only fine workman
icopyright, 19a3)