two plain-sewing cutters,—one for boys' and men's shirts and one for women's and children's under-clothing. The fitting and shaping of all dresses, cloaks, etc. would be done in the fitting-room downstairs, by one or two accomplished dress-makers, who also could oversee the work-room after the officers had retired for the day. How many trimmers, embroiderers, seamstresses, and machines would be needed I can form no idea; for ladies are so fond of sewing, that probably many of them would choose, after their garments were cut out, to take them home and make them; though it is to be hoped that this would disappear more and more, since, as I have said elsewhere, the true function for educated women is the superintendence and organization of manual labour, not the doing it themselves.[1] Finally, when the establishment was complete, it would include many minor departments, each of which would be superintended by its own lady officer,—such as a baby-clothing department, a fancy-work department, a tailoring department for boy's clothes, a cuff and collar department, where, too, not only these, but lace waists, lace sets, and all the "airy nothings" could be made up, a millinery department, and a hair-dressing department. Gloves and shoes, if not made, should be kept in the salesroom as part of the regular stock; and, in short, a perfect co-operative clothing-house should be one wherein a woman might enter, so far as dress was concerned, a fright, and come out a beauty.
Function of the Costume-Artist.
As the idea of this officer is a favourite one with me, in closing my remarks about this branch of co-operation I should like to enlarge upon it a little. All women know, by irritating experience, the countless days and hours we spend in wandering from shop to shop to find things a few cents cheaper or just a shade prettier,—the indescribable
- ↑ This need not exclude us, however, from the higher kinds of artistic sewing, which require fancy and invention, and indeed might not unworthily employ genius, such as the embroidering of stuffs in rich designs for altar-cloths, vestments, girdles, jackets, etc.
