"Young Man with a Flute" by George Romney shows a garment that would have been made at a tailor's shop |
Until
the mid-1800s, American people didn’t have factories that made cloth or sewing
machines to sew that cloth. The process of spinning thread, weaving cloth, and
sewing proved to be too much for most folks. More men, women, and children,
rich or poor, needed Read More
a tailor in those times than any other craftsman.
a tailor in those times than any other craftsman.
Therefore,
individuals visited a tailor to have their measurements taken and their
garments made. The tailor would make a paper pattern, cut out a garment, and
sew it.
The
early tailor’s supplies came from England who shipped more cloth to America
than any other supplier until the Revolutionary War. After that, Americans had
to begin to make their own cloth, thread, and buttons.
At first, only men worked as tailors. A little later, a
new style of dress called a mantua required a process of draping the cloth for
women’s garments instead of using a paper pattern. This opened the door for
women to begin to make clothing for money. These women tailors were
called mantua makers.
` Tailor apprentices started very
young, usually at age eight and remained an apprentice for seven years. As beginners,
these learners started with plain sewing. Later, they became cutters or finishers.
Cutters cut out patterns and cloth. Finishers completed such tasks as hand
stitching buttonholes, attaching lace to a lady’s gown, and sewing with fancy
stitches to make a garment pretty.
The invention of the sewing machine and the advent of the
Industrial Age decreased the need for tailors.
“Young Women with a Lamb" by Thomas Hudson
shows draped dresses, the work of a mantua maker.
|
References:
Crews, Ed. “Tailor Made for History.” Colonial Wiliamsburg.com. Web. 3 Sept. 2016
https://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/Autumn05/tailor.cfm
Taylor, Dale. The
Writer’s Guide to Everyday Life in Colonial America. Cincinnati: Writer’s
Digest Books, 1997. Print.
I should comment here more often. Your posts are fascinating. SO much more interesting than any Pa history my kids had in school. Bless you.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Pat!
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