Information About

Dressmaker
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HISTORY OF DRESSMAKING

The Oxford English Dictionary first records ''dressmaker'' in 1803 . Throughout the Nineteenth Century and until the rise of Ready-to-wear , most women who did not make their own clothes at home resorted to a local dressmaker, who copied or adapted the latest Fashion s from Paris based on printed Illustrations called Fashion Plate s.

Today, custom dressmakers fill a niche between Haute Couture and ready-to-wear, and are most often consulted for one-of-a-kind Special Occasion dresses, such as Wedding Gown s and Prom dresses.


RELATED TERMS


  • ''Dressmaker'' as an Adjective denotes clothing made in the Style of a dressmaker, frequently in the term ''dressmaker details'' which includes Ruffle s, Frill s, Ribbon or Braid Trim . ''Dressmaker'' in this sense is contrasted to '' Tailor ed'' and has fallen out of use since the rise of Casual Wear in the mid-twentieth century.

  • Mantua-maker, in the Eighteenth Century a maker of Mantuas , or in general a dressmaker.

  • Modiste, a maker of fashionable clothing and accessories, with the implication that the articles made reflect the current Paris Mode s.



REFERENCES


Picken, Mary Brooks: ''The Fashion Dictionary'', Funk and Wagnalls, 1957.