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Dressmaker? CLOSED
Profile | Posted by | Options | Post Date |
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Selena in South East London | Report | 19 Aug 2008 15:02 |
I've just started reading a book called Victorian Underworld, just started the chapter on Prostitutes. From what I've read they also sometimes flitted between their real profession i.e. dressmaking to prostitution when times were hard. |
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Arfermo | Report | 19 Aug 2008 14:33 |
This probably started in the same way that in modern times, a euphanism is used in the term 'model'------- |
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Nickydownsouth | Report | 19 Aug 2008 13:38 |
I`m with you Jim..... my grandmother was a dressmaker as well, my sister even had her original Singer sewing machine with the big metal treddle, in 1901 shes down as a baby linen machinist, as were many of her sisters, living with their parents and working from home..........ladies of the night indeed!!!! |
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Researching: |
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Heather | Report | 19 Aug 2008 11:44 |
Lots of women were honest dressmakers - it was a way of earning a living working from home looking after the kids. There wasnt any catelogue shopping in those days and very few clothes shops, certainly none where working class women could afford to buy clothes. |
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Julie | Report | 19 Aug 2008 10:52 |
Peter - sounds like one of the IQ tests!! |
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Thelma | Report | 19 Aug 2008 10:47 |
I am most upset with this slur! |
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InspectorGreenPen | Report | 19 Aug 2008 10:26 |
It is recorded that prostitutes gave their occupation as Dressmaker, but it does not necessarily follow that all dressmakers were prostitutes. |
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Richard | Report | 19 Aug 2008 10:15 |
I wouldn't jump to conclusions though, many women were legitimately dressmakers, especially as stated if they came from areas where such trades thrived such as Somerset. Mine were from Yeovil and the men were glovers women dressmakers. |
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Bren from Oldham | Report | 19 Aug 2008 09:54 |
HI Julie |
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maryjane-sue | Report | 19 Aug 2008 09:53 |
I did read somewhere that when Singer sewing machine were first brought out they were given to prostitutes to try and give them some form of work and get them off the streets. |
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Julie | Report | 19 Aug 2008 09:49 |
Someone told me that if the census gave a woman's profession as dressmaker, it actually meant that they were involved in prostitution of some sort. |