How true. Spotted this photo in my favorite thrift shop. So many pieces of clothing made decades ago fit better and appear classier than the one size fits all garments of today.
When I was a kid and my mom shopped for clothing in the specialty stores that lined the Main Street in our downtown, I recall half sizes being available, in both shoes and dresses. Skilled shop employees assisted her in finding just the right style and size, as we waited in the dressing room in the back of the store.
Simple skirt suits and classic dresses were well made. Plaids matched at the seams. No loose threads, and buttons didn’t need to be sewed back on until after years of wear. Sizes were consistent from style to style, maker to maker.
I’m glad clothes are more casual and comfortable today, but I so miss the consistency and quality of earlier decades. Today I can only find pants that fit in one specific store, after I try on most of the styles they offer. There are no attendants at the dressing rooms, no tailors who will do small alterations (I would think those would be needed, now that most high schools have eliminated home economics and few moms teach their daughters to sew garments.
Another industry fallen victim to the greed of today’s top businessmen and women. Sadly young shoppers won’t hold store owners accountable as they weren’t around when customer service and manufacturing were geared toward the customer’s experience, not the CEO’s bank balance.
Well, there it is, I’ve said my piece, passed on my experience of the history of the retail garment industry. Now I’ll inspect my purchases, wash, iron, and hang them, offering them a chance to be worn again.
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