Fashion in America appears to be focused on hoodies and jeans. Sloppy sweatpants or yoga pants seem to be the norm in Walmart land. Home Economics is no longer taught in our public schools a
nd manners seem to be a forgotten art as well.
Hundreds of books and pamphlets have been written over the years to teach American women how to dress. Many were written by a remarkable group of women dubbed “The Dress Doctors”. Starting with Mary Brooks Pickens, a dressmaker, spinner, and weaver.
Joined by many others, the Goldstein sisters wrote the “Bible” of dress in 1925 and updated it three times with the final update in 1954. Born in a small town in Michigan to a Jewish couple from Poland, both sisters earned College degrees in Art. “The Art of Everyday Life” is still in print and I’ll refer to it during this blog series.
Fashion is ever-changing, but the Dress Doctor’s advice transcends their own time and its ow vintage looks. Their principles offer a way to achieve the art of dress today and into the future. As First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt remarked during the depth of the Great Depression, “I have seen women who spend a very small amount on their clothes but who plan them carefully, frequently look better-dressed than women who waste a great deal of money and buy foolishly without good taste.”
(Update) Visit Jana’s blog for the next edition of the Dress Doctors