Chapter VI · DRESS.

Few young servants understand the importance of dressing well. When I say “well,” I do not mean expensively or gaudily, but properly and suitably.

Nothing makes so favourable an impression on a stranger as a neat, clean appearance; and justly so, because we judge that the girl who keeps her own hands and clothes clean, will keep our food and utensils so also: we judge, too, that the girl who has method and neatness to get through her work without disordering her dress—for it is, of course, a little difficult to do so—must have generally good habits, and be able to manage in all other respects as well as she does in this. Besides, a stranger has no opportunity of discovering the good qualities of heart and mind which a girl may possess, and must therefore be influenced by what can be seen in a short time; and only dress and manners discover themselves on a first acquaintance. In going for a place, therefore, these two things are of great importance—dress, perhaps, even more than manners. I know, for my own part, that were I obliged to choose between an ill-mannered but neat and clean girl, and a slovenly, dirty girl of graceful manners, I would let the graceful sloven go, and choose the neat bungler; not only because awkward manners would vex me less than dirt and untidiness, but because I should feel they were sooner mended than habits of disorder and dirt. Ill-manners may exist in a nice girl, from mere ignorance, and be gladly cast aside on her receiving a little teaching; but the habits of a slattern can never exist without faults throughout the character, which are very difficult, if not impossible, to shake off, after womanhood. Let every young girl, then, begin early to prize neatness of person, which may be attained by even the poorest. The oldest dress, neatly patched, and even soiled, if the dirt be the unavoidable collection of long wear, and not careless grease spots and mud stains, may be consistent with a neat appearance. Clean skin and smooth hair, a collar nicely pinned, and the fastening of the dress perfect, will display the neatness of mind, which is all that we really care for. The girl who can keep so good an appearance with such poor means, will be sure to look nice in service, when her wages will enable her to get a new dress oftener. The poorer you may be, the more difficult you will find it to keep neat. This, instead of being a drawback, is really a help, inasmuch as it gives you better practice. Let every young girl begin at once; for the earlier she tries to form good habits, the easier she will find it. But I am now going to speak more particularly to those who have passed through their poorer days at home, and have now no longer poverty, but only work, to contend with.

It is not so difficult for a single servant to keep neat as many suppose. Let her do all her dirty work early. Clean shoes, grates, knives, candlesticks, &c., before or directly after breakfast; and, while she is about this, let her wear a large coarse apron, and, when sleeves are worn tight, holland cuffs, or, when loose, let her turn them a little way up. Let her also wear housemaid’s gloves for all work that allows of them. These can be easily drawn off, and the apron untied, should the street or up-stairs bell ring. If the hands get blacked, or otherwise soiled, by any accident, wash them at once. Nothing makes so much dirt on the clothes, and about the house, as dirty hands. Every time you touch your dress or face they leave a mark. The doors, walls, shutters, &c., are continually soiled by a servant who is not careful of her hands; but the girl who is not afraid to spend a little money in working-gloves, or to take the trouble to wash her hands often, soon saves the money in caps, ribbons, and dress, and the trouble in washing and scrubbing both clothes and paint, besides getting credit and comfort from her cleanliness. The dirty work being done, it will only require a little care to keep clean and tidy during the rest of the day.

It is best to have cotton dresses for morning wear, as they will always look clean and fresh with washing. A girl, on first going to service, will be wise to get two dark cottons for the morning, as it is likely that she will not manage her dirty work quite so cleanly at first, as she will after a little practice. As she improves in this respect, she may wear lighter dresses. I have had servants who could wear light lilac cottons for all their morning work, and yet keep them well for a fortnight. It is a great advantage when a girl can manage so well as this, as the family enjoy food and waiting better from a servant whose cleanliness they can see. A dark dress hides cleanness as well as dirt. But, should you not be able to manage the light morning-dress at once, take care always to have a clean cap and collar on. Do not let the difference between morning and evening dress be a greater and less degree of dirt; let it be merely a difference of kind. The morning cap clean, but of a simple kind, that will wash well; the collar plain, the dress of cotton: while the afternoon-dress may be of a handsomer sort; perhaps a cap that will not wash, or is more carefully made up; the dress better; the collar newer, or of different material. You must, of course, often wear things a little less clean in the morning than in the afternoon; but you should not allow this to be perceptible. Do not let any one say, “I know Mary has not dressed yet, for she is dirty,” but only, “I know Mary has not dressed yet, for she has on her common cap—her dark gown—or her thick collar,” as the case may be. Many servants will wear a cotton dress the first week for afternoon, and the second for morning. There is no objection to this, provided that the dress is still in good condition at the end of the first week; for it is, of course, most important to look well when you are dressed, and you thus secure a nice smooth clean dress for afternoons once a-week. Though a light cotton dress looks well for morning, it is not wise to choose a dress that will not wash, of a light colour, for morning work. Should you have one of such a description, a little too old for afternoon wear, it will be better to make it into a petticoat, or give it to a younger sister, rather than spoil it, and your own appearance, by doing dirty work in it.

Do not ever choose gay patterns or colours. Not only are such dresses unfit for morning work, after they are a little worn, but they never can look becoming for servants. If you wish to be particularly well dressed, choose neat plain dresses of good material, and let your love of good dressing display itself more particularly in the smoothness of your hair, the cleanness of your hands and nails, the whiteness of your caps, collars, and under-sleeves, and the freshness of your cap and neck-ribbons.

A gaudily-dressed servant looks, at best, like a coarse and vulgar lady; for with all the fine ribbons and gay colours that London can produce, a girl cannot whiten or soften the skin of her hands, or make her movements as graceful as those of a finished lady. Her fine and unsuitable dress only causes people to notice these deficiencies, because it is unusual to see fine dress, and coarse hands; flounces and bows, with an awkward walk. But a neatly dressed girl, with clear-starched sleeves and glossy hair, though a hundred times more attractive than the gaudy one, does not draw attention to the natural distinctions between a hard-working woman and a lady, because there is nothing in her appearance to make us forget her station, and expect the qualities that do not belong to it. A servant girl need never be ashamed of her good useful hands, made red by honest labour, unless she has so clothed her arms, that they seem to deny her position, and contradict the notion of her having hard work to do.

Many girls wear a crimped frill round the throat, instead of a collar: this is very pretty and neat. French merino, though dear at first, wears well, will bear washing, and looks good to the end. All cheap dresses are dear in the end; even cheap cottons, which wash out, and soon look shabby. In shoes, this is more particularly the case. A pair of boots at ten or twelve shillings will last more than double as long as a pair of half the price, besides looking better and feeling more comfortable all the time. A good woollen shawl at fifteen shillings will outlast half-a-dozen cotton and wool mixed, at five or six shillings. A good straw bonnet at three or four shillings will wear double the time of one at eighteen-pence or two shillings; and after that will turn, and be as good as new again.

A neat dresser will always have good underclothes. Here remember that by giving two-pence more a yard for calico, you get a cloth that will last much longer, and so save making each article twice. Unbleached cotton stockings at about a shilling or fourteen pence a pair are the most economical.

A girl on first entering service will not be able to give the prices I have been mentioning; but, as soon as she can afford it, she will find it the best economy.

On going for a holiday, to visit your friends, you are at liberty to dress with less strictness than for your mistress’ house. You need wear no cap; and should you choose to put on unsuitable and gaudy ornaments, it will be no offence to your mistress, as when you are out of her house, and among your own friends, you are free to do as you please; but you will make a great mistake if you think to gain admiration, even among your own class, by unbecoming dress. Even here, a really good dress, with spotless collar and sleeves, shining hair, and clean hands, will be your best adornment. A wise young man, in choosing a wife, will like better to see her adopt a style of dress which she is likely to keep up after marriage, than one which, were she to wish to retain it, would be as ridiculous for her position as unsuitable to his means. Gaudy dressers, before marriage, on being obliged to change their style of dress, invariably turn into slovens; and the young man, who admired and married the smart girl, grows careless and indifferent when he finds a slattern in her place; while the neat dresser finds no reason for throwing off the habits which gained her lover, and so continues after marriage to please him with the same bright and comely appearance that first won his regard.

It is difficult to take leave of you, my dear girls, without saying a word on those subjects, so much more important than either manners or dress, Honesty, Truthfulness, Industry, Steadiness, &c. But my object was not to speak of these; and I should only do dishonour to such subjects, were I to crowd in a few remarks on them, at the end of six chapters given to matter so far less important. I will therefore leave them altogether, only reminding you, that all the polish of manner and neatness of dress that my book, or any other teaching, can give you, are as nothing, compared to the more stirling qualities I have just named. A dishonest or idle servant can scarcely be said even to be bettered by good manners and appearance. No addition to absolute evil can make it good, or even better; but rather worse, because it deceives. Yet, should you possess these excellent qualities, Honesty, Truthfulness, Steadiness, Industry, which are of a thousand times the value of those I have been trying to teach you, the addition of the graces of manner and appearance will almost double your value as servants.

THE END.

R. CLAY, PRINTER, BREAD STREET HILL.

LONDON: R. CLAY, PRINTER, BREAD STREET HILL.