Dear Sir,–In my humble opinion, and as a lady’s maid of considerable experience, I very much doubt whether dressing a maid in short frocks, silk lingerie, etc., would solve the servant problem, as some of your correspondents have suggested. A girl dressed in this musical-comedy-maid style would be liable to develop an exaggerated idea of her own importance, and slack service would be the result.
Of course, when off duty a maid may wear any ultra-modern dress she chooses; but for wear on duty I consider the (old-fashioned if you like) black and white uniform to be ideal.
What could be smarter than the black, tight-sleeved dress, fitting without a wrinkle over well-laced stays. And surely the spotless cuffs, cap, apron, and wide belt, defining a neat waist, are delightful.
No staff of maids could be happier than we are here. Our mistress is the soul of kindness. She provides and maintains complete uniforms for us all, a special point being made of good stays, as she likes us to be smartly waisted. Actual tight-lacing is optional, but if a maid desires to cultivate a small waist I am instructed to assist her in every way. As personal maid to my mistress, I must always be very smartly attired.
I commenced my training as a lady’s maid at 16 years of age. Beauty treatment, massage, hairdressing, manicure and chiropody, and especially figure training, were taught me. Ultra-tight lacing and very high heels were second nature to me before I was 23, and I had the choice of several well-paid posts offered me.
I have never regretted accepting the position of maid to a lady whose daughter is my present mistress, and whose figure training in the elongated or Louis style I carried through from first to last. The “stove-pipe” or “stem” waist are new terms to me. I have always known this type of figure training as the “Louis waist.”
The training was commenced when my young mistress was 10 years old, and her figure being tractable, very little difficulty was experienced in lengthening her waist and reducing it to the then fashionable proportions.
She married at 16 and I accompanied her as maid. I am afraid I have run on, but I would so like to hear of other maids, and perhaps mistresses, who agree with my views on the correct uniform for maids.
I am sure “London Life” improves with each issue.
Yours truly,
“CAP AND APRON.”