from the in-box:

Jenny-Lynn recently sent me the below email: she’s researching the “informal” commercial dressmaking industry in Australia during the ’50s and ’60s. It’s a difficult topic to research – when you buy a dress, you’re not aware of the circumstances of it’s manufacture. It could be factory-made or sewn by an “out worker” in her home or garage on a piece by piece basis, but there are few records of the latter group.
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Have you ever done dressmaking for other people?
• Did you do dressmaking in the 1950’s or 1960’s?
• Did you do your dressmaking from your home?
• Did you work for payment or exchange?

I am conducting oral history interviews for a research project on the history of women working as self-employed dressmakers in Australia in the 1950’s and 1960’s. This research will focus specifically on dressmakers using their home as the base for their work. The main aim of the research project is to investigate the personal experience of the dressmaker and what it meant to be a dressmaker in Australian society at this time.

Your participation in this research project will involve one or two interviews at your home (or a location you prefer) during which you will talk about your past experiences. The interviews will take approximately 60 minutes. You will be asked questions about your own personal experience of working as a dressmaker and how you managed your work alongside of any family or domestic responsibilities.

This is an opportunity for you to contribute to expanding the body of knowledge about the social and cultural history of women, work and family in Post WW2 Australian society.

If you are interested in participating please contact Jenny-Lynn Potter on: 0413 979 475 or by email jl2potter@students.latrobe.edu.au or write to Jenny-Lynn Potter, School of Social Sciences (GSD studies), La Trobe University, Victoria 3086, and I will arrange a suitable time for the interview.

Thank you!