Historic

Empowering Architects of Economic Independence: Keister’s Ladies’ Tailoring College’s Journey from Home Sewing to Industry Design Across Five Decades

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Abstract

In the last decade of the nineteenth century, the process of making dresses shifted from pin-to-form creations to working with patterns drafted from actual measurements.  Both home sewers and the industry embraced pattern drafting.  Among the dozens of systems available for drafting patterns, one name, Keister, graced the pages of newspapers, magazines, and shop windows for five decades. J. A. Keister, an astute businessman, invented a simple, accurate system of drafting and a way of teaching thousands with five hundred branch schools, mainly west of the Mississippi River, run mainly by women for women, through franchising. This article explores Keister’s history and contributions using historical documents. It highlights the importance of primary sources in addressing his absence from records. By analyzing these sources, the study examines his fifty-year influence on apparel education and his role in empowering women through design freedom and economic independence. 

Keywords: History, Patternmaking, Dressmaking, Drafting, Midwest

How to Cite:

Zhang, L. & Spotts, C. R., (2025) “Empowering Architects of Economic Independence: Keister’s Ladies’ Tailoring College’s Journey from Home Sewing to Industry Design Across Five Decades”, International Textile and Apparel Association Annual Conference Proceedings 82(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/itaa.21614