France? FRENCH HISTORY
Book traces far-reaching influence of 18th century seamstressesWe learn that seamstresses formed one of the largest trades in Old Regime France, consistently outnumbering tailors in their independent or joint guilds. One of the reasons for their success was the scarcity of alternatives, as a result of restrictions on female employment in many trades. In Crowston's portrait of the private lives of seamstresses, we see, among other things, how they went beyond traditional boundaries by choosing to remain single and establish their own households. Individually and as a group, the seamstresses contributed greatly to "a new articulation of the difference between male and female work," and, indeed, to "changing gender ideologies." Not insignificantly, the garments they made "both reflected and shaped modern conceptions of femininity."

Seamstresses, therefore, can be characterized as feminists, Crowston argues, to the extent that they "aimed to redress the particular limitations women faced in economic and social life." They were "self-conscious of the inequalities imposed on women in the labor market and therefore viewed their trade as a protected haven of female work and autonomy." Still, Crowston concedes that the guild's success had paradoxical consequences for women. Its growing membership and visibility "ultimately fostered an essentialized femininity that was tied to fashion and appearances."