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“Can’t you create designs from scratch using a pattern block?” Sylvia asked, growing desperate.

“Blocks are really just stencils meant to show how much fabric is needed to cover the body. You still need someone to come up with the concept of a garment, because there is no design to a block.” Miss Reid held up her hand. “And even if I wanted to start designing patterns—which I do not—all of that takes time. If I’m occupied with that, who will actually make the clothes?”

Sylvia hated to admit it, but she could see the seamstress’s point. Her advertisements had brought a few new orders into the shop, and they needed Miss Reid working on fulfilling those orders to stay afloat.

Calm. It would do no one any good if she did not stay calm.

“What options do we have?” she asked.

“I’ll go through your mother’s pattern book and adapt what I can, but I suspect it won’t be enough. That means you either find someone who can design or we begin to steer customers to the Vogue Pattern Book,” said Miss Reid.

Sylvia shook her head at the mention of the commercial pattern book. She could still hear her mother saying, “Any fool with a needle can make a dress from a commercial pattern. Women come to Mrs. Shelton’s Fashions for good dresses that they won’t find anywhere else.”

Sylvia might not favor the style of frumpy, old-fashioned clothing her mother produced, but there was no denying that one of the shop’s greatest selling points was that the ladies who had their clothes made there wouldn’t walk into a room and find another woman wearing the same garment.

If the shop lost that distinction, what would prevent a lady from going to a rival dressmaker? Why wouldn’t she take her clothing coupons and money to a department store, where a dress might cost that little bit less?

“We have some time,” Sylvia said. “I’ll figure it out. I just need a moment to think.”

Miss Reid raised a thin brow. “I hope you think quickly, because May will be here before we know it.”

7 February 1942

Dear Izzie,

I realize that you may still be angry with me about the advertisements. However, I have some important news that I suspect you will agree is worth putting aside our disagreement for.

Yesterday, Miss Reid and I learned that the Board of Trade has decided to change the clothing utility scheme. It is now regulating the design of new clothing. Everything from pleats to hem length to buttons are affected.

I have copied out the Board of Trade’s letter so that you may see precisely what the changes involve. However, the brief summary is this: any excess must go. The new rules are all meant to save cloth, which we are told will mean a great deal to the war effort. Apparently the Board of Trade believes that this war will be won one shrunken lapel at a time…

The changes do not go into place until May, and if customers place orders for bespoke clothing before March, they can still be made up in the old way. However, as you can imagine, when the changes do go into effect, many of the designs Miss Reid currently works from will no longer be viable.

Miss Reid assures me (after a great deal of complaining) that she can probably alter some of our mother’s more basic patterns and any very simple garments that a client brings in to copy. However, she doubts she will be able to offer anything close to the level of service that our customers have become used to. It will become impossible, she tells me, to give our ladies the full range of the shop’s design book to choose from.

I must admit that I don’t yet know what we are going to do about this, but I will think of something.

Yours,

Sylvia

10 February 1942

Dear Sylvia,

I had not yet heard about the Board of Trade’s changes. Thank you for letting me know.

Are you certain that Miss Reid cannot be persuaded to make up some sketches that will satisfy both our customers’ tastes and the Board of Trade’s directive? It really doesn’t seem like too much of a stretch for a woman of her talents.

Sincerely,

Isabelle Shelton

14 February 1942

Dear Izzie,

If you can persuade Miss Reid to do something that she does not wish to do, you have my admiration. The woman is as stubborn as an ox, but, as you have pointed out before, she is vital to keeping the shop open, so I shall have to do my best to keep her happy.