NEEDLE AND THREAD WORKERS. THE TRADE OF HOME-BASED SEAMSTRESSES IN MEXICO CITY DURING THE FIRST DECADES OF THE 20TH CENTURY

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to characterize the work activities of seamstresses who made clothes in small sewing workshops established in their homes, most of them located in central areas of Mexico City. It is worth mentioning that this trade, unlike the one practiced with sewing machines, was carried out manually using threads and needles.  The system of learning the trade took place in the workshops even though there were elementary instruction centers where sewing courses were offered. Likewise, the years of experience and practice of the trade were two fundamental aspects in the world of work of the home-based seamstresses because through them they transmitted the knowledge about the elaboration of clothes in a generational way.