Not Just a Dressmaker by Jill Fitzgerald-O’Connor - REVIEW
A review by Victoria Walsh
Jill Fitzgerald-O’Connor is not just a dressmaker! That statement, dear reader, is an understatement, to say the least. Fitzgerald-O’Connor is an entire list of adjectives: strong, opinionated, talented, creative, resilient, forthright, intuitive and considerate. If you love fashion and are interested in history and commerce, this book is an informative real-life narrative that you could easily convert into a small business reference manual.
Written as an autobiography, Fitzgerald-O’Connor has condensed her life into 175 pages, 41,365 well-written words. Her story is fascinating, and I believe Fitzgerald-O’Connor could easily write another 175 pages without losing the story's page-turning ability. The book is very matter of fact without being soulless. The author manages to recreate the atmosphere of the times she describes.
I love fashion and am fully transparent about it, which is probably one of the reasons I enjoyed this book. As a teenager, I was fascinated with clothes and creating unique styles. If you touch the fabric before you buy a dress, suit, or any item of clothing, you will identify with Fitzgerald-O’Connor. The texture, sight, and smell of fashion are part of the joy of shopping. Nothing is more off-putting than the synthetic smell that pervades the air in fast fashion stores like Primark.
The story, based initially in London, is entirely relatable. I can visualise King's Road in the 60s from Fitzgerald-O’Connor’s description. She gives us a first hand view or lived experience of the swinging sixties; we can feel the passion in the air, although others who were there at the time say the swinging didn’t extend to the London boroughs outside of Zone 2 - but that’s another story and one I’m sure Fitzgerald-O’Connor has a story about.
Without giving any details away, it’s worth noting that Fitzgerald-O’Connor is brutally honest about her skills and talents; perhaps, looking back, she might disagree now that she ‘did not have the talent for creative fashion.’ Hindsight is wonderful, and many fashion students or small business owners could benefit from her experience; in 175 pages, Fitzgerald-O’Connor gives better advice than some professionals.
‘Not Just a Dressmaker’ is not just about fashion and the challenges faced by any small business; it’s also a catalogue of historical political events which highlight the ignorance of politicians who make policies without consulting the people they will go on to affect. Unsurprisingly, Fitzgerald-O’Connor is no fan of Margaret Thatcher or Brexit, but this book isn’t a party political broadcast but a boots on the ground reflection on how those who sit in judgment in Westminster don’t understand the bigger picture or reality of a woman trying to finance her family.
The book vividly captures the atmosphere in the UK and Ireland from the late '60s through the '70s. Highlighting the significant limitations women face, such as the requirement for married women to obtain their husband's permission to open a business account. Until the Sex Discrimination Act of 1975, married women needed their husband's consent to open any bank account. In 1974, The Equal Credit Opportunity Act enabled women to obtain credit cards without male permission, prohibiting creditors from denying credit based on gender or marital status. It wasn't until 1975 that single or divorced women could secure a mortgage independently.
While Fitzgerald-O’Connor hints that she is, for the most part, a single parent, she does not explain in any detail the problems faced by women who want to work and own their businesses. Instead, she gets on with it, which speaks to her resilience while missing an opportunity to give the reader a glimpse into the often bleak realities of the time.
As we move into the 1980s, the UK saw both boom and bust. The woman, who is not just a dressmaker, falls foul of the idea that an industry is only worth investing in if it makes money. At this point, the author could have extended the book to take advantage of many younger readers' fascination with the 80s. The 1980s was a decade of fast growth after a decade of strikes and power cuts. 70s Britain was grey and cold (although some would say the 1970s was the most creatively rich decade for artists). The 80s recognised that women were a powerful part of the workforce and were not content with work conditions accepted in previous decades.
The 1990s were pivotal for Fitzgerald-O’Connor, opening up a new career path that led to significant educational contributions at two challenging schools in Newcastle. During this time, she discovered her passion for helping people create homemade items that looked professionally made and, more importantly, fitted properly, a problem that remains unsolved to the uneducated and those lacking practical talent. The decade brought more financial upheaval to the UK, with disastrous outsourcing of financing and assessment of leisure classes. The changes made part-time teaching financially unviable, ultimately leading to Fitzgerald-O’Connor's decision to leave the UK for France.
Although retirement looks as busy as any other part of her life, Fitzgerald-O’Connor ambitiously started a guild. Contrary to the traditional notion of a guild as an association of artisans setting quality benchmarks for their trades, the Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers is quite different. It consists of mums, grandmas, and textile enthusiasts who missed out on learning manual skills no longer available in schools. The idea is that traditional textile skills belong to everyone and should be transmitted for free. Fitzgerald-O’Connor and her friends started their guild to preserve and share these valuable skills with the community.
‘Not Just a Dressmaker’ is an interesting and authentic read that offers perspectives into the life of a remarkable woman through unremarkable times in modern history. Fitzgerald-O’Connor's experiences in the rag trade and her views on political events through the decades make this book a fascinating factual account of her life’s work and personal and professional growth.
Whether you're a fashion enthusiast, a small business owner, or someone interested in history, or indeed all three, this book has something to offer. Fitzgerald-O’Connor has the last word -
‘If the human race is to survive these self-inflicted crises, it is vital that manual skills should be valued and encouraged, that people should learn to work together, and share their savoir-faire.’
