perfect 36

[John McChesney-Young]

Sam Clements <SClements at NEO.RR.COM> wrote:

>No hits in the newspaperarchive series from 1880-1906.  Then, in 1907, ads
>start appearing for "perfect 36" designating a type? quality? of cloth for
>women.  ie--"strictly perfect 36-inch quality."

This made me wonder whether the phrase might refer to fabric width,
with 36 inches being somewhat unusual and "strictly perfect"
referring to the fabric not only being ostensibly but actually a yard
wide; an indication of care in manufacture, in other words;
"perfectly turned out." I found a note at this page by an
anthropologist, Katrina Worley:

http://www.quilthistory.com/98307.htm

which discusses the recent history of standard fabric widths and
which is at the very least not inconsistent with the explanation.

Still speculation, but ...

John
--


*** John McChesney-Young  **  panis at pacbell.net  **   Berkeley,
California, U.S.A.  ***