Bespoke for the many, not for the few.

"Before the arrival of M&S or the creation of Dunnes or Penny's my mother's stylish cousins Rose and Kathleen Cosgrove ran their own separate tailoring businesses from 29 Mary St Dublin, the building which ironically houses M&S. Kathleen trained in Leon's couturier of Grafton Street. Rose designed,created her own patterns and made bespoke coats, costumes (suits) and outfits for ladies in a small room on the second floor. Kathleen found making items for babies suited her better, running her own little one woman factory. There in her room in the midst of the bales of fabric etc she cooked her lunch on an electric ring, probably propped on a bale, and toasted bread against an electric fire. No health and safety then. We loved to visit these kind ladies and be treated to cakes from the Monument Creamery and visit Hector Greys. This is an example of Rose's design, pattern and tailoring,in her later years, that I treasure. Note the detail of the collar and the placing of the buttons. Other examples of their work can be seen on these stylish ladies as they were often the subject of photographs by Man on the Bridge, himself a tailor who would have recognised quality. "