This article surveys women’s complex interactions with the Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors in London, revealing that women were admitted to the company as apprentices and freemen far earlier than is often recognized and before the introduction of the mantua gown to England in the 1670s. The occupational identities recorded in the company’s apprentice binding books between 1658 and 1688 offer new insights into early modern women’s work, particularly the skills and training that female apprentices were most likely to attain through the Merchant Taylors’ Company. Moreover, case studies show that women built and maintained socio-economic networks in their trades as seamstresses and milliners, which were vital to their success and longevity in trade.

这篇文章调查了女性与伦敦 Worshipful Company of Merchant Taylors 的复杂互动，揭示了女性作为学徒和自由人进入公司的时间远远早于人们普遍认可的时间，也早在 1670 年代曼图亚礼服引入英国之前。1658 年至 1688 年间公司学徒装订书中记录的职业身份为早期现代女性的工作提供了新的见解，尤其是女学徒最有可能通过 Merchant Taylors 公司获得的技能和培训。此外，案例研究表明，女性作为裁缝和女帽匠在她们的行业中建立并维护了社会经济网络，这对她们在行业中的成功和长寿至关重要。