The Daily state journal. [volume] (Alexandria, Va.) 1868-1874, 1871-05-01
custom and Rsady-Made Clothing.
WITH A SKETCH OF THE LEADING HOUSE OF
DEvLIN s. co.

The manufacture and sale OF ready
made clothing constitutes branch of trade
which is everywhere strictly dependent
upon the progress of wealth and refine
ment. Next to shelter and subsistence,
the principal want of mankind is for
clothing adapted to the circumstances Of
climate, season, national habits, or indi-
vidual taste and caprice.
A very great part of the internal and
foreign trade of the most commercial
States consists in the exchange and distr-
button of materials for clothing, in the
raw or manufactured state.
The importation and sale of foreign and
domestic cloths has passed, in measure,
into the hands of wholesale clothing -mer-
chants who unite the jobbing business
with that of manufacturers and dealers in
clothing on large scale. So extensive
have some of these become, that several
thousand persons have been employed by
a single establishment. The male hands
are mostly Irish and German immigrants,
the cutters being principally American
The wages have been almost uniformly
greater than the same class would earn in
Europe. The females have generally been
better paid than needle-womeu in Euro
pean cities, and it is certain that the charge
Of over-work and under pay cannot be
Justly made against our manufacturers of
clothing, as class. fa
Take for instance one of the most extern
sive and respectable houses in the clothing
trade--that of DEvLIN & Co., who have
two large warehouses in Broadway, and
branch houses in Washington, Richmond,
and Lexington, Ky. This establishment
was originated in 1874, at the corner of
Nassau and John streets, 10 this city, under
the firm style of d. & j. DEvLIN. After
a notably successful career of 10 years at
that location, the firm moved to the
southwest corner of Broadway and Warren
streets in 1854, and in 1861 they added
the large and elegant warehouse at the
corner Of Broadway and Grand street, as
the headquarters of their wholesale trade,
the store at the corner of Broadway and
Warren street being devoted to the retail
business exclusively. Since 1863 the firm
style has been as at present, --DEvLIN &
Co., the members being Jeremiah DevIin,
Jonathan Ogden, Stephen w. Jessup, and
Robert G. Ogden. These gentlemen have
all had the advantage of lifetime expert
ence in the business, having devoted their
exclusive attention to it continually from
boyhood.
The five warehouses conducted by Dew
LIN q Co. represent an amount of trade
equaled by few wholesale manufacturers,
and a class of clothing, custom made and
ready-made, which long ago acquired an
enviable reputation for the firm. The
number of employees engaged by them, in
and out of the five establishments average
about 1000, including about 80 cutters, all
of whom are admitted by the profession to
be accomplished artists in their respective
lines; and to their exquisite skill the celeb
rity of the goods emanating from this
house is largely to be attributed.
The clothing comprises all grades and
prices of garments, ready-made and made
to special order, and the city trade of the
house is probably unsurpassed in extent
by any other similar house in New York.
In fact the whole stock is manufactured
expressly to meet the requirements of the
best retail trade, and embraces the latest
fabrics of the foreign and domestic markets.
We know Of no large clothing house in
this city which exhibits 80 extensive an
array of elegant clothing for mems and
boys wear, adapted for fall and winter, as
the recent importations of DEvLrN & Co.,
including great variety of new aud de-
sirable styles of fabrics, the thorough and
exquisite workmanship Of which does full
justice to the excellence of the materials,
as here converted into fashionable gar
ments. The department for ready-made
clothing for men and boys, and the de-
partment of furnishing goods, is the
most complete and diversified assort-
ment ever offered by the firm, the
whole comprising the most fashionable
styles of coats, pants and vests, shirts
made from the products of the New
York, Maxwell, Androscoggin and Boot
mills, and of French printed cambria, with
linen bosoms shaker, canton, red fan.
mel, merino and silk under wear robes d.
chambre, smoking and library jackets, o
beautiful design, materials and trimming
comprising all qualities from the cheapes
to thefinest; bajou and angelo seamless kiG
gloves In all colors; bathing suits, neck-ties
scarfs, handkerchiefs, hosiery, suspenders
cardigan jackets, lap blankets, cuffs, col
lars, etc., etc. One prominent specialt,
on this floor is the American yoke shirt
originated by this house, and uniting cas-
with elegance and perfection of fit. Th
style Of shirt has been in vogue for severa
years, and is rapidly increasing in popula
favor.
The second floor comprises the bushes
offices of the firm and departments devo
ted to the custom made clothing, and @
rich and varied stock of piece goods, en-.
bracing splendid assortment of cassi
meres, English and French fabrics fol
custom-work-silk, velvet and cassimer,
vestings, English, French and American
cassimeres for pants, including a speca
line of goods in domestic and foreign cas-.
simeres, for pants, selling at $40 to $12 9
pair.
The third floor comprises the wholesal,
department, and contains vast stock 10,
the supply of the wholesale trade, as well
as for the two retail stores ia New York, and
the three branch warehouses in Washing
ton, Richmond and Lexington, Ky.
The trade of the firm extends through.
out the United States and the West Indies
material part of it being in fulflment Of
heavy Coptraofc 70. Az