, 1885-10-06
Z TRIMMING sHoM-mNpows.



The trimming of shop-windows has be-
come a great feature in advertising.
Each large establishment seeks to out
shine its neighbors in the display and ar
tistic arrangement Of goods in its win
dows.
The system of window decoration
has grown up almost altogether within
the past ten years in the dress goods limo
and within three or four years in tho
clothing houses said "A leading mer-
chant. 1T is increasing constantly, and
heaven only knows where it will end.
Every establishment of any %pretensions
employs n man especially to trim win
dows. Smaller houses secure the serv-
ices of an individual who Is not CON
nected with il in any other capacity than
that Of window-trimmer and who does
the work for three or four different
stores. Others have a salesman who is
an artist in the business. His artistic
capabilities demand a far higher salary
than he could expect rs a mere sales
man. Very large shops hire professional
trimmcrs who do nothing else but deco
rate the windows. They must be on
stantly studying and cndeavoring TO de-
wise something new, and startling, and
attractive to draw the attention Of tho
public.
Certain forms of arrangement hayo
become fixed and are known by various
names. There, for instance pointing
to one window where several shades Of
wash materials were drawn into a shape,
small ut the bottom and spreading out
at the top like a fan, is what is known as
the rising sun style Of decoration. This
manner of folding" indicating n piece of
embossed velvet drawn out in n long fold
81 is called the double loop But the
trimming Of windows must be novel or
it is nothing. Consequently every shop
shows two or three times Il week some
new arrangement which ia due alone to
the ingenuity Of the trimmer"
How long does it take n man to trim
n Window
From four to ten hours according to
lis elaboration. / have known, too, when
windows were to be trimmed for some
special occasion or season, of W. or
three men being occupied in one window
for n couple Of days. one clothing house
in the city showed n window during the
holiday time that it required three men
four days to trim.
Are many goods damaged by being
exposed in windowsi'
" No. for the reason that but small
quantities are displayed. We have dunn
mics so made that n small piece of cloth
can be wrapped around or folded about
them and represent an entire bolt. Then
we do not exhibit our very finest lines in
the windows. A trimmer has to use the
greatest care in getting up n window.
lie must be able to Judge Of the effect it
will have from the outside, not how 1t
appears to him where he stands. He
must be skillful in his blending Of tints,
have an eye to the weather, for some
things the most attractive in one kind of
weather will not draw a glance in II
other. and above all possess originality.
BY the way, the trimmers are called art
lists now. There are very few American
trimmcrs. The majority are Englishmen
or lrishmen. lrishmen are the most taste
full drygoods men in the world
Are women evcr employed rs trim
mersi'
1--WE never known Of any who were.
1t is q field Of occupation that | think
women have ncve invaded; but with the
quick feminine eye for color and effects,
there is no reason why they should not be
eminently successful in it,