Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1885-08-26
TRIMMING SHOW WINDOWS.
A Branch OF Advertising which Furnishes
Employment to Many Men.

n branch OF Advertising which Furnishes
Employment to Many Men.
The trimming of shop windows has
become great featare in advertising.
Each large establishment seeks to out.
shine its neighbors in the display and
artistic arrangement of goods in its
windows.
1.-THE system of window decoration
has grown up almost altogether within
the past ten years in the dry goods line
and within three or four years in the
clothing houses" said leading mer-
chant. 1T is increasing constantly.
and heaven only knows where il will
end. Every establishment of any pre-
tensions now employs man especially
to trim windows. Some smaller houses
secure the services of an individual
who is not connected with it in any
other capacity than that of window
trimmer and who does the work for
three or sour different stores. Others
have a salesman who is an artist in the
business. His artistic capabilities de-
mand far higher salary than he could
expect as n mere salesman. Very large
shops hire professional trimmers who
do nothing else but decorate the win
dows. They must be constantly study
ing and endeavoring to devise some
thing new, startling and attractive to
draw the attention OF the public. Ger
tain forms of arrangement have be-
come fixed and are known by various
names. There, for instance" point
ing to one window where several shades
Il 49, I'll
shape, small at the bottom and spread
ing out at the top like fan, sis what
is known as the rising SUM- style
of decoration. This manner Of fold
ing" indicating q piece of embossed
velvet drawn out in long fold,
sis called the double loop But the
trimming of windows must be novel or it
is nothing. Consequently every shop
shows two or three times week some
new arrangement which is due alone
to the ingenuity of the trimmer
"How long does it take a man to
trim Window"
From four to ten hours, according
to its elaboration. l have known, too,
when windows were to be trimmed for
some special occasion or season, OF
two or three men being occupied in
one window for couple of days. One
clothing house in the city showed
window during the holiday time that
it required three men four days to
trim"
"Are many goods damaged by being
exposed in windowsp"
mo. for the reason that but small
quantities are displayed. We have
dummies so made that 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 window He must be able to
Judge of the effect it will have from the
outside, not how it appears to him
where he stands. He must be skillful
i'm his blending of tints, and have an
eye as to the weather. for some things
the most attractive in one kind of
weather will not draw glance in an
other. and above all possess originality.
BY the way, the trimmers are called
artists now. There are very few Amer
lean trimmers. The majority are En-
glishmen or Irishmen. Irishmcn are
the most tasteful dry goods men in the
world"
Are women ever employed as trim.
mersP"
1--WE never known of any who were.
1t is a field of occupation that I think
women have, never invaded; but with
the quick feminine eye for color and
effects, there Is no reason why they
should not be eminently successful in
it. Chicago NeUs.