The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1885-10-27
TRIMMING ShOW-WINDOWs.


nishes Employment to Many Men.
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 ress-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 it will end.
Every establishment of any pretensions
employs q man especially to trim win
dowS. Smaller houses secure the serv-
ices of an individual who is not con-
nected with it in any other capacity than
that of windOw-trim and who does
the work for three or four different
stores. Others have salesman who is
an artist in the business. His artistic
capabilities demand far higher salary
than he could expect as a mere sales
man. Very large shops hire professional
trimmers who do nothing else but deco
rate the windows. They must be CON
stantly studying and endeav ring to de-
wise something new, and startling, and
attractive to draw the attention of the
public"
Certain forms of arrangement have
become fixed and are known by various
names. There, for instance" pointing
to one window where several shades OF
wa ii materials were drawn into q shape,
small at the bottom and spreading out
ut the top like fan, is what is known as
the rising SUM- style of decoration. This
manner of folding" indicating piece of
embossed velvet drawn out in a long fold
'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 week some
new arrangement which is due alone to
the ingenuity of the trimmer"
How long does it take q man to trim
a windowl"
From four to ten hours according to
its elaboration. | 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 q window during the
holiday time that it required three men
four days to trim"
Are many goods damaged by being
exposed in windOws2"
No, for the reason that but small
quantities are displayed. We have dunn
mis- 50 made that small piece of cloth
can bo 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.
lie 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 in his blending of tints,
have an eye to the weather, for some
things tho most attractive in one kind of
weather will not draw a glance in an
other, and above all possess originality.
By the way, the trimmers are called art
lists now. There are very few American
trimmers. The majority are Englishmen
Or Irishmen. Irishmen are the most taste
full drygoods men in the world"
"Are women ever employed as trim
mersl"
I've never known of any who were.
It is field of occupation that 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."