The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-10-02
CHANGES IN STYLE.
One Of tho Worst Features Come
with WOmen's Garments.

One Of the Worst Features Connected
with W0men's Garments.
The very rapid development in tho
trade of ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS garments,
more especially cloaks, has brought
quite prominently to the front a con-
dition that disturbs retailers consid-
erably, and operates to the disadvan.
tage of steady and legitimate bust
ness all the way back to the manu-
facturer Of the cloth. 1t is the radical
change of styles every season. To
such an extent is this evil practice car
ried by the makers of styles that It is
almost certain that goods bought for
this seasons trade cannot be sold at
half price next.
OF course. styles are expected to
change, and it is expected that fashion
will dominate women, and control the
prices Of their wearing apparel Still,
it is not impossible to conceive that the
changes might be made with some con-
sideration for styles in vogue.
The styles of mems clothing change,
generally by easy gradations, so that
garments are not outlawed the mo-
ment a now fashion appears. Tho
Overcoats for the coming season, for
example, arc to be substantially like
the overcoats of last season, the Diff
ferences being such as will not deprive
the wearer of last seasons coat of self
respect. The frock coats now correct
in form are q little broader at the ex-
treme end of the skirts, but the differ.
ence is not especially marked except to
the eye Of the expert. Such conditions
make it possible for the retailer to buy
more literally and dispose of his stock
without great loss.
On the other hand, the designers Of
ladies' suits and cloaks are inclined to
jump SO far as to destroy the value of
leftover stocks The cloak OF 1893 was
ridiculous last season, when long skirts,
tight-6tting waists. enormous sleeves
and wide revers were the vogue.
Next season the proper cloak will be
. jacket, short-skirted, loose fronted,
with lapels not much larger than
those on a mans overcoat.
This style plunging has a bad effect
OAA VIC Aiot ASS OIL SACAk thS AihC. Az
fosters extravaganza in women against
their will, and it encourages them TO
buy goods Of inferior quality. There
IS a pronounced demand for cheap
cloaks and suits, and ladies do not
hesitate to say that it is because the
styles change SO radically from season
to season that they feel compelled TO
buy low-priced goods The proper
ton of ladies who are willing to pay
above twelve dollars for a cloak or q
jacket for winter wear is small, even
among the well-to-do.
The makers feel obliged to unload
their whole seasons product the sea-
son it is made up, and in doing SO they
generally demoralize the last half of
the season, not infrequently putting
their stock on sale atre tail figures that
make fire" sales blush. The retailers
must not only look out to sell their
stocks during the season. but they
must look out for the manufacturers
coming into the retail market before
the season is much more than half
over They are pretty sure to have
on hand a pile of cloaks and
suits of 4 season-old style that they
must sell at prices that not only ignore
profit, but oblige the carrying of one
half to three-quarters the cost to the
profit and loss account.
: If the element of good selling could
be considered by designers of women's
garme nts especially wool garments
there would be benefit all the way
from the wearers to the wool ralsers,
and many perplexing and money-los-
ing conditions would be removed from
the trade.-Wool and Cotton Reporter.