The Atlanta constitution., 1900-08-27
AMERICAN SHIRT WAIST;
ITS CHANCES ABROAD

Washington. August Z2.-(Special)-
Until two days ago." writes Mr.. Mar
shall Halstead. United States consul ut
Birmir CHAM. England. In introducing
an interesting dissertation upon Amer
lean shirt waists. hose and underwear
abroad-sent to the state department.
there had been no hot weather here,
and the phenomenally backward season
had an Injurious effect on the business OF
jobbers and shopkeepers who had stocked
summer fabrics and clothing. American
made ladies' shirt waists have been
source of particular anxiety. as the best
shopkeepers had this year very heavy
stocks of them. A few consignments or
these shirt waists were put on the Brit
ish market In the summer OF 1898 ana
found ready sale. for In neatness or III
and novelty of design they were very
attractive and surprisingly superior In
price to blouses of English or German
make In the spring of 1899. shopkeepers
generally gave to dealers In American
shirt waists what they considered We're
exceptionally large orders, but the sum-
mer demand was far greater than antlc-
mated. Consequently, shopkeepers put
in still larger stocks for this summer
sale hut the unreasonable weather has so
for interfered There probably has new
er been an article of ladies' clothing
which has so completely dominated the
British market.
IAN American toirKeeper's capital Is
in his stock as he does not give long
credit while the capital of the BRUSH
shopkeeper is represented on his DOCKS
for he gives very long and free credit
and therefore cannot have a big stock
on account of this small stock custom.
there still exists in England a type oil
iobber or small wholesaler long since wip-
ed ont i'm the United states and manufac-
turers here are willing to accept small
orders and to guarantee the filing of re-
peat orders.
''Tbc American manufacturers of shirt
waists have nothing in the way OF meet
ing small order demands. and. while they
have deserved their two seasons success
owing 10 the merit of their articles, they
must not expect the sale to continue un-
loss they hereafter take care of the trade
I'm the way customary here. for the Brit
ish manufacturers have had their lesson
and will compete next year. They VIII
sell in small lots. VIII call the article
blouse instead of shirt waist, and their
statesmen will appeal to the shopkeepers
to assist British industries by buying OF
those who employ British labor.
1T is extraordinary that British shop,
keepers have for two seasons stocked
heavily with American houses. and II can
be attributed only to the great superior,
itN of the American aftlCle, but lucS WI
not stock American blouses again II they
can get British made blouscs OF any
where near the same attracuveneSs IN
small lots and with guaranty tnat thclr
second orders will be executed
| have heard that one London mer-
Chant had sales Of American shirt waists
totaling G57.0O0 C271 .JO and a sales
man for "A big wholesale house who trav-
eled with me in Il railway carriage the
Il a n
blouse sales this year had been American.
He had also sold some thousands of
American braces (suspendcrs for men)
end yaid 1T had made him smile when he
met vplI-to-lo Americans travelling mere,
who when questioned, boasted they wore
Imported suspendcrs." Tie inspected. AT
my suggestion. the suspenders l was
wearing (bought in New York Tor %
centsl ard said that their equal could not
he produced here or in France for thi't
price At wholesale
An American manufacturer who mas
called at the consulate told me that. find
ing several years ago he could no longer
compete in common cottons at his New
Enpland mill with the cheap labor OF
North Carolina, he sold his old machinery
10 "A company then building a southern
mill and studied the process OF suslehuer
manufa cture here ana on tnc cohllhcH,'
H, boasted that while the british manu-
facturer had only about eighteen St!rS'
he manufactured los styles ms ilSt ~"
con ana claimed his suspenders were bet
ter and cheaper. for he had adop'ed all
the GOOD processes. reJecuhs tnoSe Hc
thought merely traditional ana Hau PuSC S
in labor-saVing machinery some OF whlcit
he had invented the rest beng ueSlShsu
bv clever men whom he employed for the
purpose.
american manufacturers of all Sar-
ments for ladies' underwear OF the many
cotton ana semisilS kinds can, II they
adopt the proper merchandising methods.
more than duplicate the success OF the
shirt waist manufacturers in Great BRIT
ain. BY a well-planned campaign they
could simply take command OF the market
and furnish shopkeepers with articles
which would. | am certain be a revela-
ton to their customers. American ladies'
living i'm England frequently write home
for urNerwear. Sometimes they have
them made here with their old garments
as models but even then are seldom sat
iSned with either their fit or the needle
work No. 40 cotton is used here where
No go serves i'm the United states. ana
there is absolute disbellef OF the state
mcnt that 200 thread is sometimes used.
Sewing Is being carefully taught in the
public schools. and as merit reward the
most proficient are permitted ana encOur-
aSed To use No. 100 cotton thread. There
would at first glance seem To be adVant-
age I'm using No "A thread for sewing on
buttonS-it is used here for that pur-
posc-hut think what holes must be made
I'm delicate fabric with q thread and a
needle big enough 10 carry IL.
American ladies have difficulty In pro-
curing hose Of fun length and reasonable
shapliness The type of hose IN general
use is short-a knee length only-as side
garters are little known or used, though
a few of the better class stores now keep
the velvet clasp but there is positively
no shaping for foot or ankle.
Mems black cotton socks | find 1t inn
possible To buy in shops here with tops
at all elastic. | am told that the fast
black dye for cotton was the discovery
of an English chemist. that English nose
manufacturers would not at first buy his
secret: thai the Germans did and built
up "A trade all over the world. Ii may
not be out Of place here to state tnat
several years ago. one of the BARRIERS
of thread making fame told me the dis
coVerer of fast-black dye for linen thread
could command his own price. Examine
the thread holding the buttons in men 9
clothing and you will see that after a
short time the black disappears, and even
new linen thread has not sufficient depth
of coior.'
The Red -Bosome1 Perch