Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1912-08-02
THE ECONOMICS OF FASHION.
CLOTHING THE FEET.
By Frederic J. Haskin.

Never before has so much attention
been paid to the proper dressing of the
feet. Variety in footwear during the
present season seemingly leaves little
| more TO be devised. The styles in shoes
are as changeable as any other article
| Of human apparel and they do not all
| make for either comfort or appearance,
| although there has been some improve
ment in this respect during the past
wear. The fact that for several years
| 1t was almost impossible to secure a good
looking shoe for women which had a
| firm sole unless it had a. really high
heel led to the. wearing of boys shoes
by many women. especially those Of ath-
| letic or pedestrian tastes. This has
| caused the manufacture of the mannish
shoe for women which is similar to a
boys shoe in appearance, but 1t is
little lighter in weight There still are
a large number Of women. however, es-
pecially college girls, who refuse to look
at a walking shoe made for women, and
insist upon being provided with the reg
ular boys stock, including the strap at
the back. which somehow seems to give
the distinctive masculine touch. Low
heels for outing shoes arc more numerous
this year than for some time past, and
few shoes are now shown without any
heels.
While the regular stock slippers and
shoes made in the great factories are
dainty and exclusive in their design,
each season there is an increas sing num-
Der OF people for whom shoes are made
TO order. This work is not always done
In the little hand shops. either. In fact,
there are fewer of these than formerly,
but the mea surements of the foot are
taken carefully by the filter in the store
and the shoe is made on a last which is
made from the correct measurements
These lasts are made to order for the
shoe manufacturers and shoe can be
made to order from a proper last at
only q trlf1e more expense than the regu-
lar stock In this way particular women
frequently have their shoes made from
the same material as their gowns, and
men can give orders for dress shoes and
outing shoes from the same Ia st, knowing
that they will be equally satisfactory in
fit.
There is a close connection between
the shoe and stocking in the average
MIND and It is interesting to know that
America leads the world in both produc-
tions as regards both quality and ouan-
tlty. during the year three important
patents have been granted for the i'm
provement OF stocking knitting machin-
cry. One is a plating process by which
SILK may be knit over cotton or over an
other color of silk, thus making many
elaborate effects compare lively easy of
production. Another is seamless plait-
ed heel and toe, and the third is a ma
chine which knits the ribbed top of the
stocking with single double welt instead
OF a ragged edge. These three inventions
have made possible trade ventures which
| have quite exceeded those of the German
stocking manufacturers. the closest rivals
America has had in the hosiery trade Of
| the world.
| The most notable economy connect ed
| with the present fashions in hosiery is
the low price at
Low Prices Charged which silk stock
for Silk Stockings. upan the m p,L.ed
| 1t is silk season, indeed. and the hum
| best Woodworking toiler may compete
with the millionaire in the wearing of
| silk stockings. The question is being
continually asked, How can silk stock
| ings be sold SO cheap They may be
found in many stores as low as three
| pairs OF women's hosiery for 81, and %
cents a pair for mems half hose Those
sold at the more exclusive stores at a
higher price are little more attractive
either I'm appearance or wearing quality.
The silk stocking trade this year has
placed the ordinary Isle or cotton stock
| ing quite In the background, and even in
| their wearing qualities the latter are no
| longer superior.
| One secret is that the improved ma
chinery has reduced the labor OF knitting
stockings to a minimum. The cost Of
silk is less than formerly. and the cost
| OF manufacturing has been reduced in
even greater proportion. But there is
another reason of even greater impor-
lance, which has brought down the cost
| of silken hosiery. This is that the great
er part of the so-called silk stockings
| found In the shops are not silk at all,
for ind metz r,f ho cf1 liz
| is concerned. The making of artificial
silk Is one Of the newer Industries de-
veloped in the twentieth century, and
| only within the past three or four years
| has it achieved any great commercial
value in America. For half century
| the production of artificial silk has been
talked Of, and in the early sixties true
| synthetic silk was produced. which it is
claimed was an exact chemical duplicate
| of the product of the silk cocoon, but
| this achievement had no commercial val
ue because of it's cost Of production.
A Frenchman named Chardonnet first