El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-10-11
Like Potash Perlmutter
Successful Manufacturers of WOm-
ems Wear Must Keep Genius at
Work Producing and DispOs-
ing of New Designs.
- Z - 4
: 81 Frederic J. Haskin-

" TASHINGTON, D. c.. Oct lin
w asmuch as the golden rule of
the women's garment manufac-
turing industry is Keep always first
in mind selling the goods" much de-
Ponds on the girls who wear the model
suits and gowns for the buyers inspec-
ton.
The first requirement, of course, is
the figure The model must be per-
feet &C." or perfect 16," or a per
feet junior" OF course, her figure is
aided by the most expensive and skill
fully made corsets, but at the same
time the foundation must be natural
If to a good figure the model can add
a pleasant manner, a touch of native
dignity, simplicity, and a trace Of sales
| manship, she may be assured Of perma-
/ nent work at remunerative wages The
/ penalty for the failure to observe the
| memorable selling rule IS failure It
/ may be a sudden crash, it may be a
/ SLOW dying by inches. but the law is
/ memorable. The art of design, the skill
4 OF manufacture, the pride of produc-
/ uon-every factor in the whole indus
! try must always be subordinate to
/ craftsmanship.
Keen Competition Is Reason.
IN other manufacturing industries
/ this IS not always the case In none of
Lnem Is II so markedly evident The
/ reason for this lies in the keen COM
| petition Of the only considerable manu-
| featuring industry in which the an
Gent individualism now obtains
Inc Women's wear manufacturers sell
their goods IN three principal ways:
Directly 10 buyers, who call at the re-
tan stores; and by mail, although the
mail orders chiefly are confined to re-
orders.
Making and Selling Combine.
The successful manufacturing estab-
lishment is usually a Partnership in
which IS represented salesmanship and
manufacturing genius, and, not infre-
quently, the art Of the designer. The
IlTm composed of two men. one in gen
eraI charge of the sales and the other
IN general charge of production is al
most classic, as in the case of the
mythical Potash and Perlmutter If
the firm has six partners instead of
Two, the balance viii be maintained.
Inc WOmens wear salesman on the
road differs but slightly from the con-
ventiOnal drummer we have known
Tor years 1t is in the salesmanship
methods used in the show rooms in New
York that the modern refinements and
improvements are to be discovered.
SaiesHanshiP SurmOunts Difficulties.
For instance, when suits and coats
ana gowns first began to be displayed
entirely on living models, there were
Two possible faults in the system. II
the models were too few in number and
too slow in dressing, the buyer was
thence in the waits between individual
displays Or If the models were too nu-
merOus, there was apt to be a too rapid
procession which became Kaleidoscope
and confused the buyers mind
1t IS interesting to see how the sales
manship instinct has surmounted these
dltflcultles- In one suit-making estab-
Ashment of rather above the average
size, two statesmen are assigned TO each
buyer. The buyer is seated in his chair
with his order book on broat flat arm
= eli HI
has two entrances-One in and the !
other out" The principal salesman
stands close by the buyers chair. The
other takes up fixed post at the in"
Models Quickly Managed.
There are sufficient number Of /
models 10 enable one or more to be al 4
ways dressed and ready to come into /
the show room. If the buyer is interest
ed in the suit on display, he is given !
all the time he requires to examine it l
IN every way, # he is not interested, I
the model quickly disappears and the /
man on the fixed post, by an imDer- !
cepuble motion, brings in the next one ]
Inc models are trained to watch the !
chance are two models permitted in the /
snow rooms at the same time The 4
buyer does not consciously detain or 7
dismiss model. The man on the fixed 1
post watches his face and expression |
and, by the exercise Of a well-trained |
commercial psychology, manages to |
Keep the buyer always interested. A |
pad model, from that particular buy |
er's standpoint, is in the room but a 1
traction of a minute. A good model /
stays until the buyer has written his /
order.
Models Essential to Success.
The comparative prosperity and sue l
cess OF an establishment often may be 4
determined merely by looking at the /
establishments keep their models on I
the pay roll the year round and are /
always searching not only in New York /
quins.
Many concerns indeed most Of the /
small ones, engage models only in the
season These houses are naturally at /
the mercy OF circumstances. Sometimes
they are forced to pay extremely high
wages and then not get the sort of
models they want The girls may have
OF manner, too slovenly in the arrange
ment of their hair, OF too stupid to add
anything to the craftsmanship force OF
the establishment
Buyers Brook No Delays.
For instance, in such an establish
ment although the line is comparative
~ good, a buyer sometimes leaves in
disgust because he is forced to wait /
many minutes between displays. wait
ing while inexperienced models strug-
gle into dresses that they evidently do /
not know how to wear Their walk may /
De Dad, or they may be forced each I
time to consult tag to give the buyer
the number and price of the model: or
IN some other way. by the failure of
the personal equation. the gown or
suit is not done justice by its Wearer
some Hat Models Are Veterans.
Most priced among models is the one
who IS a successful Wearer of hats in
a millinery establishment. She must be
of that rare type on whom any hat
looks well, whether it be severely plain
or deliberately trimmed. whether ii be
cheap or expensive. Such a model must
wear a black frOek Of UnO6 ont al
style. and must possess hair that will
permit of any sort of trea tment She
must be graceful and quick. and must
have the wit to watch the buyer close
" so as not to keep on a hat he does
not like one second longer than his
verdict is expressed in his face. Some
hat models are veterans of a half dozen
years. Such as these command good