Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1916-08-29

ton which refers to skirts i. i,s,
now preyinE on the minds of about 10
wv buyers who have come TO New
YORK from all parts OF the co,n,ry ,n
select the things that American women
VIII wear this winter
1t is not the price they mean ci,hor
mere ~ no doubt about thai, |, 10
GONG mp Hut how about tho ham
oil the skirt? VIII II continue It's
amazing rise toward the knee or dc.
seen" once more toward the ankle
rms Is most solemn problem IA tbc
buyers out of the hundreds of mod
els offered In the wholcsal. stores ms,
oil fiith Avenue. each Of these ennis
SnrleS from the retail trade must
choose iiEc or s!N. or perhaps nifty or
SHY models that viii appeal 20 the
women or kokomo or corSicana or
Walla Waila or rcllville or Chicago
or b"S'"n. as tho case may be.
For most of the really progressive
clothing stores In the country are rep
resented in New York at this time OF
IN" year The retailer who is after
fashion is not content to order from
IN" samples Of travelling men He
comes TO New York in person or sends
Il representative, and tries to intcrprct
IN" tast" of his trade in terms OF the
fifth Avenue offerings In The case OF
the small firm. tho buyer is usually
the proprietor himself. who makes ono
= Is.
OF tho big firms. like Marshall Field
of Chicago. ana Jordan Marsh. Of Bus-
ton. on tho other hand. have permanent
offices here. and are represented by
anywhere from fifteen 10 fifty buyers
all of the time. Some Of these spend
their days scouting among tho innun-
cradle wholesale firms, while others
stay at headquarters and receive The
ihronrs Of statesmen who come with
offerings Each % these buying cx-
r"rts Is pcrsist"ntly hunting for tho
thing that the women OF his or her
particular town are going TO want
How il is identified Is a mystery.
in tho showrooms OF the big whole
sale firms young women models who
ar" lightning change artists parade
ono design after another before The
critical eyes Of the buyers. who irdi-
cat" with a quick gesture or nod when
something comes along that will suit
their particular trade. The variety OF
offerings III form and color. material
ana weight. is something be widening
One Arm may offer several hundred
models. As one buyer put IT, for n
young man in New York to have five
hundred skirts TO choose from, might
seem intercstins--but il isn't. 1t Is a
trying exercise in Judgment, with a
large element OF luck thrown in.
Many Ru.crs arc Women.
Most of these buyers are not young
men. however y Very large percent
age of Them are women, and this per-
ccntacc is steadily growing. The Diff
iicult task Of clothing American women
is very largely in the hands Of the
women themselves, from the designers
10 tho purchasers in tho retail stores.
Not only do tho buying forces Of tho
great city department stores include
more women than men. but women are
often the sole representatives OF i'm
rf.n loot L. ctn. -ylt
ers they are. too: swift in judgment
and direct and straightforwar ri in deal
ings.
Needless to say. these lady pur-
chaserS are tho subject Of much and
solicitous attention on the part OF the
wholesalers. There is nothing like n
buying power OF forty or nifty thou
sand dollars to make q young woman
popular in New York. Automobiles are
placed at their service and they arc
showcrcd with invitations. One whole
salcr recently took two young women
from large Western firm for motor
trip To Concy Island. On the return.
his chauffeur collidcd with street
car. and the two young skirt specialists
were spilled on Broadway. AZ last re-
ports they were doing nicely i'm a hos
pital and holding up their orders while
a large number Of wholesalers are at
tcntive with flowers and candy.
For the most part. however, this
matter OF buying rcady-to- wear cloth
ing is very business like proposition.
There are no longer any seasons for
the large firms. whose buyers arc on
the hunt all the time for the things
they want. This year the problem has
been an especially difficult one for
number OF reasons. In tho first place.
the European war has made il impos-
Siblc to get some materials ana hard
to get many others, while the dye prob
lem has forced some cOlOrS out of eX-
istencc. This situation was further
complicated by the garment makers
needles just as the fall season was
salers great difficulty in hlling their
orders. The country is prosperous and
the demand from all sections heavy.
so that the buyer has found himself
standing between a prosperous public
demanding fashionable clothes and q
somewhat dcmoraliZcd wholesale trade
that did not know exactly what
when it could deliver.
Wnr Helps New York Trade.
Now that the strike is over, however.
the business is going forward with
rush. The fact that many buyers who
III former years have gone 10 New
York or Paris for their more exclusive
added To the congestion New York
| is moro the fashion center Of The world
| than ever before, and II is trying
nightly to riao Ia tho occasion.
buyers admit Tint Tho retail prices
OF womcn's clothing rs sure tn lie q