New-York tribune., 1920-12-26
Trend Toward
Better Taste
Seen i'm Trade
Carish and Ornamental De.
signs Made to Attract
''War Millionaires'' Are
No Longer in Demand

one OF the strangest reactions grow
Ing out Of the fall in prices for textiles.
apparel and similar commodities which
go to make up the sum total OF tho
things we wear and use In our dailv
lives is that Of gradual but definite
trend toward what those handling these
commodities choose to term "good
taste" The garish and ornamental
designed primarily to catch the eve oP
the spender whose purchasing power
was newly enriched and whose taste in
garments was undeveloped, have been
superseded in the trade by colors. de-
signs and drapings that are more sub
dued and refined.
I'VE realize" said a prominent cloak
and suit manufacturer whose house
has always been reckoncd among the
style leaders, "that we must cater to 3
ferent class of people than that to
wh en- we have been pandering for the
iast two or three years. Those of US
who go in for style must DESIGN onr
garments for the great middle classes.
not the workers and the war million
aires who have been the largest Gus
toners Of the retail stores since the
fortunes OF war curtailed the spending
power OF the salaried class and placed
IL IN the hands of those not accustomed
TO 1t. Our garments II be less showv
this spring than they were for last
spring. There will be less trimming.
out decided trading up in quality
OF the materials we use.
Illustration in Shoe Trade
Although during the last six months
the publ C, and in turn the stributors
OF merchandise, have put more insist
ence on price than on the other ele
ments in merchandise, style has not
gone by the board entirely. No better
illustration of this can be found than
IN the shoe trade. With the public
up IN arms aga nst high prce of
shoes, buying has been restricted
largely to the new types Of footwear.
net ONLY for women, but for men as
well. The country has been and is
still carrying a great surplus of un
sold shoes, mainly of conservative pat
tern, many of them made Of good stout
feathers, which cannot be unloaded on
the public at any price, according to
retallers The strapped pump with
Lou heel caught the public fancy.
Fla oxfords with military or walking
heels were also stylish. Retailers and
manufacturers who have stocks of
pumps with military or walking heels
and plain oxfords with Louis heels are
plainly "out Of luck" by their own ad-
m ssions.
During the war the War Industries
board in onjunct on with representa-
tives OF many of the trades drew up
certain rules designed to eliminate the
multiplicity of styles in an effort to
c'rtail the demand for production and
thus release more workers from ;ndrs-
trial tasks and make them available
for war purposes. The war ended be-
tore many Of these restrict ons had
been enforced. but enough of them
had gone into effect to be left in the
trade.
Orgy of Diversified Style
Immediately after the termination of
hostilites all these restrictions were
removed and an orgy in diversity of
style developed. This continued all
through the boom times up to the mid
die Of the present year. New things
were developed constantly to entice the
easy spenders. Style followed style
with startling rapidity, and what had
the approval Of fashion one day, was
often considered passe the next
When the halt in buying and the
slump in prices came last summer,
style development ceased for the me
being. The problem then was to ret
r'd OF goods already made up and not
to throw new goods on the market. In
an effort to bring down expense and
hence prices to an attractive level.
some of the supplementary trimmings
IN the apparel lines were discarded
This applied particularly to furs, at
hrst, but later on furs took 8 drastic
tumble and once more became "cheap"
trimming mater al for the coat and suit
makers. and were largely used during
tn" fall end winter selling season.
The delayed buying policy is bring
apparel closer together In normal
years much Of the silk, cotton and
woolen goods destined to go into wear
ing apparel would have been ordered
by this time. The fabric trades usually
work from three to six months ahead
of the apparel trades. This year the
buying of both has been delayed so
long that the season will be crowded
into the short space of time between
the opening Of January and Easter
Much the same is true Of the shoe
trade
Style development for spring, which
'"n"Hds as much upon the manner In
which new things are received as upon
retarded. There is no one thing in
any OF the various apparel divisions
that stands out, such as the dolman
wrap few years ago, the polo coat of
a later season, etc.
Manufacturers are feeling their way
cautiously, guided to some extent by
style information com ng over from
Paris. There is lack Of unanimty
of opinion on the influence that Paris
exerts on American fashions. Never
theless. Paris is be ng watched more
closely than at any time since the be-
ginning of the war for new ideas.
From now on it is expected that new
tn nrgs in fabrics, apparel. millinery
and footwear will mako their appear
ance as rapidly as possible in order
to get the lagg ng wheels Of industry
started again. Sellers agree that it is
easier to sell goods that have some
new features about them than to try
to pass on old stock. even ut great
price reductions. The effort now is
to develop something new that may
catch the popular fancy or nj loast will