The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1920-08-06

other store in two groups at $4.25 and
$3.50, with ramie linens at $3.50 and
1895. Imported ratine dresses, with
real cluny lace collars, could be
bought at another store fc- SIS, ba-
tiste dresses at $3.50 and foulards
trimmed with shadow lace at $3.50.
A speciality in this store was fancy
wolfe dress with vestee, tunic at the
back of the skirt, and velvet ribbon
belt at $3.50
A forerunner of the present outlet"
sales was the announcement of one
retailer of manufacturers overlots"
Of gowns and combination in nainsook
at rs cents.
The men were not neglected in the
retail sale offerings of the summer Of
1913, although it is interesting to note
that the stores did not devote so much
space to their needs then as they do
now. Even a perfunctory review Of
the advertising seven years ago dis
closes low prices for mems clothing
and furnishings have shot up. A re-
taller of high grade furnishings was
then advertising shirts at 81. Is. They
were made of woven madras with
French cuffs. Scotch madras made
by William Anderson was offered in
shirts selling at $1.35, and heavy pure
silk shirts in striped and corded ef-
fects at 1885. At the same time
shirts regularly sold at 81 and SIPS
were reduced by another store to 60
cents, and washable silk and knitted
silk neckwear were placed in the
same advertisement, priced at "a cents.
An old and reliable clothing house
described suits which were original
ly low, at 40 per cent, lower prices"
A suit of standard navy serge was
featured by department store at $40.
The largest handler of an advertised
brand of clothing in the city was spec
ializing in blue serge suit at $18.
A chain store system in its usual sea-
son clearance published the following
reductions: %, $3.50 and $40 suits
at $3.50; $27.50, $25 and $3.50 suits
at $3.50; $50, $2750 and $25 suits at
$23.50, $40, $35 and $50 suits at S26.50,
$45 and $40 suits at $3.50. Flannel
outing trousers were reduced in an
other quarter from 5 and Sc to $2.95.
The shoe stores, from the compost
ton of their "ads.," considered it
nothing sensational to offer Sc and
81 qualities in low shoes at $4.75. A
branded line selling regularly at 81
and $40 was reduced to $4.75 and
1915 respectively.
In the housefurnishing branch the
reductions ranged from 10 to 80 per
cent. Satin damask napkins could be
obtained at $3.50 a dozen, soft finished
muslins sheets at As, 55, go, IS and 70
cents, and hemstitched linen sheets
at 1925 and $1,000 pair. American
rugs, carpets and linoleums, in small
type "ads.," were offered at one-third
to one half off former prices. A SKIP
Wilton rug, for instance, sold at $25
to $45 Printed and inlaid linoleums,
regularly priced at 35 70 70 cents a
yard.
Despite these values, If the adver-
Using was any criterion, the stores
did not consider they were INDUCING
in any saturnalia Of price reduction.
In the wholesale markets at the time
there was. some uneasinss caused by
the uncertainty of the outlook as a
result of the changed tariff. The re-
tales, however, had been going
slow" for some time, and when Fall
purchases were necessary their orders
were placed in satisfactory volume.
One feature of the So called last
normal year was the protest raised
question then as 1t is now. One writer
summed up these bitter attacks" by
explaining they were aimed at narrow
skirts, the slash skirt and the trans
parent materials used. The narrow
or sfashed skirts, in the opinion OF the
writer, were Improvements on the
"hobble" variety.