New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1921-07-31

since the war. Buyers used to come to New
York in June or July and order everything
they needed. Then there would be plenty of
time to get out their orders. But now they
come rushing in after August 1 with their
fall orders. They will be around here, some
Of them, right up to Thanksgiving That
means that everybody has to hustle 1t is a
sort of hand-to-mouth buying. In some ways
it works to the advantage of the buyers For
instance, they get later styles. Anyway, it's
the way they have been doing lately and the
way they keep right on doing.
QUESTIONER: And the models
PROPRIETOR: I'm coming to them Their
jobs may not be so permanent, in way They
have to share our rush. We order them when
we need them. Very few are hired by the
year. But they get good wages when the sea-
son is on. For six weeks now they will be in
demand. Then perhaps there will not be so
much work, but pretty soon the spring buying
will begin. I'd say that 80 per cent of the
wholesale houses living models. It's the
best way to show clothes, and | don't believe
the buyers will go back to anything diff
ferent. A good model costs money She gets
from $25 week up.
QUESTIONER: Up to what?
PROPRIETOR: Up to anything. When
a girl has good style and figure and wears
clothes exceptionally we'll, she is in the posi-
ton of an expert in any other line of business.
She helps sell big bills Of goods and the pro-
prietors know it. So-well, you know how it
is--they get to bidding for her, and pretty
soon she is away out of the $25 week class
and has job that is good the year round.
Such is the reassuring kind of talk that
causes the model to give the Carmen-like toss
OF her head and the I-should- disturb myself
shrug Of those shoulders over which priceless
garments are draped every day from 10 to
4:30 o'clock with an hour and half out for
lunch.
Owing to the closing of many musical COM
edes for the summer season, it is said that
more than the usual number of show girls :
have applied as models this season. But most
of the models are not recruited from the stage. :
They follow the business just as profession
ally as 1t was followed by the suit model U.
Henry wrote about-and what phase Of New
York life didn't he write about?-the girl who
couldn't believe it when the buyer from Texas .
F-NfOoSNN
along the engagement ring.
AS a matter of fact the limitations of the
insensate dummy gave the first model her job.
Dummies were used exclusively for years 81
wholesale shops. Then, some time in the long
ago when a dissatisfied customer shook his
head over a cloak on a dummy, some bright
salesman cried out: LET us see how it looks
on you, Miss Smith" and the garment was
thrown over the shoulders of the comnang's
bookkeeper. The sale was made, and Miss
Smith put in SO much time as a model there
after that new bookkeeper had to be hired
and from That sprang the business of the
living model it is to-day.
Is such a business to be engulfed by any
economy wave, short of one of tidal proper
tons?
Again comes the answer in the Carmen-iike
toss Of the models head. The manufacturers
may be making more dummies than ever, out
in the model business there's glory enough sof
ALL