New-York tribune., 1921-02-22
Overcoatings and Women's
Goods Shown by American
Company at Reductions
Apparently Please II de

Buying of fabrics that will go into
mems overcoats, and women's cloaks,
suits, skirts and dresses to be sold TO
the consumer next fall. was given I'M
mistakable impetus yesterday when
the American Woolen Company made
its initial showing of such merchan-
disc and quoted prices which are guar
anteed throughout the fall selling sea-
son, which will extend until mid sum-
ner at least.
The American company, by virtue of
the fac; that it is the largest pro-
ducer of woolen and worsted fabrics
in the country, has large influence in
the trade and normally sets the pace
for prices on the classes of goods it
produces. The opening prices yester~
day marked declines of from 25 to
close to 90 per cent from those that
were made Q year ago for fabrics that
went into garments purchased by con-
sumers this winter. A direct COM
parison is impossible, as many of the
fabrics are of new character tn 8
year. One of the features of the new
line IS the large range of medium
priced values, little being shown in
either extremely cheap or expensive
fabrics.
Worsted overcoatings are priced at
$1.47h to $2S7A yard. Fancy over,
coatings. including contrasting and
fancy backs, upon which the bulk of
this seasons business s expected to
be transacted, ranged from $1.3218 to
S482R, with the majority of fabrics
priced under S2.75 yard. Staple
overcoatings, such as meltons, kerseys
and friezes, ranged from $1.371a to
$3271s. Mackinaws were offered at
$1.42B to $1971z, In the high grade
overcoatings, both staple and fancy
backs made by the Beolian and Globe
mills, prices ran from S2.85 to S4.75.
Last year fabrics made by these mills
ran up as h gh as SO a yard.
Fabrics for the women's wear trades.
such as serges, velours, etc, made by
the well-known Washington and Wood
mills, were priced at S125 to $3,45 a
yard Kerseys, broadcloths, bolivias,
etc, the product of the Assabet Mill,
ranged from $1.3712 to S5 a yard, while
the Bay State Mill products were
priced at $1.45 to $3.45. and the Roch-
dale products from $1.32h to S4.571a.
The much discussed tricotines, which
have been in good demand for several
weeks, we're quoted at 1920 to $3.45 a
yard, while serges ran from S1.80 to So
A wool poplin was priced at S1.621a.
The sales Offices of the company yes
terday were crowded with buyers who
were said to be placing fairy liberal
orders. The fact that in normal season
samples of overcoatings are in the
hands of the clothing manufacturers in
January and February, and that this
year almost two months have already
been lost to the season, is given as one
explanation of the apparent. willing
ness of the trade to operate at present.
Other houses in the woolen goods
market that have been showing over
coatings for several weeks yesterday
reported quickened demand for their
products. One well-known house re-
Gently advanced its prices 12R cents
a yard, and has found demand at the
new prices greater than at the opening
quotations.
The labor troubles in the dress trade
and the mems clothing trade are exert
ing some slight retarding influence on
clothing buyers of manufacturers about
to enter the new season, it is said, but
an early termination of these troubles
is expected by the wooden goods selling
agents here.
Buyers coming from the American
opening yesterday expressed them
selves as we'll satisfied with prices,
and in the majority of cases reported
the new prices TO be as low as antici-
pated. Only slight variations from the
prices of the company's recent auction
of overcoatings and revised prices on
stock goods of women's wear fabrics
were said to exist.