Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-02-20

an industry naturally means the
growth of the various individual or
| CARNATIONS in that industry and with
their increased size there develops
naturally an increased responsibility
We know of one concern in particu-
lar, that is truly representative.
! We sell their clothing. We know
the house itself, and we have in It's
product perfect confidence from a
standpoint of It's ability to give SER
vice to any any man who wants r.
and of its value. We say its value
because they have reached a point OF
specialization and Of volume which
permits them to buy their various
raw materials on rock-bottom ba-
sis because of the tremendous
amounts they can consume, and this
same volume applied to their other
operations makes 1t impossible fo1
them to put the best of everything
into their product on an amazingly
slender margin for the individual
unit. That simply means that we
can buy better grade of clothing
most advantageously from them and
so we will pass along to you this
same advantage.
For example, their clothing is guar
anteed to satisfy you, the wearer
Suppose you bought one of the suits
and got wet in rainstorm, and the
suit shrunk, you certainly would be
dissatisfied-at least if you are any
think like us you would. Because
they guarantee you satisfaction they
have to make sure that your suit
won't shrink if you get it wet, and
because of their immense volume OF
business when they turned their at
tention to this problem they were
able to command the services of ex-
nerts, and as matter of fact, their
investigation wound up by the COM
plete invention of brand new form
of machineryfor handling the shrink
ing process. They still own and con-
troll the patent rights on that ma
chine and their fabrics are scientifi>
cally shrunk by the mile instead of by
the yard as the old-fashioned shop
would handle them. The method OF
shrinking itself is very interesting.
Instead Of running the goods
through water, which presents the
danger of bleeding" or running of
colors, they are rolled in wet blan-
ket The blanket for each cloth is
passed through clean water, and the
cloth is then rolled in the blanket
and left on rack long enough to
absorb the water out OF the blanket,
so that every particle of the fabric
is penetrated with moisture. If there
is the slightest defect in the color, it
Immediately shows on the blanket; 1t
might otherwise remain undetected.
This method of shrinkage is an abso
lutte safeguard both as to the thor
oughness of shrinkage and the fast
ness of the colors.
The system also protects the face
of the cloth from coming into con-
tact with the back Of the cloth and
thus guards against any impression
being transferred from the back to
the face. Where cloth is passed di-
rectly through water and then rolled,
the contact of the back to the face
at the time when the face of the
cloth is very impressionable, can
not be avoided. Goods made with
a backing of heavy yarn are certain to
leave an impression on the face OF
the cloth when the face is not pro-
tected, and this protection can be
provided only under the blanket sys-
tenn.
The passing Of cloth directly
through the water causes the face of
the cloth to become very rough The
absorption of the water raises up the
nap, and gives the fabric a coarse
and unfinished appearance. A natu-
raj system of drying is so produced
by taking air directly from out of
doors. It is passed through the dry
rooms at the rate of $4,000 cubic feet
per minute; and is thoroughly ster-
iiized, assuring clean and healthy
drying conditions.
Their system provides for abso-
lutely correct shrinking of the cloth,
and enables them to guarantee
against any future shrinkage what
ever. The process takes up all Of the
shrink, both in length and width, and
also further leaves the cloth in its
natural condition and finish, so that
it requires no artificial finish such as
further pressing or refinlshing.
Even haircloth, canvas, and tape are
shrunk, so that garments will not
lose shape.
1t took little longer than we ex-
pected to describe that shrinking
process and we haven't attempted to
describe the machinery to you. What
we're interested in is the result, and
the point of especial interest to you
ard to m US is that again, owing to
the immense volume of their opera
tons, they can provide this elaborate
the labor necessary to
operate it and do it all at cost per
suit almost too small to figure. In
other words, it gives us an immense
degree of security in the clothing we
buy without adding proportionately to
its cost as compared with what it
would have to be if the same care
and the same operations were used
on small local scale.
As we remarked, everything III the
garment is shrunk before it's used;
the material in the waist band of
your trousers, the hair cloth and cam
vas which help to form your coat and
which you never see, the tape inside
the edges of your coat which is there
to help keep the coat in shape and