New-York tribune., 1922-01-29
Urge Standards
For Underwear
I'm Mems Trade
Complaints on Skinpy "Ail,-
letic" Garments Lead.
Association to Renew
F Fight for Standards
Jobbers Partly to Blame
Allison Explains Growth
of Plan to Guarantee
Goods by Trade Mark

Following the discussion or the sub
.ect OF skinny and misiit sizes in mons
woven fabric athletic underwear hv
tho dry goods jobbcrs a. .hcir recent
convention here. the international A
sociation Of Garment Manufacturers
las removed It's campaign. begun two
years ago, to standsrdize tho sizes Of
such underwear and TO provide marx
o. Identification on the standardized
garments.
The proper dcvclormcn' If the ath
!ctic undcrwoa business saws A f.
Allison. secretary of the association,
which includes q group of underwear
manufacturers, has been greatly
Handicapped b. the GIFTED
policy Of many buyers and sellers To
secure goods at a price. TO use as lead
ers, many buyers totally overlooked
the fact that therc arc two sides TO
any bargain, and. if they forced wcak
manufacturer - give taom = price bs
low the cost of producing fuN-sized
garment. he would scheme go cut ont
his garments out OF tAe least possible
yardage Of cloth and often would de-
liver garments which looaed all right
but which were not made i'm proper
proportions, and also were two or
three sizes smaller than tho size
marked on the label.
Plan Adopted
about two years ago Z group of
athletic underwear manufacturers soil
ing the jobbing trade got together. and.
after asking each johhcr N tho United
States and Canada 10 express his seut-
pents in the matter, vfre encouraged
20 lay out a dciiritc set Of measure
p,ents, which buyors might use as
standard, or minimum specifications
for each garment.
"A plan Wa also adopted winch
would provide for Identification of gar
plcnts cut TO standard ty trade mark,
adopted b. the international hssocla-
ton Of Garment Manufacturers. Group
A. Athletic Undcr~car Manufacturers.
CAT first much Interest vas mani
tested, and il losed as if the consuming
public was ut last to be protected
against interruptions nisreprc entaNon
of merchandise in TINS line
Effort of Depression
Although many Of the leading job
bers stood by and encouraged the
proposition, others did not. for various
reasons, and short-chauging the public
in the matter Of sizes went right on.
Manufacturers who were willing 10
make short-sizc underwear at price
still found buyers eager tn take the
higher profit margins slele through
pushing this inferior meic nanrise.
"It is aXiomatic 20 say THAT - iorg
Ae there are buyers willing TO buy lN-
fcror goods somebody Will mako tnoln.
"Then came the period 90 deprcs css'or
following the first attempt To standard
Ire athletic underwear sizes. and thc
proposition was neglected bv every. onc
"And now the jobbcrs themselves.
after stiN further experiments With
undersized garments. ARC asking that
something be douc. ard tna th" long
suffering public. which is turning fhc
tables on its oxploitcrs. hc furnished
With a satisfactory guaranty that all
garments offered for sale measure up
to the necessary standard for comfort
able fit and longer wear.
"This is most satsfa actory state Of
affairs. Naturally. every sale of shlnp-
cut garments, at a prieo they corldu e
quote on their properly sized garments.
has hurt the decent manufacturers IN
tUo ways. one being tnc lmne late loss
Of business, the second being the fact
that consumers who buy these ehINp-
cut garments are thereafter pfoj ojudlcod
against all garment Of the same gem
eral type
~ was Informed just Yesterday THAT
one of the largest johhrr> IN tho coun-
Try is placing his order. for athletic
underwear at price Il lttio higher
than that quoted bs uuroNrhie mano-
faeturers, and is GLAD to- pay ilttie
me- because he is getting garments
which are cut to standard si1os."