Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-03
Clothes Makers Seek
One Measuring Standard

Annoyances and expense caused pur-
chasers of wearing apparel and the
tremendous losses suffered by mer-
chants and manufacturers. because or
lack of standards of measurements are
to be assailed from several sources in
this young but promising year of 1926.
A search for the perfect So" and her
male counterpart has started, in a
new sense.
Venus and Adonis have their proper
places in mythology. They still are
held forth as criterionS Of physical
perfection and beauty of the female
and the male of the human species,
but the dreSSmakerS, the clothing
manufacturers, the hosiery and under
wear producers are having dlfhcultleS
in following such models.
The studies about to be undertaken
have no relation whatsoever to style.
There is no intention of StandardiZing
design or pattern and of putting the
American people into uniforms. Style,
with it's changes, is a very important
factor to the merchant and the manu-
facturer of wearing apparel. just as 1t
is an important factor in the appear
ance of the customer. Style is one
thing, size is another.
Ideas Vary Greatly.
What is a SO dress, or size pair
of stockings? What is a 40 suit of
clothes, or a size 1919 pair Of socks?
| The ideas have BEEN almost as diff
ferent as the ideas of individual
beauty.
The manufacturers have been doing
| the best they could, and 1t has been a
rather good job when 1T is considered
! that there are no standards to follow
and that each producer has had to
| use his individual judgment as to
| just where to place the tape measure
when ruling off size. The result is
that two No. So dresses, side by side
in the same shop, but made by differ
| ent manufacturers. may vary an inch
or more in the bust measurement.
! This is one thing, at least, that every
| woman knows. And men know the
same thing about suits and overcoats
and other garments.
Manufacturers, and merchants know
| other things about this size problem.
| They know, for instance, that size
| SO dress from a specific manufacturer
| means So inches in the bust and 3S
| in the hips. Furthermore, they know
| that SO dress which will perfectly fit
| the average woman of that size in
| New York State, will be a sad misf1t
| for the woman in Iowa or Oregon or
Alabama who orders a SO.
Army Aids Mems Trade.
The Army Quartermaster Corps
! learned much about differences in the
sizes of men from different parts Of
| the country during the World War.
| In fact, the only intensive study made
| of this general subject until recently
| is that conducted for the War Depart
| ment. 1t serves as a basis for what
ever the mems clothing trade may do
| along this line.
| 1t is beyond all hope that there can
| be devised a system of measurements
which will do away with alterations
| entirely. The American individual
differs from his fellows too greatly
| for that. But it is believed that
methods of measuring can be evolved
! which will bring us TO the point that
Sc dress and 40 suit will mean the
same thing to all manufacturers and
! merchants and customers, with varia-
! lions of detail adjusted to known av-
erage factors in the different sections
of the country.
| Hosiery manufacturers attacked
| this problem year ago. They spent
| considerable time and money in a
| survey, through the National Asso-
| citation of Hosiery and Underwear
Manufacturers, in cooperation with
| the Bureau of Standards at Wash
| ington. They found some 3O-odd
methods of measuring among their
| members. They standardized the
method of measuring. and now a No
] pair of stockings means the same foot
| size to all leading manufacturers.
| The association now is studying
| length in Women's hosiery.
The Interstate Merchants Council
at Chicago, comprising some 10000
! retailers in II Middle Western States,