Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1927-03-24
SEEK TO MAKE MEN
'DRESS-CONSC|OUS'
CIothierS in Convention See
, Prosperity in Creating
Desire for Clothes.

Special Dispatch TO The Star.

special Dispatch to The Star
NEW YORK, March 24-The indie
pendent retail clothier today has the
for profitable business if he only keeps
abreast of the demands of his Gus
toners. That was the opinion eX.
pressed today by leading delegates to
the National Association of Retail
Clothiers, now in session in st. Louis
This attitude was Endorsed and con
f1rmed by fabric and clothing manu-
facturers here> in Philadelphia, Pas
sale and New England
Service is the factor that is being
stressed by the meetings of the retail
clothiers. All except the most hide.
hound of the old-timers are willing to
give their customers what they want.
The Majority are struggling vigorous.
ly TO find out just what that is.
Service Is the Thing.
Man ciothiers, including Herbert
NJ. So nenborn of Wheeling. W. Va,
say TIA Eervice is the thing that will
wipe <sts the difficulties which face the
clothfAr, The difficulties of the cloth
ing retailer extend far beyond mere
competitions. Alterations are a ire
mendous item of expense in the ready
to-wear clothing field. Chain stores
and mail order houses have the adj
vantage of buying in large quantities
Shrinkage in merchandise values and
the marking down of prices to force
movement of inactive stocks has cut
deeply into profits. Style changes
have been swift and buyer resistance
TO price advances has been strong.
Proper metnods Of craftsmanship are
perhaps being given more attention
as remedy for the evils listed above.
Advertising in local newspapers which
reach the individual patrons of the
store in question is being stressed.
Promptness Of delivery. adequate at
tention to complaints and the building
up of dress consciousness'' also are
counted on to benefit conditions.
Dress CONSCIOUSNESS.
Observation-Disclosures. said Henry
Il. ODER, president of the association,
should be featured instead of low
prices. At least half the $4,000, 900
spent annually by clothiers for ad-
vertising should have for it's object
the creation of dress-consciousness.
Members of the association have
decided to raise 100000 a year to be
spent to aid promotion of this idea.
mo All IilOSI
agree that buying power in the great
er number of communities is exceed
fngly strong.
Incomes in this country are still
going up" said DR.. Paul Ivy of Chi
cago. 1t is becoming increasingly
easy to sell two pairs of shoes at a
time instead of one. Expert salesman
ship ought TO bring out the value of
goods and maintain interest in quality
rather than price"
FOrecasting the Styles.
Every up-to-date merchant and buyer
is coming closer to forecasting what
styles and materials his customers will
want all the time. He is being aided
by the manufacturers not only of
clothing and textiles, but by producers
OF shoes. hosiery, neckwear, furnish
ingS and hats. These manufacturers
are exchanging information CLEANED
both from domestic and foreign mar
kets, and are working toward the
elimination of multitudinous colors.
fabrics and styles. which it. is essential
for a retail merchant to carry. 1t is
for this reason that the color range
now being advocated in London is re-
ceiving marked attention, and ii is
probable that the lighter colors will be
correspondingly used this year.
The styles shown at the conven-
ton emphasized grays, Bluffs and tans
and stressed fiannels. cassimeres and
camel's hair fabrics for Summer wear.