Laurel outlook., 1946-11-13
Clothes Scarce
Until Next Year
Survey Of Industry Shows
Shortage Will Run
Well Into l947.

NEW Jul
ly completed here it vas the con-
sensus of industry sources that
clothing shortages will hound the
consumer and will continue to af-
feet every member of the family at
least until the end of the year.
Mems business shirts and chill
dren's underwear, women's lingerie
] and nylon hosiery were listed as just
a few types of clothing in which sup
ply is expected to get worse before
it improves.
CAL articles made of cotton or
rayon are in short supply and will
continue to be, at least until early
next spring." one buying represen-
tative said.
Men of the family continue to be
the hardest hit, and the children
come next. The only real short
ages facing the women are popular
priced lingerie and nylons, which
are expected to become progressive
ly scarcer with approach of the
Christmas season.
Output Controlled.
Some of the reasons given for
continuing shortages were:
Unprecedented demand still eats
up whatever merchandise reaches
store shelves.
Some types of cotton goods are
caught in a price squeeze. Textile
ceilings have been increased to re-
fleet a rise in raw cotton prices, but
the ceilings of finished goods have
not yet been raised.
Manufacturers of some types of
rayon and cotton goods cannot fill
their requirements for materials be-
cause of the increasing amount of
output controlled by integrated set
ups in which n management ham
dies all phases of production and dis
tribution.
Certain mills continue to concen-
trate on sub-standard or non-stand-
ard types of cotton fabrics whereas
the heaviest demand is for standard
types.
Maximum prices allowed to be
charged for goods made from prior
ity materials in some instances r
below permissible ceilings on the
basis of cost factors.
Nylon yarn ALLEGATIONS to hosiery
makers have been cut an estimated
10 to Is per cent.
Shortages of skilled labor, lack of
priority assistance in some cases
and shortages of such materials as
Innings and pocketings have imposed
additional difficulties.
In mems wear the supply of worst
ed suits is improving, but cit is
unlikely that a supply-demand bal
anc will be reached in mems suits
before the fall of 1947," said Jerome
Udell, clothing manufacturer.
Build Up Stocks.
Inventories of topcoats and over
coats are being built up gradually
as are stocks of tweed and Shetland
suits. But even by next fall, Udell
said, it is doubtful that retailers will
be able to build well-balanced and
complete inventories.
Clothing sources said it was i'm
possible to appraise Immediately
the effect of the order allowing men
in the armed forces to wear civilian
clothes when off duty, but they
did not view it as too serious a prob
While the CPA estimated it would
send about two million more men
hunting, manufacturers con-
sidered it probable that their inter-
est might center in casual clothes
rather than in business suits, where
the shortage is most acute.
National Association of Shirt and
Pajama manufacturers described
The shirt situation by saying "the
outlook is as bad as it ever was"
Mems underwear falls into the same /
category. n
Retail inventories of shoes gener- =
ally were said to be adequate at the -
moment, but the outlook depends on .,
whether the supply of hides i'm
proves in the near future. (
Most infants and children's cot q
on knitted clothing is high on the IS
~lard-to-get list. Undershirts and -
leepers are the scarcest items,
yhile knitted panties are easier to
nd. "
"We are going to feel the short
ge of all cotton knitted underwear Al
lis winter" an underwear institute of
ookesman said, adding that heavy da
types are in shortest supply. ar,