Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-05-22


poodles strutting around town
wearing new coats embroidered
with Il Like Ike" you may
not think they have anything
remotely to do with careers
for women. But these little
dogs do.
They obviously have been
on a spring-clothes buying
spree to a fashionable spot in
New York called "Poodletown."
Here such elegant accessories
are designed by Joan Kruger.
who has worked hard and long
building up this rather frivi-
lous-sounding service business
into a booming career for
herself.
Miss Kruger not only designs
one-of- kind, mother daugh-
ter fur trimmed poodle outfits,
with the dogs dressed up to
match the lady that owns
them. Her Chi, Chi Chen, Inc.
shop is one of the very few
places in the country where
well-groomed poodles can go,
by appointment only, for "the
works" as we ladies would
describe it inside the booths of
our beauty parlors.
How did Miss Kruger ever
get started in such an unusual
career? What made her decide
to give baths. toenail clips,
hair-styling. ear-cleaning and
thorough tooth-brushing to a
bunch of well-heeled poodles?
These are just a few of the
questions we had on the tip of
our TONGUE as we stepped
inside her gay, immaculate
little shop at Park aveune and
East list ST., one morning last
week.
No "GOssiping" Here
Two lady poodles were doz-
ing contentedly under the
dryer. Another was in the pro-
cess of getting a new. rather
frou-frou couture called the
Royal Dutch" clip. from one
of Joan's able assistants. Miss
Eleanor Lynch. The CANNES
were very quiet, as were the
operators. We gathered that
Cabling and gossiping on the
job were not permitted in a
shop frequented by the better
groomed poodles.
We soon discovered that
owning and operating this
shop was the realistic answer
for Joan Kruger to a real need
that many women have ex-
perienced at some time in
their lives. Many years ago,
suddenly faced with the neces-
sity of supporting an 11-year-
old daughter. she became dis
enchanted with her creative
and demanding job in fash
ion advertising. Why? Be-
cause of the heavy demands
it made on her time, week ends
out of town, being on the job
at times when she wanted to
be home with her youngster.
In making the job switch.
she carefully assessed her tall
ents. She enjoyed initiating
creative ideas. She had expert
ence in merchandising and as
a Girl Friday on the Pontiac
Mich. Daily News, her one de-
sire was a job she could do
from her present home in
Stamford, Conn.
: She took a shreWd look at
cher extracurricular activities.
She had been taking and CIV
ling courses in obedience train
ling at ASPCA-sponsored class
.eS and also at an adult educa-
-tion school in neighboring Pei
ham, N. Y. She also had been
writing weekly newspaper
column on dog-training for
:, her home town newspaper, the
stamford Advocate.
: No neon signs went on in
.her brain depicting her cur
rent shop, its chic clientele
such as Hope Hampton and
Grace Kelly Rainier. its new
:mail-order service in accessor-
lies to customers throughout
the country. Her first BUSH
ness decision was a very sim
-ple one, as good business de-
slons usually are. She decided
that boarding dogs" by day
or week, and giving obedience
training to them, would be a
perfect homebound business
that would fit in with her tall
cents and interests, and enable
her to make enough money
each week to stay at home
with her young daughter.
Service for Success
From then on her success
. was built on giving better
service than her competitors
and constantly adding new
services to meet needs of her
regular customers on their
. dogs.
In 1850. when her daughter
Al.1 L(,.,~....