DEARER CLOTHING

Evening Star, Issue 17155, 23 September 1919, Page 10

DEARER CLOTHING

£ls 15s A SUIT! TAILOR MADK~vT" READY MAD.K. [Special to the ' Stab.'] CHRISTCHURGH, September 25. The manner in which the prices of tailor-mado suits are advancing appears to have had the inevitable effect of increasing the sales of ready made and cheaper garments. Tailor-mado suits arc selling in tho city from £1 7s to £ls_lsa, whilst ready-mado clothes are retailing from £2 19s 6d to £6 6s. But, although the ready-mado article is gaining in favor, tailors interviewed by a ' Sun ' representative maintain that with a certain and large class of customer they had no mora trouble in securing orders for a, suit which may cost any tiling from 12 to 15 guineas than they would have had before the war in selling & six guinea suit. In stating that suits were likely to become slightly dearer within about six months or so, a city tailor said that certain imported lines of material showed a distinct tendency to, advance in price. This was noticeable" in the case of blue serges. He had booked orders for six or eight months ahead, but after <<hat period matters were too uncertain for He sold tailor-made suits from £7 7s to £ll, tho average price paid being about £9 9s. In the case of New Zealand materials, he. could make suits as a rule from £7 7s to £8 Bs, but to many people the price seemed a secondary consideration. As a rule the single man was the best customer. Men who had just returned from the front were also usually good customers. These men often came to him with an order from the Government worth £5 and possibly a grant of £5 from the patriotic fund. They would buy a 10-guinoa suit, and possibly within two months would come in for another, which they would pay for out of their own money. llie Pressman was also informed that tho recent acquisition of mills by warehouse concerns was not to the advantage of tho trade or the public. "It will inevitably mean dearer materials, for clothes wilt now have to cariy warehouse changes." ha said. " Thus as au Auckland firm bad .secured the Oamarit and Tim am mills most of the output will now go to tho northern centre. Only one largo southern mill and a smaller one now den.lt with the retailers. It was thought in the trade in addition, that in tin: case of the Oamaru and Tirna.ru mills the. character of their output would now be somewhat elianged. each mill specialising in a different class of goods."