CHANGED INDUSTRIES

Evening Star, Issue 19614, 21 July 1927, Page 14

CHANGED INDUSTRIES

ALTERED FEMININE NEEDS. How trade has been affected by the change which has, during the past twenty years, como over woman, is shown in inquiries among trading houses which cater for feminine needs (states the ‘ "Weekly Dispatch’). A comparatively few years ago, a thriving business was done in women’s boots, whalebone corsets, petticoats, cotton stockings, thick woollen undergarments, hairpins, and hatpins. “The whole haberdashery trade lias been completely altered during .the past few years,” said a city wholesaler. “At one time millions of hair/pins were produced annually on spec-ially-designed machines. To-day only a small percentage of this sum is turned out, and the machines have been adapted to other purposes. The same thing applies in a modified form to hatpins. The modern hat docs not call for mechanical fixing.” Whalebouo, onoe tho “ backbone ” of women’s corsets, is seldom used for that purpose,” said a manufacturer, “ the factories are using their whalebone for brush bristles.”

“ I don’t suppose I sell a gross of cotton stockings in three months nowadays,” said the manager of a large store. “ They must'bo silk or artificial silk, and all of a light tint. bjery few woollen ‘ undies ’ are worn, they must ho of silk or filmy crepe de chine. Gloves are only worn when convention absolutely demands them. Nowadays there arc no muff's. Their place has been taken by hags, and this industry has never been as flourishing as it is to-day.'” There have been changes, too, in the matter of food and drink. The girl of 1907 liked chocolates and pastries, and drank lemonade or orangeade, or perhaps claret cup. Miss 19*27 prefers cigarettes to chocolates; she dare not cat creamy pastries, they will make her fat. She smiles at claret cup, but looks with a kind eye on cocktails and champagne. She can appreciate the “ bouquet ” of a good liquor brandy as keenly as any male connoisseur.