WOMEN'S CLOTHING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22139, 19 June 1935, Page 8

WOMEN'S CLOTHING

f DEMANDS OF FASHION .r PRICES IN SYDNEY r f 1: GARMENTS SHOWN IN COURT |, . ' !■: Samples of women's clothing—coats, |l ' fcostumes and evening frocks —were brought into Court in Sydney the other day to, show the Industrial Commission, at the inquiry into living standards and the living wage, how women | paid dearly 'to keep up with the 1 changing fashions. The Employers' j Federation was submitting evidence in | reply to the case of the Public Ser--3 yice Association as to the cost of fj [women's clothes. The Court associate, who is a daughj ter of the President of the Commission, H Mr. Justice Browne, acted as manne- !{ quin, trying on the garments to give ■5 the Commission an idea of their appea ranee. A manufacturer of women's outer j clothes, who asked to be known in the ■j witness-box as "J.C.8," exhibited ii samples. First he produced winter ;s top coats. One, in velour, and compris- |{ • ing all wool with a coney fur collar, .was, he srtid, retailed at 29s 6d at shops which traded on the ordinary margin of profit. "With this a fancy :j flecked coat, with a lambs' wool collar, t ,was compared. ;; " This last coat," said witness, " is retailed at anything from 77s 6d to 97s 6d, and the collar is such that, if | . caught in the rain, it will go to look like ordinary wet sheep's skin that has not been tanned or dressed. The lambs' t wool collars are brought back to this | country, and /we have to pay heavy j duty, and the cost is nearly four times : as great as the ordinary fur rabbitskin collars tanned in Australia. What Women Want "The dearer coat, with the lambs' •wool collar, is what fashion is demandj ing now, and we have to make them. Next year we will not be able to give | them away, as the fashion will be for | something else. The first coat I produced, however, we always make, as it is known in the trade as the ' bread and butter line,' but on it we make .very little profit. On the fashiondemand coat we have to make big profits. Women want this fancy fashion and they have to pay fancy prices." Next the witness produced winter costumes. The first, of faced cloth, with the same Japanese lining as the top coats, was priced at 37s 6d. This was the stock tailored costume, and was regarded in the trade as the most serviceable. Women, however, wanted what they knew as camel's cloth, said the " witness,- but there was no camel's hair in the material," Actually it was made from cotton, and the retail price was 59s 6d. Placing the material against the window of the Court, the witness said to the commission, "You can see what the material actually is and how warm it wouldn't be as a winter costume." Mr. Justice Browne: It looks more suitable for straining milk. I suppose ■women pay 59s 6d for such a costume because everybody is wearing camel's hair material —that is, everybody that is anybody. Witness: The first costume I showed you at 37s 6d would last two seasons ■with the roughest wear, and would stand three cleanings, but the dearer costume would be finished in one season. Evening Frocks A red evening dress was then produced by witness. "This is made from Japanese niarocain at 9Jd a yard, and it took five vards of material. It has a yard of taffeta for a sash, costing 2s 6d, and a buckle worth 7£d. This gown is being retailed at 19s lid in the city shops, but in mass production manufacturers; would be expected to make the frocks for 2s 6d each." Witness said that he had sent out to certain city shops for Japanese marocain, anu "he had been charged from 9|d to Is 3d a yard. "If anyone charged Is 9d a yard for Japanese marocain, as has been suggested," he added, "he should be prosecuted for profiteering." He displayed a sample evening coat in , British bla'ck taffeta, which the associate put on to give the commission the effect. The material, he said, cost 3s 6d a yard, and the coat was sold retail for 29s (3d. "Swagger coats" were next exhibited. They were in Japanese marocain, and, according to witness, tens of thousands ■were sold last summer. They were for the dual purpose of protecting a good frock and hiding an old dress. Prices ranged from 9s lid to 30s. "The 30s eoats," said, witness, "were really made for the woman who had 30s in her purse to spend, as, although the material and finish might be a little better than those of the 9s lid coats, they would not give longer service." How Prices Increase When he was being questioned as to the demand by retailers for the higherpriced articles, compared with thn cheaper goods, witness said, "Well, here's my own experience. I have gone to retail firms with frocks which I quoted at 63s each. They told me that they had enough in stock at that price, so t took them away, made a few minor alterations,, and then sold the same frocks at 84s each. I'm not giving away any trade secret when I tell you this, as the trade is aware of it. That has not been done once, but many times. Mr. Justice Cantor: And then the frocks were sold. . . Witness: Yes. The alterations 1 made , might be a slightly different style and finish. A little extra trimming is used, and so the prices go up.