GETTING SAME.

Pahiatua Herald, Volume XXV, Issue 2500, 15 June 1920, Page 3

GETTING SAME.

LONDON TURNS ECONOMICAL. HIGH SPENDING ERA ENDING. TRADERS UNLOADING HEAVY STOCKS. London, May 20. London’s post-war period of extravagant luxury, of buying, and of enormous shop profits shows signs of ending.

The verge of the busiest season finds West Ena business people anxious to unload their heavy stocks, fearing the possibilities of a slump, noting the economy craze among buyers who have been hitherto ready to pay anything. The increasing dearness of money contributes to the downward pressure on prices. Many of the smaller firm’s must realise on their stocks owing to compulsion to reduce the bank overdrafts.

Reports from managers of hotels, restaurants, and shops indicate that high sjKmding will soon be confined mainly to the new riciT. Modistes say that women of the highest social position are cutting down their dress expenditure by twto-thirds. Since the conclusion of the war, 1 there has been an orgy of high buyI ing and high prices in London, due largely to the. immense amount of I money set in circulation by the | world-conflict. Numbers of “nouveau riche,” whose wealth had been derived, by devious means, from the war and its consequences, made ex--1 trayagance a cult and a season of hectic gaiety and jazz fashions set in. At length file extravagant charges of the dressmakers and tailors began to frighten even wealthy clients. Some fashions in women’s frocks, Inis, par; ols. stockings, underwear, and garters were embroidered with gold butterflies. ami frii _ed suede gloves were introduced for men. Pyjamas and ladies’ kimonos were covered with fruit in futurist designs, ami ha ml kerchiefs were also heavily designed. Spring gowns sold at I<X) guineas, and various ord nary crealions at 50 guineas. As a result some society women, resenting the over-charges, began- to learn to u.-e simple hand looms and to weave their own materials. The official dress regulations at Buekingliani I’alaee receptions were also very inueh simplified. Feathers and trains were forbidden, and the Lord Chamberlain's office adopted the liuve! coiirw of displaying approved do- j signs for court dresses, suitable for debutantes, young matrons. and dowagers. The drosses were all minus tra is. feathers, headgear, flowers, }ioo|H‘d skirts, wins and wide pan-

j Tin. Queen selected tin- designs with a view in ti e virtual adoption of ordinary-sleeved evening drosses, | showing graceful lim s, witli modor- j ate decolletage. law or chiffon dra- 1 porics. ! At the same time many clergy j j raised their voices against extrava- | j gn neo in dress, and the rapid rise in 1 the prices of clothes incensed Lon- ; | don ritynien. A group of stoek-brok- j

| o.rs, who pride then.se’ves on being j the hest-<!jn>ss<'d men in. t.ho world, j hankers, lawyers, and others, started : a protest, movement similar to that which began in America, a.nd decided j to don engineers’ overalls and dunI games. IThe tailors wero then demanding tit l 19s and .{.‘2l tor lounge suits, and said that higher figures were ex- : peeled. They accused the mamtfaoj uirers of profitecring. The tirst, result of the movement by the Middle (’lass Tnion was when Colonel Pretvman Newman, Coali-tion-Unionist member for Finchley, took his seat in the House of Commons wearing dungarees, lie was receiv'd with curiosity and hilarity. It. is obvious, however, that, while such muel methods of defeating 11.C.L. will never gain general favour the |x ople of London have at last, n'coven si their senses, and the orgy of high-spending is drawing to its close.