New Zealand Goods

Southland Times, Issue 21660, 23 March 1932, Page 5

New Zealand Goods

COATS AND COATINGS. “COUNTRY WOMAN’S" DILEMMA. An interesting subject was raised by "Country Woman" last week, when she wrote in to me that, on trying to buy British coating at three different shojis in Invercargill, she was told that the British had not yet learned to make coatings as well as the Germans—l think the shop assistants said that German materials had “a better finish and a better dye." All New Zealand women want to follow the excellent example of their sisters overseas, and do their most important bit towards setting not only their own Dominion but (he Mother Country, on the road to prosperity again. And like many other women, “Country Woman" came into town, not only to buy her winter coat, .but to spend the money in the wisest way possible during the country's present financial stress. She wished to buy the material —- New Zealand or British make —and to give work to a dressmaker over the making. But she would be a very foolish buyer if her patriotism led her to spend extra money on an inferior article. That is why I have been making fairly extensive enquiries since her letter appeared. Consequently I have discovered a number of valuable things about materials. In the first place, I am glad to be able to assure “Country Woman” emphatically that the shop-assistants she spoke to mis-

informed her, to say the least. I have learned authoritatively that British dyeing and British manufacture is second to none in the world. There is only one exception, the manager of a local warehouse told me on Monday—the manufacture of face-cloth coating, “.this can be made only in Germany,’’ he said; “It seems that the especially smooth finish, and the apparent ‘bloom on the material, is the result of the water in Germany—nowhere else in the world can the same effect be achieved.” But the marvellous range of New Zealand made coatings he showed me would certainly have put face-cloth out of my mind! Fashion demands diagonal weaves this season—and there are remarkably varied and uniformly fine selections of diagonal worsteds, velours and tweeds, besides an exquisitely finished all wool tricotine for costumes and dressier occasions. These were all made —not even as far away as Auckland! From the wool off the sheep’s back, they were manufactured entirely in Otago, and fashioned into coats and costumes following the newest notes in winter styles. This particular Otago factory has lately acquired a new “cutter” —anti lying side by side with the few English models that had been imported, they compared more than favourably in cut, colour and texture. As my informant told me, New Zealand is

second to no other country in dyeing and cloth manufacture—the goods I saw were of a wide range of colour —and what is more, their prices come out better than even the British goods. The furs trimming the coats —practically all musquash and opossum —are imported from England.

"We are doing seven times the business with New Zealand made goods that we were doing a year or two ago,” I was told, “and the fact that our factories have been working overtime for the past six months speaks for itself. Indeed, the only fault many of the wholesalers have to find with our stuff is that it wears too long!” Incidentally I saw some of the most attractive samples of blazers and tennis .coats of new fancy cloths —for next season — their colours are absolutely wonderful. There will certainly be no need—nor desire —to go further afield for summer sports’ things when these gay and dashing coats are shown.