CHAPTER VII. 
STYLE DESIGNING. 
IMPORTANCE OF DESIGNING. 
Designing has much to do with the success of the muslin-underwear 
manufacturer. The houses that are able to create and put out novel 
effects can more readily sell their output. Often new designs are 
used as leaders to aid the selling of staple lines. Therefore, the 
manufacturer who employs a competent designer is better able to 
meet the demands of the market than the manufacturer who attempts 
to satisfy the trade with staple lines. 
The bulk of the finer grades of women’s muslin underwear is sold 
directly to retailers, while the cheaper lines are still handled to a great 
extent Hiroath jobbing houses. Styles in finer grade garments 
change very frequently, and no manufacturers carry a Se of this 
description, such garments being usually made to order for retailers. 
On the other a the cheaper grades remain more uniform in style 
and consequently offer greater advantages to the jobber. TFurther- 
more, the cheaper grades are generally manufactured by the smaller 
concerns of limited capital which are unable to afford the increased 
credits and the selling organization necessary to reach the retailer. 
As has been stated above, the rapid change in styles has had the 
effect of aay orders smaller. No retailer will run the risk. of 
being left with a large stock of goods on hand, due to a radical change 
in styles, which he will have to sacrifice at a loss. Therefore, he 
prefers to buy direct from the manufacturer rather than through a 
middleman, as he is assured of more prompt delivery and can often 
make a closer price. Many large retail stores have their own designers 
and will take sample garments to the manufacturers to have them 
made up. The lowest bidder will receive the order, and this has 
made Compe iitien very hash. 
A complaint constantly heard was in regard to manufacturers 
copying styles of one another. It was said that a concern would 
go to great Sxpanss and trouble in getting out a aw dm which, 
if it Proved to be Dopsler with consumers, would be imitated by many 
rivals, who, by making up the garment of cheaper material, would 
undersell the original designer and manufacturer and thus deprive 
them of the reward that should justly have come to them. A manu- 
facturer interviewed said: 
If an article could be branded, thereby making it necessary for a retailer to carry 
same on account of the demand, matters would be much simpler, but there is not 
enough distinctiveness in muslin underwear to make this practical. 
The manager of an establishment which had a patented garment 
had the following to say concerning this practice. Large sums had 
been expended in advertising this garment which was then copied by 
others and sold by them all over {To country. A salesman was sent 
to various cities and instructed to buy specimens of the copied garment 
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