Dress goods fall naturally into two distinct classes when regarded from the standpoint of fashion—staples and fancies. Staples are those fabrics which are made of the same construction year in and year out. They vary only in coloring to meet the changes of fashion.
The Staples are:
Brilliantines,
Sicilians,
Mohairs,
Imperial Serges,
Storm Serge,
Cheviots,
Panamas,
Batistes,
Taffetas,
Voile,
Nun’s Veiling,
Cashmere,
Shepherd Checks.
Produced through
Variation of weave,
Variation of color,
Variation of color and weave:
Brocades,
Cuspettes,
Meliores,
Hopsacking, etc.
Coloring includes:
Stripes,
Checks,
Plaids,
Malenges,
Mixtures.
Prior to the factory era our fathers and mothers made homespun clothes and wore them till they had passed their period of usefulness. The average consumption of wool at that time averaged not more than three pounds per capita. As wealth increased the home loom and spinning-wheel were slowly supplanted by the mill and factory. The different textile manufacturers at length found that competition was so keen that it was necessary to adulterate, particularly any fabric that was popular. The classes of goods that are most adulterated are the expensive fabrics, those of wool and silk. There are such changes of fashion in dress at the present day that garments composed of materials formerly considered good enough are often thrown aside as old-fashioned when only half worn. Manufacturers cater to the whims and fancies of people and import to this country foreign styles. The rapidly changing styles cause people to throw upon the market a great amount of cast-off clothing only partially worn.
SALES DEPARTMENT OF THE SELLING AGENT OF A LARGE MILL
The result is that there is not wool enough to provide the public with clothing made of new wool. The