Stitch in Time

OPA’s Consumer Division told the nation’s housewives some facts of life this week. That they had to be told would have made their mothers and grandmothers blush for them. OPA’s advice: reline coats, cut down adults’ garments for children, reknit sweaters, retrim dresses, use the needle-&-thread at home to produce, remake, refurbish family clothing. All this would help the war effort, vowed OPA.

Month ago the National Needlecraft Bureau promoted National Sew-and-Save Week. With taxes pressing, and inferior garments in the stores at rising prices, U.S. women thronged in uncountable thousands to sewing classes—held by mailorder houses, department stores, schools. More than 150 radio stations were using the sewing-instruction leaflets (ten lessons) published by the National Needlecraft Bureau. Typical stunt: L. S. Ayres, big Indianapolis department store, four weeks ago changed its Tuesday broadcast from Shopping Service of the Air to Ayres’ Sewing School of the Air. One radio announcement brought 1,811 applicants in three days, 3,000 by the end of the week. The class had to close with an additional 3,000 clamoring to participate.

This week the National Sewing Contest opens with 30,000 entrants— more than double any previous year. An American war relief campaign is expected to bring in over a million garments during 1942.

In January piece-goods sales rose 40-50% over 1941 figures, patterns 20-25%. Up also were sales in findings, trimmings, buttons, dress forms. Sales of neckwear (collars & cuffs) were up more than 700%.

Reasons for the upsurge in neckwear are twofold : 1) to retrim last year’s dresses, and to trick up this year’s limited wardrobe, 2) to allure and astonish men, who are anciently susceptible to a frill at the throat. To make one costume seem like many, women are buying in vast quantities dickies, jabots, fichus, gilets, ruches, berthas, bibs, piccadillies, collets, modesties and ruffs.

Greatest boon to amateur dressmakers are the paper and plastic dress forms, custom-made for each figure, developed in the past five years.

Consumer psychology now is to spend money as thriftily as possible while buying quality. High-priced pattern sales have increased more than cheap ones. Vogue pattern sales (30¢-$2) are way ahead of Hollywood patterns (15¢-25¢). In fabrics the good materials are selling best. Silks are virtually sold out. Even rayon sales are up 20-25%.