1922—Millinery
by Charlotte Rankin Aiken, B.A.

Chapter I—THE MILLINERY DEPARTMENT

Plan of Department

The construction and plan of a Millinery Department bears a close relation to the volume of sales, and have a vital effect upon the success of the department and of each salesperson in it. It is because certain arrangements and equipment have been found so practical and helpful in the selling of hats, that similarity prevails among the millinery sections of the best department stores of the country.

General Impression

The general appearance of a properly planned Millinery Department produces an impression of roominess. The extended floor space and multitude of mirrors enable a customer to view a hat from all sides and from all distances, just as she would view it on the head of another woman on the street. A customer may examine many hats, make comparisons, and choose the one that suits her fancy. Unobstructed space suggests out-of-doors, where the hat is to be worn, and therefore is apt to make the possession of a new hat seem more desirable; also customers can be served more easily in a large open department.

Atmosphere

The atmosphere of a Millinery Department should always be one of dignified elegance and refined taste, in keeping with the character of the goods displayed. This has a favorable effect upon the patronage and sales, A background of quiet refinement is created by carefully chosen carpets of harmonious design and color, and beautiful woodwork, handsome fixtures, and proper lighting.

Stock Tables

In the Millinery Department of most large stores large tables are given prominent positions. These tables may be round, oval, square, or oblong; the oblong ones are perhaps more commonly used. Generally hats of the same price are placed on a table by themselves and arranged on standards of varying heights.

The untrimmed shapes are heaped upon tables that have rails around the edges. There are so many shapes just alike that one wonders why some are not put away in the deep drawers underneath these tables; but the heaping together of such a number of shapes makes the price appear more reasonable to the customer. This is desirable, because in untrimmed hats particularly it is their cheapness that appeals. The customer knows that articles cost less by the dozen and she is apt to reason that if she sees many similar hats, each one must be cheaper than if the design were more exclusive. People have learned to expect to find bargains displayed in this way. Moreover, the quantity, with its suggestion of freshness and variety of choice, produces the impression of an abundance of stock.

A desire for exclusiveness and for a hat different from anyone else's operates, of course, against the appeal to customers; for this reason untrimmed hats that can be diversified by trimming according to the customer's tastes usually sell very well in bargain lots, whereas hats that are already trimmed are not so easily sold in this way.

In the drawers below the tables are the reserve shapes. Tables for trimmed hats may or may not have drawers beneath for reserve stock and hats not on display.

In specialty shops the stock is generally kept in cases and deep drawers.

"Trying on" Tables

Small tables with chairs and hand mirrors are placed before large mirrors which face the seated customer at well-chosen points among the stock tables. It is better to have the large mirrors in three sections, as the customer can then see herself from all angles. If there are pillars in the department, they can be made to serve as supports for the large mirrors and small tables may also be placed back to back. It is one of the ways of making a customer comfortable and so disposed to purchase.

Display Cases

Around the sides of the room, hats on standards of various heights are displayed in large electric-lighted cases with movable glass doors. The floor of these cases is about table height with large mirrors at the back and with deep drawers for reserve stock underneath. Often only one drawer, two or more feet deep, is constructed, instead of two drawers both of which might be too shallow. Hats that are not easily damaged are kept there in piles several hats deep.

Most departments arrange the hats so that those of one price are kept together in one case, the first case in the row containing the cheapest hats and so on up; or if there are many hats at one price a whole group of cases may be devoted to them. There may be a case filled with ornaments which are too large to be adequately displayed in the counter cases. When customers are not numerous the glass doors are kept closed to protect the contents from dust.

Counter Cases

Counter cases with tops and shelves of glass are placed in some convenient section near the untrimmed hats, and are used for displaying ornaments and trimmings. Flowers, wreaths, feathers, tips, wings, ribbons, pins, and various fancy ornaments are thus attractively shown. Table displays of ornaments are not unusual.

Arrangement of Stock

Although the arrangement of stock on tables and in cases is usually by price, color schemes may be beautifully worked out by featuring some popular shade in a whole group of hats. A few stores arrange the stock almost entirely by color, but to do this the department must be very large. While the main arrangement is planned by the buyer or manager, details are generally left to the salespeople who can do a great deal to make the display effective.

In all departments there are certain prominently located tables, cases, and counters which people must pass frequently on the way to other departments. Such counters may be made extremely useful for testing out new goods or novelties to see whether a demand can be created; they may also be used to exhibit slow-moving merchandise which perhaps the salespeople have neglected to bring forward because of the fact that they have become too accustomed to it.

"French Rooms"

A number of small separate rooms designed to aim in the sale of the most expensive hats are generally, found opening from the main department. They are planned to help the sale of high-priced hats in a number of ways. They create an atmosphere of exclusiveness and distinction. The quiet seclusion gives the salesperson an advantage, as well as implying a special attention to the customer.

Salesrooms of this nature are richly furnished and generally are decorated in light colors, so as to afford a more delicate background for the exquisite hats shown in them. Since it is desirable to give every advantage to customers and salespeople in the disposal of high-priced merchandise, the "special" rooms usually have daylight for selecting and matching colors. Such a room is quite often distinguished by some special name, such as the "French Room." Dark French rooms are sometimes very effective. Customers have said that in such rooms any hat looked becoming.

Stock and Workrooms

It is convenient to have the stock-room and workroom of a Millinery Department situated as near the selling floor as possible, if not directly adjoining it. There the trimmers work at large tables by good daylight, altering, retrimming, and making hats, while full supplies of hat braids, ribbons, velvet, etc., are in drawers, boxes, or on shelves. There is a special checker, who gives part or all of her time to describing in a special record every hat that goes out of the workroom. A good workroom has much to do with the satisfaction of customers and the success of the whole department.