1922—Millinery
by Charlotte Rankin Aiken, B.A.
MERCHANDISE MANUAL SERIES—MILLINERY
EDITOR OF SERIES, BEULAH ELFRETH KENNARD, M.A.
Formerly Director of Department Store Courses, New York
University; Chairman of Committee on Merchandise Courses for New York City
Public Schools; Educational Director, Department Store Education
Association
CONSULTING EDITOR, LEE GALLOWAY, Ph.D.
Professor of Commerce and Industry, Head of Department of
Management, and formerly Director of Training School for Teachers of Retail
Selling, New York University; formerly Educational Director, the National
Commercial Gas Association
EDITOR'S PREFACE
As "Department Store Merchandise Manuals" these books were originally written for salespeople and were designed to give them reliable information concerning the sources and manufacturing processes of the merchandise which they handle. When it was necessary to deal with scientific or historical material it was treated as simply and concretely as possible and the point of view taken was that of business rather than that of the school or laboratory. In this form they have proved their practical value not only to the department store salesperson but in the specialty shop. It has been pointed out, however, that the material has a wider scope than that of sales manuals alone.
As reference books, librarians will find the short, clear statements and full indexes invaluable.
As an encyclopædia of merchandise the series contains scientific information in a simple, compact form which makes it available for children and others to whom the subjects treated are unfamiliar.
As textbooks they are adapted for use in commercial schools, high schools, night schools, settlement classes, and by teachers of household arts and domestic science.
As source books for practical story-telling, kindergartners, primary and vacation school teachers will find in them an abundance of interesting material for short "true" stories on the various industries and crafts, the manufacture of household articles, such as pins and needles, as well as the making of pottery, glass, and steel. These manuals contain just the material often hunted for in vain by teachers and librarians.
As household helps and shopping guides the young housekeeper will find the manuals her best friends because they not only describe the manufacturing processes but tell her how to distinguish well-made articles of good materials from the inferior and badly made. They also tell her how to care for the clothing or household goods which she has bought.
For salespeople and storekeepers they supply the general and specific information about their merchandise which is indispensable to efficiency, yet very hard to gather from the scattered sources upon which they now depend.
These changes should enlarge the usefulness of the manuals without losing any of their specific value in the field of salesmanship.
The subjects of color and design are of great importance in the treatment of many kinds of merchandise. To avoid any confusion arising from varied statements of principles the editor has put the material into a standardized form approved by the authors of the manuals in which these chapters appear.
We wish to express our grateful appreciation to the manufacturers and experts who have given us such valuable counsel and cordial co-operation.
BEULAH ELFRETH KENNARD.
