Advertising A Tailoring Business

( Originally Published 1902 )

Where is the town—no matter how small-that has not a merchant tailoring establishment?

Where is the town—no matter how large-in which a merchant tailoring business is properly advertised? Even where it is well advertised deeper study could be given with advantage to the publicity.

Merchant tailoring represents a line of effort susceptible of very effective advertising. Cogent reasons that will sink deep into men's minds can be used.

The principal reason that men buy ready-made clothing lies in the price. A man may think that he saves ten or twenty dollars by buying a ready-made suit instead of a made-to-measure suit. If such a man can be made to look several months ahead and see what a made-to-measure suit will give him in the respect of longer service, better appearance, more style and greater all around satisfaction, he must be blind if he does not see that made-to-order clothing is the cheapest in the end. Ready-made clothing rarely fits as well as made-to-order clothing. This is particularly so when the wearer is rather stout, thin, long or short. No one can say with truth that the average ready-made garment is put together as well as the tailor made garment. The buttons are liable to come off on slight provocation. The seams may rip at inopportune moments. A rain or snow storm may spoil the shape of the ready-made suit. The collar of a ready-made coat does not fit as gracefully upon the shoulder as that of the made-to-order coat. In many cases the ready-made suit says, " ready made!" to every beholder. A little thought will soon convince that made-to-measure garments are the cheapest in the long run. Appearances count for much in business. " Clothes may not make the man, but they may unmake him," says a modern adage. A writer with the ability to express much in few words said, that "the human animal is pretty nearly all clothes, and the wise animal sees that these clothes are right."

Now, Mr. Merchant Tailor, go ahead and give the good dressers of your town some arguments after the above order. Use a three or four-inch ad in your local paper for a season. Have this ad changed constantly.. Give new and good talk in every ad. Do some circularizing—especially at the commencement of a season. This advertising will make an impression and increase business—never fear!

In April the good dressers of your town are thinking of spring suits-in June of summer suits-in September of fall suits, and about November of winter suits. The advertisement or circular brought before a man's notice at the psychic moment will be resultful.

There is no question but that plates of the newest New York and London styles, as displayed in many merchant tailoring shops, are great aids to business. They lend each establishment an authoritative air. The presence of such standard trade papers as The Haberdasher, Gibson's Clothing Gazette, etc., is also valuable. The average man is particular on the point of clothes, and appreciates the tailor who is intelligently sympathetic with him in this respect.

The appearance of the shop has much to do with the business done. The assortment of fabrics and patterns in stock, as well as the variety of styles that can be made up, influence trade. The advertising of it all should be as well attended to as the business itself.

Some tailors make a specialty of a suit or overcoat at a certain price—say twenty dollars. These leaders can be so well advertised that even women when they think of a twenty dollar suit or overcoat instantly think of " Tompkins, The Tailor," who finds that while he has a good trade in these garments, this trade does not operate against his sale of high priced suits and overcoats.