NEED FOR CARE

Hokitika Guardian, 25 May 1932, Page 3

NEED FOR CARE

IN PERSONAL APPEARANCE.!’ To the observant man or woman who travels the Dominion, it ‘has been apparent during recent months that th©<’e is a tendency on the part . o! most people to slacken in the maftci or dress and personal appearance. Unfortunately in too many case© financial considerations have of necessity dictated rigid economy, and ihstgad of a tailor made suit, it has been needful to resort to ready-made clothing. In hundreds of instances, indeed, men who a few years ago where in affluent circumstanced are thankful to doii theii old suits of better clays, because they have not even the wherewithal to patronise the shops. To these people we extend our svm pathy, and take this opportunity of suggesting to our readers that th' utmost consideration should be given to everyone in these times of stress, and that a man should not be turned down because lie is wearing a threadbare suit or a patched pair of shoes. 1

Human nature will be human nature however, and after making due allow ances for who are not as we! groomed and spruce as they used to b e , because' of economic conditions. not under their control, the fact remainr that we are all more or less impressed, by the well set up and smartly-tailofet cal'er. There is a psychological ; appeal about the man who lookr cleafi: cut and well turned out, and other things being equal, he will always score compared with his confrere i who slouches around in ill-fitting and j jin, harmonious apparel. No matter how old or how worn r. mail Is clothing might be, there is no excuse for the commercial man, at an,.-' rate, in donning a suit that is stamec and dirty and has the appearance ot' not having b en pres! ©d s nee it " made. Even if a' man cannot afford the few shillings necessary to have his suit ©leaned and pressed by

professional cleaner, he can usually .fin' the necessary lion and other appliance ■ i the average home, and either d th© job himself or odist th e aid o jh'is women folk to do so.

Knowing that the heads of./tiusiner houses to-day do not expect the,i employees to maintain the same Hand ard of dress ag when salaries am wages were more generous,, it. w’puld almost- appear as if some men are just letting matters drift and are niakin; an effort to make the bcVt of; ,wha they do possess. This attitude of inuu is to be deplored, because in .the-pro ■..ss of -slacking it is the employe? .him self who will be most effected ; .....hi; per omil pride will be sapped and ..h; morale undermined. ■

In most lines of businesses, to-day here is a tendency , to make a fetis. of price, and while, no doubt,* pric is of great moment to most purchasers a skilful sale-.ipan can do muefi ii persuading a customer that quality, ii th© final analysis, is even ..more ini portant that th© initial cost. We a know from experience that the.so-calle. cheap article., is,.jpally, the .dearest n the long run.* It- is a. mistake to ru any business purely on the quest-or. o [lice, and there, should be conc-vie action- at this time, on the part o' ■l' traders, to endeavour to persuad people to go in .for better class gooilf

..i.though the commodity may cost i little more. There is ail old adagt that “the quality ;• remains long aft< - the price is forgotten,”, and that is ju as true to-day. as it ever was; Eve if. you are ahle to .offer /<■•.) L

cheaper price than your competitor customers who subsequently become d>? satisfied will remember that they pu: chased the poor article at vour stor< We mention this matter because, wiL clothing especially, cheapness shod like of secondary consideration. It >_ usually better to pay a little more anget quality—not only is the appearam more satisfactory and the wearijV qualities better, but there is a certai: amount of satisfaction in wearing bet tor-grade material. It is false econoni; to go in for shoddy goods.

Another matter which may appeal to he of minor consequence to soni people, is that far too many bushies men are indifferent as to their footwear. It L not unusual to se e a ink) who is fairly well dressed in othe” respects, going along with heels filial are down, and shoes that look as' i hey had not been polished for a week The other day we observed a wed dressed girl walking along with shoe which looked as if she had just walke* across a. ploughed paddock. It quit’ spoilt her appearance; and tln> sam thing applies to many men. We do not suggest for a moni.cn' that business men should all be “Beai Bnitnmels,” and in fact we deprocat' anv suggestion of a mail becoming ; fashion-plate, but at the same t-m----there is little ox mse for the anpoarane , ,f many men vho are hi biisincis fiO, day and who should he trying to se J an example to the younger generation (Executives should impress on their employees the necessity for care In dro c s, because as a rule, a boy who is slovenly in that- regard is slovenly jn-his work.