Hold that Hemline

In Kansas City, Mo., Mrs. Eleanor Medsker, a middle-aged grandmother, penned an outraged letter to CPA: "How would you like to wear trousers so short that they come halfway to your neck? On account of you, I haven't been able to buy a dress long enough to come below my knees since the war started. I'm no bobbysoxer. ... I bought a suit that fits perfectly except that I can't sit down without hiking the skirt way up. . . ." *

Grandma Medsker was not the only one who was ruffled by a shortage of long skirts. Last week thousands of hobbled U.S. dress manufacturers and retailers were hopping mad too. They stood to lose millions of dollars.

Several months ago the whole industry had heard "on reliable authority" that CPA order L-85, which was intended to conserve materials during the war, would be dropped on Nov. 12. This made sense, as the production of yard goods was rising so fast that the supply would soon be ample (production is now almost double prewar). Forthwith manufacturers began making dresses longer, with a greater sweep to the skirts and with pockets, matching hoods, extra-wide cuffs, sashes, and belts.

But last week, just as the new dresses were going on sale, CPA dropped a cruncher: most of L85 would stay in effect indefinitely. In fact, said CPA, there had never been any intention of dropping it. CPA also emphasized the penalty for sellers of extra-legal dresses: one year in prison or $10,000 fine, or both. What could retailers, stuck with the unsalable dresses, do? (One New York syndicate alone had $1,000,000 worth on hand.)

Most manufacturers had refused to take the clothes back. Some stores that had illegal two-piece dresses were getting around the law by selling them as two separate garments. But most retailers have only the dubious out of snipping the illegal margins off their dresses. This would either 1) spoil the design, or 2) boost the price because of alteration cost. And the snippings would be of no use to anyone.

* CPA replied (in a form letter): "Before we can be of assistance to you, we will need more explicit details. . . ."

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