American television directory (1946)

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T he fashion and beauty industries — with their allied industries of fabrics, jewelry, accessories, hats, shoes, etc. — occupy approximately 600,000 workers in the United States. It is impossible to estimate the correct amount of money invested in these industries. In 1939, many of them did not keep itemized statistical records, and 1939 records, anyhow, have slight value in arriving at present estimates. The Department of Commerce, in April 1945, quoted four billion dollars as the value of fashion merchandise sold annually in retail sales. This fig¬ ure, covering only retail fashion sales, does not include other billions in sales made by the associated industries. During the past few years American fashion has developed greatly for sev¬ eral reasons. Foreign imports were cut off, large sums were spent on fashion items by women having extra money from war jobs, and added to this has been the general trend of the public to spend more freely. The outstanding de¬ velopment in this field occurred in the beauty industry, which consolidated the American market and won more inde¬ pendence from French imports. Every branch of the industry will re¬ ceive a terrific impetus through the TELEVISED fashions show garments from many angles, permit audiences to see full crafts¬ manship idetails, all from a front-row seat. TELEVISION AND FASHION The development of a high standard of fashion think¬ ing is advisable for all telecasters and an absolute necessity for advertisers of fashion-styled merchandise. By CONSTANTIN JOFFE Vogue medium of television. Women will be subjected to a constant bombardment of fashion news and fashion counseling in their homes. Hour after hour every day of the week fashion from every point of view is going to fill screen time. As a result of this new presentation, the fashion industries will gain an entirely new market and the already existing market will be tremendously expanded. To illustrate the birth of new buying power let us take the example of mail¬ order catalogs and the businesses they developed. They created a desire and a demand for merchandise on the part of women living in isolated communities. The impact of a twice-a-year catalog obviously is far surpassed by the glamor of daily television advertising. Raise Tastes in Fashions As to promoting the already existing buying power, the most important thing that television can do for the fashion industries is to raise standards of taste and stimulate fashion con¬ sciousness. The leaders of these indus¬ tries should realize their opportunity and duty to bring to every American woman the most highly cultivated con¬ ception of good taste and good looks. These refinements will no longer be the exclusive prerogative of the city woman. A television fashion service penetrating rural as well as urban areas will help everybody in his own sphere of living to be perfectly dressed and groomed. Today’s technical achievements must not limit our imagination and plans for television. It may be “Stratovision” with the help of planes, or coast-to-coast net¬ works by means of coaxial cables, or relay towers. Whatever it is, we must realize that the important buying power of the nation soon will be covered by a television network. Should we telecast fashion programs in hours chosen when women are at home alone? Or should we consider edu¬ cating the man of the house to a finer appreciation of a woman beautifully dressed and groomed? Should we have programs frankly displaying their mer¬ chandise for sale, such as the Macy five-minute programs prepared by RKO Television? Or try to create desire in the onlooker to be as well dressed and groomed as the actress on the screen. Also, should we try to combat the fleeting impression which movement on the television screen leaves in our minds, or should we exploit this fleeting (Continued on page 134) SPORTS COATS televised by a New York department store were shown as "fashions in action" rather than in the studied, stereotyped manner of most style shows, greatly stimulating audience interest. Presenting products "in use" has proved much more effective than artistic display. 46