BRIDGING THE GAP
Post-war advertisements in Iloilo City (1)
Advertisements come about whenever there are goods and services being offered to people. However, the nature and style of advertisements have changed through time. How did business and other establishments in Iloilo City during the early post-war years, for example, publicize themselves?
Looking at the printed materials in the period late 1940s and early 1950s, it appears that many establishments and institutions in Iloilo City publicized themselves at that time. These were tailoring shops or dress shops, beauty parlors, schools, eateries, drugstores, lodging houses, bakeries, vehicle spare parts, general merchandise, medical services, and even funeral parlors.
Obviously, advertisements dealing with tailoring shops and dress shops were the most numerous. This is a clear indication of how fashion-conscious the Ilonggos have been . Advertisements tried to appeal to the modern and discriminating taste of the people; and, almost always, the language used was English. "Your taste of Style is Measured by the Daily-Cut of the Modern Fashion" was the come-on of Daily Mode Tailoring in Ledesma Street. This was also the emphasis of Dixon Tailoring in the same street: "Offers you the best available, most up-to-date model suit your taste".
Other than being able to offer the latest style, there were tailoring shops that capitalized on expertise. A. Dichoso Tailoring, in Ledesma Street, had this to say of itself: "Up-to-Date and Expert Master Cutter". This is also echoed by E. Nales Tailoring at the Iloilo Public Market in Guanco Street by its "For fitness, elegance and latest style". This is the same gist of "Suno sa inyo luyag handa sa pagtabas" of the Jaro Fashion Tailoring in Jaro. Still others emphasized smartness and quality, as in the case of "Smart Clothing for Smart Men" of Sport Models Tailoring in Iznart Street. The Washington Tailoring and Dry Cleaning had "The Emporium of Quality Clothes". Nelson Gent's Fashion in De Leon Street had a more classy ad: "Sartorial Elegance is Our Specialty". Reflecting the point that the Ilonggos deserves only the best were that of Prince Fashion, Dressmaking and Tailoring - "Every Men (sic) Deserves the Best" and that Eddy's Tailoring in Guanco Street - "To Try is the Best".
Still, other tailoring shops appealed to the budget-conscious customers. J. M. Trespeces Dry Goods Store in Aldeguer Street had this to say of itself: "The Home of Ready Made Dresses at Reasonable prices". Loreto B. Manon-og General Clothiers in the same street had almost a similar ad: "Ready Made Dresses at Reasonable Prices". The Washington tailoring, on the other hand, expressed a sense of legitimacy through its: "The ROTC Official Tailor of the San Agustin College and Iloilo City College".
Beauty parlors also abounded in Iloilo City. Many advertised themselves as having excellent service. Example, up to Date Beauty Parlor in J.M. Basa Street made itself known as having "Excellent Service at Reasonable Price". This is practically the same line that Violeta Beauty Service in Ledesma had adopted for itself: "Excellent and Prompt Service"; "New Apparatus". Complementing the services offered by the beauty parlors were the beauty product suppliers. One of them, R. Justiniani Beauty Parlor Supplies in Ledesma Street, did business through "Selling all kinds of machineless pads, solutions and accessories".
(To be continued)