These adverts were published in trade union and labour movement journals between 1910-1929, and would have been targeted at a working class audience. They give general information about the costs of new clothing - particularly expensive items such as coats and suits. Many of the adverts are for 'hire-purchase' companies such as Bensons of Cheapside, London, or J.N. Masters Ltd. of Rye. These firms allowed the purchaser to buy goods through a series of monthly payments rather than by paying the full sum in one go. The total cost of buying 'on the H.P.' would have been dearer than paying up front. Clothes could also have been purchased second-hand or made up by family members in the home.