Mighty Mites

A proud new father, Robert Geissmann nevertheless gagged at the ruffles and ribbons bedecking his month-old son Jon Christopher. Why couldn't a little boy be dressed in something more masculine, he demanded. His wife Gladys, designer and ex-commercial artist, decided that the best way to please her husband was to make Christopher's baby clothes herself. As Christopher grew, she kept at it.

When a Manhattan merchant saw Christopher dressed up, he told the Geissmanns they ought to go into business. Last spring, they formed Merry Hull, Inc. (adapted from Mrs. Geissmann's mother's maiden name), installed Bob as president, Gladys as vice president. They raised $170,000 in capital from their savings and friends' subscriptions, got another $80,000 from enthusiastic citizens of Chambersburg, Pa., where the Geissmanns rented two small plants. Last week "Merry Mites," the company's wardrobe of practical clothes for boys up to four, went on sale in five top department stores.

By week's end the first returns were in. In Dallas, Neiman-Marcus Co. practically sold out a $5,000 shipment in four days. In Manhattan, B. Altman & Co. sold out its Merry Mites almost as fast. Other orders were coming in so fast that the Geissmanns' goal of a $750,006 output this year (provided they can get enough material) began to seem much too small.

Biggest attraction in the masculine Merry Mite clothes is the tricky use of seams, suspenders and tabs (see cut), which allow them to be let out easily so the clothes can "grow" with the wearer (e.g., pleated "sesame seams" on shirts, running from front to back, can be sheared open to make the shirt larger and sleeves longer). The clothes are more expensive (10 to 20%) than other children's clothes. But Designer Geissmann figures that their trim appearance and longer usefulness make them worth it.

Pert, plump "Merry" Geissmann, 36, daughter of a Columbus (Ohio) manual arts teacher, has several other success notes in her style book. She has designed furniture and simple dress and accessory patterns. Her biggest success was the Merry Hull "Finger-Free Glove," with three-dimensional fingers to eliminate cramping. In ten years she has collected $200,000 in royalties.

When Designer Geissmann gets her new business rolling smoothly, she intends to see if she can manufacture comfortable, yet stylish, women's shoes. Says she: "Shoes now are outrageous."

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