OCR Text |
Show I SHOP TALK BY AMY ARMSTRONG I" """"V UYING for Easter is now at its height. Whether it be a I " sult or a coat a drcss or a nat a Par snoes or a Par I Jr gloves or only just a pair of pretty hose or a pocket handker- H chie, every self-respecting woman must go on record with .herself at H least, as registering-something new in her costume on this day which H announces automatically, "Now is the open season for spring and H summer clothes." H Although Easter comes quite late this year there has not been H very much weather yet when sure-enough, light weight and light col- H ored spring apparel was in keeping with the way a person felt. One H or two warm days have called out the pretty things, but they have H had to go back every time, retired for more practical garments. But H when the twenty-third of April has come and gone, there is little H likelihood that prolonged chilly "spells" will have the audacity to pre- H sent themselves and by that time surely one can wear the new spring H ibonnet every day without thinking to oneself, "'Guess I'd better not H get out the blight straw hat today. It looks like snow and besides I H really do not need it and I want it to stay fresh as long as possible." H So much for the weather. In good usage it is customarily taboo H but for Easter it is such an all important matter that perhaps the few H remarks are not altogether out of place. And now just a word about H accessories. Judging by the peregrinations of the patrons of the vari- H ous stores, the pilgrims are all traveling to one Mtecca, or to similar H Meccas. Everybody appears to be considering suits or dresses, per- H haps coats, and many a woman does not seem to realize that she might H better wear an old suit with neat gloves and shoes than a brand spank- H ing new outfit with shoes run over at the heels and gloves through H which the fingers are peeping out to have an envious look at the near- H by splendor. This department is not even a distant cousin to a lecture H platform, but news of the shops has just as much human nature mixed H into it as the most psychological experiment and it is quite as much Hj a determining factor there as to what people will wear and what they H will do as it is anywhere else in the trend of human affairs. M Some folk's, too, believe that Easter fl is a time to think of others and the H shops are showing some wonderfully fl attractive gifts, different and particu- W larly appropriate to this season of the l year. For instance, one of them in M the gift department has hut now re- H ceived a shipment of decorated flower H pots. Flowers have been the Easter H offering since the days of our remote H ancestors, and here is a chance to H add a touch which will make the gift H of a plant complete. How many times H have you shuddered at the incongruity H of a pretty fern or geranium stuck H into an old coffee can? To be sure H most of us are more artistic than that, Hi but the clay pot with a bit of crepe H paper twisted about it, faded from H drops of water which have fallen H when sprinkling, is little better. These H decorated pots have designs of flow- H ers or conventional designs and are H priced from 75 cents up. H Then there are the baskets full of Hj good cheer, tiny bits of dainty bas- H kets wtih fifty cheery verses inside, H hound together with a ribbon, and Hl . lingerie sachets and quantities of such H gifts. In the' same department is an- H other article which is perhaps not H especially designed for gift purposes, H, but is unique. It is a decorated H sprinkling can, of a most artistic H shape with long neck and arched m handle. A young girl in. a broad igar- i den hat, or even a miss of larger 1 growth, going about among her flow- M ers and plants giving them a drink from one of thes would "be a picture for any artist. They come in several different colors, no two alike. They are price at six dollars but have much more than six dollars worth of beauty in their slender shapes. Duiing the week the same shop which is showing these gifts just to show that it is practical as well as artistic held a sale which was an innovation in-novation in a way. It was tried as an experiment, but was so extremely successful that it will doubtless be conducted again another time. A suit sale was scheduled for a certain day and previous to the day set tickets were sent out to all the regular patrons pat-rons of the store, admitting them to a private showing and sale, A portion por-tion of the Store was curtained off and no one without a ticket could pass the door. In this way the regular customers custom-ers had the advantage of the reduction reduc-tion and of special attention from the sales people in the department before the .general public had a chance to choose the hest. The room was crowded during the two days of the private showing, and the chosen pnes seemed mighty glad to avail xem-selves xem-selves of the privilege, whereas, if they had not received the tickets they would, perhaps not have cared to get into the jam on the final reduced price day. The suits were -without doubt the "best bargains offered in the department de-partment this year, and it will pay any one who receives a ticket another time, or even one who is not so fortu nate, to go and have a look anyway. Speaking of wash silk skirts, they were mentioned last week), one department de-partment store is showing some in the delicate shades, white and flesh and a deeper pink, exquisitely lovely and most durable and useful as well. They are of soft silk and wash beautifully priced at $9. Another new idea in skirts is the entire jersey silk petticoat, petti-coat, corded once or twice at the bottom bot-tom to prevent its clinging too closely and so getting mixed up with one's pedal extremities and proving a stumbling stum-bling block to the steps of progress. They, come in the pretty colors and there are some other soft silks in the newest shades to match shoes and hose and the costumes of rose, blue and the rest. It may look like forcing things a little to talk already of next fall, but one of the shops has just received a -wonderful shipment of evening dresses and afternoon frocks which are made along the lines and after the models which are to "be worn during the coming com-ing year. So if you are just about out of evening gown, or if you want to buy an afternoon or street dress for Easter and are afraid you will not wear it out before the truly summer garments are the order of the day, take a look at these and rest assured that if you purchase one you can wear it with a good grace in the field. I just wish every one of you could see them. The evening dresses take your breath away. Did you ever look at a delicate, perfect flower and 'have something inside of you hurt from the T Intensity of your emotion? Well, these dresses, are the perfect flowers jrv of man's creation. You look at them 1 and wonder are they truly to be worn 1 or are they just to make people happy as they gaze at them. Each dne of : these is an exact copy of models which reached this country from abroad March 20. Naturally the do- ! signers and manufacturers are now planning what they will create for the next season, as the spring and sum- j mer goods is by now in the market, j and these forecast what is to come. I - Let 7w tell you about a few of them. One is iu gieen, of a soft shade com-bined com-bined with a gold and blue, these lat- ' ter colorings in the odd sash and in the flowers which are woven into the A material about the bottom of the skirt. It is fashioned with an old style basque and the skirt is lined throughout through-out with, a soft crinoline. "Wiith the silk In the bodice is used a German val lace and a real filet with a square mesh. A rather odd frock is a combination of navy blue silk with royal purple in a model for a woman of mature years. Another is of yellow Georgette, is Called the ribTSon loop dress and is a Peggy model. It is exceedingly simple except that It has at least one hundred hun-dred of these ribbon loops set into tucks around the skirt and waist. One perfectly wonderful model is of orchid duchess satin combined with silver trimming and silver embroidered. There is a wide band of silver lace ' mmg "beneath the soft drape of the j silk at the "bottom and a silver ribbon J , JOSErUOFMANtt, WORLD FAMOUS RUSSIAN PIANIST. WHO WILL APPEAR HERE WITH THE NEW YORK SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA j - - catches up one shoulder. The front is j made in panier effect of silk tulle, fin- 1 N ished with rosebuds. It has a pointed hasquo effect and is widely hooped. It has (been many moons since the name "Easter bonnet" was anything I more than a sounding title, but this I ""' time we have an Easter bonnet in very fact. Indeed, the fashion parade will show more bonnets than any other one style of hat, for never has anything any-thing but a sailor or such simple shape been so popular. Poke bonnets of ) every color and with every conceiv able trimming are demanded faster than they can be produced. The man-, ager of one of the popular millinery departments says he tries to keep a I I good selection on hand, but no sooner I does he put them out for display than they are snapped up while the women Hi1' still cme asking for more. And the Easter parade is common ) gender, not feminine, as the gentlemen like to make out. From what the men's furnishing concerns tell us and from conversations held wtih the heads of these lines in the department stores, the men are getting "all dolled up" ' for the occasion just as much as the ; women. They like to appear superior and want to pretend that they are indifferent in-different to the way they look:, but in ' , the secret chambers of their hearts I they are reveling in the newness of the suits, coats, hats and things, and trying to persuade themselves that it will not be extravagance to buy at least one silk shirt, for they will really have to have one later on. Just as in the realm of women's clothes, silk is the fabric of the sea-Bon, sea-Bon, so Jt is with men's. Most of the stores have laid in a large supply of the silk shirts in stripes of all the new colors as well as black and white. Mostly they have soft turn-back cuffs, a feature which bids fair to be the favorite. Except for the ultra Beau Brummel, men's styles this time are conservative, conserva-tive, modest dark materials for suits, with invisible stripes and plaids or the over-plaid, a pleasing variety. The majority of ties are rich, but not loud, and none of the little things even, are extreme. Swede top shoes are the nearest approach to anything "dudelsh," but the dealers tell us well dressed men will choose these at least for "best." Although no one will dare them yet a while, it is promised that the men can be comfortable again this summer in white canvas low-quarters or high shoes. Hats, too, it seems, are "unpretentious, "unpreten-tious, wtih greys predominating. Crowns are low, wtih brims worn up or down, according to taste or Btyle of beauty pardon me, preserve us from a 'beautiful man according to what goes best wtih the strong features fea-tures and the shade of the eyebrows. |