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Show Cotton Plays a Stellar Role Throughout the Fashion Drama By CHERIE NICHOLAS . r V '" rhHV ; WHAT'S the smartest fabric for pS" V f"--ji-''W" summer? Cotton! Ginghams, L- 4 4 rVS WHAT'S the smartest fabric for summer? Cotton! Ginghams, calicoes, denims and other equally humble cottons have soared to such heights of importance you can count on finding them 'way ahead of more pretentious fabrics in popularity. Then, too, . there is a feeling spreading among women that cottons cot-tons are American and that it's a fine patriotic gesture to wear simple, sim-ple, pretty clothes that radiate cotton cot-ton freshness. And so it is! In the gallant "spirit of '42" we are returning re-turning to the sweet simplicity of fashions made of cottons ranging from the most lowly, practical workaday work-aday types to appealing, lovely sheers that are correct even for formal for-mal wear. To add to the zest of things, the current trend to cottons brings into use materials that were once never thought of in connection with costume cos-tume design, such as, for instance, upholstery prints, pillow ticking, awning stripes, quilted calicoes, quilt patchwork prints. The truth is, anything on the "what-have-you" list of cotton materials qualifies as high fashion these days if given artful art-ful and ingenious styling. Just now a novel cotton that comes under the glare of fashion's spotlight is quilt patchwork print. It is1 used for the cunning dress to the right in the above picture. You will see these amusing prints that make gay color contrast their theme in all the best store windows and on all the best beaches and in all the finest gardens. That calls to mind the latest entertaining "stunt," backyard barbecue parties for stay-at-homes with whom long motoring trips are taboo due to gas restrictions. restric-tions. Alert to the new movement, designers are creating cunning fashions fash-ions of gay cottons. In the country casual pictured the patchwork design de-sign of the printed calico adds interest in-terest to the simple lines of the dress. The square neck and set-in set-in waistband are smart style details. de-tails. A triangle of light color at the neck achieves a yoke effect, with another in the skirt to look like an apron. Darling daughters, as the illustration illus-tration to the left in the above pictures pic-tures shows, are going to the shore and out to swim as well, in striped glazed chintz. This cotton drapery fabric has made the hit of the season, sea-son, appearing everywhere, in evening eve-ning gowns, daytime dresses and play clothes. The pinafore shown covers a striped "bra" and plain green chintz shorts. " The clam-digger overall and wraparound wrap-around skirt of the play suit centered cen-tered in the group is equally at home working in the garden or on the beach. The material for this outfit is long-wearing and easy-to-wash denim in the popular faded blue. Its demure blouse, with pleated frills on the collar and cuffs, utilizes yellow calico in a quaint print. Without the blouse the overall is a grand costume in which to absorb ; the vitamin-giving rays of the sun. Watch summer suits made of cottons! cot-tons! They're the rage this season. The long-jacket types lead, and they are of gingham, seersucker, gabardine, gabar-dine, chambray, denim and shantung shan-tung (black shantung is very smart). They are the smartest ever for about-town wear. Dressier suits are made of gay cotton prints. Released by Western Newspaper Union. |