This sports frock of white crêpe is all-over accordion pleated. and topped by a Balkan coat of Madonna blue velvet decorated with multi-color embroidery and bands of ermine. N the following pages the Dry Goods Economist presents a rotogravure style section which has been prepared under the supervision of its Fashion Editors for The Quality Group of publications, of which this magazine is one. For the better part of a century the Dry Goods Economist has been the leading trade authority of the dry goods merchants of America and today, with its affiliated papers, it is the style authority for more than 30,000 American merchants. Bizarre and freak styles designed solely to attract attention are not fashions and the illustrations shown in the succeeding pages are something very different. They show the designs which have been approved by the leading manufacturers and modistes of America and which will be displayed in the show-rooms and windows of the best stores in the country within the next few months. In advance of every season the Dry Goods Economist imports the leading styles which have been approved by the great Paris houses. It is on such importations that American designers model their offerings for the American woman of taste for, in spite of all talk to the contrary, Paris is still the supreme arbiter of fashion. The designs presented herewith are confined to those which are in conformity with the creations of the highest style authorities both in the United States and in Paris. DRY GOODS ECONOMIST 1 This charming bit of headgear is rather large as to size, fashioned of black milan faced with black taffeta and draped about the crown with a black lace scarf caught with a jeweled ornament. ex OLD in pictures, for pictures, like actions, speak louder than words, the Spring style story is revealed in the pages that follow. The story may be briefly summed up to read: "Adherence to the straight silhouette; only occasional recognition of the istence of a waist line; skirts for street wear short and somewhat scant; the vogue for pleatings, tunics and circular effects continued; sleeves all lengths; the three piece costume a great favorite with jackets in fingertip length, knee length or longer; the Indo-Chinese influence on dress emphasized both in line and coloring." And here's a point that must be italicized. The spotlight of fashion has played with great intensity this Spring on the strictly tailored, two-piece suit! This type of costume had made determined efforts to gain and hold a Shades of brown are burnt goose "fancy." place in the fashion parade for several years, however, without much success and how long and how strong its grasp will be this Spring only time will tell. The one-piece dress and costume suit are hard to oust. As to fabrics, crepes lead the silk procession with satins, Ottomans, moires and alpacas following in close order. In wool fabrics, reps, twills, jacquards and mohairs are all registering. Wool crepes also have many friends and there is a wide range of novelty weaves employed principally for coats and wraps. Bold and striking plaids and stripes are extremely popular in the development of separate coats, which, incidentally, appear in jacquette, three-quarter and full length with as wide variety in the matter of sleeve cut. Laces are in high favor, both for entire costumes and as trimming. |