The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-02-23
Fabrics

Fabrics
The materials for formal wear must
have clinging, supple quality. The
crepes are excellent in this respect. Crepe
meteors and brocaded crepes and soft
silks are chosen for afternoon wear.
They have arrived in many wonderful
colors. At Steele-Smith's this week
where 1t is impossible to prophesy they
will be tomorrow, owing to the big sale
that is devastating this and the Marx
stock-were lengths of faint shell pink
verging to deep watermelon in both crepe
meteor and brocade satin. A bit of Nat
tier blue, wonderful glossy, crinkly bit
of cloth, was being sold to debutante
the other day, but quantities of it were
still there. One of the most modish young
women In society was there trying to
match scrap of deep violet brocade in
chiffon TO be combined with an Ameri-
can Beauty shade and it is to be hoped
she succeeded, for the plan of her gown
was exceptional for its richness and
grace. They were showing some especial
ly attractive laces as well, and the values,
says one who knew the same laces at the
Marx store, are especially good.
In the Drennen store fresh summer
like morning of last week, the display of
summer silks and foulards on one of the
first counters was attracting scores of
customers. There were some tub silks,
white with tiny stripes single and In
groups. green. black and blue and red,
which are as remarkable for their reason
able price as for their fresh appearance.
The foulards are in a number of patterns
and pretty. serviceable colors.
Further up the avenue, Burger was
showing some wonderful laces. There are
beautiful patterns of heavy quality and
deep cream tone-suggesting the Irish
weave. There is a superb piece of prin-
cesse lace fiouncing that promises to last
for many seasons, and a world OF nlmy,
web-like silk Chantilly laces, in dead
white, with broad hounce and narrower
widths to match with shadow laces of
many patterns, valenciennes and other
weaves make distracting collection for
the pleasant young woman behind the
counter to exhibit. The materials for
spring exhibited in this store are wonder,
fully attractive. There are, thes tines
in pale lavender and green, mingled nov
elites of many shades; there are spring
silks so soft and filmy and so delicately
colored they are rivals to the chiffons and
crepes which will be fashioned into more
formal gowns. For service the foulards
are calculated to have tremendous pop
ularity: blues and grays and black and
white combinations are especially favored
for such purposes. White wash net, cot
ton-embroidered. embroidered voiles and
marquisettes are among the pretty ma
terials fancifully patterned and in many
colors. which Will be brought into use
for lingerie costumes.
Orientalism
Did you know that the present craze
for every phase of Chinese art is having
its influence on feminine garb? That is
one reason why the kimono sleeve is still
with us, and many of the new tunics bear
the marks of Orientalsm in cut, material
and color.
In the new house gowns there is evil
dent the increasing vogue of the Oriental.
All of the alluring soft shades of Chinese
embroidery are reproduced in fabrics for
outdoor costumes as well. So the richly
embroidered crepes may be appropriately
used in the mandarin effects Of coats and
tunics.
But fascinating new things are arriving
daily to supplement the array of articles
in the shops. And now that times PEN
dulum has brought us back to the outing
season of the year, the gowns and bon-
nets whose colors suggest the petals OF
flowers are to be given the welcome
which femininity accords to spring itself.