The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1915-03-10

CONTINUED from First Page.)
very own. some OF the wonderful
products oil the brains of designers
and plants OF manufacturers.
As had been predicted. the united
spring openings OF tne members OF
the Richmond Retail Merchants AS
ISOLATION. which began yesterday
morning, contribute to the greatest
fashion show ever given in Richmond.
The opening day of the show of
spring styles. in clothes and in all
other things in which fashion so often
DEGREES change, was the most sue cess
full opening day that Richmond has
ever had.
Not one Of the business men on
either Broad Street or Main Street
who is contributing to the general
makeup of the spring style show has
fallen down in the slightest on any
of his plans.
& Is Ono Swell Show.
All have carefully worked out their
ideas and have seen them put into OK
ecution by artists at making display.
whose superior IS not to be found any
where. not even in New York nor in
Paris The show. to use one short de-
scriptive word, is:
Swell
All that Is smart, classy stunning.
meat VI PlAli, rs lit thHiE oi 'hS
dresser may trend, Is to be found.
Never before have the designers been
SO good to the almost distraught dsvo-
tee OF fashion; she or her. who. when
the change between seasons came.
knew not which way to turn knew not
which in the limited list to choose
that they might be best suited.
Every color under the sun. and
every one OF the slightly different of
the delicate shades OF all, present
themselves. Every form and shape
in dress and every design In pattern
Of goods, practically every imagi1-
able twist or turn or wrinkle, Is placed
before the vision Of the shopper.
Perfect Choice Possible.
Colorfui and with weave of fabric
In perfect harmony. the offerings OF
the Richmond stores, covering a range
az wide as the world. offer to the in
dividual taste OF each one a perfet t
choice.
To every age, both sexes, and every
peculiarly individual characteristic in
the perqon--no matter how keen the
desire for harmony or for the ex-
tremn that makes one conspicuous
is given just what is gratifying, for
the variety of the offerings is Infinite.
While reams OF paper would be re-
quired in the noting of all the many
little details of the monster mcnue
/ Style serves there are but two points
/ possessed by all In common. These
J are a Closer ~ than in the past and a
''qtirctive cut.
while tho European struggle, whose
frst effects on fashion was noted in
the fan styles, dispiaved n large In
fuence over the product OF the de-
siguers and many of the garments
have the military touch. which indeed
nvades and Influences even the styles
T In shoes and in headwear. there is
more noticeable this snrlng than ever
the made in America" idea. And for
this. too, hostilities In the old world
are responsible. 1t Ia because OF the
large showing OF European products
and the much larger representation of
the American designed and American
made goods. that the spring OF 1916
presents such wonderful variety.
And TO the style settlers and goods
makers must not go all the credit for
the success OF the Richmond show. The
decorators associated with the Rich
mond stores have shown rare skin and
splendid taste in the dressing OF the
windows and In the arranging of the
goods in the various sections and de-
partments OF their stores. without
these factors the fashion show would
fall nat indeed
Among the most successfully and
most attractiveiy dressed windows may
be mentioned those that frame a wide
expanse of the front. on Sixth Street
and on Broad Street of the Miller &
Rhoads store. Nowhere In the world
can at least two of these windows be
beaten. Masterpieces have been pro-
duced in the windows to the west end
Of the show. Both are pictures into
the make UP of which have entered
gravel, crinkly crisp green stuff for
grass, beautiful flowers. ornamental
stone pieces. and figures that are life
like in their apparent ease and salts
faction. There are shown "Milady's'
/ dress of French taffeta. "knapsack''
suit In French serge. a gofine coat In
sporty model and a jockey blouse of
crepe de chine.
/ Leading French models, exclusively
handled at Kaufman IL Company,
shown In that store have created a
! furore. They are distinctively fitted
to certain types of beauty and to be
| fully appreciated they must be seen.
| Among these models are Autumn
de Occur" by Drecoll; "Aurore," by
Beer; Trent ct Quarante." by Cheruit:
Z "Coeette," by Callot; Petit Brave" by
premet; '"Tentatrice" by Paquin, and
/ "Lonechamps" by Georgette.
Harking Back Some Decades.
| While making an exhibit OF the new
late designs the Dreyfus stores display
shows styles that Will rapidly rise to
popular heights by their barking back
to the Victorian period, to the days
of the middle nineteenth century. Not
only did these windows arrest atten-
ton and attract smart dressers to the
display inside. but their influences were
felt In the volume OF business done
during the day, The crowd was
pleased with the showing" said Man
ager Hoover. last night. and the store
was pleased at the crowd
Other Indications of the pleasure of
1.-The shoppers were their expressions
These were heard in all the stores
making their showing.
The exhibits both in windows and
showcases. and in the stores interior
took many Into the Reinach Company
shop. There are the incest things we
have ever seen" is An expression so
generally used that it sums up a de.
scription of the Reinach show. IL ap-
plies equally to the first floor. devoted