The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-08-15
Spanish Shawls Are In Great
 F avor


 that is welcome to those fortunate women who possess Spanish shawls or who are able to buy them. Spanish shawls can be listed with the luxuries, but they also can be listed with the luxuries that are-to women who love lovely things distinctly worth while.
 Spanish shawls always have been in good taste, and last year they achieved somewhat larger popularity in France, although they were not worn there as extensively as they are being worn this year. But the fashion did not become so popular in this country, pos sibly for the simple reason that the real Spanish shawls are so costly here.
 There is no limit, seemingly, to the cost of Spanish shawl, although there are some Spanish shawls and some limitations that may be bought for sums within the reach of the average wom-. an. The initiation Spanish shawls, some of them extremely pretty and graceful, usually are made in China, and no matter how cleverly they are made 1t is comparatively an easy mat ter for the discriminating woman to tell the difference between the imita- tion and the real Spanish article.
 For Spanish shawl should be dis tinctiye. Indeed, that is the secret of its great appeal as an adjunct to the costume. The truly smart women those who have plenty of money with < which to clothe themselves and who do not have to consider the matter of expense-have a real Spanish shawl, and some of them have several. In New York, also, there are two or three collections of Spanish shawls, with specimens of the rare and distinctive types, that are worth small fortunes.
 To possess a reaI Spanish shawl is to possess treasure, and it is treas ure that is comparatively rare except for women with great deal of money. As an addition t6 any wardrobe it serves a wide purpose, not alone as an object of great beauty, but because j of the variety of uses to which it can be put and the innumerable ways in which it can be worn, each giving that individual touch which all women love to add to their costumes.
 It is a peculiarity of the Spanish race that they have mastered the art of the shawl as has no other race in the world. The shawl is one of the most common articles of apparel in the world it is found in nearly every country, but it is raised to the dignity of an art in Spain alone. Even the black mantilla that one may see worn about the head of a peasant woman in Seville or Madrid--nOt to mention the gorgeous lace creations that are worn by the grand dames-have a flair and a something that causes them to stand apart. One would not think of com pairing, for example, the enshrouding shawl 6f Persia with the dashing shawl of Spain.
 The black lace mantillas seen so much in Spain are lovely creations, but the Spanish shawls that are bet ter known in New York are gorgeous and not to be spoken of in the same breath. Being Spanish, they are, nat. urally, things of flaming color, sug- gesting the passion and intensity of the Spanish blood. kThe flaming colors run riot, like the blood of a Spaniard at the flash and turn of a trim ankle, or at the sight of blood at the bull fight. a
 There are so many types of the Spanish shawl that one becomes con fused trying to classify, them. There are beautiful hand-painted models on white silk backgrounds or silk back grounds of bright coloring. The shawl may have a heavy silk fringe, with per haps a beautifully crocheted border to add to its smartness. It may be half fringe and half shawl, or it may dis play a background of jet black, upon which are set brilliant colOEs. Or it may be woven in intricate designs that beggar description.
 The great value of the Spanish shawl, of course, aside from it's beauty, is it's utility. It may be worn in a dozen ways. It can be thrown lightly about the shoulder on warm evening, or draped about the shoulders on cool evening, or the larger models may en- velop nearly the entire figure if the evening be truly chilly. The knack f2weaHing a Spanish shawl is one that must be acquired, and it is this fact which gives to each woman for tunate to possess one the opportunity to express her own individuality.