Evening star., 1924-03-25
MERCHANTS STAGE
BIC SPRING REVUE
Window Displays Opened for
Public Last Night Excite
Envy of Crowds.
WOMEN ENTHUSIASTIC
Husbands, However, See Visions
of Badly Shrunken
Pocketbooks.
WOMEN ENTHUSIASTIC

stores went up on the SprlHb revue
which turned the business section of
the National Capital into a huge fash
ion show. Staged by the Merchants
and Manufacturers Association, the
unique affair was attended by thou
sands who turned the streets into
large oren-air theater.
All the big stores co-operated. and
all day window dreSSers worked behind
the drawn shades, so that when the
curtains of the stores were stimuli
tdr.eously lifted galaxy of chiffons,
silks, Jewels and dainties of all kinds
was revealed.
While the ladies were looking at
things that attracted their feminine
fancies the men were d scussing the
display of masculine styles. Young
men who proI. SSSd no interest in
fashions stopped short and turned
back when they saw the pretty man.
nequlns paradIng behind the plate
glass dressed in "miiadys latest
style and remained until the last OF
the models had disappeared.
Something for Every One.
There were interesting sights for
every one-dresses for hubby to buy
his wife, suits for hubby" to buy for
himself, toys for fond aunts 10 buy
lucky nephews, furniture and the
latest inventions to make housework
a game Tor brides and Jewels that
caused many a young lady to glance
knowingly at her beau.
one of the most spectacular parts
of the review was the big fashion
show staged by a mems store which
is branching out with d large line
of tailored and sports wear for Wom-
en-. Invitations To the show had been
ar = in a RI n ~ fiGar ~ in
the newspapers II had been plan
ned to give the show on the third
hOor several tunes during the eve
ming to an audience of several hun
dred persons. But with about five
thousand duly invited guests seethlnS
about, all very anxious to see the
show, and good paturedly reminding
the management of their invitation
by radio to see the show, it was evil
dent that something must be done.
Emergency shows Staged.
So the second floor was hurriedly
arranged for a fashion show also
and emergency extra shows arranged.
spring posies and elaborate settings
of the regular fashion show to be
seen at the impromptu show on the
second floor And the only music was
that which drifted downstairs. But
the real essentialS-the Snappy new
lors. worn at just the right angle
were very much in evidence. Not
to mention the pretty little models.
who seemed tickled to death to do
double work to please the overflow
audience. All of the models were
local girls.
y block or SO down r street another
crowd was clustered clear out into
the street Ii you wanted TO pass
that way, you had to pretend you
we're d trolley car and take 10 the
car tracks. Sure enough, it was an
other fashion show. A smart Spe-
cialty store had conceived the clever
idea of staging fashion show right
in it's window.
Posing by MedcL.
One wax mannequin. dressed in the
latest sort of evening frock, all black
chiffon and wonderful, intricate bead
ing, occupied part OF the window as a
permanent display, but every few
minutes a really, truly alive and very
pretty young lady would stroll into
the window and deftly turn and pose
so as to display the very newest sort
of bonnet and froch and beads and
bracelets from France. Whenever she
stood still for a few minutes. it was
very difficult to tell wnIch of the
models was wax and which was alive,
and newcomers to the crowd would
wonder loudly what 1t all was about
until she started to move about again.
Presently she disappeared, to be re-
placed by another model, and the 1T
tie play started all over again. with
a constantly augmenting audience.
Up on g street at the windows
of one of the biggest local department
stores was another prize audience at
q quite different sort Of display. Each
window of the store represented a.
different room of the house ideal. And
paterfamiliaS and the good house
wives ani the wistful little brides
= Il 4 ha n /
knowing little fiappers wers banked
up six abreast all along the block
The big corner window was trans
formed into a living room of the sort
that you dream about, with a luscious
davenport and armchairs of the sort
that you simply sink into like drop
into the ocean. There was a mantel
and a big fireplace with shiny brass
fire things. And one of those crinrinaIly
puffy silk cushions and delightful
little carved odds and ends of furniture.
Radio Set Displayed.
The finest thing. though. was a
dandy radio set all tuned up to listen
iu,anywhere from New York to Toxic.
But the compile citing touch was a love-
w. .ready-mad husband of tine latest.
model, with shiny hair nice teeth
and a perfectly fitting dinner jacket.
True. he was made of wax, and seem
ed a little bit up stage with that six
inch cigarette holder, but. taken all
in all, he was rather gorgeous As
ona fiippant little fiapper said: When
/ marry, I'm certainly going to match
up my husband with my living room
furniture just like that"
Across the street another depart
lnent store seemed to have depicted
y SILK volcano in active eruption. A
perfect torrent of shining fabric and
the window in an effect OF oriental
briLlance. Next to the silk window
was gemlike little window where
the magic blues of the latest Max
in velvet drapes on which reposed the
latest tricks in beads and earrings
and such like.
Palm Window Display.
But the piece de resistance of this
store was It's palm window, a. regular
foretaste of Easter. A cluster OF
great palms, eight or ten feet high.
was used as a eenterpiece. Royal pur-
pie velvet formed a rich background,
while perched allow and aloft, front
and back. was a. collection or spring
chapeaus in every shade of purple and
and seemed to thrill every woman
passer- by, but apparently gave the men
q foreboding of pernicious anemia Of the
pocketbook.
But the big department stores and
the speciality shops didn't have all
the honors to themselves. Not by
any manner of means. The mems
wear stores were right there, too.
Such sprfngIike cravats. such jaunty
new tweeds, such rakish and tempt
ing hats!
Ali the stores presented tempting
things that outrivaled the bouievafds
of Paris, London and New York In
their splendor. Downtown Washing
ton was crowded with window shop
pers who were fascinated with the
beautiful flowers, brilliant lights and
store DISPLAYS.