Evening star., 1947-03-23
Capital Shops Find
Easter Customers
Qua|iy-Conscious
By Horriet Griffiths

Shoppers are finding most of the
Easter trimmings Of prewar years
back on Washington merchants
shelves this season, from imported
straw spring bonnets to plush
Dummies.
Yesterdays sunny, though windy,
weather brought out many candi-
dates for the Easter parade two
weeks from today, as prelude to
increasing crowds expected to do
their shopping between now and
Easter.
But shoppers this year arn't buy
ing the first thing they see. Re-
tailers, while they report a volume
of business equal to last years, have
noted that consumers are quality
conscious. High-priced luxury
items are meeting with some re-
sistance, they find.
Styles New This Year.
Prices of women's apparel in gen.
eral, according to Joseph R. Harris,
president of the Womens' wear group
of the Merchants and Manufac-
turers' Association, are higher only
in relation to the higher quality of
products available now.
There is so much newness to
styles this year that they are meet
ing with ready acceptance" he said.
This is the first Easter season since
early in the war that feminine
shoppers have found all the boleros,
full skirts, longer jackets, pleats
and frills they like. Last Easter re-
strictions on clothing had not yet
been lifted.
Milliners have turned out hats in
almost every conceivable style
large and small, frilly and plain,
odd-shaped and close fitting, since,
as a fashion editor explained, "any-
thing goes in hats this year." I'm
ported straws are available again,
and there are plenty of frills, flow
ers, ribbons and lace to adorn femi-
nine headgear
Few Men Ask for Vests.
While women are 5scorning the
plain fashions of the war years in
favor of the returned frills and
furbelows, the lifting of restrictions
on mems clothes seems to have re-
flected another way.
Walter Nordlinger, president of
the mems wear group of the Mer-
chants and Manufacturers Associa-
tion, reported that few men - and
practically no young men-are re-
questing two-pants suits or vests
with their double le-breasted suits.
This, he believes, is due partly to
the fact many consider the vests un-
gainly and prefer buying a pair of
slacks to wear with sports or leisure
jackets rather than having two pairs
of matching trousers.
With women buyers, men have be-
come more discerning customers as
selections in the stores have become
wider. Dealers who have found
themselves with an accumulation of
substandard merchandise have had
to dispose of the goods at low
prices.
Candies in Supply.
While men are. not heavy Easter
buyers, Mr.. Nordinger said the sea-
sonal rush is reflected in mems ap-
parel sales, more notably among the
moderate price brackets.
Confectioners report a general
supply of hollow chocolate bunnies
and eggs this year for the first time
since 1912. Some youngsters will find
these novelties in their Easter bas-
kets for the first time in their lives.
Jelly beans and eggs are still scarce
or nonexistent, however.
Several candy dealers mentioned
that observance of Lent seems to
have held candy demands down
somewhat this year. One suggested !:
Perhaps people are little more re-
ligion conscious"
Fancy baskets for the Easter
bunny to fill are back on the count
ers this year, and there seem to be
plenty of stuffed rabbits, ducks and
chickens, which couldn't be obtained
last year, merchants said.
Florists Watch Weather.
A sleepless night before Easter is
in prospect for the city's florists, who
are keeping an eye on the weather
as they prepare for what is generally
considered their biggest one-day
holiday rush of the year. Perish
able corsages can't be prepared much
ahead Of time, and they must work
all night in order to make their de-
liyeries In time for customers to
wear to church on Easter morning.
Flowers are expected to be more
plentiful this year than during the
war years, but not up to the prewar
supply. Weather conditions, how
ever, will have much to do with
this. Most of the Easter demand is
for potted plants-azaleas, lilies, hy-
drangeas, gardenias ami tulips.