Evening star., 1949-01-12
By Elem
Fashion Editor.

NEW YORK.-The front page
headlines with which the fashion
world furnished newspapers in fall
1947 won't be duplicated in our opin-
ion for long time to come. This
spring of 1949 finds the fashion
world settling down with a strong
movement underway to get things
back to normal.
Strange, unnatural lines don't be-
come the average American woman.
Lengths easy to look at" are what
she's asked for and is due to re-
ceive. Shoulders that look like
shoulders with hint of padding
have also been requested, and by
popular demand seem to be back.
In fact, the spring clothes are not
only downright wearable, but pretty
as we'll.
Brought out at the fashion forum
held by the New York Dress Insti-
tute to launch our stay here in
New York while viewing the COL
lections Of leading American de-
signers, was the fact that we are
now entering an era when you'll
be able to buy a dress with a slim
skirt If you want, and if you de-
mand full skirt you'll be able to
get it in the degree desired. FASH
ion is what people wear and what
stores sell. If the American woman
wants simplicity and femininity,
she's going to get it, say leaders in
the garment industry.
Also brought out at the forum was
the fact that prices in general are
leveling off in some areas. This is
true in the dress industry, where at
tempts are being made to balance
the economic problems that deter
mine the price of your dress 1t is
said that this spring S15,500 900, 900
will be spent for clothing and acces-
sorieS. This is approximately 10 per
cent more than spring Of 1948. Ed
ttors were also told that good FASH
ion is not just located in one Sec
tion of a country. Each city and re-
gion has its own fashion problems to
meet, but good taste should be en-
phasized again and again.
In brief here are some notebook
5ottings of the spring collections
seen so far. Many more will follow
throughout this and the coming
week.
TINA Lesser has a worldwide
look and theme to her collection this
spring as she has had in several past
collections. Tina may not have
taken that slow boat to China, but
she's taken the words of far away
places" to heart from all indications.
Probably the most-traveled of the
New York designers, at the present
time she's travelling again, this time
on an around-the-world tour, and
at the same time Is honeymooning.
Her beach clothes hint of the
French Rivera, especially in their
brevity and snugness. Included in
this beach group is "dry-off" suit
of terry cloth fashioned in a ROM
per style. The problem of the wet
bathing suit has been solved. We
got an idea for the beach from this
collection. Well get the longest
beach towel, trim 1t with fringe,
tuck it into our beach bag and be
as fashionable as any lassie who
buys Tinas costumes
Annapolis bound gals will do well
TO investigate her collection. There's
q handsome group of nautically in
spired notions such as sailcloth
trousers and skirts grommeted for
"reefing in" Swim suits featuring
the international flag code carry
messages via colored flags. One that
made us chuckle was one that
claimed to require pilot"
Being a seasoned traveller, Tina
has also designed what amounts to
the neatest trick of the season: A
bare-topped sundress with full
length redingote coat. A cotton fab
nc possessing crease-resistant quail
ties is used for the ensemble. The
ensemble may be formed of a solid
color dress worn with plain coat
or vice versa.
JANE DERBY shows ladylike
clothes in a not moderate price
range. Definitely clothes, however, |
10 appeal to males. She introduces
crepe de chine to the fashion world;
to many for the first time and to
others as a revival. 1t Is fashioned
into frocks elegant, yet unpreten-
tious. Fine English null (babies'
sacques are made Of this, too) is
used in pink and blue for several de-
signs. It's cool looking, easy to
launder and makes a truly pretty
dress. AS fabrics tell the story
this spring, we think Wash
ington women will do well to
listen to this tale as null
seems ideally suited for the hot,
humid, District summertime. In the
Derby collection, as in the collections
Of many others, pleats are seen
aplenty. Cleaners take noteD
Princess lines are seen on dresses