THE DALLAS LOOK BY HALSTON

THE WORLD BEING AS SMALL a place as it is, we all need some of the same kinds of clothes, and in that sense, Dallas is no different from anywhere else. However, in relation to the Dallas market, one trend worth noting is Western wear. I believe Western wear will continue to be a fashion item, not always as popular, perhaps, as it is currently, but enduring.

But because Americans move around so much, from Dallas to New York to Hong Kong and back again, any designer’s collection must be put together with all possibilities in mind. If the Dallas woman is different, it is because she has what I call the barbeque life – she is outdoors often, relaxing and doing things that require a sporty, casual but well-coordinated look. Because Dallas women are among the most sophisticated – Dallas is a very sophisticated city – she will demand the same kind of excellence in her hacking around clothes as she does in her formal wear.

For day, casual and clean-cut apparel is in order. I like the easy, two-piece suit, with a jacket that can be worn with other clothes to extend the life of the garment. In general, the daytime look for fall will be more neat and orderly, with more emphasis on looking affluent. In troubled economic times such as these, people are more conservative in their dress because their clothing needs to work harder, to go more places, and a traditional look does this easily. In addition, conservative looks signal affluence. It is not the time to look poor, no matter what your clothing budget is.

My fall collection carries out this idea of an affluent look with the use of diverse, rich fabrics and materials, among them velvet, chiffon, fur trim and embroidery. These very plush materials show up most often in holiday looks for Christmas, which are included in my fall collection.

Regular daywear is in mostly muted tones of various tweeds.