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Plush textures, stunning patterns, rich embroideries, and other sophisticated embellishments are the finer points of fashion for fall. Look for special touches such as pearlescent buttons and intricate beadwork , along with "in-the-know" subtleties like contrast layering or soutache braiding. Also, with cold weather coming—and volatile fuel prices on everyone's mind—remember that nothing keeps you so simultaneously warm and stylish as all-natural silk fashion & apparel. Silk is a natural insulator. It has a legendary cachet like no other luxury fabric. And we've priced it as only WinterSilks can—because we're America's #1 importer of exclusive silk fashion & apparel! |
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 You need to know about "contrast layering." Eye-catching patterns juxtaposed with plush textures ramp up visual interest. Donning a full sweater with a slim fitting skirt tells the world you're hip to the details. "Country chic" is back in a new big way, tilting the color palette sharply toward earth tones mixed with brighter autumnal shades, rich warm browns, chocolates, and rust. The best new prints are floral, paisley, and "menswear" patterns. Oh, and don't forget—sweater jackets will be the newest fashion imperative with a practical side: warmth! |
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We haven't a theory as to why, but every year we note a significant up-tick in underwear demand for autumn as compared to other seasons. For sure, we can fathom why people buy a lot more activewear in spring, or more turtlenecks in winter, but don't folks wear underwear year round? If you have a theory, we'd love to hear it. In the meanwhile, anticipating autumnal demand,  we've created some new styles to replenish that particular dresser drawer. For ladies, we're introducing three new panties embellished with supple stretch lace, each guaranteed to put that certain spring into your fall step. And for men, our new pieced logo brief features incredibly smooth purled seams for pure comfort, and a touch of spandex to preempt any nettlesome binding. Buy now! [Everyone else is.] |
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We know where to find our globetrotting silk specialists at least twice a year. That would be Las Vegas, when & where the fashion cognoscenti convene biannually to preview the latest lines of fashion & apparel. The shows are held in February for fall,  September for spring, and our lead specialists—Jay & Jennifer—are there hobnobbing with designers and industry trendsetters to translate the latest fashion dictums into exclusive silk fashions & apparel—created specifically for you. And frankly, we think they have a hidden advantage: As a group, WinterSilks customers are highly educated and commensurately communicative. You let us know what works and what doesn't, what you like about WinterSilks versus what you simply love. And so we think Jay & Jennifer might have the best jobs in the fashion world. But hey, somebody has to do it. Right? |
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 How severe will the next winter be? You might want to seek counsel from your local Banded Wooly Bear Caterpillar. Legend has it that the 13 rust-colored stripes circumscribing this little guy can give you a clue about Old Man Winter's intentions. Typically, the Wooly Bear's middle stripes are rust colored, and his end ones are black. Ostensibly, the more rusty middle stripes you see, the milder the upcoming winter. Conversely, fewer rusty middle stripes portend a meaner winter. Can it be true? Between 1948 and 1956, C. H. Curran, curator of insects at New York's Museum of Natural History, collected as many Wooly Bears as he could find. He counted rusty stripes, did the math, and found a correlation. However, Curran didn't take the research seriously—the samples were too small and the underlying theory too dubious. Nonetheless, people collect Wooly Bear Caterpillars every fall to count their stripes and prognosticate the winter—just for the fun of it—and so
do we! |
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Forecasting your demand for WinterSilks fashion & apparel is always a tricky business, and let it be known, we have sophisticated mathematical models for making sure we don't run out of your favorite silk things. [Hey! I majored in Math.] But we have a whimsical side, too. Consider: since a severe winter will dramatically up your demand for the natural warmth & comfort of silk underwear and apparel, we also like to employ the prognostic prowess of the Banded Wooly Bear Caterpillar. Okay. It's not Science. But it's fun. And it's only one of the ways we constantly remind ourselves never to disappoint our dedicated WinterSilks customers—speaking of which—remember that our long history and close relationship with worldwide silk producers means you'll always find the best silk clothing & apparel at WinterSilks... and at value prices you'll find nowhere else. That's our promise. So please check out our latest Fall Collection and tell us how we're doing. We value your opinion more than anyone else's!
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Chris Vig, President
WinterSilks |
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| Talk to us. We're listening. Every single word you send our way—whether by email, telephone, or USPS—is transcribed onto a special "comment card", |
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which is then read by every WinterSilks coworker: receptionists, merchandisers, artists, inventory specialists, our president... everybody. That's one of the ways we strive to  keep your needs & preferences "top-of-mind" so that we can be at your "top-of-mind" whenever you think of silk fashion & apparel. Need an example? MAGENTA long johns are on their way. [Sounded like fun to us!] Have a concern? Product suggestion? Pithy observation? We want to know! |
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We're always looking for fun ways to interact with our customers, and whimsical little contests are one of them. Last fall, we asked you to help us name a new WinterSilks color. Chris from Massachusetts suggested Harbor, as it evoked the wharf colors at nearby Plymouth. Last spring, Becky from Florida was the clever sleuth who browsed our catalog and found the page featuring our new "Twilight Blossom" print. Her name was randomly selected from over 100 correct responses. And if you were one those who guessed 1988 as the year we last offered the WinterSilks union suit—our silk version of  America's prototypical long underwear—you were right on! In fact, your response was so enthusiastic that the union suit will reappear in our 2006 Holiday collection. Our Silk Quarterly readers are the first to know!
Meanwhile, thanks go all around to Chris, Becky, and everyone who responded.
And keep your computers tuned to this station—more fun is on its way. |
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