July 1938, buyers from all over the U.S., on their annual pilgrimage to New York showrooms, were amazed at the number of hoopskirts shown by Kallman & Morris, evening-dress specialists. Here were aristocratic hoops for the masses. Here was fashion repeating itself.
In these vintage pictures made by LIFE photographer Alfred Eisenstaedt for that year’s fall round-up, other equally clear trends emerged: plaids, co-ed sweaters, calfskin everything—and in his inimitable, warm style, “Eisie” made them feel as vital as anything that the vaunted “bell-shaped cycle” could deliver.
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