Dallas styles span from western to feminine

The Texas woman who is a cool executive by day, appears at smart clubs and hotels after work, and rides or dances on weekends has plenty to choose from among Dallas fashions.

Western wear, which is now attracting buyers from France, Japan, and all over the world, has its home in a range of variations here. Boots, belts, jackets, hats, and jeans proliferate, and even conventional apparel houses such as FemForm in San Antonio now operate a Western-wear division.

There are rodeo pants in 50-50 blends of suede tones and "chap" jeans with chaps over pants simulated in two tones of denim from a Garland, Texas, firm, which is riding the demand spawned by John Travolta's "Urban Cowboy" film.

Then, as if walking out of a different mood frame, Dallas fall fashions emerge on the other end of the spectrum with the silk look of femininely tailored daytime dresses and the Preppy looks of khaki and plaids worn with contrasting opaque hose. Softened versions of jackets, vests, skirts, and lace-trimmed shirts have metamorphosed from the dashing but utilitarian cut of Western wear. Away from the pickin' and the stompin', the look is generally well bred, feminine, in silky crepe de Chine synthetics and georgette Qianas, some with suede cloth. Even tailoreds have picked up tucking and touches of lace or scallops at necks and pockets.

Camel hair is much in evidence, as is gray flannel. There are many suits sporting Hapsburg jackets with black braid trim and worn with pastel blouses. Colors lean to wines, plums, and the brown-mustard-beige palette, and tweeds are muted in browns and grays with a menswear fabric look. Black is used softly, as in Applause's floaty sheers printed with streaks and galaxy patterns in muted mauve, curry and fuschia, primly neck banded or V-necked for daytime wear.

Jay Jacks, who is moving toward capturing a Paris look for Dallas, does his version of the black in a slip of a dress, which is barely sleeved, sapphire sashed, and with Madeira in contrasting mauve stitchery accents the bib front overlay of his two-piece look in plum wool suiting. His 1930s fall styling is epitomized in the red, long-waisted to-the-knee flounced dress with an Isadora Duncanish scarf for a collar.

Jackets are richly colored, many in velvet, and are everywhere. Lorch takes a leaf from the "mix and match" career clothes astutely used by banks and airlines, with coordinated skirts, jackets, vests, and shirts interchanging for multiple outfits.

Sweaters and sweater dresses are cashmere or have the look of it, and body fitted, not bulky. Beaded sweaters are worn with satin evening pants, some over frilly blouses. Daytime pants are single or double pleated, with straight 18 -inch legs. Narrow belts are everywhere, in grosgrain or leather, and the rage for ornate buckles will have some collegians scrounging in attics for their grandmother's shoe buckles.