The complete online text of Made to Measure by W. W. Jacobs.

W. W. Jacobs, remembered today almost exclusively for his horror story "The Monkey's Paw" (The Lady of the Barge, 1902), was one of the most popular English humorists of the early twentieth century. His stories, many of them amusing tales of life along t...

Designers gave timeless elegance a contemporary twist as the Paris ready-to-wear collections kicked off on Monday with outfits that harked back to the heyday of haute couture.Spectacular evening gowns, trompe-l'oeil effects and sharp tailoring were among the highlights of the spring-summer displays by labels including...

In the new world of fashion marketing, it's all about flooding the zone. Brands such as Stella McCartney have understood that glossy magazine ads are no longer the most effective way of reaching their audience.Instead, they are using methods like street pamphleteering, Web sites and...

Watching the gowns at the Christian Lacroix haute couture show on Tuesday was like seeing fabric sculptures come to life.The French designer celebrated his 20th year in business with a sumptuous lineup that swathed the body in folds of rich velvet or puffs of featherlight...

Paris designers looked to Hollywood on Wednesday with elaborate creations that will vie for "best dressed" on the red carpet.Cate Blanchett lit up the front row at Giorgio Armani's show, held on the third day of the autumn-winter haute couture collections. And French actress Catherine...