44 - Sunday, September 22, 1991 - North Shore News

FASHION

Autumn evening wear

GOING OUT in style this
season means dressing in
glamorous separates to cn-
joy elegant, sophisticated
evenings.

Carol
Crenna

ae

FASHION STATEMENTS

Autumn brings an overwhelm-
ing list of nighttime functions,
fundraisers, theatre dates, gala
openings and fashion events which
rival only the festive season for a
full calendar. There is a moment
every woman delights in, when the
lights dim, and the mood goes
from getting dressed to dressing
up.

The best evening wear is in-
jected with sensuous fabrics which
feel as luxurious as they look.
They are often cut into simplified
shapes that steal their beat trom
daywear styles. This fall, and in
the coming months before the
holiday season, fashionably for-
mal looks also stress comfort and
practicality in addition to evening
glitz.

Suit separates, simply cut femi-
nine dresses and evening pants are
replacing overly detailed and can-
trived ball gowns which left no
room for relaxation.

If the thought of hitting the
party circuit without the fuss of a
frill, the rustie of a pouf or fly-
away layers seems dull, read on.
Dressing up this year is different,
more sophisticated, yet still keeps
with evening luxury.

Evening separates in rich fabrics
are designed in spare, provocative-
ly cut shapes that you can wear
again and again, long after the
frothy party frock has been push-
ed to the back of your closet. At
Jeast until Christmas.

Dressing options on both sides
of the Atlantic show a bevy of
beauties in velvet. Velvet is cut in-
to shoulder revealing dresses, fit-
ted suit jackets, sleeveless sheaths,
leg-baring minis, cigarette-slim
pants, hooded parkas and softly
draped tops. It began with black
velvet and has grown to include a
full range of rich jewel tones in-
cluding amber, emerald, ruby red
and gold. Velvet is also given new
texture in a variety of crushed
surface effects.

Suit shapes are reincarnated for
evening in fabrics of glitter,
brocade, sequins, beading, em-
broidery, satin, soutache braid
and silky textures.

Evening jackets top the trends.
Bolero jackets stide over sexy fit-
ted dresses, sometimes in ab-
breviated shapes that barcly skim
the waist. Dandyish jackets with
brocade, in velvet or faux gold
leaf are popular. Military or tough
street chic details also accent even-
ing jackets. They also turn up in
menswear-inspired dressing gown
or smoking-jacket shapes, which
take oa a rich, sultry appeal.

Metallics are magnetic for fall.
They cover slip dresses, skinny
jumpsuits, skirts and evening
jackets. They are in gold, bronze,
silver or pewter colored knits,

lurex, lamb and novelty yarns.

Femininity reigns supreme, in
curvacious silhouettes that rise
high above the knee, or dip low at
the bust, or in the soft draping of
see-through layers.

And this has been labelled the
year of the dress. Hundreds of
perfect little black numbers filled
the runways at designer’s fall col-
lections. Full flowing = skirts,
scooped necklines, bustiers, shir-
red torsos, lingerie-inspired looks,
and off-the-shoulder draped styles
are a hot commodity. In
everything from black crepe to
jersey knit, these dresses are as
versatile as they ever have been.

If you are going to splurge on
just one party outfit prior to the
Christmas season, make it) one
with presence. A versatile ensem-
ble, created by a designer with
exquisite Caste, will be your ticket
to the best dressed dist at the
opera or ballet. Not a style which
will be seen on a number of other
guests and party-goers, but a de-

signer look which shows someone
has taken the time to make each
and every detail party-dressing
perfect.

LestieJane in West Vancouver
has been entertaining party-goers
for several years with fine quality
designer evening wear. An exten-
sive selection of dresses and suit
separates for evening by designer
Jessica’ McClintock. Off-the-
shoulder style velvet) dresses are
hemmed at waltz length (ust
below the calf), An ornately
brocade style is also off-the-
shoulder with lace accenting the
bust.

Statement-making separates
trom LeslieJane make for easy
co-ordinating if several occasions
require a slight change in your
evening look. Velvet mini dresses
and velvet bustiers with matching
skirts can yo from a cappuccino
bar to a batlet. Gold-foille paisley
jackets can cover a daytime skirt
or pair of trousers for a quick
transformation from office to

evening.

One particular outfit features a
pretty black velvet top which ends
at the waist and has puffed elbow
length sleeves. Ir is combined with
an emerald-green taffeta skirt in-
tricately detailed with black em-
broidery in a waltz length. Slide
the skirt under a dressy bolero
jacket, also available by McClin-
tock, and finish a black velvet
mini skirt or dress with the pulf-
sleeve top.

Soon arriving at the shop are
tapestry vowns, moire taffeta
dresses, blue flock taffeta styles,
strapless dresses with lace, and fit-
ted taffeta minis for special even-
ing invitations,

Devonshire Cream in Park
Royal Mall allows you to step out
for the evening in clean-lined ele-
gunt separates and dresses. This
shop knows thal sometimes the
best evening fashions are the
simplest. It carries designs by
Simon Chang, Alfred Sung, Brian
Bailey and Sclina which are strip-

Crenna’s
quick
Snips

Mr. Jax pets energetic ... Mr. Jax
Fashions Inc. has introduced a
new line called Studio J which is
described as an energetic collec-
tion of coordinated sportswear. A
design team headed by Katherine
Hodges, who designed the firm’s
Jackie Petites and Davina lines,
created the new look which will
appear in stores in spring ’92. The
clothing is priced slightly below
the Mr. Jax label including
jackets, skirts, pants and other
separates.

Courreges designs return ... After
many years of waiting, Andre
Courreges, the designer famous
for his creations, has returned to
North America following a suc-
cessful launch at stores such as
Bloomingdales and Neiman Mar-
cus in the U.S. The Bay is featur-
ing his designs in new Courreges
boutiques, only in Vancouver,
Toronto and Montreal.

Courreges retrieved his designs
from this side of the Atlantic
when he found that he did not
have contro! over what appeared
in our stores under his name. It
was only after total control was
assured that he has now re-opened
his company in America.

A stylish symphony event ... The
Vancouver Symphony Orchestra
organized a fashionable fundrais-
ing spectacle together with Pacific
Centre Mall last Monday. The

_event not only featured a ramp-

styled fashion show incorporating
most of the mall’s retailers, it also
was accompanied by members of
the symphony who performed live
throughout the presentation. A
performance by the GOH Ballet
introduced the gala evening which
was staged in the atrium of the
Pacific Centre. This was promoted
as the first of an annual event,
well worth attending next year.

ped of excess in styling, leaving
the fabrics to shine.

The store's night look mixes
daywear comfort with evening
glitz for a modern look. Long full
pants in silky fabrics act as a base
for ornate jackets. Long lean
skirts get slit up to the thigh as
provocative additions to a femi-
nine blouse.

Black velvet skirts match jackets
with velvet trim and bright red
checks by Mr. Jax. Great gold
leather skirts by Margaret Godfrey
are matched to gold leather
jackets or are subdued with
Chanel-styled black jackets with
ornate gold buttons.

Alfred Sung puts on the ritz
with sequins and beading.
Glamorous jackets and sweaters
are worn solo as focal points to
simpler pieces. Navy wool jersey is
dotted with silver stones and black
wool jersey gets splashed with
gold stones. The sequin tops are
shown with black wool stirrup
pants.

i