16 - Sunday, July 14, 1991 — North Shore News

Summer survival

SUMMER CAN frazzle
even the best fashion inten-
tions. Before you know it,
your wear-anywhere office
suit has wilted under the
pressure. And, as _ the
temperature soars, keeping
your cool suddenly seem far
more important than look-
ing cool.

Carol
Crenna :

FASHION STATEMENTS

It is a perennial problem: how
to keep your professional cool
when the humidity hits. The solu-
tion? Work basics that are pared
down to the coolest essentials,
without losing their office re-
spectability.

If spring's clothes are starting
to melt the hangers in your closet,
you should rethink your wardrobe
for this season.

Clean-lined city separates and
dresses will refresh your summer
business look. Choose loosely cut
designs that can stand out on their
own, with little accessorizing or
layering.

Invest in ‘‘air conditioning’’ by
wearing only natural, breathable
fabrics. Perfectly simple linens,
crisp cottons, ramie, rayon and
silk will set you on the right
course.

If you don’t feel dressed at the
office without a suit jacket, then
wear it alone, with nothing
beneath. Give summer the cold
shoulder with a cut-away mock
neck tank. It looks substantially
covered under a jacket, but is
spare enough to keep you cool.
Slide off the jacket and wear the
tank alone when it gets too hot.

Loosely cut styles beat out tight
for keeping cool. Choose an
unstructured suit jacket instead of
a fitted one, and a gathered or
A-line skirt in place of a snug,
body-molding one if the style is
below the knee. Loose jumpsuits,
rompers and jumpers are also
gocd to let cool air circulate.

Suit jackets designed with short
sleeves, or even sleeveless styles,
are very fashionable this season
and work exceptionally well to
keep you cool. They do not need
a camisole or blouse beneath to
look polished and professional.

If you are en route to a business
meeting, carry your jacket with
the inside out until you reach your
destination, laying it carefully
over one arm. This will keep the
outside of the jacket clean, and
will help avoid perspiration stains
and wrinkles. Be prepared for
weather changes by taking a
lightweight top to change into or
by taking your blouse off beneath
your jacket.

Melt-proof tailored dresses are
guaranteed to help you arrive in
style, without the need of a
jacket. Designs that are high cut
in the front, but unexpectedly dip
or criss-cross in the back are a
good choice. Cotton knitted
dresses that you simply pull on
and go, with no ironing, are a

FASHION

FLORAL RAYON trapeze dress available at Savannah.

fuss-free alternative. Wrap dresses
are sophisticated and breezy, and
can be worn from the crack of
dawn to the last dance after dark.

A fashionable, easy to wear
shape to beat the heat is a sarong.
It is perfect for mornings when it
is too hot to fuss with zippers and
buttons. Its wrapped style, similar
to a wrap dress, provides a vent
for heat. It is often cut in light,
feminine fabrics and styles that
look as dressy as a skirt.

Another good alternative to a
skirt is dressy walking shorts that
may match a suit jacket. They will
keep your legs much cooler than a
narrow skirt and are more relaxed
and comfortable for hotter
weather.

Team your white separates
together for a cool, uncluttered
mood. Wear pure white from
head to toe, and do away with
having to layer separates or mix ’n

match colors and prints. Make it a
sheer organza blouse, a sporty
jacket and shorts, or a sun dress
and a paic of stretch leggings in
white.

How well you weather the rays
depends on your summer survival
strategy.

You may not want to go as far
as Marilyn Monroe, who freeze-
dried her undies to keep cool in
The Seven Year Itch, but there are
other quick tips to help you beat
the heat:

® When accessorizing, avoid
heavy pieces of jewelry. Wear
your hair up in an innovative new
way, perhaps with this season’s
60s inspired stretchy hair band.

© Shop for ultra-sheer hose, in a
denier (hosiery measurement of
thickness and weight) of eight or
ten. They are now available so
sheer, you can hardly tell you've
got any on. And wear stockings

with a garter belt or new garterless
stockings to reduce your heat.

Avoid high heels, since tired,
aching feet can make you feel
overheated. Wear shoes with open
heels or instep and try styles with
cut-outs or mesh accents. Soft
leather and canvas will keep you
cooler than synthetics or thick
leather shoes.

@Lessen your load and keep
your hands free. Carry as little as
possible, sporting a_ smaller,
lighter handbag to lessen any ex-
cess weight that may be cumber-
some and tiring. If it has a long
shoulder strap, pull it over one
shoulder and over your head so
that it hangs diagonally, which
will secure the purse, leaving arms
free.

Here is a wardrobe of basics
bent on putting a chill in your
summer. All stores are located in
Capilano Mall.

ategies

Crenna’s
quick
Snips

STUDIES SHOW that despite the
rising costs of air fares, 47% of
all business travelers are executive,
23% are sales force, and the ma-
jority of them are men. With that
in mind, fashion experts share
these tips for fashionable travel.

¢ The colors: Biack, grey and
blue have been the traditional
basic colors for men, but this year
fashion for men (like many things)
has been influenced by concern
for the environment.

The new neutrals are suits in
brown, taupe, beige and other
earth tones with ties of rich blues
and greens. The advantage of
these colors is that you can mix
and match them without clashing.

* The fabrics: Pack silks, the
new linens and rayon/wool com-
binations.

They wear comfortably in all
weather, pack lightly and com-
pactly and arrive at your destina-
tion reasonably unrumpled. A
crease here or there can be steam-
ed out in the shower, but it’s a
good idea to stay in hotels with
valet service. If you get a spot on
your tie or a wrinkle in your suit,
they can clean and press over-
night.

© Less is more: For a three-day
business trip, all you need is one
suit, two shirts and three ties. The
valet service can clean the first.
shirt, and it will look different
with a different tie.

Shirts of white, light blue or
ivory make the most sense; ties in
solids, stripes and paisleys provide
variety without loudness. Choose
colors that mate so you can make
as many combinations as possible
from the fewest items.

© The beige flannel suit: Experts
in international business know
that certain colors elicit emotional
responses, and when travelling on
business to foreign countries or
other unknown iocales, subtle and
neutral tones inspire confidence
while suggesting individuality and
creativity.

© Aromatic etiquette: The same
hint applies to wearing fragrance
out of town.

When travelling internationally,
consider general preferences
around the world. For instance,
Europeans prefer and expect a
bold fragrance while North Amer-
icans prefer subtler scents.

White cotton:

Sweaters don’t have to be
warm, especially when they’re
knitted in white cotton. Clever
shaping also keeps the cardigan
cool by Objects d’art. It is crop-
ped at the waist with three-quarter
length sleeves and has pineapple
shapes on the surface for $45. An
over-sized rib knit covers a waist
cropped and body-molding
pullover in white cotton by Ibizia.
It also has short sleeves and a
mock neck for $33. Both are sold
at Bootlegger.

Shaped dress:

A breezy shape like a trapeze
lets the cool air in. A sleeveless
trapeze dress with a little collar
and a buttons down the front
flares. out widely to the hem. It is
designed in pale grey rayon with
colorful watercolor flowers for
$29.99 (on sale). A simply cut

See Serena page 17