14 ~ Sunday, August 16, 1992 - North Shore News FASHION Step into autumn fashions — Carol Crenna FASHION STATEMENTS DESIGNERS MAKE dress- ing’ with style easy this fall. It is just a matter of one, two,;-..three. A few easy pieces*such as a longer ~ skirt;. a ‘shapely menswear -* jacket. and a fitted sweater, _. work ‘well together and sep- arately in your wardrobe. 7-7, The simple - basics which make ‘the: ‘season’s fashion trends won’t , Shock ‘you. ‘They are what design- “ers in- Paris and New’ York are calling ‘ designs, which, in simpler terms, ~mean classics. . “They have been designed with _- understated classic lines to ensure that -women.: will still be buying -~ clothing in these stricter times. . “They, are tried-and-true good .in- _ vestments... - This isnot 'to’ say that fail does not -hold any surprises, or that “these * fashions lack any type of innovation..to | reflect. the 90s “Modern woman... : On ‘the contrary, designers on - both sides of the Atlantic have “. rounded out their collections with “stand-up-and-take-notice _ details. ‘New, lengths and proportions, rich “fabrics and feminine curves are all iin store for-next season, | “. Fall is shaping up to look both - sexy. and .. sophisticated. Shape sums up one of the biggest trends “to hit. cool weather fashion. De- . '- signers are not talking only about the body-clutching and snug kind of shape that. has predictably been shown in past seasons. It is a softly moulds, but does not grip. In a-move: that describes more - _ Of an evolution than a revolution, designers: have added. other new ‘silhouettes :to-the clothing line-up. . They. play with flared hemlines and. peplums, ‘lean lines, °49s- inspired squared shoulders, nipped : vin waists and curved hips. To add new interest, the fashion icons mix it up. They bend fash- jon rules, mix opposites together and combine several different in--. fluences to come up with a fresh new idea. It’s an old trick, really, to mix classics with off-beat touches for. clothing that might otherwise be a little dull. Design- ers ‘mismatch’? neutral colors -with bold dashes of brightness and pattern, thus continuing to add Fetrd looks to modern ones. In a similar vein, designers mix up themes. — They report that opulence is out, so they. disguise it with ex- pensive garments made to look ragged; fur coats with torn edges, cashmere shaped into casual grey sweatshirts.. Or, the reverse — sweatshirt fleece and T-shirts are made into entrance-making even- ing dresses. : This brings us to one of the ~most-influencial trends of the - season. Designers mix menswear looks with, you guessed it, a fem- inine twist. Menswear-inspired **bread and butter’’, longer" skirts . ° longer, and. straighter line which | Platforms . styles blend the sexy with the practical, and since women like to wear it, all designers have decided that-it’s a safe bet to go with this | year. There is a combustible mix of manly classics, such as grey flan- nel and pinstripes, and womanly curves, Menswear-cut blazers, locse trousers, cuffs, white shirts, double-breasted jackets with six buttons and serious tweeds are all present. So are curved hips; exag- gerated waists; fitted skirts with sky-high slits; soft, silky fabrics; belted, draped jackets; a dash of sexy leopard prints; and low-cut, bare necklines. Adding a bit of attitude to the menswear look, gangster-inspired suits hit the streets with boldly pinstriped grey flannel shown in slimmer. leg trousers, longer jackets with pointed lapels, and fedoras. Military uniforms, dandyish jackets and equestrian-styled jackets are also popular, adding extra character and pomp to the mannish business suit. These longer, fitted jackets are often shown with slim jodhpurs, fitted stirrup pants or wool leggings for added sex appeal. . Women will be wearing the pants this fall, and it is not only the menswear trend that will put them there. The new-found popu- Jarity in trousers is also buying us some transition time in the new push toward long skiris. The other notabie word of the season is ‘‘long’’. The ’70s influence on fashion trends this year may have some- thing to do with it, but longer skirts are definitely coming back. However, designers are not sure if we are ready for them. Plum- meting hemlines could be a wel- come relief to some women, who have revealed all they care to with the short minis, but others may not accept it as quickly. Though longer tengths were in- troduced last fall, most women ignored them, and continued to buy new short skirts. Most designers preferred long skirts this season, however, so the Menswear | Pinstripes FALL FASHION trends to look for this year. change is too obvious to miss.. This does not mean that you have to do away with your short skirts, since in fall’ 92, anything goes. Ssddenly long doesn’t look ‘dowdy, and short doesn’t shock anyone, so wear what is comfort- able — for now. If you do decide to go long, try a new slit. Thigh-length slits are giving calf-covering skirts a sexy new edge, especially when worn during the day. There are many versions including a zippered or buttoned slit, which means you don’t have to show off any more than you want, but you still get freedom of movement. You will see long skirts with back slits, side slits and two slits. There are other fashion trends for fall, but you will probably not hear as much about them as those . already mentioned. : Colors are kept, for the most part, neutral, with black making a Strong return, (stores have found that it always sells the best). The color basics will be black, camel, grey, khaki, mocha brown, _ are now the h green, taupe and cream... : To liven up autumn’s’ decidedly serious: colors, one... bright “shade: * will be added to everything. : Fall’s newest neutral is “bright red, shown in day _and evening wear. Jolts of red are slipped beneath. a suit or line it. Jackets'and pants are trimmed. with red or cut in it entirely. Red ‘covers 2: ‘coat,’ . made soft in knits or sexy in even: ing gowns, and is often combined with black. Fashion goes a iittle. bit wild this fall. Leopard. spots and- ‘zebra stripes add exotic fun to. an” otherwise sensible season. Not only .do they, trim jackets and’ coats. but. they made it into panis, - skirts: and dresses. Faux leopard spots. als cover accessories‘ such ‘as’ ‘scarves, belts, bags, hats, and gloves. Richness will. be.shown.in subtle. ways, as‘ opposed: to.’ last’ fall’s flashy, rich looks.’ Instead of: *: satin will be‘ especially. decorate clothing or co item in an entire took. " leather comes with a - pricé.tag, and can be virtually everything -fr tweed to: pearls. -It unmistakably ‘sexy black ‘slim pants and an ml taahion eciibe ut ji f chic, -cut: by Sherlock: Holm ting and reach well belo’ which is. cut™ close flares out slightly toward. iene and a chesterfield-menswear:. look which is-cut straight. with: a:notch- ed ‘collar and fl ped front pockets.” Fall. would ‘not: : without. knits; and designers have not forgotten them. The mest dramatic ‘differencé in “sweaters ‘is the’ fit. Pullovers and cardigans are’ no: longer. oversized ~— they are slimmer and_are either tucked in or worn long. Simply - styled sweater-dresses softly mould - the body and are. often’ belted. There are lots of turtlenecks and. cowl necks.. More. finely knitted pieces are ‘Jayered | ‘under suits or. dressed up for night. “Accessories will be sophisticated and classic, updated forthe '90s- with new streamlined shape. one The accessory you may be-the most wary of is the platform shoe. You might have seen platforms in stores for the past couple of seasons, but to balance out the new fonger skirts, you will now: see more of them on the streets. Great big bags have been. in- troduced in some _ collections which wili probably influence the size of handbags in stores next season.