16 ~— Sunday, November 17, 1991 ~ North Shore News FASHION Foul weather function, fair weather style} MAINTAINING A semblance of chic is not always easy when the weather is stormy and wet. Fall’s weather has a tendency to play havoc with even the best fashion inten- tions. Now is the time of year to gather your wet weather wits and draw on your stylish resources. Carol Crenna_ When the weatherman forecasts showers, but it looks like out- and-out rain, make sure you have head-to-toe protection. You don’t have to spend the next four months wrapped and layered’ to the earlobes in dark, keep-dry bulk. You can brighten up and pare down with a few simple pieces that are specially made to tackle the weather. FASHION-FORWARD COATS Some foul weather gear can be just as useful for fair weather if it looks fashionable. The best rain- coats are created by pairing dramatic new fabrics and details with long-time favorite silhouettes. Humble slickers zach as parkas, trenchers and hooded jackets get star treatment this fall. These raincoats can be worn even when the sun shines, so they are ob- viously more versatile. The trench is a_ particularly popular fall classic. It makes a perfect cover for day or night in bad weather. It is linked with mil- itary might, movie star glamor, and clandestine mystery, as well as wet weather. It is a coat for all seasons, all places and all types of women. What makes this year’s trench fresh and up to date is the . couture touches — it no longer looks just functional. Fool-proof and waterproof coats are available at Raindrops Rainweer Boutique in Park Royal South. .~ For a trench that looks as glamorous as any evening coat, try on a Bunnyta Bard coat which looks amazingly like sandwashed silk in its ‘texture and sheen, but it is actually water resistant polyester - and nylon. It is available in a soft rose color and has a warm quilted lining. It is double-caped, with flap pockets, button detail, epaulets and belted sleeves for $220. A designer coat by Jules is also a trench style in a luxurious metallic fabric that is a . polyurethane blend. It also features a trispace insulated lining for winter warmth. This style has jots of subtle details including a buttoned, double cape front, rib- bed inner cuffs to keep arms warm and dry, and multiple pockets. The price is $438. A hooded windbreaker by Pap- pagaila has a waterproof vinyl outer shell and a nylon lining. It is fashionably styled with bright crayon blocks of color on patch pockets, drawstring-hemmed front and hood. It is $79. A coat’s effectiveness is not measured by how it keeps the cold and wind out, but by hcw it re- tains your body heat. Remember that nylon fabrics are considered only water repellent whereas Polyurethane, vinyl and rubber are waterproof. FASHION STATEMENTS As well as the fabric, the style, details and the lining are just as important to keep you dry and in- sulated. Make sure the coat overlaps at the front closure, and the buttons continue down the ’ front. {f there are just a couple of buttons or a belt closure, there will be a lot more area for heat to escape, for rain to seep in, and more chance that the coat will ac- cidentally fly open. Long slits and back vents should be able to close with fasteners. And if you wear skirts often, buy a coat in a long length to ward off the elements. COAT ACCESSORIES You can accessorize your coat just as you would a suit. To give it fashion-forward look, add bright accessories, gloves, scarf and boots. Match them together or have an eye-catching trio of brights. Whimsical accessories and jewelled brooches are a trench coat’s best friends this fall. New trench coat tactics include a great scarf looped through the epaulets and pulled to the front. An idea stolen from a fashion runway is to secure two extra Iong fengths of faux pearls in both but- toned epaulets and let them hang in a loop in front. Buy some classic gloves that will keep hands dry as well as add color. Isotoner still makes some of the most practical gloves for Van- couver weather, and they are also thinsulate lined (the thin insula- tion used for skiwear) with a water repellent nylon surface with leather trim. They are available in red, taupe, black, grey or beige at Eaton’s for $36 FOOTNOTES Your feet can literally get waterlogged after long hours in soggy boots. Keep feet dry at least partially with a powder or talc and a change of dry socks or pan- tyhose always on hand. Under your rubber boots, wear two pairs of light socks — one cotton and one nylon for ab- sorbency and water repellency. Try two different bright colors, bunched or wrapped with one showing above the other. Kick start your fall into high gear with the latest rubbers. They have come a long way since the traditional Wellington. Pegabo Shoes in Park Royal has some fun duck boots in rubber which lace like a shoe and have an industri- al-look rubber boot sole. They are $50 by Sporto. Much dressier boots, which are very fashionable, are promoted as water resistant by Pegsbo. They are calf-length and made in a very good leather replica which even a ante WEATHER-PROOFED: Make a fashion statement while dressing for the winter elements. Coat wf Bunnyta Berd at Raindrops Rainwear in Park Royal, accessories at Eatons. scuffs similarly to leather. Styles are streamlined and _ flat-heeled with ornamental buckles at the ankle. They are available in brown or black for $90 to $110 by Pegabo’s own label. HEADLINERS How do you prevent your waves from wilting and make-up from doing a fast slide? if your hair goes into a tizzy with the slightest bit of moisture, then choose a coat with a hood or wear a hat. Even if you prefer a bare-headed look, you will find a hat is a true hair-saver in blistery conditions, and most people do not see you under your umbrella anyway. Your hair gets just as much abuse as your skin from harsh fall weather. Like the skin, it loses moisture to both the cold outdoor wind and the dry heated indoor air. Felt hats are good protection against rain, and a sales clerk at Riby’s in Park Royal South states that in an earlier era, farmers and shepherds wore felt hats to repel the rain because the fibre is so dense it allows water to beed off rather than soak through. Ruby’s has a selection of felts by Fersten which include smali-brimmed styles to fezes.and fedoras. They are $45, Waterproof make-ups will come to the rescue when the weather threatens to smudge even your best beauty intentions. Specially formulated water resistant and waterproof formulas will stand up to the rigors of a good downpour. Waterproof make-ups to try are: Lancome’s waterproof crayons, Aquacils mascara and Les Aquatiques eye shadows, Estee Lauder’s automatic creme eye shadows, truly waterproof * mascara and natural blush color- ing crenie, Clinique’s Touch Base § for eyes and gel rouge, and & Chanel’s Aquaresistant mascara. Your lips are a sensitive spot and need extra care in windy, rainy fall. They don’t have pro- tective pigment and a protective keratin layer like the rest of your skin. Lips are often the first place on the face to dehydrate. Keep & them moist with creams, and even lipsticks helps to hold in the moisture. Be kind to your umbrella. It’s E only when you don’t have it that i you realize all that it did for you. If you have trouble remembering to pick it up where you last set it cown, get one with either a shoulder or a wrist strap and loop it Over your purse. fs A great idea taken from Pari- Bm sians is an umbrella that has a # long strap attached at either end. See Waterproof page 17 Fim