Retr Platform and plaid propei the 1970s into the present oy Layne Chisesen News Reporter : . layne@usnews.com STUDENTS are heading back to class, but not before hitting the mall to buy new threads for fail. ‘What are teens wearing? The News headed to Capilano Mall to find out. The key words are stretch, sofiness and texture, according to Boodegger sales and marketing director Kari Baker. Chenille, houcl, polar cece and cor- duroy are the fabrics to watch for. Corduroy pants make a comeback. For girls, they're cut to ride low at the hip and come in a variety of finishes like plaids and checks. For boys, wide-legs are popular, ted with a more fitted waist. “Everything’s body conscious -- in tops and in bor- toms,” says Baker of the fall silhouette. Friends Amber Proud, 12, and Claire Johnstone, 1], were spotted thumbing the racks at Le Chateau. For their final year at Queensbury elementary, these girls want new jeans. Amber just has to have Levi's flares. Claire is less — “any style, just as long as they look OK” will do. Also on their back-to-school shopping lists: a skinny T- shirt, chunky-heeled boots, polyester burton-front shirt shirt and a Nike sweatshirt. The athictic influence remains strong. Synthetic West Van cr From page 1 West Vancouver Police Staff Sgt. Barry Nickerson said one officer trained to obtain fin- gerprint evidence was on sick leave with a back problem. The officer is part of 2 two-person forensic identification section. Nickerson said that police constables deter- mined the gas station was not suitable for finger- print work because there was drywall dust every- where and smudges indicated that the thief used gloves. “There was dust and prints everywhere. How would they know that they couldn’t get prints unless they tried?” Hegedus asked. NEWS photo Braid Ledwidge JULIA Hughes (lett) and Stephanie Larson, both 13, spend cash on inexpensive accessories like bead chokers and naii pofish. jackets, clubwear cuts and board-influenced street styles are key components of this unisex look. Adidas-siyle striping adorns jackets, T-shirts and even dresses. Stytin’ teens shod their soles in chunky shoes and boots, says Sterling manager Maria Bartolone. They're great because “you can wear them with anything, dressy or casual,” she says. Platform boots, reminiscent of those wom in the ‘70s, are hot items. Bubble platforms, shoes or boots with a thick sole with a rounded edge, are especially pop- ular. And, says Bartolone, sucde’s making a comeback. The military influence is the strongest end to emerge this fall, according to Le Chateau’s assistant manager Rachel Tara. minal activity ac West Vancouver Chamber of Commerce presi- dent John Clark said the Ambleside-Dundarave business area is experiencing more and more “borderline criminal activity.” That activity includes vandalism such as the destruction of outdoor planters and evidence that people are loitering all night in business stairwells. Clark owns The Mensroom clothing store in the Ambleside area. He was a victim of a break-in 14 months ago. Burglars made off with more than $60,000 after brazenly breaking a store window. The Mensroom is located within a block of the police station. No one has been charged with the crime. Meanwhile, Nickerson said that police statistics até ‘gerne NEWS photos Brad Ledwitge SHOPPERS Ryan Csumrik (left) and Tim Rhone know what's hip. Store manager Maria Bartolone says it’s the bubble platform. es the rade “Camouflage is the biggest thing right now,” she says. Teens take their style cues from Demi Moore’s recent big- screen tum as G.I]. Jane. Tank dresses,” tank tops and anything khaki is movin right ont of the sore -~- fat, says Tara. 8 Julia Hughes, 13, confirms the trend. “Lots are wearing army fatigues,” says the Argyle student. Hughes’ friend Stephanie Larson, also 13, wears a dark khaki tank top by Nike with trademark swoosh. Both girls say they'll be adding more athletic logos to their wardrobes this fall. Hughes wants Adidas track pants. Larson is saving her babysitting moncy for Nike tear-aways, athletic pants with snaps down the side sears thar are, at $54, “not cheap.” What is cheap? Accessories, Hemp chokers, sced beads and slider necklaces —— bar-link chains with mov- able beads — are what's selling at Claire’s Accessories, according to store miainager Diana Belcourt. Accessories are hot for guys, too. Over at Bootlegger, friends Tim Rhone, 18, and Ryan Csumrik, 17, are checking out the jeans selection. hey're both wearing choker-style necklaces. Rhone’s is coconut sheil; Csumrik’s, shark’s tooth. Identically dressed trom head to toe — Oakley eve jackets, baseball cap, collared shirt, khaki shorts and reef sandals — they know what's hot. And what's not. “Anything Gght is bad,” says Csumrik. “Bright plaids and bright colors ” are our too. “The thing where the underwear is hanging our,” is another addition to the no-list says his friend . As weil, the baggy pant with the crotch at the knees is yesterday's ncerm indicate the business district has not experienced an increase in break-ins lately. He said “one or two” were recorded this month, a toral that was “nothing out of the norm.” Hegedus is part owner of another gas station in West Vancouver hit with two unsolved carly morning break-ins last year. “Where are the police at one and two and three in the morning?” asked Hegedus. “We pay high taxes to live here and have busi- nesses here. Not much happens here after mid- night. Police are not run off their feet,” she said. Nickerson said that gas station owners have been told to remove cigarettes from view and take out cash after businesses close. ‘caution flag’ From page 1 However, whether those fail- ures filter down to day-to-day business is debatable: the North Vancouver Chamber said it has few compiaints with municipal management of business issues. The city and district, which were lumped together in the sur- vey, received an average of 0.9 out of 10 from approximately 56 respondents in te categories. Although North Vancouver received the lowest municipal mark in British Columbia, even one of the B.C. runicipali- ties received a passing grade. West Vancouver wasn’t rated because there weren’t cnough responses received to make those findings statistically valid, said the federation’s B.C. director, Suromitra Sanatani. : Sanatani, who said most North Vancouver responses came from the district, added the dis- mal B.C. results show sore dia- logue between municipalities and businesses is needed. She said the overall results zre of serious con- cern, “They indicate deeply entrenched problems which municipal governments are not addressing.” The federation interviewed 4,000 western business members and asked them to rate municipal- ities as poor, fair or good. in five categories. The responses were combined in an aggregate score. North Vancouver scores were as follows: 41 poor, 10 fair and zero good responses for tax fairness; © 49 poor, five fair and zero good responses for value for money; @ 53 poor, one fair and zero good sesponses for control of public-sector wages; 34 poor, 20 fair and zero good responses for fairness of bylaws and registration; M and 36 poor, 13 fair and zero good responses for overall aware- ness of small business issues. Federation member Mark Shorter, owner of Addison Insurance in Upper Lonsdale, believes the district does a reason- able job for business. “I wouldn't say poor by any means. They are at least average, if not better,” said Shorter, who also owns businesses in East Vancouver and Coquitlam. Said Judi Ainsworth, president of the North Vancouver Chanber of Commerce: “Personally, I can’t say I’ve had a Jot of complaints about the city and the distnct.” However, local business peo- ple trying to do business in both the city and district do find th different’ bylaws, zonings a costs for business licences frustrat- ing, said Ainsworth. Meanwhile, North Vancouver District Mayor Don Bell was scrambling Thursday ro discover why North Vancouver ranked so fow compared with other local municipalities, which scored in the three to four range. He said the district’s business tax rate is one of the lowest in the Lower Mainland and a quality of service survey for district hall showed most people found dis- trict service excellent or above average. Beil said he wanted to talk to Ainsworth to determine if there are areas of cancern to busi- ness owners. “It’s a caution flag for me ... but | would like to find out the facts behind ir.”