Fantastical Fashion: This season's all about bold colors, big bags and a bit of bling-bling
Sunday, May 29, 2005 11:32 PM PDT
By Staff
Printable version
E-mail this articleAll's fair in summer fashion, as friends at Mark Morris High School demonstrated last week in a blast of sun.
Four girls from the school modeled several strong trends: retro accessories, big playful purses, airy white flounces and lots of bling.
Kara VanZanten, 17, wore what appears to be the season staple: a full, multi-tiered white skirt in feather-weight cotton. Her version had silver accents at the hem. Kara teamed it with a bright yellow shell and a turquoise one on top of that, and tucked a yellow flower in her hair.
Anne-Marie Jones, 16, has only been here a year from Denmark, but already has made her mark with the "Bohemian, retro, vintage" look she brought with her from Europe.
Anne-Marie, whose American father lives in Longview while her mother and brother live in Copenhagen, shops at Goodwill, Bead Bugz and the Red Hat in Longview, and Not Too Shabby and Fringe in Kelso.
Anne-Marie layered two sleeveless shells with a hip-length, beaded filmy overblouse on top for a very feminine look. The overblouse, from H&M in Denmark, is one of her favorite things, she said. She got it two years ago, but the idea just seems to be hitting here, in a garment called a "tunic."
Kailee Phillips is a purse person.
"I'm actually on purse restriction," said the 17-year-old. Her mother has forbidden her to bring any more handbags into the house.
"Everyone always says, 'Those are so cool; those are so exciting' about her collection of bold bags, Kailee said. "They help my personality stand out."
Now that she has to curb the compulsion, her personality will have to find a new outlet, said Kailee, a self-described "casual preppy" who wears jeans and sweatshirts.
"I'm getting a little out of being uncomfortable," she said.
Her friends translated. "She's going to show more skin."
For glam, Anne-Marie and Kailee need only turn to fellow ceramics student Shalaina Joiner, 16.
Shalaina sparkles: She's got glitter around her eyes, long spangly earrings, a hot pink T-shirt trimmed in lace and beads -- even her flip-flops shine.
"I love bling," said the 16-year-old.
"She's channeling the Spice girls," quipped art teacher Julie Esche.
--- The Daily News
Gimme a Tee
WASHINGTON -- Time to shed some layers. The tee -- having been hidden under sweaters and ponchos -- is now in the limelight.
"It's all about tops," says Toby Tucker Peters, fashion marketing editor at InStyle magazine. "Bottoms are really taking a back seat to what's happening on (the) top of our bodies."
The key to a good shirt, she says, is getting an "amazing fit," one that hangs a little longer and is super-soft. The big news for summer is the tunic. (As if you haven't heard Old Navy's "Bust a Tunic." Hit it, girls: "This is a jam for all the ladies out there/ Lookin' for something chic you can wear/ On the beach, so the fellas will stare/ Get this tunic, it's almost not fair!")
"It's just everywhere," says Peters -- in chiffon, terry, polyester georgette, sheer silk. It's worn over jeans or as a little dress. ("If you're young enough," she warns.)
Also, look for a marriage between tops and embellishments: jewels, sequins, embroidery. "It's like a two-in-one, built-in accessory," says Peters. And a new shape: the blouson, with its bigger top and lean bottom. (Pair with skinny pencil pants or lean jeans.)
"We always like to say this is the time to wear your brights," says Peters, ticking off the hot colors: turquoise, purple, hot pink, coral and yellow. "A lot of people don't wear yellow," she says, of those who might have paler skin, "but it works if everyone has a little bit of a tan."
--- The Washington Post
Big bags hot for daytime
In the world of fashion, "trendy" is sometimes seen as a bad word.
But trendy doesn't have to mean without taste. And particularly with handbags -- one of the season's biggest trends -- it also doesn't have to mean "strictly of the moment."
Handbags, like good jewelry, can be lifelong pieces that can be re-used season after season, year after year. They can go from day to evening, and from the office to a night out with the girls.
"They can really make an outfit," says Patty Handschiegel, publisher of StyleDiary.Net, a weekly on-line style resource.
This season, the handbags to have are bigger than ever. In fact, the bigger the better. The best ones come in cool, bold colors. And they're highly decorated -- buckled, braided, beaded, or with berries (the trendiest of the trends).
"I think the thing with a big bag, it makes a point," Handschiegel says. "A cute little bag is fun, but for a daytime look or for a casual look, or even a work look, a big, cool bag, it makes a statement. And that is what your accessories should do. A big bag can do a lot for your overall look."
So grab your cell phone, lip gloss, compact, wallet, umbrella, bottled water, iPod, Blackberry, hairbrush, fashion magazine, breath mints and sunglasses and toss them all in to a "trendy" oversized statement bag.
And while you're at it, go ahead and toss in the kitchen sink.
--- The Baltimore Sun
The dress for success
One dress can have multiple personalities, which is a good thing -- have you looked at your social calendar lately?
Depending on the function (BBQ, wedding, cocktails, birthday party) and the dress code (summer casual, beach attire, black tie) you can accessorize accordingly.
The idea is to pick a frock that's a blank canvas. You want your staple dress to be comfortable (i.e., can you stand wearing a strapless bra for six weekends in a row?), reliable (will it survive a few spills and trips to the dry cleaner?) and a little luxurious (after all, it's about to become a second skin).
Genevieve Yraola, senior fashion editor at Shop Etc. magazine, has a few rules about picking The Dress. First, choose a solid color. Stay away from prints. Instead consider coral, teal, turquoise, white or black for "a lot of mileage." Go sleeveless and choose something with a simple neckline. "Anything fussy and you're going to limit yourself," she warns. Length is also a big consideration -- choose to the knee or slightly beyond. Lastly, choose your fabric well. Dry silk or cotton sateen work on the beach and in the city, she says. And they can survive being stuffed into a suitcase.
Once you have the dress, go nuts. "Accessories are so key," says Yraola, who recommends raiding your own closet. "People won't even think you're wearing the same thing."
--- The Washington Post
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