”How would you like to see Chicagoans dressed this fall?” That`s the question we tossed to more than two dozen Chicago retailers; then we quickly folllowed up with, ”Please show us.” Their answers–and the clothes they chose to be photographed for these pages–range from ”elegant,”
”progressive” and ”individual” on through ”businesslike.”
Several emphasized ”flexible dressing,” clothes that can go from daytime into evening. And a greater number than we had expected stressed career clothes because, they say, Chicago is such a business-oriented city. You`ll also hear their comments on the significance of the fasions for this particular fall. It`s a diverse selection, matched by the diversity of Chicagoans themselves. As one retailer said of the city`s dressers: ”They`re not cookie-cutters.”
JIM GRIEBENOW, MARSHALL FIELD`S
VICE PRESIDENT OF FASHION AND PRODUCT SERVICES
Her sweater and skirt, designed by Louis Dell`Olio for Anne Klein, combine black and white, which are very strong this fall. The sweater is especially new because it is a turtleneck and is an intarsia in a clean-looking Navajo pattern. One thing you notice about the skirt is the very long length. Skirts this season tend to be either quite short, at the knee or very long.
For the man, we`ve chosen a very updated European-looking suit from Perry Ellis in charcoal gray, which is always important; but to make the suit look very fall `85, Perry added a chalk stripe in purple. It makes the whole suit look fresh and different.
The suit comes with double-pleated pants, a very strong look. The European styling is witnessed in the very high-peaked lapels and the unvented back. With it, we have a white-with-purple chalkstriped shirt with a spread collar. The tie is in very rich royal tones in a tapestry print, echoing the tapestry trend in both men`s and women`s fashions.
KIM STANLEY, NEIMAN-MARCUS CHICAGO REGIONAL FIELD FASHION COORDINATOR
Chicago is a very forward town. The cultural events, the social events are very progressive, very forward, and that`s how Chicagoans should dress
–progressively.
Her mink pullover is by Claude Montana, probably the most progressive designer in Europe, and it is a very strong fashion look. Just look at that color and the shape.
She can wear her fur as a topper for daytime, for example, with leather pants or a black-leather skirt. Or she can wear it with stirrup pants, as shown here, for the ski look, which is big whether people ski or not.
The combination of very big and easy on top with very body-conscious pants is important for fall.
The man`s jacket by Jerry Sorbara is in badger, which is a very durable fur. This is a new length, and I believe it`s a bit more fun and quite a bit more versatile than some of the men`s furs you`ve seen in the past. It`s a jacket that is a good length to go over sportswear, but it`s also long enough to cover a suit coat. So it`s casual enough to go with a pair of cords, but it can also be appropriate for business.
Both furs offer a silhouette that is very current: broad shoulders and narrow hips. It`s fashionable, and it`s certainly flattering, too.
STEPHANIE DICKSTEIN, CARSON PIRIE SCOTT & CO.
VICE PRESIDENT AND FASHION DIRECTOR
The look that we believe in for Chicagoans this season revolves around classics that are soft, luxurious, elegant and have a mood of quality.
She is wearing a sweater that can be interpreted in fibers such as angora, mohair or cashmere. We`ll be seeing more pales, such as her yellow, as well as brights for fall. We`ve gone through many falls that were strictly dark, when you`d never dream of wearing pastels into October or November. That`s not so anymore.
In proportion, I find the most newness in long–with both a longer top and longer skirt–or very short and very modern. I`ve selected the longer skirt because I think it`s the most comfortable look for the Chicago woman. It`s more wearable for all body shapes. And I feel very strongly about soft skirts. Hers is in silk charmeuse in an oversized paisley pattern, one of the most important prints this fall. It`s the type of outfit that a woman can wear for day or evening.
It`s important for men to wear mixed fabrics this season, to understand the idea of tweedy jackets mixing with other patterns. His shirt is in a soft yellow, which really works well with the grays. The tie is an interesting adaptation of a paisley.
RUTH KANE, KANE`S
PRESIDENT
For a woman who is looking for something individual, this is a beautiful look. Paige Mayberry`s capecoat for Grass Orchids is timeless. It`s in suede and textured leather, and the pattern across the front is all handpainted in such rich colors.
You can wear it with different things, like her jersey tunic and trousers, or you can put a charmeuse dress under it and look right. Frankly, while it may not be as practical as some other coats, it certainly is versatile. And if you wish, you can wear the headband or even a matching muff that Mayberry has made. Or you can skip the accessories, and the coat alone still offers a unique look. This outfit is for the woman who will dress the way she feels she looks best, not follow the crowd.
I like this season much more than fall of last year, when clothes were so mannish. I like to see a woman look feminine. I don`t mean ruffles and lace, I mean looking soft–not looking as though she`s the counterpart of her husband or the chairman of the board.
NENA IVON, SAKS FIFTH AVENUE
FASHION DIRECTOR
”I think Chicagoans are going to be very elegant, very updated and just as fashionable as anybody in the world.
This Jacqeline de Ribes silk suit certainly qualifies-it`s very elegant, it is opulent, the color is sensational, and the fabric is outstanding. Then combining silk with those big jeweled buttons and that enormous mohair throw is just stunning. Notice, too, that the suit is pared down, very slim. With everyone being health conscious and so into physical fiitness, it`s a wonderful way to show off these newly discovered bodies.
His Armani tuxedo is very classic, and the fabric is beautiful. A tuxedo is an investment, certainly not something that a man is going to buy every season. Therefore, he needs a classic feeling, he needs one that`s well-made and in a wonderful fabric. These are clothes that Chicagoans could wear to a ball, certainly, but also to the opening of the opera, to the symphony, to someone`s formal dinner party in their home. There`s a return to dress-up this fall.
SANDY KAGAN, I. MAGNIN
MIDWEST FASHION DIRECTOR
This outfit by Lisandro Sarasola combines that lean look that everybody is raving about with a topper that is big and easy. The black-tooled leather skirt is slim, the sweater, also decorated with leather, is body fitting. And the big three-quarter coat lets you move.
The great thing is that all three pieces look wonderful together, but each one still has an individual look when you pair it with something else.
JIM POWERS, BIGSBY & KRUTHERS
VICE PRESIDENT OF MERCHANDISING
There are five months of winter in Chicago, and when the wind chill gets to 80 below, we think a man needs function with his fashion. This Walter Holmes coat is a good meaty winter coat in a luxurious camel`s hair fabric and is longer than most. Double-breasteds are actually very functional because you have two pieces of fabric going across the front.
One of the reasons a lot of men can wear a coat like this is that the shoulder line is extended a little bit; it`s not a dropped shoulder, just extended. It shapes nicely at the waist so it has a little bit of expression to it; it`s not a sack or a straight type of coat. Then when you get those extra four or five inches down below your knees, it really makes a dramatic difference.
JOAN WEINSTEIN, ULTIMO
PRESIDENT AND OWNER
This dress could stand on its own because it`s so beautifully done, but the perfect highlight for the face with this dress is a wrapped head and a pair of drop-dead earrings. Wrapped heads are coming back very strong but in far more interesting ways than they were wrapped in the `60s.
The gown is very body-forming, and it`s very finely pleated in a thin silk, like old Fortuny gowns. There`s some beading on it that is very subtle. You`d be surprised to see how it fits into a tiny bag and then comes out perfect, all set to wear.
If a man wants a classic tuxedo–something simple–but still wants to look special, we believe in adding touches like a pique vest and even a pin.
JO SIMONTON, EVANS
VICE PRESIDENT OF MARKETING
We believe that a very strong coat is essential to every woman`s wardrobe this fall. We`ve chosen a Perry Ellis that`s very classic and simple, with a strong but rounded shoulder. We`ve put it over a Tahari suit that has a nipped-in waist, a shorter jacket and long slim skirt. We`ve taken a big and easy silhouette and put it over a very slim one.
The color combination is unusual, too–mustard with magenta and black accessories, including the all-important turtleneck, plus the ultimate accessory, a fox boa by Becky Bisoulis. We feel that today`s woman is very confident, has a lot of options and can exercise her own choices in color and design.
That`s the important thing to remember about this period of the `80s:
choices. Women are refusing to be dictated to. They can go long or short, they can put together their own look. Women are far more confident today making those choices than they were at any time in the past, including the `60s.
Back then their choices were short term because things were very trendy. Today a woman has variety in lengths and styles, and she makes her own statement. But she`s doing it with things that have quality and value. These are long-term choices, which are really investment dressing.
DORIS LAVIN, POMPIAN, PRESIDENT
I`d like to see women dress in a more feminine way. Clothes most assuredly are closer to the body; skirts and pants are slimmer, tops are fuller, and there`s a tremendous emphasis on 7/8-length coats. This length can go over both pants, slim skirts and dresses.
This silk blouse has a velvet collar. There`s a lot of velvet being worn for daytime, which is very new. Notice the floral print with the plaid skirt. Mixing is very much what`s happening, it`s very updated. In Europe there`s hardly any matching.
Then there are the accessories, which are so exciting this fall. The bracelet is made of tapestry, which is quite unusual, and it has beads and pearls; the earrings are also beaded, and pins are so important, too. Some women can carry more jewelry than others, but no one can tell you how many pieces of jewelry to put on. Each woman has to know what she`s comfortable with. Jewelry is really a help in making things come alive, and it gives a complete feeling.
JOE CECIL, MALLARDS, PRESIDENT
This jacket is a classic that is clean and simple but not boring. The leather is an olive-drab shade, and it`s distressed, meaning it`s treated at the factory to look old. It looks like a jacket you`ve had for 25 years. That style of jacket originated in England and is like the windbreakers we`ve all worn.
The Shaker sweater is in a cream color that can be worn with lots of things.
The pattern in the sportshirt–paisley–is probably the epitome of what is happening this fall. You`ve got those little spots of color in the paisley, just like an interesting tie, which adds life. The trousers are tweed, and they have a lot of colors in an overplaid. Classics are what Chicagoans wear year in and year out, but there has to be something new about them.
ROSE PACE, J.C. PENNEY
PUBLICITY AND SPECIAL EVENTS COORDINATOR
The woman`s clothes are part of a group of mix-and-match separates, designed by Chicagoan Richard Dayhoff, which can be worn 10 or 12 different ways. I think this is what the career woman wants. A woman can go to work in the morning, and with the addition of some of the other pieces, the outfit can carry her on through the day.
Here she`s wearing very slim pants, which is the look this year, with the cowl-necked top, vest and long blazer. There`s also a circle skirt that is very long, almost to the ankles, and a topper. The combination of black and topaz is unusual, but both colors are compatible and so easy to accessorize. The cap with the braid is also part of Richard`s look, and it`s fun.
What I like especially about the man`s outfit is the country English look, the Harris tweed jacket. Colors for accessories can be picked from the different colors in the tweed.
The sweater vest is in paisley, which is very big this year.
DEBORAH SHAW, CHICAGO RALPH LAUREN/POLO SHOP
WOMEN`S MERCHANDISE MANAGER AND FASHION COORDINATOR
A mixture of natural fabrics is the strength of the season.
Her turtleneck in cashmere is oversized but still defines the body, and there`s waist definition with that wide belt. The skirt is soft and fluid even though it is leather.
With him, it`s the beautiful tweed combined with the striping in the shirt, the print foulard tie, the pocket square in yet another type of print
–all these patterns in beautiful natural fabrics mix together to become just a great way to dress.
These clothes are the kinds of clothes that everyone can wear. They fit into many lifestyles.
PAUL ROGERS, SEARS
NATIONAL APPAREL DIRECTOR
It`s a season of mixed textures, patterns and colors.
In the woman`s outfit, the knit texture and bright color of the sweater is a nice contrast to the very soft skirt and top in paisley-printed rayon challis that`s also colorful.
In the man`s outfit, there`s the pattern mix of the paisley tie, the geometric print of the shirt, the very tweedy sport coat in a blend of wool and silk, and the all-wool solid pants. We`ve put them together this way to bring out the texture and color.
These clothes are for people who like to be well-dressed but who don`t want clothes that scream, ”I`m the latest.” I think her outfit is very suitable for a Chicago woman for work or for a casual afternoon shopping downtown. It can even go into evening. The same with the man`s outfit: It`s more casual, so he probably wouldn`t be too comfortable with it if he were a banker. But if he`s in a creative area or another profession with any degree of flexibility in dress, he`d be able to wear it to work and then right on through to an evening function that was not real formal.
JERRY KAMHI, RINGOLEVIO VICE PRESIDENT, MERCHANDISE MANAGER AND PART OWNER
What is happening in fashion is a look that combines a very updated interpretation of American preppy with a slight European twist, giving it an international flavor. We see that in these clothes, which are American-designed from Axis, and they can be worn for play or work. It`s the silhouette and the proportions of the garments that make them a little different from true preppy products. The coats and her sweater are fuller yet realistic. These clothes are relaxed yet clean. Clean, meaning no gimmicks. We chose jewel tones for accents, grape for the woman and jade for the man.
SUZANNE PATTON, WIEBOLDT`S, FASHION PROMOTION DIRECTOR
We`d like to see Chicagoans go back to classics. Longer skirts, good wools, conservative dress on gentlemen updated with accessories such as new paisley ties. Colored shirts, soft sweaters.
We like some forward things, such as her checked jacket, and color accents, such as highlighting the grays with fall fashion colors, such as pastels–their yellow sweaters, for example.
I see the Chicago female customer building a smaller wardrobe around many basics, and updating it with accessories and with jackets, with beautiful belts, pins on her classic good wool blazers.
SCOTT BASKIN, MARK SHALE PRESIDENT AND CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
For fall we believe in business clothing that`s not boring.
From a distance his suit looks like a conservative business suit, but it`s a herringbone with an overplaid pattern, and you get all those rich colors–an olive, a very subtle turquoise, lavender, pink and burnt orange. You can pick up any of those colors in shirts and ties and pocket squares. The shirt is in an oxford cloth, which gives a little beefier texture for tweeds. The tie is a subtle paisley pattern, but it`s very colorful.
For women we still have the traditional man-tailored severe suit, but this is the excitement: The silhouette is long and lean, with its side-buttoned skirt and long blouson jacket. The mixture of the two patterns in the skirt and jacket complement each other, and there are even third and fourth patterns introduced with the shawl and blouse. The colors work together, and so do the patterns; nothing fights.
JAN WOLFF, CHAS. A. STEVENS DIVISIONAL MERCHANDISE MANAGER
These separates from Anne Klein II represent tailored, classic businesslike attire that is pared down. The design is less mannish than last year`s and not as oversized. It`s a little cleaner, closer to the body. The coat is a go-everywhere one that`s roomy but not too big.
We`d like to see women appear a little more feminine. For example, in accessories, such as a shoe with a higher heel; in softer blouses rather than a tailored shirt. The jacket shown under the coat is a good example of the biggest change we`ve seen. It`s much smaller, a little shorter and it nips in at the waist a little bit.
More women are buying clothes such as these for work, then experimenting with real sportswear after hours. For example, a woman who is a banker or attorney will wear Anne Klein separates or an Evan Picone or maybe a Cricketeer suit to work. But then she will go and buy Guess or Jag or Norma Kamali to hit Rush Street after work.
DARBY GRAGG, STANLEY KORSHAK, DIRECTOR OF STORES
The feeling for fall, for us, is a look that`s uncomplicated, clean, sleek, easy to wear. We feel that knits–whether cashmere, as the dress and jacket shown here, or cotton or jersey–fit very well into this concept. This outfit is close to the body, it`s easy. The coloration, the electric blue mixing with the brown tone, is right for fall.
A woman really doesn`t have to spend time thinking about putting together an outfit. She can just take this one out of the closet and put it on. I think it can be worn during the day, for dinner, for travel. It could be accessorized so that it could go out in the evening, certainly for the opera or the theater.
