The transition from designer runways to retail racks is typically a filtered affair. But this fall, European and American designers have adopted a more down-to-earth stance on style, retailers say. The result: Fashion is adopted faster and less watered-down as it moves from collections to consumers.
”Styles were easier to translate this season because they were easier to wear,” says Mariana Keros, fashion spokeswoman for The Limited, based in Columbus, Ohio.
More consumer-friendly, yes, but a literal translation? Not always. A quick look at what is hitting stores:
– Menswear: Pinstripes, chalk stripes and glen plaids are infiltrating women`s apparel everywhere, from moderate-price department stores to pricey boutiques.
Yet the menswear trend is more a matter of ”borrowing from the boys”
than copycat couture like the Annie Hall look, says Lucille Klein, fashion director at J.C Penney Co. Inc., based in Dallas. While fabrics wield Wall Street savvy, silhouettes have a feminine focus, reminiscent of the `40s:
Jackets have fuller shoulders and nipped-in waists to accentuate curves.
Retail revamping here has been minor. Where menswear on the runway was tailored to the extreme, stores will take a softer stance.
And blends will be used to keep prices down.
Accessories play a major role in the menswear movement and can help women achieve the look without spending a fortune. Sears is starting to set up menswear accessory shops this month in a quarter of its stores, stocking shelves with vests, fedoras, bowlers, ties and watch fobs.
– Vests: A component of the menswear movement, vests have developed into a trend in their own right. Waistcoats show up in every pattern, from conservative pinstripes to conversational prints. Not much tampering.
– Longer lengths: Skirts hitting mid-calf will have a major presence. Two spot checks: At Nordstrom, about 50 percent of skirts will be long; at The Limited, about 60 percent.
Yet while many runway skirts were made from stretch fabrics that hugged the body, retailers are offering the long and lean look in fabrics more appropriate for the office, such as wool garbardine. Leg-revealing slits are less daring than in fashion shows. Instead of thigh-high slits, retailers are showing slits only two or three inches above the knee.
– Animal prints: The call of the wild reverberates, but the intensity of the roar is quieter at retail than on the runway. In the retail realm it`s appearing most in accessories and trims.
– Red: Fall`s hottest hue is fire-engine red.
”Scarlet red looks good on almost everyone,” says Gina Tovar, fashion director for Nordstrom, in Oak Brook. It also crosses over to other trends, giving menswear or animal prints even more panache, she adds.
Where to buy
Jumper, $138; and turtleneck, $48; available from Ann Taylor stores. Vest, $20; tie, $10; oxford shoes, $32; available from Sears stores. Wrap jacket, $XX; fringed skirt, $XX; available from The Limited stores.
