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June 30, 2000/27 Sivan 5760, Vol. 52, No.43
Fall 2000 all about glamour
TAMI BICKLEY
Associate Editor
Don't even think of wearing khakis to the office once summer ends.
Your days of looking trendy with little effort are over now that designers have declared - via runway fashion - that casual is out and polished refinement and over-the-top glamour are in.
Fall 2000 will lend way to vibrant color combinations, sleek fabrics and accessories that scream, "Notice me!"
"Luxury has really returned to fashion," notes Angela Freeman, fashion manager for Nordstrom. "In past seasons, we have seen casualization, and that is going (to end)."
Freeman says designers are emphasizing color and "luxurious fabrics such as leather, cashmere and faux fur," which are all being used to accentuate two of fall's hottest looks: polished, refined dressing and the "glam rock" look.
Polished dressing dates back to the 1940s when big-city glamour was all the rage, explains Freeman.
Traditional matched suits with knee-length skirts or tailored pants fall into this category. Also back in style is the traditional solid or print blouse, worn alone with slacks or a skirt or underneath a matched suit.
Knee-length boots, of leather or synthetic materials, do well with a knee-length skirt, as well as classic pumps, which are making a fast comeback. Although extremely chunky heels are leaving the scene, some fashionable footwear will retain slight chunkiness, says Freeman.
Popular suit fabrics are tweed and argyle, as well as solid or printed velvet, says Freeman. Colors are rich and exude nature, she points out. These include greens mimicking the hues of moss, kiwi, lime and forest.
Another hot color this season is purple. Lilac, violet, plum and mulberry "reign the runways," Freeman says.
Returning this fall are the traditional browns: russet, chocolate and camel. The twist is that they're being matched with unexpected colors, such as blue, pumpkin and merlot, Freeman says. Shades of green and purple also are being mixed together or with neutral shades, such as camel or putty.
Reds, too, are showing up, even in the most traditionally tailored suits. Popular shades of red are rose, crimson and raisin, which "combine beautifully with violet, lipstick red and curry," she adds.
In addition to rich color, suits are being spruced up with faux fur trim along the lapel, pockets or hem. In cooler climates, faux fur coats, jackets and mufflers are trendy.
"Even Arizona women can update with (faux) fur," says Freeman. "They can (opt for) a lighter weight tweed with fur detail, or a fur handbag."
Once the workday ends, some women may trade in their polished, refined look for rock star appeal. Here, the concept is "almost anything goes." Anything that is colorful, bold and sexy, that is.
"The glam rock trend comes from 1970s rock and roll, sort of like (the way) Ziggy Stardust (a.k.a. David Bowie) dressed," Freeman says. "It's all about bold pattern and color mixing. There are faux fur details in the glam rock look, but they are usually recolored bright fuschia or yellow, and matched against a Pucci print or graphic bold print."
"Downtown girls will slink into a pair of skin-tight leather rocker pants," says Macy's West Fashion Director Bill Bigler. "Clunky Doc Martens are replaced by sexy stiletto sandals."
Leather is often metalicized, recolored or patterned to look like python or crocodile. In fact, accessories and shoes are being made to look like the skin of zebras, giraffes and the ubiquitous leopard, says Bigler.
Some faux leather garments are also available, but not nearly as much as the real thing, says Freeman.
For those who want to pare down on the weekends, Freeman suggests taking the polished dressing idea and making it more casual. For example, she says, one can wear "a really great pair of crisp khakis with a halter neckline sweater and a flat sandal, which is very big this fall."
Glam gals can opt for "a great jean with a printed tee."
Whatever persona you may wish to exude this season, designers help pave the way by providing a range from casual to businesslike to wild.
Fall merchandise is available at Macy's at Biltmore Fashion Park and Paradise Valley Mall; and will be available July 21 at Nordstrom at Scottsdale Fashion Square.
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