Self-Fulfilling Prophecies : Forecasting Trends Most Likely to Make 1989 a Year of Living Stylishly
NEW YEAR, especially one with a new Administration and an uncertain economic climate, influences beauty news almost as much as front-page news. Conversations with fashion and beauty forecasters show 1989 as more than simply another 12 months of trends; it is also the year that caps off the ‘80s and foreshadows the ‘90s. Watch for the following:
- White hair will be liberated, thanks to new First Lady Barbara Bush.
- “Recession-proof” French perfume will be sold at $5 per quarter-ounce in drug and grocery stores on racks next to the throwaway lighters and razors.
- Pyramid-power dressing--narrow shoulders and wide, full hemlines--demand that the head make the fashion point with sleek, controlled hair styles.
- False eyelashes and dark eye makeup, hinting of the 1960s, will look much more refined, thanks to subtler application techniques.
- The return of the bare bellybutton in spring means that stomach and waist exercises should start now.
- Fewer product claims will appear on skin-care treatments; in fact, one company will go so far as to promote a “claim-free” moisturizer.
- More free samples of cosmetics and fragrances will mean fewer glitzy TV commercials.
- Richly colored lips that look stained, not painted, will be achieved with ultra-sheer lipsticks.
- Perms for women will result in big, flat, 1930s-type waves.
- Perms for men will create a wilder, fuller head, controlled by the cut, not by gels and sprays.
- Prettier details: Sculptured lipsticks and eye shadows that look like chiseled Italian marble will make cosmetics even more of an impulse buy.
- Ankle-tied shoes, which look best with trim, toned legs, will inspire women to work out with ankle weights.
- Metallic-finish fashions will reflect makeup that glints of silver, gold and bronze. Hair will be so shiny that it almost looks artificial.
- Scottish hairdressers will make news as trend-setters, surpassing British and Italian stylists.
- Complete skin-treatment regimens, including anti-wrinkle products, will be sold inexpensively in chain drugstores.
- Huge sunglasses with thick black or tortoise frames, even larger than Jacqueline Onassis’ trademark dark glasses, will be the shades of choice.
- Cleavage will come back into focus, as will shapelier hips; as Nancy Reagan leaves the spotlight, so does the Size 6 body.
Hair and makeup: James Hajdukiewicz / Celestine-Cloutier; model: Kate Disley / It Model Management. Rifat Ozbek bolero, crop top, pants and belt from Madeleine Gallay, West Hollywood.
