A Bold New Tie, Even a Wacky One, Says, ‘Hey, I’m Hip’
DEAR HOT: I’m a man who’s just gone to work for an advertising firm where the dress mode is a lot hipper than what I’m used to. I’m afraid my banker-type suits won’t work anymore. I don’t have a whole lot of money to invest in a new wardrobe, so do you have any ideas for bringing me into the ‘90s that won’t put me in hock up to my eyeballs?
--J.R., Palms
DEAR J.R.: Ties are a great way to give your suits a new ‘tude without having to tap into your retirement account.
Slip on a tie featuring a crossword puzzle or a pop art mermaid and you’ve instantly brought your banker’s suits into the new decade.
According to Richard Pressman, vice president of The Final Touch, a progressive men’s accessories store in the Westside Pavilion (also in the Northridge Fashion Center), these “conversational ties” are all the rage.
They typically have bold, compelling, sometimes wacky patterns that are meant to induce conversations (as in: “Hey--where’dja get that neat tie, dude?”). The patterns range from Cecilia Metheny’s beach umbrella prints to Claude Montana’s portrait of James Dean to Franco Moschino’s crossword puzzle to a primitive mermaid design by the Milan design firm Memphis.
Pressman predicts that florals mixed with paisley patterns will be big for fall, and advises true tie fanatics to watch for new 4-inch-wide neckwear.
DEAR HOT: My 6-year-old daughter identifies more with Paula Abdul than Minnie Mouse. She refuses to wear polka dots, ribbons or bows--anything cute and childish. I know that more sophisticated children’s clothes are carried in the high-end department stores. Are there any other places I can find adult-like styles for little girls?
--A.P., Santa Monica
DEAR A.P.: There is now an entire chain of stores designed expressly for youthful fashion fiends. It’s called Limited Too and is a division of The Limited, the innovative, Columbus, Ohio-based firm.
“We truly believe kids have a point of view about how they dress and have a sophisticated fashion sense,” explains Limited Too marketing coordinator Cindi Acker-Hein . “Some of the styles (in Limited Too) are exactly the same ones in The Limited. But you’ll sometimes find more fashion-forward looks in the kids’ store than in the adults’ store. Kids like to have a little more fun with fashion than adults.”
Current Limited Too merchandise includes patterned tights, felt hats, leggings, anorak tops, dangle earrings and blazers, usually in fabrics such as rayon and cotton. Colors tend to fall into two categories: brights (including such high-styled combinations as black with cream) or spicy shades (including ginger, Cajun red, soft brown and cream). Prices range from $18 (for a mock turtleneck) to $129 (for outerwear).
You can escort your mini fashion mavens to Limited Too stores in two varieties: shops within existing Limited stores and free-standing stores. In Southern California, they’re at the Beverly Center in Los Angeles, Newport Beach’s Fashion Island and the South Bay Galleria in Redondo Beach. Additional Limited Too branches are scheduled to open in Los Cerritos Center in Cerritos on Aug. 11 and in the Del Amo Fashion Center in Torrance on Aug. 18.
OOPS!--Last week we erroneously told reader J.K. from Westchester that Filene’s Basement (the legendary chain of stores in the Northeast where customers try on clothes in the aisles) went out of business. We’re happy to report that not only is the store still open, it’s going strong with 27 branches throughout the Northeast and four more scheduled to open in the fall. And, get this--the stores now have dressing rooms.
“There was a very small men’s dressing room all along,” reports public relations manager Maria DiChiara, “We added a women’s dressing room of equal size. But the die-hards still change in the aisles.”
