Too Thin? Try a Little Legwork
DEAR HOT: I love leggings, but I’m extremely conscious of my legs--they’re really skinny (my brothers used to call me Olive Oyl, OK?). Is there any way I can wear leggings this fall and not look like a toothpick?
--N.G., Woodland Hills
DEAR N.G.: Don’t despair, there’s a solution that will pump up your legs without leaving you looking like Bluto. Printed leggings are expected to be all the rage this fall, and they also create an optical illusion, making your legs seem heavier. Elaborate paisleys, large floral designs, geometrics, even Pucci prints are decorating legs this season.
A plaid pair (pictured) by Tapemeasure sells for $52, and you don’t even have to roll your gams into a store to get them. They’re from the Saks Fifth Avenue 1990 fall Folio catalogue. According to Patricia Fox, director of fashion and marketing for Saks Beverly Hills, “We feel printed, patterned leggings will be very strong this fall. Since skirts are so short--they look like hand towels--it’s important that the leg be covered with something opaque, either printed leggings or ribbed knit stockings.”
Merchandise from the Saks catalogue can be ordered by calling: (800) 345-3454.
DEAR HOT: When I shop in malls it’s not long before I become exhausted from going from store to store trying on clothes. My brain suffers from sensory overload looking at everything, and then I get cranky. Is this just me or is this a common problem? I love to shop, so I’m curious to know if there’s anything I can do about this.
--K.Z., Manhattan Beach
DEAR K.Z.: This sometimes happens to us too, especially after listening to people trying out the merchandise at piano and organstores. So, to check out remedies for mall fatigue, we checked with an architect/urban designer who studies these things.
Stefanos Polyzoides, associate professor of architecture at USC, says that if you tire while moseying through the mall, it’s best to go to a section away from shopping. Then relax and people-watch. Or have a snack.
He thinks it’s even better if this area has some natural elements, such as plants, fresh air, a fountain or, perhaps, sunlight coming through skylights. In fact, Polyzoides doesn’t really care for malls because, he claims, most of them are “destroying traditional public street experiences. They don’t have sidewalks, birds, shady places and sunlit places. They’re not active urban areas. They’re shopping traps.”
There are those of us who thrive in such traps. But if mall fatigue is becoming chronic, try some outdoor street shopping.
DEAR HOT SHOPPERS: How do you deal with mall fever? While you’re scooping up the last of the summer sales, sorting through the new fall styles and trying to coordinate back-to-school wardrobes that don’t include Simpsons T-shirts, how do you cope? Send us your shopping strategies and we’ll print the most amazing ones in a future column.
WE BRAKE FOR SHOPPERS--Hot to Shop recently spotted a license plate frame with a message near and dear to our hearts: “I graduated from Cal State Nordstrom.”
