The L.A. Forecast : Swimwear gets glitzier for the cruise season. Ready-to-wear plays fast or loose for spring. : . . . and the Dry
It’s already springtime in the world of fashion. Four shows of spring and summer collections were presented around town this week, sponsored by the California Mart, the Mayor’s Fashion Advisory Committee, as well as Barbara Fields Buying Office and Directives West, two companies that advise buyers on trends.
The best news is there will be something to please everyone. Which is a nice way of saying there is no consensus on fit, length, fabric or silhouette.
Skirts and dresses are either short and tailored or long and shapeless; pants are either wide and billowy or fit like a second skin. Even fabrics are used in unexpected ways; denim appears as evening wear and silver-shot metallic knits are used for day.
The newest looks are ultra-feminine, with an emphasis on the waist. Short, full skirts are held aloft with tutu-like petticoats. Jackets are often sleeveless and fitted through the torso. Blouses have returned and are worn tied at the midriff to expose a few inches of skin. Corsets, the season’s foundation of choice, accentuate the waist. An old look is making a big comeback--drop-waisted, loose-fitting, ankle-length dresses in pale floral prints. Just as biker and rap styles did, this look came up from the streets by way of secondhand stores. It appears in the collections of Janice McCarty, David Dart, Holly Sharp, Mica and Newfield, among others.
After the Directives West show, fashion coordinator Patty Fox said a spandex customer might not like the loose dresses, but she pointed out that they offer the same comfort as close-fitting, stretchy clothes. At the Cal Mart show, Robin Piccone and Andrea Vincent for A.K.A. tried to satisfy both camps with dresses over catsuits.
Short, sleeveless dresses worn with interesting jackets are a consistent theme from ladylike clothing designers such as Lisa Anne and J. Hoenscheidt.
Blue jeans are rarely blue; they are dyed brilliant pink or bleached white. Traditional blues are patched with multicolored fabrics or belled with tiers of ruffles.
On several occasions denim is paired with another seasonal favorite--gingham. Sue Wong combined a red gingham skirt edged in large rickrack with a knit top in indigo for one of the most successful combinations.
