RUNWAY TO REALITY : A Chain Reaction to Denim

The surprise in the Chanel fall ’91 collection is an old standby: denim jackets and skirts. They are worn with tons of heavy-linked gold chains, oversize pearls, jeweled bracelets and leather or chain belts.

The die-hard Chanel customer will find the jacket lined in goldenrod-colored fleece for $2,325, and a suit with a goldenrod knit jacket and a slim denim skirt for $3,035, at the Chanel boutique and I. Magnin in Beverly Hills.

The jewelry costs almost as much. A necklace of chain, leather and giant pearls is $918; a chain and leather belt is $830; a bracelet cuff is $490.

Head-to-toe cost: $7,598.

To get the look without the label, consider the $29 jeans jacket by Gitano at Ross Dress for Less in West Hollywood. Also at Ross is a blue denim wrap skirt by Calvin Klein Sport for $25. Kookai, a French manufacturer new to the United States, makes a cotton-blend knit cardigan sweater with gold buttons that retails for $102 and looks great under the jean jacket. It can also be worn over Kookai’s $42 black short-sleeved poor boy sweater. Fred Segal Melrose and Le Chateau boutiques carry the label.

As for accessories, Accessocraft makes a three-row chain and leather belt for $72. Its chain and leather bracelet is $27. Both are carried at Nordstrom stores. Carolee makes a gold chain and black leather choker for $85, a combination gold link and large pearl necklace for $55, a six-strand gold chain for $75 and a multi-twist gold pearl choker for $110. The chain and leather bracelet costs $17. Carolee accessories are available at Port O’ Call in Pasadena and Pastille, citywide.

Total cost of the Chanel wanna-be: $639.