Underneath It All, Tight Clothes Demand Drawing the Line at Panties
Out of Line: It’s hard to imagine Cindy Crawford with a problem like this, but it can happen. Any kind of close-fitting slack or skirt combined with a standard issue panty brief will cause panty lines, pure and simple.
In the right situation, such as a subtle line of underwear showing through a casual pair of jeans, they can look sexy. But more often, a dressy pair of slacks or stirrup pants are marred by the outline of panties showing through. If you want to get rid of the lines, there’s only one foolproof solution: Get rid of the underwear.
“Shapers are underwear with longer legs, and they give you a smoother line,” says Joey Sims of Chez Joey in Laguna Niguel. “With slacks or skirts, wear pantyhose without putting a brief on first. After all, they’re designed to be worn that way. And remember, if you have to wear briefs, beige tones won’t show the lines as much.”
Buttoned Up or Down? You can always tell the nervous guys at a dressed up function--they’re pacing around with a drink in hand, alternately buttoning and unbuttoning the top button of their sport or suit jacket. It’s a common query: Is it correct to leave it buttoned or should it be unsecured?
“If it’s a business function and clients and superiors are there, leave it buttoned,” says clothing designer Blaine Keil of Laguna Beach. “Or at least take their lead; if they’ve unbuttoned their jackets, it’s probably OK if you do the same.”
Fun, unconstructed jackets are never secured, but if you’ve got a traditional suit or jacket, that’s when to button the top hole. Never the second. And the question is moot if your jacket is double-breasted. Doubles are buttoned in public at all times.
On the Fringe: Around 25 years ago, the hippies of Haight-Asbury began wearing the suede-yoked leather jackets favored by cowboys to last the cold nights of the Bay Area. Their well-used jackets--which featured long strips of leather fringe from the arms, chest and back--became a symbol of their rebellion against “the Establishment.”
Now that being perceived as a rebel has taken on a new sense of cool, the fringe leather jacket is back. “It’s really a classic jacket; it’s been around for more than 100 years,” says fashion consultant Brian Mayne of Mission Viejo. “It has a rebellious look, which makes it popular.”
The fringe that’s in now is about three to four inches long, enough to be swept back as you cruise down the boulevard in your custom Harley.
If you’re interested in reviving an old jacket in your closet that’s survived several clothing forages for the Salvation Army (how could you have given it away?) a tailor can trim and recondition the fringe so it’s ready for use. Or get a pair of scissors and do it yourself. Marlon Brando would.
