Old but Improved

Joining the recent reissues of its legendary Gazelle and Super Star models, Adidas has brought back its Forum basketball shoe. The three styles were the footwear for inner-city youth two decades ago, says John Connelly, product development manager for Adidas. A new generation tuned to rap and hip-hop has warranted their return; Marky Mark sported a pair of the new Forum Lites on a magazine cover recently; Kriss Kross donned them for a Gap ad. The old model has been updated with modern materials, making them lighter. And, Connelly says, the Velcro strap was widened and the logo enlarged to fit contemporary tastes.

Knit Picks

Clothes might be fluid and flowing for spring, but fashion experts say the added soft element that will lend wardrobes substance and texture is a crochet piece. Hook a vest, sweater, skull cap--even bell-bottoms crocheted of fine yarn or thread. Let skin show through peek-a-boo holes for sexual appeal. The look is home-grown chic with a retro flashback of the ‘30s and ‘70s.

Mom and Dad Like It, Too

Ah, the memory of youth . . . what’s here today is relegated to the toy box tomorrow. The latest members of the Disney cast, Aladdin and Jasmine, will no doubt eventually join the fate of Ariel the Mermaid and Beauty. But for now they reign, and anything with their mugs on it is selling faster than you can rub a lamp. Sales Mouseketeer Julie at the South Coast Plaza Disney Stores says items bearing the hip, blue Genie (voiced by Robin Williams in the film) are especially popular among adults--which could keep the “Aladdin” cast around longer than the others.

Up a Notch

The biggest news for menswear this year might be the three-button coat, but it’s an old headline for Frank Johnson. The owner of Frank’s Italian Men’s Wear in Orange has been carrying the style for the past couple of seasons. However, Johnson concedes that it “could finally become retailable” in ’93. “Orange County doesn’t think in terms of fun or trendy, but longevity,” he says. That thinking, clouded by a dim economy, has him speculating that the three-button may become popular only among the “younger guy in his 30s.”