Sinfully Synthetic
You figured bell-bottoms and platforms were the worst of the retro revolution? Think again. Polyester--that 20th-Century marvel--is back like a poltergeist, and it’s the hippest thing happening since nose piercing. L.A. designer Rick Klotz leads the way with his “poly protec” model for Raw Vibe. Made 100% from the wonder fiber, his boxy shorts ($40) are available in shades reminiscent of leisure suits: sage, tobacco, cream, wine and turquoise. “You tend to think of polyester as tight, but these are loose-fitting so kids accept them,” Klotz says. He expects guys who tend to throw everything in a corner pile will enjoy another feature: “You don’t have to iron or wash them as much.”
Think Hershey
Forget black or navy. Designers say the biggest base color for spring and summer is chocolate. Even suppliers of trendy gear say that recent orders, including those for their traditionally black nightclub styles, are showing sweet sales in brown. “The best-selling color for us is always black, but surprisingly, chocolate is following a very close second,” says Candice Prezens, a spokeswoman for Tripp NYC. With its collection in boutiques worldwide, the Big Apple-based label has its pulse on what trendsetters demand.
Use Your Head
First it was baseball caps, then beanies. The top choice now for head wear is the sock hat. While fashion firms and hat makers churn them out at $12 to $80 a pop (the inflated price bears the “Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis” tag), the creatively frugal are making them for the shirt off their back. Well, that’s from an old shirt off their back: cut off a sleeve or use a part of the body of a Tee, and stitch it into a tube. Cut a skinny strip of the same fabric and tie it around one end of the tube, a la a candy wrapper. Voila!
Happy Days Again
Getting 8-to-10-year-old girls interested in saddle shoes was a struggle--until recently. Now owner Helene Kahan of the Children’s Bootery in La Habra can’t keep the ‘50s favorite in stock. What’s the sudden attraction? “Who knows what sets these kids off?” responds Kahan. “A year ago, when parents suggested them, the little ones would turn green at the thought.” Besides basic black and white, there’s pink or navy with white ($36-$41).
