VALLEY VOGUE / CINDY LaFAVRE YORKS : Return to ‘Age of Innocence’ : * Prom gowns are returning to pink and dainty--but they are still paired with Docs industrial boots.
Cutting-edge fashions worn for this famous rite of passage are regaining their virginal nuances. Alas, Vegas showgirl looks are still around, but the “age of innocence” look, not seen at proms since the late ‘70s, is vying for a comeback.
Teen mags the likes of Seventeen and YM, among others, feature some ingenue-inspired renditions in their spring prom issues. So while some tawdry styles are still being touted--they’re just not as cutting edge. Red-sequin numbers look old and tired compared to the blush pink brocades, cabbage flower prints and even vintage dresses being resurrected for the big night. Cameo and pearl-studded crescendos of curls are being adorned with combs and ponytail holders accented with dainty faux rosettes. What could be more feminine?
More daring than dainty is the one rollover trend from last year--Doc Martens boots. They are still being paired with prom gowns across the country and in the Valley. The colored, crushed velvet 14-eye boot, has debuted just in time for the prom.
At Dungarees, a clothing and shoe boutique in Studio City, owner Gary Friedman says prom-bound Valley girls already have been in with their festive frocks in tow. So far, there is a mix of longer floral rayon styles and shorter, flirtier skirts destined to be paired with Docs. Exactly what kind of girl goes in for the industrial footwear on prom night?
“Someone who is a fashion renegade, who’s self-confident and who really wants to make a statement,” Friedman says.
In the predominantly avant assemblage of teen-age Valley fashion plates, is there really any other kind?
Don’t try this at home: Eyelash curlers may be headed for a beauty museum--or trash can--near you. The torture device invented in the 1930s may yet be edged out by lash perms.
The hair-curling procedure takes 45 minutes. Eyes are closed during the entire treatment, which begins with a thorough eye-area cleansing. Then, a gentle adhesive is applied along the upper lash line. A minuscule perm rod is selected and trimmed to accommodate individual lash length. The rod is laid onto the adhesive and the lashes are hand-adhered to the tiny rod.
Yet another layer of lash adhesive secures the lashes to the rod, and their own perm solution is applied and left on for about 10 minutes. The excess solution is removed with a cleanser, then a neutralizer, designed to lock in curl, is applied and left on 10 more minutes. The area is again cleansed to ready the eye for the final lash conditioner. Lashes stay curly for about two months, say beauticians.
But does it hurt? No, says Sheryl Goodman of Gauthier Image and Skin Care salon in Sherman Oaks.
“It doesn’t even tickle,” she insists.
The federal Food and Drug Administration is investigating lash perms, but the procedure is not a top priority because eyelash perms are not sweeping the country.
“Our only concern at this point is the possible irritation perm solutions may cause to the eye area,” says John Dailey, director of the cosmetic and colors division based in Washington.
Lash perms aren’t exactly enjoying a feverish popularity, but as the word gets out, women are picking up on the trendy option, explains Sally Pierson of Amadeus Spa Salon in Pasadena, where the lash perm also goes for $45.
“More and more women come in for it in the warm weather months, when they are swimming more, because they won’t have to worry about curling their eyelashes,” she says.
And you were fretting for nothing.
Dressed to a tee: Anyone who thinks golfers still dress like Rodney Dangerfield in “Caddyshack” needs to wake up and smell the designer labels. A cruise through the Sherwood Country Club in Westlake Village should suffice nicely, thank you.
Its pro shop, cited for its cutting-edge golf fashions earlier this year by Women’s Wear Daily, is officially on the fashion map. Head pro Paul Celano and Celia Francis, buyer and merchandise coordinator, are maintaining the momentum for spring and summer ’94.
Ralph Lauren’s Polo line and Liz Claiborne’s golf fashion line the club’s walls, among other noteworthy outfitters for the sport. Hot new labels favored by the club’s golfers include E.P. Pro and Como Sport.
Francis says the club’s reputation is earned thanks to members who dress “quite nicely, much more so than at other golf clubs I’ve visited around the country.” Though no one style exists, Francis says, one informal fashion motto seems firmly entrenched: Everything must match.
