Polos, Pinks and Plastic : The shirts and the feminine color make comebacks. See-through accessories gain popularity.
During its peak in the early ‘80s, it separated the cool Valley kids from Hollywood punks in the movie “Valley Girl.” It’s been the sporty style for snooty country clubbers as well as the standard uniform for the hamburger-flipping set.
This spring, the polo shirt rides again--but in new dimensions, stretched to mini-dresses and shrunken to form-fitting, cropped tops. Found in an array of fabrics, from classic cotton pique to rayon blends shining like satin, the polo may be one of the first resurrected ‘80s trends.
Alexis Eisner, fashion director of The Fashion Center in San Francisco, said the look combines two spring trends--tighter tops and retro-mania.
“It’s a new version of something more popular in the ‘80s,” Eisner said.
“And this whole shrunken craze is big. Ralph Lauren capitalized on both trends when he sent racy, tiny polo shirts combined with satin skirts down the runway.”
Colleen Lloyd, manager of the Wet Seal in Topanga Plaza, said customers have been seeking out the polo dresses and shirts in different colors and patterns, such as stripes, and said white cropped polos do well as a basic wardrobe addition.
“The appeal is that polos can go under dresses and with skirts,” said Lloyd, adding that the look complements what people already have in their closets.
Expect to pay from $15 to $56 for a shrunken polo shirt and $25 to $82 for a polo dress at San Fernando Valley specialty and department stores. Bullock’s in The Promenade at Woodland Hills carries an array of polo fashions in the juniors department, including shirts with matching tennis-style skirts and dresses with zipper-neck closures.
Jan Tschirki, senior fashion coordinator for juniors at Bullock’s headquarters in San Francisco, said, “There’s always an influence in juniors from boys wear,” but noted that the nostalgia of the polo does lend appeal. “It’s also an Americana look--a la Ralph Lauren.”
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TICKLED PINK: Long linked to cotton candy, bubble gum and Mary Kay Cadillacs, pink is more prevalent this spring in the fashion world than in many seasons past, satisfying the appetites of the color-starved.
“We can’t keep it in stock,” said Patty Ross of the pink fashions at the Ron Ross store in Studio City, where she is a buyer. “After so many seasons of no color, there is a demand for color.”
In area stores, pink heats up everything from designer suits, shoes and handbags to T-shirts and Converse sneakers, as well as cosmetics. The trend is linked to a decidedly more feminine movement, said Gregg Andrews, fashion coordinator for Los Angeles Nordstrom stores.
“We’ve done the grunge, we’ve done the waifs,” Andrews said. “Pink embodies the whole feeling of finally having a season allowing women to look pretty and feminine.”
For those wanting to inject pink into their wardrobes without high expense, Andrews suggested adding a pink blouse to a neutral suit that you already own, or adding an accessory, such as a floral scarf or a pin-on pink camellia to lend a splash of the color.
Those who think pink a color just for little girls should think again, Andrews said.
“It is perceived a juvenile color, but it can be worn with sophistication. Teaming black with pink makes it more sophisticated,” he said. “There is such a range of pinks--from pale white pinks to flamingo pinks to more russet, reddish pinks. There’s a pink for everybody.”
Could you be pretty in pink with so many hues? Barbara Gauthier, owner of Gauthier Image and Skin Care in Sherman Oaks, has this advice for those afraid of washing out in pink fashions or makeup.
“People don’t realize pinks can be cool or warm,” she said. “Those with warm or yellow tones in their skin need a warm pink. Those with blue tones in their skin need a cool pink.”
Warm pinks have what would almost seem peach or coral influences, while cool pinks would be clearer and brighter--like hot pink, magenta or mauve, Gauthier explained.
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CLEAR THINKING: Those bold enough to show their feet or the contents of their handbags may want to check out shoes, hats, purses, backpacks and belts made from clear plastic, vinyl and Lucite. The trend could at least make searching through one’s bag a bit easier.
Doug Comford, manager of Leeds shoe store in Topanga Plaza, said the see-through accessories are quite popular and transcend age boundaries.
“A woman in her 50s bought one of the clear mini-backpacks for herself,” he said. “It’s just a new, fun, fresh trend.”
Bari Levine, manager of David’s shoe store in Encino, said her patrons love the clear looks, including shoes that are half patent and half vinyl. That style by Yves Saint Laurent goes for about $205 a pair.
“It’s a very sexy look, and the clear vinyl goes with everything. You don’t have to buy so many different pairs of shoes,” she said. “But you have to have nice feet to wear the style.”
Clear, strapped, high-heeled sandals with black trim and clear, Lucite heels are one of DKNY’s spring shoe selections, available at Bullock’s in Woodland Hills. Even jellies, those clear slip-ons, often tinted in blue or pink, have captured the eye of designers. Anne Klein’s jelly espadrilles run about $80; Guess has a heeled version for about $45. Lower-cost versions of the jelly can be found at Robinsons-May in Topanga Plaza or Valencia for about $15.
