SENSE OF STYLE / FASHION : The Freedom of Expression
Nineteen ninety-six will have its share of sweeping style pronouncements: Expect bright colors to get the big push as the innovation that separates the chic from the great unwashed. But there is a curious balance to fashion now, reflected in the fact that every trend exists hip to hip with its style antithesis.
So while there will be clothes in acid green and a palette of adventurous hues for spring and summer, less aggressive pastels, neutrals, white and black will also be plentiful. The other style dichotomies that will provide a multitude of choices mid-decade are between women who dress to appear rich and those who strive to look poor; between the cult of the ugly and designers determined to offer pretty clothes; between simple, relaxed modern styles and fussy, elaborate ones with historical references.
And let us not forget the contrast between the ladylike mode that surfaced last year and the deliberate celebration of bad taste some designers are presenting, tongues in chic cheeks.
Often, navigating toward a preferred style is simply a matter of knowing your designer. Calvin Klein is dependably minimalist, Oscar de la Renta perpetually on the side of old-fashioned femininity. Others change dramatically enough to confuse us. Gianni Versace, the surest hand at high-fashion trash, turned respectable last fall. And Miuccia Prada, whose proper little costumes helped start the move toward refined dressing, borrowed prints from tacky trailer decor for her spring collection. When designers do stylistic flip-flops, and their colleagues champion opposite looks, the result is broad freedom of choice.
*
Beauty Tip: Resolved in the new year, to pamper myself more, and be open-minded when considering the potential benefits of sea kelp masks or thigh creams containing sunflower placenta. The problem is, there is a nasty little she-devil who rests on my left shoulder and whispers in my ear, “You’re wasting your time. After you turn 30, it’s a downhill slide. If you want to take the ride on a river of alpha hydroxy acid, it’s your nickel, but don’t think you’re going to look any better.”
I’d rather listen to the gorgeous angel doing crunches on my right shoulder, who doesn’t look a day over 38, although I heard she had her first face-lift at 41. She says, “Oh, ye of little faith. You don’t know whether panthenol hydrates protect against split ends unless you try them. Take care of yourself. You deserve it.”
The angel’s encouraging words led me to two cleansers from Murad, a local skin-care company guided by a dermatologist. Found in beauty supply stores, Murad’s Exfoliating Cleanser with glycolic acid is not at all abrasive, unlike some scrubs whose main ingredient seems to be gravel. And its Outer Glow Exfoliating Body Polish, rubbed on in the shower, smoothes and, as the name promises, polishes. The devil said if I add one more step to my routine I’ll never get out of the house. I stroked the soft skin on my arms, thought I could see my outer glow in the mirror and told her to shut up.
* Sense of Style appears on Thursdays in Life & Style.
