For ‘Sex and the City’ Clothes, Surf the Web
Dear Fashion Police: On a recent episode of HBO’s “Sex and the City,” Charlotte was wearing a pink suede coat. It was beautiful. I would like to purchase one just like it. Do you know where it might be available?
--A FAN
Dear Fan: “Sex and the City” has developed quite a following of clothesaholics who can’t get enough of the classy, sexy, provocative, trendy fashions worn by Carrie, Charlotte, Miranda and Samantha (a.k.a. Sarah Jessica Parker, Kristin Davis, Cynthia Nixon and Kim Cattrall). Credit Patricia Field, the show’s costume designer, for making the show a hit with fashionistas. In addition to working on this show and other TV and movie projects, she owns two Manhattan boutiques and heads up a clothing line called House of Field, which is designed by her longtime associate David Dalrymple.
According to a spokesman for the show, that pink suede coat is by French designer Christian Lacroix. Unfortunately that’s all we were told. We’re sure of one thing--it’s going to be a high-ticket item, since the designer’s clothes routinely go into the four figures.
However, if you’re jonesing for other outfits and accessories you may find them on the show’s weekly EBay auction. Warning! These items can get pretty pricey, often zooming into the hundreds of dollars, sometimes well over their original retail cost. But the proceeds go to good causes--four charities chosen by the show’s stars. All the info and links to the EBay auctions can be found at www.hbo.com.
You can visit Patricia Field’s online boutique at www.patriciafield .com. Lots of fun, wacky and funky clothes and accessories are for sale, including handbags, jewelry, lingerie and hats.
Dear Fashion Police: I have a couple of pairs of black cotton pants and some tops that, after a few washings, start to fade and lose their true black color. Do you know of any tips to set the color so it won’t fade after a few washings? Will dry-cleaning cut down on fading? I’ve also heard that soaking the garments in vinegar and water, or a tea bath, will set the color. Do those work?
--IN THE BLACK
Dear In: We have good news and bad news. The bad news is that, like death and taxes, having dark clothes fade after repeated washings is pretty much inevitable. It happens to light-colored clothes too, we just don’t notice it that much.
The good news is that there are many things you can do to help lessen the fading, including a new product just on the market.
Let’s start with that. Woolite’s new Dark Laundry Fabric Wash is formulated to minimize fading and can be used in washing machines. It was first introduced in France (where dark clothes are de rigueur, oui?) and is just now arriving on store shelves in the U.S., retailing for about $5.25 for 32 ounces. We haven’t had a chance to road test it yet, but we’d like to hear from anyone who has.
We spoke with Jane Rising, manager of training and instruction at the International Fabricare Institute, a trade association of dry cleaners, wet cleaners and launderers, based in Silver Spring, Md.
She offered a plethora of tips, starting with following the care label instructions for washing, an important step that many people ignore. If machine washing is recommended, turn the garment inside out so it won’t come in contact with other clothes, and use a shorter wash cycle. Also, add the amount of detergent suggested and don’t overload the machine. “Things rub up against each other, and the agitation can cause the dyes to rub off,” she explained.
Clothes may fade less or more at the dry cleaner, Rising said, depending on how the garments were dyed, the types of dye used and how the clothes are cleaned. As for the vinegar dip, she said that may not work with many of the synthetic dyes used commonly today.
Sandra Giarde, executive director of the California Cleaners Assn., said that color loss may be attributed to improper dye setting when the fabric is first colored. She also suggested following care label instructions and, if the colors do run, fade or change dramatically, taking the item back to the store.
To test a garment for colorfastness, Giarde suggests wetting a cotton swab, dabbing it in a little detergent and rubbing it on an inconspicuous area, such as an inside seam. Press some white tissue paper into the wet area and see if any color appears on the paper. If it does, there’s a good chance the colors will run when washed.
We’ve never heard of tea bathing black pants to maintain their color, and neither had any of our experts. We think it might add too much of a brown cast to your clothes, but if anyone has had success with this, let us know.
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Write to Fashion Police, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles CA 90012, fax to (213) 237-4888, or send e-mail to jeannine.stein@latimes.com.
