Trendy Wear for Teens Who Don’t Dare to Bare
Dear Fashion Police: My 16-year-old daughter wants to be in fashion but tends toward a classic look. She is a size 4, not petite, and for religious reasons covers her knees, elbows and collarbones. Size 4 is hard to find, but we manage after many hours of shopping to acquire clothes for the winter that are modest. Summer clothes are impossible to find for both reasons, especially shirts and blouses. Her fear is that she’ll look like an old lady rather than a teenager. Can you point us in the right direction?
--SEARCHING FOR
SOMETHING SUITABLE
Dear Searching: We have no doubt that you’re having little luck locating modest spring and summer clothes for your 16-year-old. The combination of traditional warm-weather looks such as tank tops and short skirts, plus increasingly sexy styles for teens, makes it difficult to find conservative items.
It’s not impossible; it just takes some patience. We found a few items--one from a surprising source--that aren’t “old lady” looking at all.
Garnet Hill’s spring catalog offers a snap-front linen jacket styled like a jean jacket ($98). The catalog also carries cute striped knit long-sleeve T-shirts ($38) and three-quarter sleeve cotton/spandex T-shirts in solids or with a pretty rose embellishment on the front ($44). There’s also an ankle-length bias-cut layered rose floral silk skirt ($118). They’re at www.garnethill .com, or call (800) 622-6216.
At J. Jill’s online site we found a few long skirts: one a heathered cotton knit with an elastic waist ($49), another in a waffle texture with a drawstring elastic waist ($39), and an A-line “perfect black skirt” in rayon/polyester ($79). Find them at www.jjill.com, or call (800) 343-5700.
Two blouses at Boston Proper meet your requirements: a cropped-sleeve tuxedo-style pin-tucked shirt ($59), and a velvet-trimmed embroidered denim shirt ($49). The Web site is www.bostonproper.com, or call (800) 243-4300.
We didn’t expect to find anything at Delia’s, a teen-friendly store, catalog and Web site known for trendy, body-baring items like belly shirts and short shorts. But lo and behold, we spotted something your daughter can wear: a three-quarter-sleeve shirt in cotton/spandex for $28. The company is online at www.delias.com, or call (888) 533-5427.
For others searching for similar clothes, don’t give up hope. Although it seems at times that the only clothes available for teens are sexy and revealing, there are designers and manufacturers who are producing less provocative styles. If the old-fashioned kind of shopping is too time-consuming and you have access to the Internet, we suggest doing some surfing to find suitable items. We know a lot of you don’t like shopping online because of the hassle of returns, but if you have sizing questions call customer service. If you still can’t find what you’re looking for, let the companies know. E-mail makes contacting them much easier.
FROM THE FASHION POLICE BLOTTER: Lands’ End, a catalog devoted to traditional men’s, women’s and kids’ clothes, has offered large sizes for women since 1997.
We’re happy to report that it has recently expanded its offerings and published a separate catalog for sizes 18W-26W that includes polo shirts, tank tops, cropped pants, twin sets, dresses, blazers, skirts, swimsuits and exercise wear. The models featured are actual large-size models, not size 8s who ate a big lunch. To order the catalog, call (800) 356-4444 or go online at www landsend.com.
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.
