BY CARLA JEAN SCHWARTZ
THIS SEASON WOMEN
WILL FIND SOFTLY
SHAPED SENSATIONAL
STYLES IN A VARIETY
OF COLORS.
S
pring. Sexy. Short. Soft.
Sensuous. Slinky.
Sophisticated. Summery.
Sporty. Seductive.
Shapely. Seriously, from Seventh
Avenue to Southfield this season
is all of the above choices.
So, the news from New York
and Paris is the shorter, sexier
skirt. "Fashion can say short,
but our customers wear what
they like," states Rita Goldstone
of Sherri's in Farmington Hills.
Area retailers agree that the
short skirt is popular but they
will serve all of their customers
by offering a variety of lengths.
A popular and safe style for all
occasions is the knee length.
For evening the dresses are
below the knees.
"The silhouette is close to the
body but not so rigid," says
Linda Dresner of Linda Dresner
in Birmingham and New York.
Dresner explains that the look is
more natural with softer shoulder
pads. "This season some of the
clothes have a Katharine
Hepburn or a Greta Garbo
look," she adds.
The fashion is reminiscent of
the Forties with high waisted
skirts and pants and fitted
jackets. As the hemlines are
higher, so are the waistlines on
skirts, pants and shorts.
"Fashion is definitely going back
to the waist for the fitted figure,'
says Hersh Rothenberg of
Hersh's.
32
IN STYLE
The palette covers the
rainbow this season. "Colors are
bright and bold," says Dresner.
Dresner will carry outfits in hot
pink, purple, chartreuse and
marigold. At Hersh's, sportswear
will be bright pastels with
additional outfits in oranges,
reds and purples. At Begadim
muted colors are available
ivory, khaki, peach, mint, and
olive. "Black is always basic,"
says Begadim's owner Lea
Beurer. In the Donna Karan
collection, red is a must for
evening. And of course, the ever
popularity of solid black and
white togeher.
Prints also are a fashion
statement for 1988. From florals
to polka dots and checks, prints
are everywhere. For casual
dress, designer Leslie Fay has a
tiny black and white floral print
short sleeve top paired with a
country quilt print skirt. Kathryn
Conover pairs large checked
cropped jackets with small
checked walking shorts for a
sporty look. For evening, Genny
has a floral crepe de chine,
while Ungaro has a rose-
touched taffeta dress.
Fabrics are special this
season. Donna Karan uses
sheer wools that are richly
textured for a seasonless
attitude. She also shows an
alluring lacy look for spring with
a lacy decollete top and a lacy
brim hat. "For evening wear