VILD WILD

swingy chemises. Stick to neutrals
(sand, ivory), classics (navy, black/
white) and pastels (baby blue, pink),
although a few intense brights (ie,
shocking pink) are acceptable. Add
gloves, a hat, a structured handbag.
Wild pays homage to the groovier
side of the Sixties. It aims for hip, not
chic,- with cropped tops and belly
button-baring bottoms, see-through
and cut-out dresses, leggings and
bell-bottoms. Head for the hottest
neon colors you can find, preferably
in clashing color-blocked patterns or
Pucci's psychedelic swirls. Think short,
think tight. A walk on the Wild side
is not for the faint-hearted.

Other Messages

Of course, your fashion choices
aren't limited to looking either like a
Jackie clone or a flower child. Sixties
mania is the main message this spring
but it is not the only one.
Using the shift dress as a base,
there are ensembles with trench coats
or zip-front jackets in vinyl or in
neoprene (a surfer-meets-city look).
Another popular dress-plus concept
teams dresses with cardigans or blaz-
ers that are almost as long as the
dress. Other concepts are the dress
with matching coat and the dress with
bolero jacket.
Skirt length remains thigh high but,
interestingly, the newest short skirts
have a flip or a flutter to them.
Whether the skirt is bias cut, side-
wrapped or pleated, it no longer hugs
the derriere as it once did. Moreover,
longer skirts — calf and ankle length
— are in the offing. TWo of the more
innovative American designers, Geof-
frey Beene and Isaac Mizrahi, in-
cluded longer lengths in their spring
shows.
The warm earth tones popular in
the fall are being replaced by cool sea
colors. Medium blues like turquoise
and aquamarine are particularly di-
rectional, as are yellow-tinged greens.
Ice blue and azure blue look best in
fabrics with a shine, such as silk
shantung or silk organza. But there
is a rainbow of options, from lemon
and lavender to coral and celadon.
White is in a class by itself, a favorite
with all the designers and shown in

60 STYLE