What's In

Local experts preview the back-to-school fashion scene.

LISA BRODY SPECIAL TO THE JEWISH NEWS

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y daughter, entering the clothes are washable," she
middle school this points out.
year, has only oneKevin Quirm, fashion and me-
word for what she dia relations director at Nord-
wants to wear: flares. strum at the Somerset Collection,
For the fashion uninitiated, or notes that "the younger genera-
fathers, when I was in middle ton wants to be in style, and
school (then called junior high), have the current looks, like every-
we called them bell bottoms. one else, but it is extremely im-
o
While most of today's versions Prtant
for this generation to be
aren't quite as extreme as we onginal."
For middle and high school
wore then, you get the idea.
According to Nancy Levy, own- kids, both boys and girls, the
er of Basic Goods in Birmingham, biggest looks are dark indigo den-
my daughter is right on the fash- irn, corduroy, overalls, suede and
ion track. She outfits girls and ultrasuede, mixed and layered
boys, preteen through college, with other fabrics, and leather
and has an area that moms like jackets, especially vintage leather
Jackets.
to check out as well.
Quinn points out that
"It's more of the same Hillary Shaw
this fall, with flare jeans, shops for new flares and crocheted tops
lots of corduroys, and tons school nclothes and sweaters are very big
of sweaters," Levy says. and Melanie. this year. "For high school-
ers, their references are the
Cozy Polarfleece and ther-
generation they did not
mal wear is also big, signi-
fying that comfort and warmth grow up in, hence they look to the
are at centerstage for budding -'60s and '70s, because they were
born in the '80s.
Einsteins.
"The two big themes this fall
Boys are topping baggy jeans
with Detroit Hoops and Made In are the casualization of fashion,
Detroit T-shirts with flannel with references to activewear,
shirts over them. For girls, Levy such as hoods, drawstrings, zip-
is selling corduroys and sweaters pers, cargo pockets and other nu-
with an old-fashioned embroi- ances from activewear in
dered look, drawstring pants and ready-to-wear, which looks very
skirts by Hard Tail, and suede current and modern, and the pro-
portions in layering, such as a
shirts and jackets.
"The most important thing long jacket over a short skirt, or
here is that it has to be totally a long tunic over pants with a
practical and reasonable, and short cardigan over it," empha-
easy care," says Levy. "Most of sizes Quinn.
Tobye Bello of West Bloomfield
has three daughters,
Tracye, 19, a sophomore
at Michigan State Uni-
versity, Jennifer, 15, a
junior at West Bloom-
field High, and Jessica,
14, a ninth-grader at
West Bloomfield High.
She says they are most-
ly into comfort, with Jen-
nifer and Jessica
wearing big and baggy
jeans with fitted T-shirts
and warm Patagonia
vests or sweatshirts
with hoods. They also
wear more fitted pants
with flares. Tracye sticks
to boot-cut jeans and
sweaters.
Cindy Obron Kahn,
owner of Kiddlywinks in
Birmingham, dresses
the elementary set, and
Melanie and Randy Shaw take a break while
shopping.
she sees the younger