Trends For ‘95 Five Fashion Developments Promise To Carry Considerable Influence In The New Year
This is a public service announcement for next spring:
Don’t believe all the retro hype.
Think classic. Think ladylike.
Think one or two - even three - pieces to spruce up your current wardrobe.
It bears repeating. Again. And again.
Just because some of the designers who recently showed their spring 1995 ready-to-wearcollections appear to have lost their minds doesn’t mean you have to, too.
And remember: The outrageous stuff on the runways won’t necessarily end up in your neighborhood mall.
In fact, prime opportunities are ahead for savvy shoppers - if you sift through the see-through dresses, cheek-baring hotpants, disco duds and skirts slit-up-to-there with matching panties - to find fashion choices you’ll want to welcome.
The five most promising are:
The Joan Crawford skirted suit: Ah, reason returns. We’re talking the original working woman’s power suit - back to the ‘40s when Rosie the Riveter was queen and Joan was “Mildred Pierce.”
Still, while shoulders are back, avoid those linebacker shoulder pads so favored by ‘80s yuppettes. Designers such as Richard Tyler, Tracy Reese for Magaschoni and Ralph Lauren take the best from this era with longer, sculpted jackets that show off the waist and slim skirts that either flare at or hug the knee.
Wear the single-breasted jacket buttoned up, with nothing underneath, or pair it with a snazzy blouse.
Knee-length hemlines: Fashion pundits howled when those demure skirts cropped up for fall 1994. “How dowdy!” they exclaimed. “It’ll never last!”
Well, dowdiness is in the eye of the beholder, and knee-length skirts are back for another season. Among the best: sculpted pencil skirts and ladylike go-to-church dresses by Donna Karan for DKNY.
The retro dress: There’s the drop-waisted dress with the neat little prints that bring to mind the ‘40s. The ‘30s bias-cut dresses that skim the body. And Doris Day contraptions complete with embroidery and crinolines that look like they’re straight out of a ‘50s sock hop.
But the biggest news is the born-again Diane von Furstenberg ‘70s wrap dress. Remember those jersey print styles that wrapped around the bosom and showed plenty of leg? This time, they’re in solids, prints and pseudo tie-dye. These days, Diane is pushing home-shopping fashions on QVC, but Richard Tyler for Anne Klein, Marc Jacobs and Todd Oldham have picked up the slack with lots of that wrapped, tied and slit-tothe-side stuff.
Skinny belts: Seen everywhere, accenting those Joan Crawford jackets and Grace Kelly twin-sweater sets. Find them in clear vinyl, red patent leather and ubiquitous black. Save a bundle: Dash to your nearest vintage store and stock up.
Pastels: Ice cream colors look soft and fresh in suits, sweater sets, trench coats and evening gowns. Ralph Lauren served up a confectioner’s delight, as did Oscar de la Renta and Bradley Bayou. Best bet: Think pink.