Fall fashions . . a season of contrasts By Joanne j. falls Home Economic Extension Agent - Combine one part 1960s with one part 1970s. Add a helping of space age looks, and blend with luxurious fabrics. In this new fashion recipe, the ingredients are not as important as how you put them together. Fall '91 is shaping up as a season of contrasts. SKirt lengths range from mid-thigh to ankle-skimming. Silhouettes mold the body in form-fitting allure .or swing free in flirty fashion. Plaids perk with daytime appeal while leather lavishes in solids for evening. And color plays brights against black for another kind of contrast. Silhouettes - Shapely Shapes Lengths: The long and the short of the length question is just that ? long and shortT Short ? above the knee ? remains the "most popular length," but longer looks infiltrate the ranks too ? sometimes with asymmetric or handkerchief hem treatments. Back to the Future: The season's newest silhouettes actually owe a debt to the past. The 30s peplum jazzes its way into fit and flare styles. And this fall fit and flare shapes turn up in everything from jackets to coats to graceful dresses. The 60s A-line inspires a flock of flyaway styles, and from the 70s ? patchwork, boas, pants tucked into boots and quilting. Meanwhile stretch and shine, metallics and bodysuits reflect a futuristic, space age appeal. Dresses: The dress continues its fashion reign, taking shape in the fit and flare silhouette. This styling accentuates a trim waist while swishing over fuller hips. Watch chemise skims its way into fall with ease to spare, as well as fie coat dress. Rivaling the chemise is the A-line or flyaway. The elongated jacket apd slim dress is a popular ensemble. W Jackets: Jackets return in princess seamed or dart fitted styles, and go to new lengths. Playing the proportion game, long over short is a favorite with mid-thigh length jackets over short slim or pleated skirts. The same jackets team with pencil slim trousers or stretchy stirrup pants. Reverse the proportion with trendy shorter, fitted jackets or waist length jackets over mid-calf split skirts. The zip-front jacket that follows the body contours is often seen in knot and stretch fabrications as well as in wools. Bomber and biker style jackets also abound. Coats: Coa|s are big news in more ways than one. They're not only a focal point, they're also roomy. Tent trench styles and greatcoat silhouettes abound. - Rapper: The rap music sensation inspires black leathers, "street plaid" cardigan zip jackets and skirts, "homeboy" jackets and pants. Caps, gold jewelry and medallions are companions for this silhouette. Details: The zipper is closing up just about every garment for fail. Designers highlight it like a piece of jewelry. The wealth of brassy gold zippers are exposed as front closures on spare and streamlined suits, jackets, vests and dresses. Buttons become a focal point, often bejeweled or in heavy metals and sometimes take the place of jewelry. For the legs, its bright tights that slide ' into matching bright shoes, shoe boots or over the knee boots. Body-hugging styles continue with stretch fabric suits, leggings and stirrup pants as the under layer for fashion creations. _ Color blocking in unexpected combinations expands its fashion coverage. Pleats and plaids are an unbeatable combo showing up especially in sassy, swingy skirts. * Fabrics: The richest of fabrics create fall fashion headlines. Wool jersey, crepe and gabardine-remain mainstays but novelties like cashmere, Angora, melton and alpaca surface as alternatives. Microfibres, stretch woolens and myriad metallics carve a nitch. Two favorites for fall are the ultimate classics ? velvet and denim. Add stretch to these two longtime friends for the newest looks. Denim is also decorated with rhinestones, studs and patchwork. Leathers, especially in black and gold are in the fashion forefront. Shine-on treatments and metallic threads show up everywhere. And almost any fabric can take quilted treatments. Everyone is mad for plaid, and plaids show up in a wide range of color combos and scales. Jackets, dresses, coats, pants, even leggings get the plaid treatments. Color: For the newsiest look, traditional fall color palettes have green replaced by a splash of electric hues from blaze orange to saturated, comic book colors are mixed Forget winter white ? outright white is here. Whether as a blouse or under-it-all unitard, white is white-hot. And rich, rich black is back to bring the vibrant shades down to earth. Black is the basic that makes it all work. Gold takes its place as more than just an accent in the season's fashions. Ifs the color of choice for everything from lame to leather. Other color cubs to watch The Berries: Pink Frost, Tea Rose, Red Currant, Hot Pink, Claret, Purple Royal and Aubergine. Passionate reds that mix with luscious pinks and intense purples. . The New Neutrals: Heather Gray, Gray Flannel, Jet and QuicK Silver. With snow, Vicuna and Oatmeal in best supporting roles. The Russets: Camel, Nutmeg, Harvest Peach, Burnt Orange, Yellow Squash, Pumpkin and Cinnamon. Warm Autumn shades that add spice. The Blues end Greens: Moss, Bottle Green, Deep Teal, Aqua Mist, Navy, Sapphire and Winter Sky are used together to add richness Reprinted from the October 3, 1991 edition of the Winston-Salem Chronide. 1 The splendor of an emerald draved siCfi'Decottete' dress created by Oscar *De La H$nta is zuorn under magnificent emerald coat uritfi SCue design. ? ??' . Wr^-j - .. k:J?* Louis feraud tuBp peart sil%_ taffeta sfirt nHth chiffon Bodice emBeCGshed with pearCs

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