The great fashion change

Press, 16 February 1980, Page 10

The great fashion change

FASH ON AND BEAUTY

By I

Paula Ryan

Every so often a fashion change makes such a mark that you notice girls are looking positively different. This winter we will be at a turning point — bringing fashion into the 1980 s with a kind of dressed-up style that has been absent from fashions for decades; and from initial reaction from both men and women it appears as though this style will be well received.

One of the most striking reintroductions into a woman’s wardrobe will be the suit which gives both ease and polish. The biggest difference in the suit of 1980 is the jacket.

It is .smaller and slightly shaped with a new shoulder that is squared off and well defined. It can be lifted wide and high, pleated, pinched and gather but. whatever way it’s designed, it is never overdone or grossly exaggerated.

This season’s suit has very attractive clean lines. With nipped-in waists, some of these short jackets will be luxuriously trimmed with furs, velvets and leathers, while other peplum shapes will be edged in coiled braids. The shorter line to jackets will carry through to harmonise beautifully with the shorter, narrower skirts. Yes, skirts this winter bring back a more definite length. They will be to the knee and just below — your legs are “in” ■ again. This winter brings less wideopen slits or the tricky wraps of summer. Where there is pleating, it .is restricted, uncomplicated and easy to wear. Belts on suits are somewhat narrower and buttons carefully positioned on classic lines. In general, more attention is given .to fine, often intricate detail.

Trousers for winter wilt lack the gimmick detail of past seasons, they will look classic and neat with fewer pleats. Shorter boots will be worn with lean trouser legs at about ankle length. The . feminine blouse worn with big bows, pleating and tucking gives a soft neckline when worn with a jacket. This should be a good year for the top coat and boxer jacket. Last year we saw only a few winter coats but this year and

next will see the cosy coat to the fore again.

It has a certain narrowness with three main lengths. They are 1, the slightly fitting reefer which falls just below hip line and features wide shoulders; 2, the 7/8 length that goes over last year’s, this year’s, and next year’s fashion; and, 3, the standard kneelength top-coat. Another jacket, the short boxer jacket, although not narrow in itself, complements the straight knee-length skirt beautifully and looks well for “casual drossy,” as well as dressy day occasions.

This winter you will also see a tremendous amount of comfortable knitting in coats, jackets, suits and dresses.

, The subtlety of colour and texture of Italian collections will be seen in garments by our own knitwear designers. Even metallic threads will be incorporated into stunning ensembles for evening.

And shoes — well, I can almost guarantee that a pair of pumps will be the very first thing you'll buy and get. the most wear out of for day and night, as this new pump shape is both neat and sophisticated. The textures in footwear have changed to deep-pile suedes, glace kid, polished calf and reptiles. Many are edged in metallic cord; and the biggest change is colour. The old brown or tan that you moved around your wardrobe with ease can now be replaced with a totally new range of colours.

Other news is the variety of heel heights and shapes, from low-heeled working shoes to high dancing pumps. The heel shape is slightly more coned with a more rounded toe. To tone and harmonise with this more classy footwear, the styles of handbags for day are smaller and shaped, many business styles being introduced to fit the hand-bag-cum-briefcase demand. One aspect of this year’s dressing is the clear contrast between day and evening dressing. The simple shapes and the narrowness stay with us but the colours and textures

take on a different turn even for a casual evening. For example, the pants are purple satin or the thinnest suede, studded with gold nailheads; and the sweater is metallic knit or hand-knitted silk embroidered with black. If it’s jacket and skirt dressing, the jacket may be quilted satin or black’ velvet covered in bright coloured beads or a quilted jacket in a hand-printed silk.

Embroidery and hand beading have returned to bring stunning evening wear and “up” hair styles with long tube and fan car-rings all add to a well defined way of dressing up for the evening.

As for hair — well, when the look of clothes changes as drastically as this, nothing gets the message across faster than the look of hair. With the new definition of the shoulder and the neckline, the wearing of hair up off the shoulder adds to the entire line. It can be worn up and controlled or cut shorter in a blunt cut. or styled in soft curls falling behind the cars.

Make-up also falls into line in creating this new effect. For day it is soft with pale skin colour warmed up by rosy mauve cheek and lip colours, eyes misted in gentle neutrals with a hint of violet. Yes, fashion this winter is exciting, more feminine, more defined and very much more stylish. Even the working girl who for

some years has been semicasually dressed at the office will be looking for a little more style in her day dress or suit. She will also enjoy dressing up into a long gown for., evening instead of the restaurant length worn for some years which suited some but never seemed to flatter as many as the elegant even-ing-dress floorlength. Detail is everything this winter — little things that count, like the classic belt edged in gold, the soft envelope bag, the metallic knit, dinner scarf, the small knit rolled edged hat or felt trilby, gloves, ear-rings, fur muffs and fine textured stockings. Fashion is at a turning point; so this week I asked Euan Sarginson to photograph the launching of Barbara Lee’s collection to bring you a taste of this winter fashion. Suits were waisted and jackets either short or Jong in plain or small checked wools. Bow-tied and rosette tied blouses added softness at the neckline and belts were either wide and bold or classically narrow. E„xer jackets with shoulder pleats under apaulettes worn over the new burgundy jumpsuit was well received for its 1980 styling.

Fur trim was on some suits, and boldly pleated bodices looked striking in some of the dress designs. Leather trim on lightweight wools added yet another dimension to the use of Liberty cloths.

The 1980 sophistication dominated the day-wear section and each garment carried the added attention to trim and finish that we have come to expect from Barbara Lee’s designs. Dressed up-accessories included the internationally popular felt trilby and cosy quilted mufflers. Laces, ■ silks and quilted satins featured in the evening wear in cleverly co-ordinated striking colours. This season’s main winter colours were black and red. black and camel, mustard, grey, burgundy, lilac, cerise, jade green and cream.