Stylish casuals ... Winter is a flurry of prints and patterns

Press, 12 February 1986, Page 16

Stylish casuals ... Winter is a flurry of prints and patterns

As the summer sales wind out of the stores and the new winter season’s fashion merchandise begins to appear the most common query received, particularly from the over 255, is “what will it do for me?” For the first season in a long time there is something of a culture shock about the new winter fashions. The norm for winter is an over-all base of neutrals but the surprise move of the season is the wonderful galaxy of colour, prints, patterns, paisleys, brocades, and jacquards, showing up all over. And so the queries come in from career girls, executive women, women at home and very noticeably from the woman in her 50s and 60s who wants to stay stylish without being kinky or trendy. Looking around the ranges, a fashion pointer for the women mature enough to have discovered and set their style — knowing what to play up and what to underplay — can certainly be found in the current winter range of Country Casuals. They seem to have come up with a successful formula, brightly based on British traditionalism, that provides perfect answers, for the mature to the very mature, for keeping in touch with what’s going on in fashion and how to

1 In vogue ; Paula Ryan

stay happily in step. Country Casuals are based in the United Kingdom and have been a force in the middle to upper style bracket in British fashion for the last 10 years. They are a division of Coates Patons’ Jaegar group and through this association are able to secure exclusive fabrics from Europe, which in turn, are guaranteed exclusive in New Zealand and Australia.

of the Jaegar group this is quite a feather in New Zealand’s fashion cap. They also provide an intelligent approach to fashion to the stylish women of New Zealand who want to capture a new mood for their winter looks, in keeping with the times, affordable, attractive, stylish, but not “over the top.” In the United Kingdom, Country Casuals present total look ranges. The garments, which are 90 per cent pure wool for winter, are completely themed with co-ordinating hosiery, shoes, hats, scarves and jewellery. After only four seasons on the New Zealand market, hats, jewellery and ties have already been introduced into the range in the first moves to create total wardrobe planning. In the Winter 1986 collection, the styling is centred entirely around seven colours. The seductive shades of lapis, onyx and topaz set the base theme in tailored garments. These are the dark gems to which have been added the brilliant flashes of garnet, amethyst, turquoise and inevitably, this season, gold. Flurries of florals, paisleys and plaids are injected with some bold statement stripes.

The only franchise holder outside the home base in the United Kingdom is held by Youthcraft Apparel, Ltd, in New Zealand. Given the stringently monitored quality control

There is a real fashion classic in the strong revival of the Chanel-inspired jacket which is shapely

and classy. Blazers are modified to sit suitably over the shaped skirts and trousers of the season and there is a ton of good news in the pleated and gored skirts. The quality cloths are in the unfailing British traditions of Donegals, Club Stripes and Tattersail checks. The whole range is pointed up with droopy and ultra-feminine soft cowl necks, and wide, hiphugging ribbed sweaters to balance the low, straight basque pleated skirts. The options in skirts are tremendous for any kind of figure, and mar-

vellously intelligent for most kinds of figure defects. There are numerous pleated skirts in checks, stripes and plains and simple skirts with wrap effects and soft tucks. Paisley is pre-eminent and can be used with a maximum of imagination and flair. With plaids, or stripes, as an accessory feature, on its own as a dress, or a blouse, or as a large shawl or “throw” it is generating panache on the fashion scene. The blouson shape in an easy and relaxed line is an important component, balancing perfectly with trousers. The new shoulder line has padded shoul-

ders that are softer, rounder and definitely more moulded in the shaping. In presenting all the important components of successful wardrobe planning, Country Casuals are certainly providing an exciting and intelligent variety of options. They do not.design for any particular age group, or for specific tastes, but the looks they present are "town and country” in the true sense of the expression, not at all to be confused with gumboots and haystacks. Their range is brimming over with style and wit, while secure in its strong sense of British traditionalism.