This summer city shorts are the designer option

Press, 28 September 1988, Page 16

This summer city shorts are the designer option

Fashion’s short story

No, this is not about skirt lengths. Lately more journalistic mileage has been granted to knees than during the early sixties. Instead, I’m'on about shorts. I can just see some of you drop the paper in favour of a second cup of tea, muttering “there’s no way I’m wearing shorts into my city streets this summer.” But have you tried them on? I believe once you have, there’s no argument. They’re a positive answer to the woman who does not feel comfortable in a short, knee-hugging skirt. Last summer when designers tried to seriously introduce shorts for city wear, women weren’t looking or listening. Now the idea has become accepted by European and American women, New Zealand designers have given it all they’ve got. I don’t know one designer who hasn’t included at least one pair in his or her collection. Half of the answer to any new idea is the knowledge of how to put the look together. Confidence comes later, naturally. Remember when women started to wear pants. Same thing now with shorts. If you’ve got a personal block about wearing shorts into the city, don’t call them shorts this year. Call them culottes. Most of them simply look like cropped culottes anyway.

I’ll bet you’ll be calling them shorts next summer because they’ll still be around and you’ll have had a year to get used to the idea. When I was introduced to the idea last summer I switched off. But for summer 88 I’m the proud owner of two pairs carefully hemmed to just above the knee. So if it’s good enough for the garden, it’s good enough. . After making a careful study of this adaptation of men’s safari wear I’ve come to the conclusion that if. one goes for the cuffed varieties they work best with a feminine touch. That means a soft shirt, a draped blouse, or a simple lace T-shirt. Then your jacket can be as tailored as you like, but you’ll find for best results a long, double-breasted, slim fitting jacket looks the part. If, however, the shorts have a very high waist or wide waist band, you might consider a short cropped jacket, a la Chanel. City shorts come tailored with cuffs, and double or triple pleated. Wide varieties are uncuffed. They also are short or lengthy to around the knee. That means you buy them just under the knee then after a wear or two up will go the hem. There are also many styles that are box pleated, or are very full in the leg to the point you won’t even notice they’re shorts. Sit down or get in and

out of a car, then you’ll notice their ease. I cannot stress more the need to try on several pairs as the right look for you will be as personal as choosing the perfect skirt. Fortunately, most designers have created a suitable jacket to go over their favourite shorts styles. This jacket can then become your main jacket of the season for pants and other skirts. You’ll find it’s a rather casual approach to city dressing, so you may need to change your choice of accessories. A pocket handkerchief in the top jacket pocket, earrings, and maybe a great watch strap or bracelet will polish the edges. I like flat, or low-heeled pumps with city shorts. Should you feel your legs are a little too solid then a mid-heel will firm your calf muscle, and give your legs a more shapely appearance with slimmer ankles. There are several heels to look for. One is a slightly thicker mid-heel, then there are louis heels with shape. Tights are natural or a little paler. Watch the fit of shorts at the back. If they are more "shorts” looking than divided skirt, they should fit as well as a pair of well cut trousers. Age has nothing to do with wearing

shorts with jackets, but you do need to have reasonable legs for the very slim, trouster-like varieties. I have spoken to several New Zealand manufacturers producing shorts, and they say they have had excellent sales on shorts to date. The Australian label Walter Kristensen, soon to be available in New Zealand at top stores, said their shorts fashion stories have been a sell out in .Australia for their first summer .collection. They have included more styles in their resort collection to be released in New Zealand in October to November. Taking shorts a stage more casual can be fun, such as wearing a pair of soft denim shorts. One way to heighten the sense of charm is wearing whimsical jewels in quantity. For a sense of fun, you might plonk on a straw hat with an excess of fruit or flowers with denim or casual shorts and a jacket. Style comes with a consistency of ease, like the tilt of a brim, hair just scrunched up beneath a hat, or the very personal way you turn up a collar. Whatever your way of creating individual style, the new shorts for city, for holidays, for home, cannot be ignored. They are summer 88’s biggest single fashion statement.

Three ways to wear dressed-up shorts ... Call them shorts or culottes, these above-the-knee items, right, can be the answer for the woman who wants to follow fashion’s dictates in comfort.