GLAMOURAMA

By now, it’s old news: The Fifties are alive and well and taking over the Eighties. But wait a minute. Don’t pull out those poodle skirts and penny loafers yet-they aren’t exactly what Seventh Avenue has in mind. What the fashion heavyweights are offering this spring has little to do with street hip or campus cool. No, we’re talkin’ glam, as in Glamour with a capital G. The sort of stuff that would wow the likes of Monroe and Mansfield and-in other ways-Hepburn and Hepburn. What we’re talking about is a sense of chic, an overall consideration of self that- somewhere between the minis and the maxis- had lost much of its significance. It’s a strength not just of specific clothing pieces but of the person who chooses to wear them.

These pieces are not subtle-the tightly cinched four- and five-inch belts that emphasize “waist, waist, waist”; the narrow, form-fitting skirts that are often side- or back-buttoned to reveal as much as you dare and direct even more attention to an old-fashioned hour-glass figure; the flirty, swingy peplums that wiggle when you walk; the wider-than-wide-brimmed hats; the stacked spectator pumps and wide-strapped sandals; the sheer, seductive black-lace gloves… .The list is as endless as Jane Russell’s sweaters were tight. In short, what the Fifties has given the Eighties is a sense of detail.

The key to this look is fit-but not the so-tight-it’s-tough-to-move kind of fit; just snug enough to reveal the shape (and there should be one) underneath and still allow comfort and freedom of movement. You’ll see different versions in the designs of everyone from Calvin Klein and Perry Ellis to Yves Saint Laurent and Valentino. It may be in an elegant tailored suit (both for day and evening) with a curvy jacket (either short -stopping right above the waist for even more emphasis, or long -cinched in at the waist) and a sleek, narrow skirt perfect for long, lean Betty Grable legs. Or it may be in a sophisticated linen coatdress (again, often belted) -one of the strongest pieces this spring, which should carry into the fall. Or it could be in a pair of classic, high-waisted pants, wide belt and a simple, elegant silk blouse.

With all this attention to detail, accessories abound -most of them big and bold and daring. We’re told that if we’re to have only one accessory this season it should be, first and foremost, an “important” belt (an important belt?). But for those of us shorter than 5’9″, the aforementioned four- and five-inch belts (which look great on a runway) may be a bit too important; in fact, they’d probably look ridiculous. Stick with a three-incher instead (about the size of an average man’s belt, which could work wonderfully with some of the more casual looks).

Jewelry, too, is big and bold -heavy steel, silver or matte-black chain-link neck chains and bracelets; bulky gold bauble necklaces and bracelets; oversized geometric earrings; rows and rows of various-sized neck chains a la Coco Chanel. And then there are gloves, gloves and more gloves to go with just about everything.

Legs are almost as vital as the waist, and they’re attracting all kinds of attention. You’ll see multicolored, patterned and textured hose in unbelievable colors and combinations, as well as multicolored shoes. Resist the urge to mix the two; otherwise, your legs may seem to radiate right off your torso. If you go with a fuchsia leg, stick with a black or white (or better still, a black-and-white) pump and vice versa. Polka dots and various combinations of them are everywhere -in hose, shoes, dresses, separates -as are stripes.

But let’s assume that your waist isn’t 23 inches (it isn’t even 26) and that your legs are about as shapely as beef jerky. Don’t worry; there’s still hope for you this season. There’s the back, which is also getting all sorts of special treatment: T-dresses (in linen, cashmere or knit) with deep Vs meant to be worn -and best viewed – from the back. Simple shifts and skirts with huge buttons all the way up the back. Halter tops with no back at all -great in silk for the evening. Scooped-in sleeveless blouses with deep armholes. Knit tops and dresses that lace up the back. The overall effect: devastatingly sexy.

Color is again the absence of color – black and white-bolstered by punches of vibrant brights (poppy red, sapphire blue, magnesium yellow, magnolia) strategically placed (in a jacket, belt or blouse, for example) for the greatest impact. Black and white, as always, can stand alone, but now, with the introduction of geometrics and color-blocking (which stretches the look of a line even further), they’re becoming more of a design element than simply hues. And there’s still a spattering of soft pastels – mostly those leaning toward neutral-in some of the less refined, more casual looks.

Linen is the fabric of the season -it’s crisp and fresh and versatile (especially good for the architectural looks). But you’ll also see a lot of knits, which are perfect for spring and summer since they’re modern, pulled together and easy to wear. And, of course, there will always be silks and cashmeres.

Logically, if our days are meant to be filled with glamour, our nights should be even more unnerving. And it’s with evening wear that you’ll see Hollywood hoopla at its finest. Sure, you can’t go wrong with the classic black cocktail dress, but you will have oodles of more adventurous alternatives. Sequin- and pearl-studded gowns. Iridescent lames. Silk -layers and layers of it. Seductive touches of lace – especially in legwear-or all over. And there’s a new kind of bareness under jackets-halters, clean necklines, sleeveless tanks.

But all this talk about fit and the Fifties is only half the spring story. While most European and American designers are hellbent on emphasizing the shape of the body, several Japanese designers are quietly – yet emphatically – stitching in the other direction: minimalism, a simpler, more relaxed look that incorporates basic linear and geometric shapes and forms with rustic fabrics. These designs, which are oversized and very architectural, are meant to drape, not hug, the body.

And we have only begun to experience the impact that these designers-among them, Issey Miyake, Kenzo, Kansai Yama-moto, Rei Kawakubo of Commes des Garcon, Mitsuhiro Matsuda, Yohji Yama-moto-will have upon the future of the fashion industry. Already their influence has begun to subtly (which is their style) creep into the work of several Europeans.

The Japanese have also begun to influence menswear, which, on the whole, remains classic and colorless -a very pared-down (but not quite a uniform) look. As usual, there isn’t any overall men’s “statement” other than utter simplicity -men today want a look they can count on for seasons to come. The focus is on the use of fine fabrics and neutral colors.

The international influence is most apparent in the designs of Perry Ellis, whoseuse of muted colors and oiled-canvas fabrics work to combine a simultaneous senseof casualness and formality. He Americanizes the look by adding oversizedpieces made of oxford cloth and cottontwill. Meanwhile, the influence of theFrench is dwindling -a lot of their designsare too gimmicky and unpractical. Butwe’re still seeing the influence of the exquisite tailoring of the Italians (whose collections are very dark for spring) as well asan odd, ragged, Third-Worldish look interpreted by British street kids, which isbeginning to be incorporated into severaldesigners’ fall collections.

WOMEN’S STORES



PERRY ELLIS Ellis available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman-Marcus, Frost Bros., Loretta Blum, Lou Lattimore and The Gazebo.

BASCO available at Neiman-Marcus, Cha-Cha’s and The Gazebo.

ANNE KLEIN available at The Gazebo, Marie Leavell, Lester Melnick, Neiman-Marcus, Sanger Harris, Claire Mac, The Carriage Shop, Loretta Blum and Marshall Field’s.

BILL HAIRE available at Barbara Robertson, The Gazebo, Sanger Harris, Lester Melnick, Lilly Dodson, Turtletique and Amy’s.

GEOFFREY BEEME available at Frost Bros., Neiman-Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Sakowitz.

RALPH LAUREN available at The Polo Shop, Harold’s, Neiman-Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.

HELENE SIDEL available at The Gazebo, Lilly Dodson, Katy’s, Neiman-Marcus and Rue de Reves.

MARY ANN RESTIVO available at The Gazebo, Abbey-Winfrey, Lester Melnick and Lou Lattimore.

CATHERINE HIPP available at Claire Mac, The Gazebo, Neiman-Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and Rue de Reves.

NORMA KAMALI (pictured here) available at Eclectricity, Neiman-Marcus, Margo’s La Mode and Sanger Harris.



DETAILS



ACCESSORIES, Page DL20: Top photo: Byzantium rose-quartz lozenge earrings. Center photo: Byzantium ivory lozenge earrings; Patricia Von Muslin ivory cuffs. Bottom photo: Byzantium black-onyx and pearl necklace and black-onyx earrings.

ACCESSORIES, Page DL21: Lower left photo: Byzantium seed-pearl and tourmaline bib necklace; white crocheted gloves by La Crasia. Lower right photo: Black fishnet gloves by La Crasia.

ACCESSORIES, Page DL22: Upper left photo: Black-patent pumps from Miss B. Bottom photo: Byzantium baronial necklace.

ACCESSORIES, Page DL23: Upper left photo: white gloves by La Crasia. Upper right photo: black cotton gloves by La Crasia.

ACCESSORIES, Page DL24: Lower left photo: white gloves by La Crasia. Lower right photo: crystal vase courtesy of Serendipity.

Accessories, Page DL25: Top photo: silk ties from Pockets. Lower left photo: Byzantium black pebble earrings.

Byzantium: 105 Thompson St., New York, New York 10012. (212) 966-5473.

Patricia Von Muslin available at Saks Fifth Avenue.



MEN’S STORES



ALEXANDER JULIAN available at Outfitters and Neiman-Marcus.

PERRY ELLIS available at Neiman-Marcus and Frost Bros.

GIORGIO ARMANI available at Neiman-Marcus.

RALPH LAUREN available at The Polo Shop, Neiman-Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.

JEFFREY BANKS available at Neiman-Marcus.

BASCO available at High Voltage.

NINO CERRUTI available at Neiman-Marcus.

CHESTER-BARRIE available at Outfitters.