BREEZIN’ COOL LOOKS AND CLEAN LINES

ALL WINTER, the urge lay dormant, buried under layers of wool and tweed. Hidden but not forgotten. Biding its time.

But now that May, the month of transition between spring and summer, is here, the urge is impossible to stifle. From all over the Metroplex, the question poised on everyone’s lips is.. .WHERE’S THE BEACH?

Even without shells pressed to our ears, the roar of the ocean is too strong to ignore. Just picture in your mind, say, From Here to Eternity. Or Beach Blanket Bingo. Or just say “she sells seashells down by the seashore” five times fast. Whatever you do, don’t let anyone convince you that the timeless combination of sand, sun and surf is not all it’s cracked up to be.

So, with coconut oil and the Beach Boys’ greatest hits in hand, the choice is yours. There’s California, of course. Or Miami (where these photographs were taken). Or nearby South Padre. For those who really can’t get away, there’s Bachman or White Rock. But wherever you go, you’ll want to take along clothes you can relax in, like these…

Lucky for you (vacationers, that is), sportswear this season is completely no fuss, no frills- you slip it on, and you’re gone. The focus now is on one long smooth line. Many of the new looks drop straight from shoulder to ankle, and that’s it.

This look won’t work for everyone, it’s true. The froufrou at heart will frown on any design devoid of flounces and billows. Simple lines are boring, they’ll contend. Not so, counter the purists, who know that less is truly more when it comes to clothing.



Top designers like Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren and Norma Kamali are leading the back-to-basics pack. Klein’s spring/summer collection, in particular, is his simplest in years. Included on our pages are his white cotton-knit T-shirt and blue pleated linen skirt (page 109). Also worth note are his safari separates (page 109) from the Calvin Klein Jeans line-an important look this spring and summer.

And then there’s Kamali’s white tank dress (see page 109) in thin, supple acetate/rayon. The shoulder-padded jacket, pictured on page 108, is of the same fabric, a semi-anomaly in a season chock-full of cottons and linens. But Kamali wasn’t alone in the use of synthetics-many of the Japanese designers did also. The influence of the Japanese can also be seen this season in all the cropped pants-perfect, we might add, for wading by the seashore. Try the white harem pants by Willi Smith (page 107), or Lauren’s colorful clam diggers (page 109).

Another look borrowed from Asia (the South Seas, this time) is the sarong. The blue-and-white one by Ralph Lauren (pictured on page 108) is made from cotton tea towels.

The most popular colors this season can be found in your seaside paradise: white-lots of it-and cream, khaki, sky blue, ocean blue. Complementary colors like pink and pumpkin are present, too. There are fewer dark colors for the spring and summer, not surprisingly, but if they are dark, they’re usually blue or black. But this season, the two are often worn together. For examples, check out the Marithe & Francois Girbaud outfits for him and her (page 108).

For those who dare to be spare this season, here’s what best sets off the look:

●Makeup is very soft, using soft grays, blues and greens on eyes, and soft pinks and peaches on lips and cheeks.

●Lengths are longer, in general, emphasizing both the long line and the simplicity.

●Low heels (or better, flats) look best with the long, simple silhouettes. And the simpler the shoe is, the better. No pumps with bows this time-strappy sandals will do just fine.



STORE LISTINGS



CALVIN KLEIN and CALVIN KLEIN JEANS available at Bloomingdale’s, Neiman-Marcus and Sanger Harris.

KATY K DESIGNS available at Shady Lady.

MARITHE & FRANCOIS GIRBAUD available at Bloomingdale’s and Neiman-Marcus.

OCCHI MARE available at High Voltage and Sakowitz.

OMO NORM A KAMALI available at The Gazebo, Just Add Water, Marshall Field’s, Neiman-Marcus and Sakowitz.

RALPH LAUREN available at The Polo Shop.

WILLI SMITH FOR WILLIWEAR available at Neiman-Marcus and Sakowitz.