Accessories to the Times

ALL OUR LIVES we’ve heard such pleasantly rhythmic phrases as “good things come in small packages” and “little things mean a lot.” The trouble is, we never really believed them, figuring that if small packages were good, then large ones must be better. And nowhere is that reasoning more evident than in our clothing purchases.

When it comes to buying clothes-especially for fall and winter-we tend to budget only for big pieces. Two skirts, two pairs of pants, three sweaters and a new winter coat. Anything else, we think to ourselves, we’ll get if there’s any money left I over. But there never is. And so, year in and year out, we have lots of great basics but nothing to spice them up, to make them look current. That’s where accessories come in. Buying nothing but basics is fine if you’re just starting out and are trying to build up a working wardrobe. But most of us have one already and just don’t realize it.

Consider the current menswear look, for instance. Unless you toss out your entire wardrobe after each season, you probably have plenty of tweedy blazers, pinstriped trousers, wool turtlenecks, plaid skirts-all from the preppie mania several years ago. To revitalize those old standbys, all you need are the right extras.

The military/heraldic look is to this fall’s fashions what animal prints were to last year’s: fresh, funky and probably passe” within six months. Right now, though, military-influenced jewelry-especially gold pins and medals-is a quick pick-me-up for almost anything you own. The colorful medals and bars are great on jean jackets, camouflage gear or anything khaki. Their dressier counterparts-gold and enamel emblems, Iron Cross pins, bar pins with teardrop rhinestones and lots of chains hanging down-are a fun way to take the edge off stuffy blazers and tailored lines. (They’re even better on a military-style trench coat, if you’re lucky enough to own one.) One style that’s especially striking is really two pins: one large and one small, connected with chains. The best military jewelry collections are those by Richard Serbin and Andrew Spingarn. Serbin also has an entire collection of pins, medals and earrings in red, white and blue rhinestones-partly inspired by the summer Olympic Games.

Another big look for fall is coin jewelry. Expect necklaces, earrings and bracelets to be noisier than ever-some necklaces have as many as 50 coins attached. Miriam Has-kell has the best collection in this area, with lots of coins and lots of gold. Although bronze and silver were hits earlier this year, gold is the most important metal for fell. It’s especially striking with the season’s vibrant, sophisticated brights played off black or brown.

Rhinestones are still going strong for day as well as evening. The best day versions are combined with other materials. Richard Serbin mixes brilliantly hued iridescent rhinestones with black rubber hoops, and the resulting earrings and bracelets are sensational against woolen neon brights. Marieluisa Stern for Stigi uses single rhinestones in her striking brass pins: a half-moon with a royal blue stone; a series of leaves with a “topaz” bud (it’s curved to lie upon the shoulder); and most fun of all, a solid brass pocket square accented with a tiny “diamond.” Like the military pins, these pins. have enough whimsy to soften solid menswear looks without being overpowering. Also by Stigi is a large heraldic necklace of topaz-colored beads and rake pearls (Karl Lagerfeld used similar ones to show off his Chanel collection).



AND WHAT ARE the options to try after jewelry? If you’re going for the menswear look, you’ll want neckties and scarves. Echo Scarfs offers good versions of both. Woven knit ties come in a variety of shades, as do classic menswear ties in striped polyester/ silk blends. Scarves vary from thin silk and wool paisleys and prints to heavy woolen mufflers in plaids and solids. This fall, Ralph Lauren is designing scarves for Echo. Most are patterns and prints in muted colors, which he shows either tied as ascots or tucked into blouse necklines. Menswear this season involves pattern mixing-unmatched plaids together, paisleys with tweeds, stripes with checks-and scarves and neckties are a good way to do it. But unless you know what you’re doing, pattern mixing with bigger pieces can make you look like you dressed on your way out of a burning building.

Elsewhere on the scarf scene, Echo and others are presenting beautiful sheer silk chiffon scarves in Day-Glo shades: orange, turquoise, fuchsia, purple and chartreuse. Gloves also have a high-voltage glow. LaCrasia’s wool jersey versions come in such high-octane brights as cobalt, yellow, red and magenta. They’re also made in a variety of lengths: to the wrist, to the elbow and beyond. Fingerless versions enable you to layer several pairs for fun and added warmth.

In addition to its jersey gloves, LaCrasia makes a strong showing in novelty gloves, such as elbow-length gray leather gloves with double belts-complete with buckles-encircling the forearm. Or black leather gloves that fan out with black and red stripes at the elbow. Or super-short black suede gloves trimmed with “rhinestones.” Also in the evening category are lace gloves from Norma Kamali’s holiday collection. They’re available in black or white in a variety of lengths and styles.

It’s a shame that so few women wear hats these days, because this fell they’re too beautiful to pass up. One version you should definitely invest in (for warmth as much as for style) is a hat with an attached scarf. It’s been around for a while, but it has never really caught on until this season. The style of the hat itself varies from pillbox to fedora. Another thing to look for on Ml hats is bow trim, especially on the side or back of a hat. Frank Olive has a classic wool felt boater that is deceptively simple from the front but lavish at the back, with loops and loops of ribbon. In addition to the pillbox, fedora and boater, other popular silhouettes are the sailor shape, the beret and even the turban. Milliners with strong fall lines include David and Whittall & Javits.

Wool felt is the material used most often for hats, and some-especially berets-are trimmed with beads, pearls or spangles. Other materials used for this season’s hats include velvet-to match the trim on many menswear looks-and fur, which is very popular this season for coat collars and accessories. Real fur is used frequently, although Norma Kamali uses only fake fur on her exaggerated sailor hat and matching purse and boots. Another fur accessory this season is the removable collar, used most effectively by Valentino.



At the waist, less is more, according to Calvin Klein, Anne Klein and Ralph Lauren, all of whom use thin reptile belts with metal buckles to accessorize their day menswear looks. For evening, though, Lauren presents plush velvet smoking robes with silk cord ties.

Brighter-toned clothes need colorful, funky belts. Those by Alden Howard are twisted loops and circles in colors like mustard and purple. And the horseshoe buckle shape from spring is still popular. Designer Jill Stuart even did an evening version: The belt is black grosgrain ribbon, the buckle is studded with rhinestones, and the belt loops are trimmed with black snakeskin.

Handbags fell into two general categories for fall: big and unconstructed or small and very neat. The former are much more numerous-huge, all-encompassing hobo bags abound. Jill Stuart’s hobos are more interesting than most because of the texture of the wrinkled leather. (You’ll also find wrinkled leather in very innovative fell shoes, such as Armando Pollini’s.) In the “small and neat” category, Alden Howard offers some excellent purses. And if you just want a simple bag to go with man-tailored looks, you can always rely on the tried-and-true Coach bag.

And then there are the designers who defy categorization. Norma Kamali has done so for all of her design career, so it comes as no surprise that her new line of handbags is decidedly unlike anyone else’s. Her bags, whose shapes were inspired by Fifties handbags, are in such diverse fabrics as printed rayon, fake fur, terry cloth and felt. Their funkiness may never have mass-market appeal, but for women who want to have fun with fashion, they’re perfect.

Hosiery is as full of color and texture as the clothing it complements. First, there’s fluorescent neon hose to coordinate with the brilliant colors in clothing this fall. Then there are more neutral shades like navy, eggplant and mushroom in menswear patterns -herringbones, pinstripes, even plaids. Hue has some of the most imaginative pantyhose around. Try their sheer hose covered with contrasting-color speckles or with a witty Morse Code message-lots of dots and dashes. And don’t forget about knee-highs- they’re a natural with man-tailored trousers and flats. Good sources for knee-highs are Hue and Perry Ellis for Trimfit; keep an eye out for pattern interest-stripes, checks, florals-to jazz up haberdashery looks.



WHEN YOU LOOK for shoes this fell, there are three things to remember: texture, straps and menswear-tailoring. Texture is evident in the use of such materials as snake-skin, suede, fur and feathers, and greater interest is achieved by juxtaposing these materials with each other and with smooth or patent leather. Also look for new treatments for leather: patterned to resemble reptile, crumpled and wrinkled, or even ironed into creases.

Instep straps, sometimes in a different texture or color, are an added attraction on many fall shoes. The straps are in all shapes and sizes and may come across the instep alone or in pairs, diagonally or straight, sometimes criss-crossing. Most of them are attached with elastic to make shoes easier to slip on and off, even if they appear to have button or buckle fastenings. The most interesting boot this season is the riding boot with straps (matching or not) on the foot and ankle.

Man-tailored flats such as oxfords and ghillies are the best way to set off any mens-wear look. With few exceptions, the important menswear-for-women designers show flats with everything-even skirts. Anne Klein also uses riding boots. Plain black flats may work, too-Calvin Klein relied heavily on simple black patent flats from Manolo Blahnik for his runway show.

For evening, you can wear either low or high heels. Fancy flats are the only ones that work with the smoking robe/silk pajama look, while most dresses will take higher heels.

MIRIAM HASKELL available at Dil-lards, Handel’s, Neiman-Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.



HUE available at Neiman-Marcus and Sanger Harris.



LaCRASIA available at The Gazebo, Lou Lattimore, Neiman-Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.



RICHARD SERBIN available at Bloom-ingdale’s, Lou Lattimore, Neiman-Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.



WHITTALL & JAVITS available at Nei-an-Marcus, Sakowitz and Sanger Harris.