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Right Now: Early Fall 2005 Trends

The January ENK Children's Club Show, held at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in NYC from January 9-11, gave buyers their first glimpse of coming fall trends. What's in store? Ladylike skirt suits in up-market velvets, embroidered corduroy and butter soft wool. Chunky knit sweaters and slim bootleg pants. For boys, preppy argyle sweaters and vests, shirts in eye-popping retro prints, and pants that are less baggy and detailed than in previous seasons.

For both sexes - coats in novelty faux furs, fleece, synthetic suede and real leather. Parkas were shown in elegant dark neutrals, or stripes of offbeat colors, or in hot brights that are guaranteed to stand out in a snowstorm.

 

TRENDS

Time for tea. Pretty, simple dresses with bow details team up with dressy coats in rich velvet, embroidered corduroy or boucle.

Suiting up. Skirt suits are edging out dresses for special, yet not too formal occasions. The prettiest, top novelty tweeds with velvet jackets.

Getting chunky. Hip length sweaters, some with matching scarves, knit from thick, multi-toned yarn are an alternative to the still popular poncho.

Good investments. Faux fur lines real and synthetic suede vests. For a Seventies feeling, designers knit vests in preppy argyles or bright stripes.

Knees attention. Skirts worn short-to-knee length with gathered waists turn girls into ballerinas, while pleats add a sweet note to sportswear.

Pippy Longstocking. Soft knit tights in cable stitches, stripes, animal prints and rich solids keep legs warm.

SILHOUETTES

SKIRTING THE ISSUE. Skirts are in big. The hippest are above the knee and pleated, gathered into a circle, or worn longer with two-toned contrasting pleats or embroidery.

LITTLE SWINGERS. Coats are cut simply in A-line, swing shapes so nothing competes with the fabulous faux fur.

MORE T'S. T-shirts are knit in fine cotton and worn layered - short sleeves over long - and in contrasting colors.

SPORTS MINDED. Athletic looking zippered jackets, simple pants and polo shirts are freshened with bright, retro greens.

OVER IT. Girls' jackets are high-waisted, narrow and sometimes tie with a floppy silk bow in front. Great over pants or skirts.

 

COLORS

TURQUOISE TRAIL. Last season's jade has deepened into teal. It's a popular hue as a solid, or mixed with, mustard and olive. For boys, the shade looks new worn with charcoal and dark khaki.

THE GRASS IS GREENER. Deep green - somewhere between a dark olive and a rich grass color - looks great in knits and sportswear. The hue is sporty when mixed with cocoa and cream; sweeter paired with multi-toned paisleys and small scale folkloric prints.

MAUVE OVER. Well, not quite. It's very much alive in layette wear in a dusted down, almost pale cocoa shade, partnered with cream and sometimes a silvery gray.

FROM THE WINDOW BOX. No need to wait for spring when rosy geranium is mixed with accents of butter and sky blue.

FA SIZZLE. Add hot pink and dark cocoa and Snoop Dog's got something to rap about.

GETTING STONED. A greenish, gray-tinged taupe is a hot neutral for boys' sportswear, knits and outerwear. One high-end combination that looked especially fresh - light and dark tones of the greenish taupe brightened with a hit of acid green.

SEND IN THE NAVY. But only if it's practically black and worn with dark, dusty red.

 

FABRICS

-Soft, pinwale corduroy

-Velveteen and velvet

-Soft, embroidered denim

-Embroidered wool

-Sueded synthetics

-Wool, cashmere or acrylic chunky knits

-Tweed woven with decorative ribbons.

 

PATTERNS

-Men's wear plaids

-Small scale, folkloric-looking fruit and flower prints

-Lots of tie-dye. Some are updated as a single motif on the center of a T-shirt. Splatter prints seen here and there are the latest incarnation.

-Folkloric floral embroidery on wool and corduroy

-Dark denim embroidered all-over with outlined, off-white leaves and flowers

T-shirts - still lots of rock star slogans, etc. - getting old

 

OUTERWEAR

FAUX FUN. You want fur? You'll have to have it in shaggy, horizontal stripes, fleece and leopard prints. Natural tones are available, but why not opt for hot pink, lime green, teal blue and other PETA-approved hues?

PUFF THE MAGIC TOPCOAT. Fleecy coats covered in multi-toned puffs - like Grandma's afghan after 1000 washings - keep girls cozy.

GETTING FLEECED. Designers used fleece head-to-toe or as warm lining, cuffs, collars and hoods.

CORD OF APPEAL. Corduroy wasn't confined to sportswear. It appeared atop fleece lined jackets and coats as well.

MORE DENIM. This time it's synthetic suede that mimics denim.

 

 

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