Page 18A/The record-review
Back to School
Friday, August 19, 2011
Back to School fashion 2011
1 Continued from page 17A
It’s helpful to purchase clothing and outerwear that can take kids and teens from school to afterschool activities, Sims said, and this year what she called “retro-fashion” is affecting the outdoor and active wear world. “There’s a resurgence in classic looks,” she said. “Patagonia has brought back Polartec fleece in retro colors — berry, burgundy, blue, turquoise, black and gray. This warm, technical piece is slim-fitting and protects the body’s core temperature. It also wicks moisture and dries quickly.” The old-school look continues at Acadia on Main with footwear, including Merrell hiking boots and Sorel’s Joan of Arctic faux-fur-lined boots, which Sims called a modern classic. “Another footwear option comes from The North Face,” she added. “Its Back to Berkeley boot harkens back to 1968 and combines an old-school look with new-school tech.” Marilyn Werner, director of marketing for Lester’s, with locations in Rye and Manhattan, said that this year’s back-to-school fashion trends “do seem to cross all age barriers. One of these trends is faux fur, which this year is really going to be an important element — on vests and boots, trimmed on knits and hats, even motorcycle jackets for little girls and boys.” Another big hit in the boys’ department is from Volcom — its lines of Ninja and Peepers zippered sweatshirts for boys come complete with hoods that zip all the way up, covering the whole head with the exception of the eyes. Quiksilver’s Gutless zippered sweatshirts for boys, also at Lester’s, take fur trim to new heights, with mohawk-style stripes right down the middle of the hood. Back-to-school shopping is fun for many students and their parents. At Butterflies & Zebras in Ridgefield, Conn., owner Shari Horowitz ca-
ters to girls in middle to high school, as well as their fashionable mothers, who enjoy shopping together. “Oftentimes the daughter is approving what the mom wears and vice versa,” Horowitz said. “We started to bring in more items for moms after we saw the mothers browsing while the kids were shopping.” Cropped tops continue to be popular. Butterflies & Zebra’s initial supply of fall sweaters sold out the first weekend they went on display. Cropped sweaters may be short, but that doesn’t mean a child has to look under-dressed. The store’s private label seamless tanks to wear underneath cropped tops “have become the uniform for girls,” Horowitz said. “We carry them in 20 colors, and we’ve found the girls are wearing them under everything. They layer them two at a time in different colors. We emphasize to the moms that everything we sell is age-appropriate, so their daughters’ bodies are covered. Even though the sweater may be short, we provide a tank top to go under it.” Skirts and dresses are popular at Butterflies & Zebras too. “We’re seeing a lot of influence from ‘Gossip Girls,’” Horowitz said, citing “pretty tweedy, flirty skirts a la Blake Lively.” Preppy tartan plaid skirts, “flowy in a heavier fabric,” are going to be big this year. As the mother of 12- and 17-year-old daughters, Horowitz knows what that age group is looking for, and special-occasion dresses are important for weekends off from school. “It’s hard to find dresses that are appropriate for 13-yearolds,” she said. “We try to find lines that are ageappropriate and not revealing. Once girls get into high school they want a dress that fits closer to the body.”
High-schoolers and college students flock to Churchills of Mount Kisco for the latest looks. Denim has stood the test of time. “The last two years in jeans have been all about the comfort,” said Lori Land. “It’s the comfort of a boyfriend style, but slim in the legs. They’re often paired with oversized, off-the-shoulder sweaters.” Colored jeans are back again. “We’re seeing a lot of green denim,” said Land, “and leather pants are huge again, with leather leggings continuing because they look so great with the oversized cardigan, turtleneck or v-neck.” Other color choices include brown — chocolate and caramel — being among the most popular. Navy is also big, as is winter white. Churchills continues to carry full collections of clothing, with many items trimmed in faux fur. “It’s popular to mix a faux fur vest with a cashmere sweater, also to add faux fur accents to chocolate brown,” Land said. Men’s fashion remains a mix of styles, Land said: “The look is juxtaposed between tailored and sloppy. One of the designers hit it right on the head — his whole advertisement was that men’s fashion is a tad dressy, but a tad disheveled.” Lynda Piscitelli of Indigo Chic in Hartsdale Continued on page 20A