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Contents
Gift
Guide 2
clothing
guide
Scene
Stealers
It
Girls
4th-Grade
Somethings
Little
Women
Action
Jacksons
Shredding
Bettys
Boys
to Men
Edge
of 17
Dads
Who Dig
Hip
Mamas
Gift
Guide 1
$35 and
up
Fun
and Games
Literary License
Windows Shopping
Kitchen Aid
Get Out
Gremlin-Free Gizmos
Discmen
Skintillating
Eat, Drink and
Be Merry
Gifts That Keep On Giving
Child's Play
Well-Furnished
Gimcracks and Geegaws
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edge
of 17
BY MARY
E. CAMPBELL
What's considered hot by the adolescent fashion cognoscenti
usually has the shelf life of a snow cone. But don't let that
stop you from trying to get it right. There are just a few
things to remember these days. Think "clean-cut, sort of preppie-sexy,"
says effervescent 16-year-old Lindsay Garland of Eastmoreland.
You heard right. So blame it on that fresh-faced Sarah Michelle
Gellar, or yes, even Audrey Hepburn, for the old classics
have resurfaced at the close of 2M.
Some guidelines? A little less is more. Grab tops
with three-quarter-length sleeves and pants cut off well
above the ankle. Look for streamlined Mary Janes, pea coats
and down jackets in vivid red and orange, cuddle-up twin
sets, chunky sweaters and wraps made of Angora, lambs wool
and super-trendy Pashmina (it's just cashmere, folks).
Think exotica: Eastern mysticism tempers the worries of
the future, with friends wearing fortune bracelets together
and loading up on clothes with Asian-inspired beadwork appliqué,
which is dazzling its way across sweaters, up the sides
of Lycra-kissed shirts, around the bottoms of embroidered
boho jeans, and sprinkled across soft gloves and scarfs.
Another fashion do? Animal prints, declares Lakeshia Thomas,
18, of Southwest Portland. "I love leopard, flared jeans...off-the-wall
retro, like Mariah Carey." Lakeshia's take on fashion mirrors
that of the Me generation. "Stick out in the crowd," she
insists. "Be your own person. Go with what you feel."
the
goods:
a stitch out of time
Thought you'd never see ponchos again? It's hard to
believe, and a bit disconcerting, but ponchos came swirling
back into fashion at the fall shows--and the new breed is
actually pretty rad. The key is in the knit and proportion.
These pullover capes are fluid, not chunky, and the best ones
hit above the belt or below the knees. This Free People
cropped poncho comes in purple and black and plays the
hippie card to the hilt with colorful embroidery at the edge.
Let's just hope that culottes don't stage a comeback. $56
at Nordstrom, various locations.
bleepin'
beepers
They're digital, they're tiny, and they're really, really
cute. Flex pagers are the pager of choice, should that teen
in your life need this luxury to manage her social life.
The one shown here is a couple of years old; the new model
(smaller, swifter) is Motorola Flex LS550. The
one plus for parents and 'friends of': You can help manage
her social life, too. Comes in five different jewel tones,
with three alarm clocks, Indiglow backlight and five preprogrammed
messages like "I'm running late," "I love you," and "Meet
me at...." How about "Clean up your room"? $109-$119 includes
two months of service, at Beeper City, 500 NE Martin Luther
King Jr. Blvd., 232-7449.
busted
flat in baton rouge
These are not your brother's khakis. Faded, frazzled
and embroidered with heavy trimmings around the bottoms,
you just know Janis Joplin would have loved these Mosquito
embellished pants as much as you do. They may not have
the timeless cachet of chinos, but somebody's got to take
a stand against preppies. If unwitting jocks tease, just
look 'em straight in the eye and say, "They're really happening
in London." (They are.) $36.95 at Retro Viva, 816 NW 23rd
Ave., 227-5105.
resoled
Talk to a teen girl long enough about fashion, and Mary
Janes are bound to come up. "Schoolgirl shoes." "Chunky
buckle-overs." Whatever you want to call them now, the shoes
will surely be around long enough to generate dozens more
monikers. Originally named for shoes worn by character Mary
Jane in the now defunct Buster Brown comic strip, the shoe
was first popularized in the early 20th century. Johnny
Sole co-owner John Plummer describes a Shelleys of London
model as "one of the most popular shoes we've ever had.
The red has been crazy popular." The one shown here is by
super-slick Fornarina. $75 at Johnny Sole Deluxe, 801 SW
Alder St., 225-1241.
a wish
on a string
Fortune, Wish, Prayer, Power. These are all names
claimed by the trendy bracelet that's been dangling off
the wrists of every starlet, Silverlaker and--well, teenage
girl, worth her glitter. Fashioned with beads made of wood,
glass or semi-precious stones such as smoky quartz, gray
hematite or red garnet, Buddha statues and accent beads
with Chinese writing, each bracelet comes with a fortune
cookie-type description card that deciphers the bracelet's
meaning. The quartz bracelet should be a sellout with this
promise: "Increases patience, develops love and compassion
and improves...skin problems." Power/Prayer/Whatever
beads are popping up everywhere; we found these for
$1.99-$6 each at Hot Topic, various locations.
zip
it
The Huck-A-Poo brand zip-up tops, a teen must-have in the
'70s, has made a comeback. It was an easy transition for
this versatile piece that goes with almost anything. Girls
are asking for this fashion item to pair with boot-leg jeans
and long skirts. We found the Maserati of hooded sweatshirts
at Moda: The ultra-downy feel of this top beats the pants
off Pashmina. And for $119 to $128, it should. Made of Supplex
and Lycra, they're called "Drawers by Susana Monaco." Moda,
615 SW Park Ave., 227-6522.
raise
the roof
Popular in the jitterbugging '40s, resuscitated by designer
Yves Saint Laurent in the '60s and made modern with fuel-injected
soles this decade, the shoe that tripped up Naomi Campbell
on a Paris runway still lives large in teen girls' hearts.
Why? They add the inches of stilettos without any of the
pain. These fuchsia, faux monkey fur six-inchers by N.Y.L.A.
add serious attitude as well. As Lakeshia puts it, "They
need a stylist of their own." $110 at The Future, 1015 SW
Washington St., 241-0875.
hot
pants
Trousers trimmed with bric-a-brac aren't for everyone. Retro
Viva carries slacks with a bit more sheen, too. These hot
pink pants have Asian-print panels that follow the leg's
flare from knee to hem and aren't the least bit worn. Just
be careful who you buy them for: They're a tad incendiary.
By Sooki, $42.95 at Retro Viva.
deliver
this
You knew that the free-wheeling, in-your-face bike messengers
who add such pizzazz to urban landscapes were bound to influence
fashion in one way or another. It's certainly not their
odd assortment of cutoffs, Lycra and grime; their contribution
is one of pure practicality. The thick-strapped, ample bike
bag is how girls prefer to carry their books these days--messenger
boys may or may not be their bag, but his clever tote will
do just fine, thanks. Note: This Pochacco satchel
is only for Sanrio fans; it'll be dismissed as passé
by nonbelievers. $22 at 3 Monkeys, 803 NW 23rd Ave., 222-9894.
also consider:
leather jacket
A black leather jacket, one of the most immediately transforming
garments ever created (black + leather = badass beauty),
has gone from biker to boardroom. The current shape is fitted
and short, a slicker version done with buttons or velcro
instead of a YKK. Gap makes a winsome one called Clean
Jean Jacket--they can't ignore their denim roots. Some
stretch it even further with a Mandarin-inspired collar
or no collar at all--this style was recently spotted in
nearly every boutique window in fashion mecca Vancouver,
B.C. Black leather pants, of course, are the hottest pairing,
but if the thought of a cowhide tuxedo makes you a little
queasy, mix it with boot-cut jeans or a chiffon skirt instead.
$175 at The Gap, various locations.
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