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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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little
women
BY SUSIE
CIESZEWSKI
Think tweens are a flock of sheep? No way. Modern girls in
their preteen years are about as style-savvy as their moms
were at 21. They are brand-aware and bargain-bred and already
have their own unique styles finely honed. You may be shocked,
but not every junior high-schooler looks like she just walked
out of a Gap ad. From the way they talk, you'd never guess
the ages of the two middle-schoolers featured here; each could
easily step in as a Glamour guest editor--and blow
Bonnie Fuller out of the water.
Carson Donnelly, 12, tells me, "Neutral colors and easy,
more relaxed styles, rather than tight stuff and high heels"
are big in her age group. Sounding like a budding Anna Wintour,
Carson wouldn't mind a faux leather jacket. "I don't think
I need to have an animal die to have me be warm," she says,
matter-of-factly.
Old Navy and Abercrombie & Fitch are the trendy spots
to shop, but Carson says, "I don't really like to shop at
those stores because they tell me to." But she admits she
wouldn't turn down a gift certificate to either place. On
her fashion wish list she adds Candies shoes, an ankle-length
velvet dress, and maybe that tango number she spotted at
Bebe in Seattle.
Green is the color that marks 11-year-old Madeline Midgett's
personal style. And she's firm about wanting to look different
from her peers. "I'm about the only girl in my school who
wears dresses," she says. "I don't like tech-vests because
everyone wears them. And I think bell bottoms are on the
way out," she pronounces. Madeline favors Hanna Andersson
gear, overalls, Keds, wacky socks, glitter body gel and
yes, Gap khakis. They're ubiquitous for a reason, after
all.
NOTE: Several of the stores listed here are intended
for the older fashion maven; not all the stores' clothing
will fit or be appropriate for every tween girl in town.
the
goods:
now that's holiday
You can still wear a vest without succumbing to Everyone
In Vests. Just make sure it's not entirely fleece, not entirely
down and certainly not entirely cowhide. If it's reversible
cotton-candy pink fleece on one side and puffed silver vinyl
on the other, consider it well-approved by corporate-bucking
trendsetters everywhere. Along with this Buggirl vest,
cool coats by Dollhouse, Dawls and Buggirl also rule the racks
at this quirky clothier. $52 at Retro Viva, 816 NW 23rd Ave.,
227-5105.
retro
still rules
It's stunning to think that the '60s began nearly 40 years
ago. Designers continue to rely on that decade, more than
any other, for inspiration. This two-piece rainbow-striped,
knit knockout by a company called One comes complete
with feather accents, asserting its hippie roots to the
hilt. Flattering and sassy, this combo will appeal to girls
12 to 32. On the tag, One offers a $5,000 scholarship for
"changing the world." I think our preteens could do it!
Top $28, skirt $40; feather necklace, $8 at Monkey Wear,
811 NW 23rd Ave., 222-5160.
mini-me
party frocks
Forget Daisy Kingdom--Naked City might be just the
place for Little Women holiday dresses. This Rhapsody
velvet sheath with a Mandarin collar (in red or midnight
blue) is modest and different. Besides, it doesn't look
like it would fit anyone over the age of 13 anyway. In fact,
this excellent shop has a fine array of offbeat duds that
are well-tailored to tweens. $38 at Naked City, 3730 SE
Hawthorne Blvd., 239-3837.
up-market
makeover
The former vintage/retro shop Fashion Passion has morphed
effortlessly into a boutique carrying new, au courant
clothes. Now called Ipnosi, which means hypnotize in Italian,
the shop exhibited a palpable air of excitement, not drowsiness,
on a recent Saturday visit. Most adorable and soft as a
kitten was the faux lamb-fur jacket by Sans Souci,
in magenta or baby blue. And the satiny reproduction
Asian jackets are better than vintage because, says
shop owner Dion, "These actually fit!" $96 and $58 at Ipnosi,
616 NW 23rd Ave., 223-4373.
catty
kicks
My girlfriends and I used to save big scoping the
super-sale shoes at the Shoe Pavilion on excursions to Seattle.
It's about time we got one here. At the downtown store,
you can please your little woman with a set of ultra-trendy--yet
reasonably priced--Soda brand shoes. Get the giant, black
ankle boots or chunky platforms. Especially cute, and not
as sky-high, is this leopard-print mule. $24.99 at
the Shoe Pavilion, 902 SW Morrison St., 241-2520.
also consider:
tress
tamers
Just when you think every single gizmo that can clutch,
twist and wrap your hair has been invented, Claire's will
have five new doodads. Butterflies still rule for the younger
set, but the latest girly must-haves include velcro dots,
plain or accented by rhinestones and plastic flowers, that
stick anywhere you want 'em. Hair spins, best described
as paper clips for the hair, are new too. Store manager
Rosa, who seems to wear all the store's products in her
hair at once, will cheerfully show you how to attach each
newfangled notion. $5-$6 per package at Claire's Boutique,
various locations.
goodies
grab bag
Imelda's is known for its saucy shoes, but over the past
two years the shop has steadily expanded its accessory inventory,
stocking gorgeous crystal hair clips and unusual jewelry.
Check in here for a grown-up, durable Urban Oxide purse
or tote in patterned black rubber. Or dote on her diva-ness
with a pair of fuzzy, animal-print slippers by Easy Spirit
(looks like a pump, feels like a sneaker). Bags $28-$54,
slippers $25 at Imelda's Designer Shoes, 1431 SE 37th Ave.,
233-7476.
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