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Spring
Fashion
Index
A
Woman for All Seasons:
This year and every year, women could stand to take a few
style cues from So-fee-ah.
Buh-Bye
Gwyneth, Hello Lita Ford:
You knew they'd be back before too long. WW presents
'80s looks now, in all their trashy glory.
The
Tale of the Taper:
Why guys should show a little love for their own legs.
Five-Minute
Shoe Shakedown:
We interrogated four Portlanders with serious shoe-buying
habits to find out why they worship at the temple of Imelda.
Taking
It to the Streets:
What do your clothes say about you? Quite a bit--but,
as our snapshot of Portland style reveals, the message is
often way off the mark.
The
Summertime Sum:
Legs of leather, a python purse and preppy pieces turned
on their heads will help you stride through summer without
sweating out your wallet.
Use
it or Lose it:
Traditional tennis togs are the least sporty sportswear,
which makes them perfect for off-court duty.
You
Lookin' at Me?
The season's best bets for hiding those lyin' eyes.
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Rock stars, matinee idols, secret agents and adulterers:
Where would they be without sunglasses? Nothing imparts
cool as boldly and quickly as a sweet pair of shades. Sure,
they keep the sun out of our eyes--which is great for cave-blind
Portlanders at the end of winter--but more importantly,
they help shape identity.
Try to imagine Sue Lyon as Lolita without those heart-shaped
rims. Consider Audrey Hepburn's Holly Golightly in Breakfast
at Tiffany's, who was so modern she always brought an
enormous pair of shades on a date, knowing she'd need them
for the morning walk home.
Whether you wear sunglasses to tease graying guys, ease
the walk of shame, hide a fight-club shiner or, um, shade
the sun's glare, they always add a bit of make-believe to
your wardrobe. Sunglasses supply a screen between yourself
and the rest of the world, effortlessly imparting intrigue.
That's why they're so much fun to try on: Each pair conjures
up a different fantasy.
Amid this happily eclectic and referential time for fashion,
there's a plethora of sunglass styles to correspond with
individual style, face shape and favorite daydream. So with
the sunny season approaching rapidly, it's time to take
a wide-eyed look at what's available in the shadowy world
of shades.
FOR THE JOHNNY DEPP IN ALL OF US
The informative
salesperson at Sunglasses Hut in Pioneer Place affirmed
that aviator glasses (or "the Six Million Dollar Man and
Bionic Woman look") are in. Lenses in rainbow colors like
pink and blue are selling speedily as spring advances. But,
as I suspected, round John Lennon glasses are totally out!
With four Portland locations, Sunglasses Hut is the place
for brand-name fashion and sports shades, in the $50-to-$350
price range.
BEST DEALS FOR '70S KIDS
For more exotic styles,
most vintage clothing stores carry some retro specs as well
as a rack or two of new, cheap shades. If you're looking
for something trendy--and cheap enough that you won't have
to worry about losing them--resale shops are almost always
a good bet. For an above-average selection of genuine pre-disco
artifacts, try Hattie's Vintage (2721 SE 26th Ave., 235-5305,
prices from $10 to $20). Hattie's consistently stocks the
all-important Cool-Rays, ladies' cat-eyes and some Easy
Rider shades for the dudes. Brand-new, retro-inspired shades,
all for $10 each, are available at Monkey Wear (811 NW 23rd
Ave., 222-5160). The playful collection includes popular
layered laminate two-tones, square frames covered in thick
gold glitter, and even velvet-rimmed matinee-idol ovals.
IF YOU'VE GOT A HOLLYWOOD PURSE
A serious connoisseur of eyeglass frames will be satisfied
with nothing less than the nirvana that is Reynolds Optical--recent
roguish behavior aside (see "Rogue of the Week," WW,
April 5). Reynolds specializes
in vintage, never-before-worn frames for polarized, tinted
and/or prescription lenses, but it also stocks ready-to-wear
sunglasses. The Hawthorne store (3535 SE Hawthorne Blvd.,
232-3222, prices from $100-$600) has drawers and drawers
full of vintage frames in every imaginable style--plus some
beyond your wildest. Even a very cursory search turned up
a pair of octagonal black frames with subtle rhinestone
accents that I swear I cannot live without. Man, they are
the coolest.
Reynolds' downtown location (800 SW Alder St., 223-8813,
prices from $100-$600) also has a stunning inventory of
vintage and new frames, including a beautiful line in shimmering
multilayered colors with rhinestones. The store even carries
the latest in wraparound eye-wear called IC! Berlin, made
with ultra-lightweight metal frames and interchangeable
colored lenses. Get ready for a stare-down.
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Willamette Week | originally
published April 12,
2000
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