Skip to main contentAttention, troops!
Is there a chance that our global anti-terror campaign has diverted our attention from the decorative delights of fashion? Have the Evildoers actually accomplished one of their missions by dampening the American people's appetite for satin thongs and capri pants?
I DON'T THINK SO.
Sure, this war is about Sept. 11, but it's also about clashing cultural values. My must-have Style Survival Guide will assist you in your mission to put the "special" back in "special forces," to add that all-American extra something to your 2002 apparel arsenal. You've already received the bulletin that shopping is patriotic. Now do it for your country. Besides, you do support Britney Spears' inalienable right to wear her halter hiked to her armpits, don't you?
NU-4-02 HAVE-ITS:
Naked. Nothing fries fundamentalists like an ample sampling of bare flesh. Look for keyhole tops, sheer and fluttery blouses, lacy tanks that flash décolletage. If it's got a sawn-off rags-and-tatters ruffle, it's doubleplus good (Gap chips in with its ruffled wrap camisole, $28, 2303 W Burnside St., 242-9388, and other locations). Keywords: immodest, tarty, infidelicious.
Western. It's the only purely American style invention, inspired by our prairie air and toughskin terrain. Capture the don't-fence-me-in fantasy with cowpoke pinafores (try Tumbleweed, 1804 NE Alberta St., 335-3100) and vintage western buttondowns (H Bar C Ranchwear makes the best--haunt Portland Outdoor Store, 304 SW 3rd Ave., 222-1051, or the Goodwill bins). Keywords: fresh, free, raw (as in "hide").
White. Pair it with red and blue if you must, but mighty monochrome in innocent ivory is your ticket to elegance. Why? Total escapism. Think blousy, impractical froth--poet smocks, romantic ruffled skirts--the opulent opposite of millennial minimalism. Keywords: tuffet, pastoral shepherdess.
Bookish. Snap off the idiot box--reality's real enough. Not only does literature build vocabulary and reacquaint us with our better natures, there's all that WASP-y librarian chic--charcoal plaid, ballet buns, faux-tortoise spec frames. Zadie Smith's gold-embossed White Teeth (a cacophonous tragicomedy of multicultural London) makes a fetching accessory--read it before it goes into small-screen production in February. Keywords: four-eyes, teacher's pet.
NU-4-02 HABITS:
Stock up. What could be more American than buying in bulk? When you find that snug and saucy pair of jeans, purchase a pair for each day of the week. You may have to live on Chef Boyardee, but boy, what pants! For brands, Paper Denim & Cloth ($148, Mario's, 811 SW Morrison St., 241-8111) look smart and vaporize your Christmas bonus.
School yourself: Don't get your Kashmir and cashmere confused. Oregon College of Art and Craft offers fabric dyeing, weaving, quilting and patternmaking workshops this term (to register, call OCAC at 297-5544). Fabriclink.com has a "Fabric University" that includes a dictionary of textile terms, fabric-isms (fun fact: Ali owes "bob and weave" to the sewing world), and seminars on fabric origins and their care. Knowledge is power.
Learn to shoot the duck: or perform a handstand, or kick an aggressor in the throat. Trailblazing fashion abounds in mind-body niche pursuits like roller skating, yoga and the martial arts. Invest in the new-old Puma Roller Kitty skates ($125 at Puma.com if you have to have some now--Bad Doll shoes will have more in by spring), and Gaiam's downward-dog duds (Gaiam.com). You'll learn balance, strength, and patience--the real must-haves for the New Year.
Shopping secret: People seeking a last-minute tax deduction often make clothing donations at the end of December, so January is mother- lode month at area thrift stores.
To let us know about special events or sales, send information to Elizabeth Dye,
, 822 SW 10th Ave., Portland, OR 97205 (fax 243-1115), at least 10 days prior to publication.
WWeek 2015