Romance in the air for summer fashion

Young Chang

Prettiness this summer won’t be pretty as in pink or the sort of

pretty that is shy. The look stands out, instead, in lace and ruffles,

soft greens and pastels, with subtlety but with panache.

Pretty, these next few months, will look romantic.

Last summer’s trend welcomed bold stripes and bared stomachs, not to

mention the wristfuls of ethnic-looking bracelets that seemed to compete

for “most chunky.”

This summer’s fashion forecast from local resort-wear experts includes

mostly solids (white being the most popular), bared shoulders instead of

stomachs for women, cheerful colors, tops that are anything but round- or

V-necked and an overdose of turquoise jewelry.

“Things are cyclical,” said Newport Beach textile designer Heidi

Dobrott. “Everybody from the ‘70s probably has a turquoise necklace or

earrings that they’ve stepped away from. You can bring them back out and

wear them for as long as it’s in style. It’s just a cycle.’

Which explains the majority of this summer’s look for her. Shoes,

pants, shirts and jewelry will dip back into the Bohemian yet feminine,

relaxed look that was in three decades ago. Black and khaki are classics,

area fashion mavens say, but this year’s hotter months will be dominated

by fruity colors that drip coolness.

“I think, for summer, the peasant look with a great turquoise bracelet

is a great look,” Dobrott said. “You can pair that with jeans with holes

in them and you could be a hippie for the summer.”

Summer’s overall fashion mood will be equally flippant and fun. Soft

cottons and soft colors -- not to mention simple but innovative jewelry

-- will paint a playful picture that leaves out last year’s crisply

collared long-sleeve shirts and businesslike stripes.

“The emphasis is on fun and bright,” said Kristy Berry, a buyer for

Gary’s Island in Newport Beach. “You’re going to see a lot of novelty

trends, like beadwork, shells, sequins on capris.”

Which brings up another discussion -- the staying power of capri

pants.

“Sometimes things you think are going to stay, go really fast, and

things you think are going to be trendy, end up staying,” Dobrott said.

Capris definitely surprised everyone by staying. Who knew, five years

ago, that the gamin mid-calf length would stick for half a decade, the

designer continued.

Wear them with eyelet peasant blouses that rim the shoulders and

espadrilles -- the shoe of choice this season -- and declare yourself a

fashion do.

Pretty much anything that’s a canvas shoe with a sisal sole can be

called an espadrille. They come as little loafers, little loafers with

heels, with laces that crisscross up the ankle or with an open back.

“It’s that kind of Bohemian beach look,” Dobrott said.

Colors this summer aim to deflect heat, with white tanks and shirts

and button-down shirts rapidly ousting prints (have you seen the Gap

ads?) and darker colors.

But when it comes to bright apparel, Dobrott predicts a rainbow of sea

glass hues, tangerines and lime greens to dot the beaches and parks this

summer.

“Sea glass is the color of broken bottles at the sea -- kind of a pale

blue, pale green, pale turquoises,” she said.

Berry said much of Gary’s Island’s women’s wear will include colorful

solids -- even some knitwear that they didn’t have a year ago -- that

accent their traditional tropical prints.

“Our emphasis has always been on the best prints, but we are bringing

in more solid pieces that would work into everyday wear,” the buyer said.

Men’s fashion colors will match women’s this summer as bright and

crisp is in -- because they enhance tans the best -- as is subtlety.

Along with the button-down aloha shirts are more solids and even plaids,

done in everything from silk to cotton.

“We’re trying to give our customers other options,” Berry said.

Men’s swimsuits will also follow the bright-color trend, but prints

are calming down.

“Really, the light colors are in,” said Nicole Nard, floor supervisor

at Tommy Bahamas. “Oranges and reds -- a lot of guys like to go a little

more brave with the swim trunks.”

Women’s swimsuits are also more subtle, print-wise, as the majority of

Tommy’s beach gear involves a single print -- like a single flower

running through an entire suit, orchids and bamboo leaves.

But their colors are surprisingly dark, including dark brown and dark

blue (although lime green is also popular).

The ruling shape is what Nard calls a tank-tini -- a two-piece suit

with a tank top instead of the traditional bikini top.

And to cover up, before and after a swim, is the current favorite

see-through pant.

“We carry the sarong -- we always do -- but the matching pants are

sheer and they have a print in them. . . . They tie in the front, and

they’re really cute. We’ve been doing well with those,” Nard said.

What about the kids? Well, not to relegate them to followers instead

of leaders, but they’ll likely match the rest of the family’s look.

“Believe it or not, a lot of families come in wanting to match the

whole family,” Berry said. “Again, just bright, whimsical fun.”