
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: SUNDAY, March 24, 1991                   TAG: 9103200246
SECTION: SPRING FASHION                    PAGE: E-11   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: CARRIE DONOVAN NEW YORK TIMES
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

TRENCH COATS MAKE A PRACTICAL STATEMENT

Trench coats are the latest classics to be given a style rehab. Not that there is anything wrong with the coats just the way they have always been. They are practical and quite dashing with their military mien.

But this spring, designers in Paris and New York have taken the trench coat and cut it to fit the current mode.

These new trench coats are cropped off to end well above the knee. They may or may not have the usual accoutrements of epaulettes, flaps, etc., but they always have a fabric belt to sash the waistline smartly taut.

The biggest difference is in the materials. Thin, crisp poplin is popular. But so are plastic fabrics that shine like patent leather. There are even trench coats made of transparent vinyl, but these are hard to find because they are difficult to manufacture.

Far and away the favorite shade for the spring trench coat is blazing white. But yellow - in poplin - will do. And black - in vinyl - is, perhaps, more useful.

These updated trench coats are practical. Most are sturdy (though, of course, not as durable as the familiar classic version). And they look good over a variety of fashions, from jeans or leggings to the highest-style suit.

Try one over your evening outfit, whether it is a sassy slip dress or a slinky ball gown. Chances are you'll be surprised at how well the spruced-up trench coat looks.

by CNB