Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 24, 1991 TAG: 9103210174
SECTION: SPRING FASHION PAGE: E-21 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: VALLI HERMAN/ LOS ANGELES DAILY NEWS
DATELINE: LOS ANGELES LENGTH: Long
Fashion has responded to the needs of the petite woman, her plus-size sister and her big-and-tall man, but it has been slowest to react to the inevitable - aging. But that's just the problem. Age is an attitude that gives no clear guidelines about dressing - not anymore.
In the search for new, fresh looks, some over-40 professional women say fashion designers have ignored the needs of women in the marketplace, women with a good amount of money to spend. This year, the oldest baby boomers turn 45 and are about to enter their peak earning years, from 45 to 54.
The void has left some empty space in the closets of older professional women who prefer a traditional, not trendy, type of clothing.
"I don't feel comfortable in a tight, short skirt," said Nancy Shows, 42, who owns a private nursing service in Los Angeles.
Shows has changed not only where she shops but which designer lines she buys. A devoted Ellen Tracy buyer, Shows switched to the classic look at Casual Corner and Lerner's when her designer line went too forward into fashion and short skirts.
"I end up wearing last year's suits," she said.
Victoria George is an over-40 model for the Today's Woman section of Cunningham Models in Beverly Hills.
"I still have good legs, but that doesn't mean I want my skirt four inches above my knee," said George, who prefers a sophisticated, classic approach to dressing. "If you buy into the things for young people, you end up feeling like a fraud. You end up thinking, `This is inappropriate, but maybe I can get away with it.' "
Despite the attention the aging baby boom has received in the press and in industry, many designers and businesses are left without clear guidelines about how to approach the age issue.
"There's been a lot of hype," said Brad Edmondson, editor in chief of American Demographics magazine in Ithaca, N.Y. "There is a lot of growth and affluence in this market, but you can make some big mistakes and lose a lot of money if you think of people over the age of 40 or 50 as one group."
The potential power of this age group has caught the attention of some fashion-industry innovators. Robert Filoso, a Los Angeles mannequin designer, cast the face of a 58-year-old woman to make his "Gloria" mannequin. The jowl hangs slightly and she has folds on the sides of her mouth, but she looks well-cared-for, Filoso said.
The media response to the mannequin was overwhelming. But Filoso said the reaction from the people who dress windows has been "not that great."
Filoso may have been ahead of his time five years ago when the idea to create an older mannequin struck him.
"I was standing in front of Bergdorf Goodman in New York. I noticed that all the women getting out of limousines and taxis to go into Bergdorf's were older women.
"These are the women who have the money and the power," he said.
Yet it may be some time before they show up en masse in store windows. Filoso said his 30- to 35-year-old model is the better-selling older mannequin. Even if we appreciate our age, it seems we don't want to look it in the face, particularly in the fantasy arena of fashion.
As the consumer ages, the fashion industry has approached the transition gradually. Smart designers have been successful by repackaging young fashions and products in age-appropriate styles.
"The money will come out because those older people want to look young," said Richard Giss, a retail consultant and partner at Deloitte and Touche, a Los Angeles accounting and consulting firm.
"People are marketing to them, but they are doing it by making their sizes in fashions that are young."
Some of the most successful companies of recent years have settled on a fashion formula that appeals to the conflicted aging boomer. Giss said companies such as Liz Claiborne, Levi Strauss, Chaus and Carole Little gave youthful fashions a relaxed fit, one that stretches over a less-trim physique.
Levi's Dockers for men have been one of the biggest success stories in men's fashion. What could have been perceived as an old man's trouser was presented as an updated, modified version of the teen's favorite 501 jeans.
"It's saying, `You're not in as great a shape as you used to be, but we can still put you in jeans,' " Giss said.
Throughout the industry, elastic waists, fuller legs, oversized shirts and jackets have been one of the few consistent fashion trends. Classic clothing also is making a comeback, and it may be because of the aging professional.
Designers are wondering if classic, professional fashions are in an up cycle, or if the nation's largest population segment is now investing in less-trendy clothing. But it's not the classic clothing of the past.
"When you look at the aging market, you see that the kinds of fashion popular with this group are not the kinds you would have traditionally thought of 20 years ago," Giss said. "You don't see the matronly kinds of garb."
"People are much more health-conscious. They are spending a lot more time on physical fitness and appearance, much more so than people 20 years ago. Because of that, they are constantly pushing the envelope of age down lower."
As the trend for classic clothing evolves, tailored clothing also may gain an ageless appeal. "What's amazing is, sometimes you can almost sell the same thing to mother and daughter," said Los Angeles-based women's wear designer David Hayes.
by CNB