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

DATE: SUNDAY, March 24, 1991                   TAG: 9103220009
SECTION: SPRING FASHION                    PAGE: E-17   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: From staff and wire reports
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SUNGLASSES LOOK BACK TO THE '60S

Like many accessories for spring '91, the latest sunglasses reflect a nostalgia for the fashions of the 1960s. Frames and lens tints recall those that were popular then, designers and retailers say.

"A lot of today's clothes are '60s styles. People want sunglasses that match the clothes," said Vicky Haynes, a saleswoman at Leggett department store in Roanoke's Valley View Mall.

Andrew Basile, fashion director for Bergdorf Goodman in New York, calls sunglasses "the key accessory this season, used like jewelry to complete a '60s look. The biggest trend is the return to the `Jackie O' look, to go with those Jackie-style classic sleeveless shift dresses that predominate in spring inventories."

Eagle Eyewear has an exclusive agreement with the estate of John Lennon to produce a signature collection of John Lennon replica eyewear. Eagle replicated four frames from Lennon's personal collection. The unisex styles are cleverly named: "Revolution," "Imagine," "Double Fantasy," and "The Walrus."

The John Lennon look has been coming into fashion for some time, said Donita Adkins, manager for Sunglass Hut in Christiansburg's New River Valley Mall. Sunglass Hut, a national chain, has 360 stores in malls around the country.

Adkins said the store carries two styles of John Lennon sunglasses. Both sell for around $80 and have been moving quickly. "Fashions and clothing, as well as sunglasses, are going back to the '60s," she said. "It's a nostalgia thing."

Glasses similar to those donned by late-musician Roy Orbison, made by Serengeti, are also sold at Hut stores around the country for $135.

Yoko Ono also influences spring sunglass fashions with the giant Porsche lenses she wears. The Ono-modeled glasses don't sell as well in the area as they do in bigger cities, Adkins said.

The '60s-inspired Donna Karans are the only sunglasses that Frances Kahn, a boutique in Roanoke's Grand Pavilion, carries.

"Glasses overall are a fashion statement," said manager Rose Dauphin. "It's a big part of the look today."

The bright colors and skinny pants popular this spring are complimented by great pair of glasses, Dauphin said.

by CNB