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

DATE: SUNDAY, September 17, 1995                   TAG: 9509150016
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

FINALLY THE SAME OUTFIT CAN BE WORN FOR WORK OR OUT TO DINNER, TO RELIGIOUS

It seems designers finally realize that people want clothing that's comfortable and can be worn for more than one occasion. While we need work clothes that are more than uniforms, we also want style and sophistication in more practical forms of dress.

The new look is softer when it comes to men's suits. The inclusion of more knits in the ensemble, like a vest or sweater under a sportcoat, softens the effect. Sports shirts can be worn as dress shirts, or a plaid button-down might be accented with a tie. Knitted blazers are becoming more popular in herringbone, worsted wools, camel hair houndstooth or wool blends.

Flashbacks to the 1950s are evident in women's suits, with their classic straight and slender look, and coats with wide and ample styles. Many suits are variations of the original Gabrielle ``Coco" Chanel creations of the 1920s, featuring jersey fabric with silk linings, jeweled buttons, thin leather belts, finely decorated trim on the lapels and cuffs, and a chic fit. The silhouette is form-fitting and streamlined, with sculpted jackets - single or double-breasted - and slim, knee-length skirts.

Some ensembles - notably in the Citi, Isabel Ardee and Jones New York lines - evoke the classic tailored suits worn by the Jackie O's of the world. Skirts by Daisy Buchman and others are Barbara Bush-length - conservative but stylish and neat.

If you don't like exposed knees or are too hip-endowed to wear close-fitted skirts, street-length skirts in light, flowing fabrics appear as separates in the NIC Janik collection and monochromatic sweater sets by designers such as Eileen Fisher.

One of the most exciting things about clothing this season is the blending of fabrics. These ``combination fibers'' are producing luxurious materials in an array of saturated earthen colors. These hues of autumn - copper, slate, ore, bronze, sepia, burnt sienna and burnt umber - seem painted on the canvases of fashion like 18th-century masterpieces. They're warm and intriguing with a depth that sets them apart from wardrobes of the past.

Let us show you!

Tracy Kelso wears a Nicole Miller purple moss crepe satin ribboned cocktail dress from Kay's. James Alderman wears a Davidsons tuxedo with a Nicole Miller wine-glass pattern cummerbund and bow tie.

Rachel Serrano wears a Joseph Ribkoff military-style dress with faux fox fur cuffs and collar from Patina. Barry Hinkle wears a sportcoat and trousers designed by Hunting Horn with a reversible imitation snakeskin belt and a banded collar Cellini Uomo shirt. All from J. Riggings.

At Explore Park: Barry Hinkle wears a double-breasted lambswool topcoat over a Hugo Boss cotton crepe shirt with a wool sportcoat and a lambswool scarf from Germany, all from Davidsons. Tracy Kelso wears jean-style jacket by Central Falls and a short skirt and cotton shirt from J. Layman. Rachel Serrano wears a Bushwacker cardigan jacket and walking shorts from J. Layman.

Photos by STEPHANIE KLEIN-DAVIS