ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, September 30, 1996 TAG: 9610010096
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: JEAN PATTESON KNIGHT-RIDDER/TRIBUBE
Just when women have gotten comfortable wearing roomy, pleated trousers, along come the designers with a crop of skinny, flat-front pants that have a whole new look and feel.
The big change is in what designers call the ``silhouette,'' or overall shape, of the pants. Essentially, the silhouette has evolved from wide to narrow.
Pleated fronts have given way to flat fronts, and full-cut legs to slim cuts. Some pant legs are so slim that they flare at the ankles to accommodate a shoe or boot - which explains the term ``boot-cut'' pants. Others have a slit or zipper at the ankle to help ease the pants over the foot.
Some of the new pants have shrunk in length as well as in width. Many echo the hipster styles popular in the '70s and dip a good inch or two below the navel. Others rise above the waistline, matador style.
Pants have slimmed down in tandem with a general fashion trend toward a more spare and streamlined look that has been evolving over the past year or two.
As shirts, sweaters, jackets and dresses have become more body-conscious, so too have pants. In part, this is a reflection of the perpetual fashion swing from one extreme (full and flowing) to the other (trim and tailored). In part, it is a response to a revival of the form-fitted look of the '70s.
The flatter, sleeker pants first surfaced several months ago in trendier boutiques, but now they can be found in most stores, from junior and discount stores, where prices start at about $35, to department stores, where prices range from about $50 to more than $150.
Not only the silhouette, but also the detailing on pants has changed. Many of the latest styles have no waistbands, which gives them a clean, minimalist look. Or they have a waistband with an extended-tab closure, which eliminates the need for a belt. (If you do want a belt, the trendiest are chain belts or those that combine leather and chain - and sit low on the hips.)
Some of the new pants have seams down the front or stitching down the sides, which stresses their lean lines. Others, which are cut too snugly to accommodate side-entry pockets, sport patch pockets, front and back. Zippers with ornamental pulls are a favorite accent item.
To ease the fit, spandex has been blended with many of the fabrics - including wool, velvet, satin, denim, corduroy and polyester. These last two, by the way, are a big hit with teen-agers who are into retro-'70s fashion.
The hippie years also find an echo in the lurid colors and patterns that adorn some of the trendiest pants. Psychedelic swirls, stripes, daisy prints and plaids come in mixtures of shades such as chartreuse, orange and purple.
More subdued shades for the '90s include muted purples such as plum and raisin, deep greens, and a wide range of browns, from cappuccino to espresso.
Now if all this talk of tight, bright pants is setting off alarm bells in the fashion-awareness center of your brain, that's good. As we all know, pleated pants with full-cut legs provide plenty of room to breathe and bend, and to hide those body parts that tend to bulge and sag - the hips, stomach, derriere and thighs.
Close-fitting styles are much more revealing. So choose with care - and the benefit of a three-way mirror.
To complement the long, lean lines of the pants, designers are showing them with skinny tops (especially turtlenecks), long, fitted jackets, and shoes or boots with fairly tall, chunky heels.
Bodysuits also work well with fitted pants, because there's no bulky shirttail to tuck in.
If you prefer to layer your tops over your pants, you have a number of choices, including vests, twin sweater sets, long cardigans and tunics.
There are so many versions of slim, flat-front pants to choose from that your chances of finding a pair that looks and feels great are good. But if you can't find the perfect pair, you can comfortably stick with a fuller style.
For once, designers have not abandoned the past to bring us the future.
Pants with pleats and wide legs are also in fashion this fall, and most stores have them in all the latest fabrics and colors.
LENGTH: Medium: 78 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: KRT. The "silhouette" has gone from wide to narrow:by CNBClose-fitting styles are much more revealing. So choose with care -
and the benefit of a three-way mirror. color.