THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 26, 1996 TAG: 9603260051
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KIM WADSWORTH, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: Medium: 53 lines
DON'T LET THEM fool you. Kids want to be in the fashion know. They want to feel good about themselves and wear clothes that speak their language.
This season there are bright-and-busy coordinates that kids can put together to suit their style. Expect a lot of color combinations with kaleidoscope effects. Call it ``kids' couture with confidence.''
Warm-weather fashions such as the ones we've assembled here will get them psyched up for spring.
The look for girls takes a sophisticated turn using lots of grown-up styling. The addition of accessories like gingham purses and patent-leather knapsacks can dress up anything.
Mix-and-match coordinates offer adorable options. Look for more cotton-knit separates and layered looks that keep kids warm or cool, depending on the time of day.
Such favorites as Mickey, Minnie and Big Bird appear on many casual outfits. Bib collars, especially in organdy, return on the latest dressy frocks.
Flowers bloom everywhere on polished cotton dresses with matching straw hats. And denim continues to be the American dream cloth for parents - it's durable, washable and designed for lots of different looks.
Boys will be boys, and the rugged look still prevails. Thankfully, though, there are clothing lines that keep parent and child in mind, so boys still look tough but mom will like the outfit as well.
Denim in black, neutral, green and blue gets things started, and there are nearly unlimited shirt styles from which to choose. Knit-collared, banded-collar and collar-less define the style.
Colors aren't wild in boys' clothes, but a bright orange or chartreuse T-shirt underneath can charge up an outfit. Pants are still cut full, but the days of hip-hugging and low-slung waistbands are over. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos by BILL TIERNAN/The Virginian-Pilot
[Fashion photos
Children dressed in new fashions
Four photos appear on E1, Cutline info not available]
B\W photo by Bill Tiernan
Four-year-old Lauren wears a cotton knit two-piece outfit in shades
of vanilla by Buster Brown. The top with crocheted flowers is $18;
shorts are $14. Flower headband, $8. All from Leggett.
by CNB