THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, July 26, 1996 TAG: 9607260068
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KIM WADSWORTH, SPECIAL TO THE DAILY BREAK
LENGTH: 119 lines
WHEN A LIST of the latest concerts appeared scrawled on the chalkboard at a local ticket outlet, my thoughts immediately turned to what to wear to each one.
It's summer and some of these concerts are major happenings. This makes for a fashion dilemma. Do you choose clothes according to the weather, the music or the mood? Do you wear only tie-dye to the Furthur Festival, jeans to Sting or black to Smashing Pumpkins?
In short, do certain bands dictate a certain style or will a band T-shirt and plain old cut-offs do every time? I decided to find out.
Furthur Festival
First stop: the Furthur Festival (named for the misspelled word on the bumper of Ken Kesey's infamous electric bus). Walking through the parking lot of the Virginia Beach Amphitheater, I headed straight for the tourhead area to size up the clothing wares. Would tie-dye rest in peace with Jerry Garcia?
According to the first couple I met, making tie-dye shirts for each other was a meaningful exchange and a must to wear. Then I came upon a booth owned by Mariama, a fan who filled me in.
``For this type of concert,'' she said, ``girls want very earthy colors and natural materials with embroidery that fit loosely. Batik from Asia, acid wash pants and tie-dying from India.
``Guys want T-shirts with color and hemp denim.''
Hemp clothing is an up-and-coming trend in the fashion world. The fiber is being combined with silk and cotton to make durable fabric. There were lots of booths selling it at the festival, along with miles of tie-dye. There were also seas of sarongs and patchwork skirts, rainbow-colored shirts, halter tops and frayed shorts.
Everything was loose and airy. Lots of people wore hats - and Birkenstocks.
Where do you get this garb?
Gypsy D, located in the Ghent section of Norfolk, specializes in colorful merchandise that fits into lots of concert categories. Strong on silver jewelry and batik clothing, it offers the perfect array of summer concert wear.
Said owner Susan Marner, ``Dresses this summer are either really long or really short. Batik prints are artistic and offer an exotic look. When the dress is free-flowing, it's great for dancing.''
Sting
Here, everything looked a little more subdued and a little more put together. Lots of flowing dresses with floral prints and sandals or white shorts and black shirts for girls; khaki shorts and T-shirts or collared knits for guys.
I didn't see any hats or tie-dye and not a whole lot of black.
To get outfitted for a show like this, try Kasbah near the Ocean-front.
Owner Mercer Balliro showed me several dresses that Sting concertgoers wore. Everything was very fluid and flowing, sometimes almost see-through. Flower prints and soft colors ruled, with lots of silver jewelry. Dressing for this type of concert required some thought. This wasn't a throw-all-the-black-clothes-you-own-together type of musical event. This was Sting.
(Here's a tip for amphitheater-goers: Make sure you have a pocket or a mini-knapsack or a little purse to hold your ticket stub, or you'll have trouble getting back to your seat.)
Smashing Pumpkins
It was hard to see what people wore to Smashing Pumpkins. Everyone merged into a sea of black and stripes and band logo shirts and ringer T's and halters and black.
Oh, did I already mention black?
I knew that color was going to figure in heavy at one of these events. The fashion force was heavily clad in silver, with lots of earrings, bracelets, ear cuffs, nose and toe rings. Heavy metal.
There were little striped tanks, animal prints and halters.
(Don't wear wallets with chains attached. Security will make you tuck in the chains. Apparently, the chains can be dangerous, especially in the mosh pit.)
The Kind, located at 21st Street in Virginian Beach, is a local source for much of what I saw. Owner Christine Davidson considers herself a veteran of festivals and concerts, having sold merchandise for years at many of them before she had her own store.
``I always watched what people were wearing and I was aware of what they liked,'' Davidson said. ``I don't buy clothing specifically for people to wear to concerts. I buy comfortable clothing for people who like fashion and feel good about their bodies.''
Comfort, cool, casual, crazy, fluid, flowing, artistic. Making a statement at a concert is part of the experience. ILLUSTRATION: Fashion Coordinator: Kim Wadsworth
Make-up and Styling: Wadsworth Style
Fashion Assistant: Kristen Rawls
Hair: Tomeka Threatt, Anthony & Co. Hair Design
Models: Kathleen Kelly, 16, Norfolk Academy, and Martina Pavlicek,
16, Cox High School
[Color Photos]
VICKI CRONIS PHOTOS
The Virginian-Pilot
1 Paint It Black
Black can make a strong statement at certain concerts. Kathleen
Kelly wears rayon bell bottoms, $30.95, animal print halter, $21.95,
tie shirt, $22.95, and bead necklace, $9.95. All from The Kind.
2 Summer Breeze
Batik is the print of the season. Kathleen wears a short and sexy
version in shades of eggplant and green, $32, mini-backpack, $12,
necklace, $60, and bracelet, $38, both designed by Susan Mariner.
Ear cuff, $5.
Martina goes with a long and lean look in periwinkle. Batik
dress, $58, with over blouse, $56. Necklace, $22, and matching
earrings, $18. All fashions available at Gypsy D.
3 Flower Child
Martina Pavlicek gets into the mood wearing a flowing halter
dress festooned with a floral print, $45, by Atelier. Necklace, $25,
and earrings, $10, by Erical Brown. All from Kabash.
4 Hemp Horizon
Wearing the blues this summer means slipping into something airy
and light with hemp and silk blend. Tie top, $39.95, with matching
skirt, $38.95. Stripe top, $14.95. Hemp hat, $14.95, and bag,
$29.95. All fashions from The Kind. by CNB