THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 24, 1996 TAG: 9610230099
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY KIM WADSWORTH, CORRESPONDENT
LENGTH: 88 lines
Flipping through the pages of a fashion magazine can leave you inspired - but also depressed. Alas, style is not something that's easy to afford.
So, many of us attempt to take some aspects of high fashion and adapt them to our budget.
Approximating the looks of top-dollar designers is certainly possible. For this article, we examined outfits by Chanel, Gucci and Donna Karan New York. By shopping at reasonably priced stores - Hecht's, The Limited and Gantos - we were able to find clothes that evoked similar stylishness, without the big-name labels or stratospheric price tags.
Many high-fashion trends - colors, textures and structures - filter down to moderate markets.
Clear influences of Gucci and other designers can be found in the form of hardware details on tops, dresses and shoes. Less-direct simulations include retro prints and color combos of brown, lime and blue. These are easy things to toss into a wardrobe to give it an updated lift, and they are available everywhere.
At The Limited, some shoppers clearly have designer looks in mind.
``It is primarily on suits and jackets that we have a greater demand for designer cloning,'' says Mandy Shockley, store manager at the chain's Greenbrier Mall outlet.
Still, there are downsides to buying less-expensive clothes. Even if a moderately priced outfit responds to designer styles, it's not a real designer outfit.
Debbie Carr, owner of the Cage boutiques in Norfolk and Virginia Beach, admits that you can create a look that resembles a famous designer's. But there are giveaways that set apart the real thing and the copy.
``You are paying for an extensive amount of research into fabrics and construction when you buy an expensive item of clothing,'' Carr says.
``You can look at an inexpensive jacket and notice how the shoulder form, seams, fabrics and details like buttons are compromised. A designer's jacket will address all the details."
According to Carr, a rayon jacket will have pockets that bubble. A garment made of a more-expensive fabric, such as poly crepe, will lay beautifully.
But not everyone can afford to pay hundreds or thousands of dollars for an outfit. And those women can still by stylish on a budget. ILLUSTRATION: COLOR PHOTOS
NEIMAN MARCUS
The real Gucci
From the Neiman Marcus catalog: Three-quarter length fake fur
coat, $2,395, white silk shirt $750, with cotton pants, $395.
CHANEL
The real Chanel
From Chanel: Black-velvet tunic with buttons, $3,750, velvet
pants with three-button detail, $1,135, gold metallic belt with
jeweled buckle, $2,130.
BETH BERGMAN\The Virginian-Pilot
Inspired by Gucci (at budget prices)
From Gantos at Greenbrier Mall: Monterey fake-fur jacket, $159,
Renaissance blouse, $39, Ilyza pants, $59, belt $10.
Inspired by Chanel (at budget prices)
From Hecht's: Carole Little tunic jacket with beading, $198, and
matching pants, $98. Silver metal belt, $20. Marvella rhinestone pin
worn as a buckle, $45, and matching earrings, $25. Two triple-strand
pearl bracelets, $25 each.
NEIMAN MARCUS
The real Donna Karan
From the Neiman Marcus catolog: Snap-front parka, $495, with
black stretch ski pants, $285, and mock turtleneck, $125.
BETH BERGMAN/The Virginian-Pilot
Inspired by Donna Karan
Fashions from The Limited: Parka, $138, with stretch pants, $49,
and silk turtleneck, $59.
Fashion credits:
Fashion coordination, styling and makeup: Kim Wadsworth
Model: Belinda Petite, courtesy of Glamour Model & Talent Ltd.
Virginia Beach by CNB