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16th July, 2010
Missed the boat on that great getaway? Put on the right clothes and you still can bring a bit of the beach to your summer.
OK, so it is not exactly the same as a jaunt to the Greek isles or Hawaii, but you can infuse a hint of exotic escapism into your life with sun-kissed-colored T-shirts, shell-like embellishments, coral-shaped jewelry and rope-handled handbags. Surfer styles in oversized prints and Neoprene fabrics take you to the shores of Southern California or the Hamptons in New York.
“When you see some clothes, you say, ‘vacation,’” says designer Tommy Hilfiger. “Some businesses are built entirely on occasion or vacation clothes. The guys who wear Tommy Bahama shirts envision themselves on vacation when they’re going to work. ... We do yachtsman clothes for people in landlocked states, and we can sell them in the middle of winter when people can’t wait for the idea of putting on lightweight clothes and that beachy feeling.”
For those more interested in a journey to a faraway land, wooden beads, mirrored baubles and safari styles suggest somewhere more exotic.
“’Transporting’ items lets consumers dream. It’s almost like playing dress-up or pretend,” says Ed Bucciarelli, CEO and president of retailer Henri Bendel. “It’s fun. It almost allows you to be another person and project a different persona, one that’s visited all these fabulous places around the world.”
Actually having been to the place is icing on the cake, Bucciarelli says, but there still is an emotional connection to the idea of a location you’ve always dreamed of visiting. “As we’re creating product, we think of how we can allow customers to emote and dream. The really far away places, the places few people get to go to, are the ones that often get the best reaction. People really dream about going to Bali, Fiji or Africa.”
Hence the tribal display some weeks ago in Bendel’s Fifth Avenue flagship.
The transporting vibe works in other seasons, too, Hilfiger notes.
“At the end of the summer, when you start to think about going skiing in Colorado, you can’t wait for that Austrian sweater even if it’s not cold enough,” he says. “It’s all part of the aspirational part of our life, wishing our life was a certain way.”
Hilfiger is now off on his break with a suitcase packed with white jeans, navy blazers but no socks. “I never wear socks in the summer. ... Even in New York, if I don’t wear socks, I’m reminded of vacation.”
Hilfiger’s current collection was a tour of the pier in Santa Monica, California, rooted in “relaxed glamour.” Other times he has mined for ideas in such places as Nantucket, Massachusetts, or St. Barts in the French West Indies.
He says he finds that when you’re building on a theme, especially a locale, it is easier to experiment with new colors or silhouettes than in your typical daily grind wardrobe.
Lisa Axelson, senior vice president of design for Ann Taylor, says every summer she is drawn to a palette that includes ocean blues and greens. “In July, when it’s hot and sultry in the city, all you can think of is an exotic getaway oasis. Colors that remind you of water give you that brief respite.”
For inspiration, though, Axelson often revisits previous trips to Mexico, her favorite destination. “I think all the time about a fantasy of a vacation because I haven’t been on one in a while.”
In stores now, Ann Taylor shoppers will find a mirage print, used for a scarf and halter dress, and the cotton sheath dress in a hue dubbed “ocean,” which has a small bib of ruffles on the bodice that mimic rolling waves.
An item such as the board short, taken straight from the surfer world, translates almost anywhere, and even Neoprene is making some waves in more urban closets.
“Right now, the surfer look is very fashion forward,” observes Nathan Ellis, brand director for OP. “You’ve got the larger prints and those brighter neon colors are making a resurgence.”
It is easy to play the part of surfer, or remind you of your younger, carefree days as a surfer — Ellis says he is speaking from experience here — just by pulling out the right low-waist, long-length shorts and a graphic T.
Retailers strive to “recreate those moments and memories for customers,” says Bendel’s Bucciarelli. “The more authentic the fashion appears, the more people respond.”
Cynthia Rowley partnered with Roxy for a surf-inspired collection, and Rowley is indeed a surfer. “Ten years ago, I bought a shack in Montauk (New York), and my friends said, ‘You can’t have this house and not surf.’ A friend took me out, and on that first day I rode some waves, and I haven’t looked back. I’m totally hooked,” she says.
The idea of wearing a wet suitlike dress or skirt when she cannot be at the beach is appealing both for that triggered memory and the equally important flattering silhouette. “A Neoprene dress is like Spanx!” Rowley says. “Everyone looks good in a wet suit, so the theory would be that everyone looks good in Neoprene.”
And, if the occasion arises, the fabric travels well. “You can put it in a big duffel bag. You can crumple it, but the best way to pack is to roll it,” Rowley says.
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