Fashion 85 : American Designers Shape Their Spring Collections for All Sizes

NEW YORK — Don’t let them kid you. When you hear that spring clothes are exorbitantly body conscious and revealing, you’re not getting the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

True, top designers’ styles shown here last week are leaner, curvier, closer to the body and more sensuous. But it’s also true that these top designers have customers of all ages and sizes. They are not about to do themselves in by making unwearably bare or unbearably tight clothes for spring.

Donna Karan is a prime example. Her entire spring collection is based on lightweight, leotard-like, stretch bodysuits.

Figure-revealing?

They can be.

But they caress the body rather than girdling it, thereby camouflaging a too-thin physique or accommodating a bit of extra girth. And if Karan--who has a nice figure, but is no sylph--can wear them gracefully (which she does), so can a lot of other women.

This designer knows how to put an outfit together. Her spring bodysuits (with scooped, halter or off-the-shoulder necklines) are shown under elegantly tailored jackets, duster coats, slim, side-swag skirts and easy-fit pleated trousers.

Colors are classic (cream, an upbeat pale gray and navy). And the philosophy behind the collection

is that women ( all women) look most glamorous in simple, flexible, interchangeable parts made of fine, but practical, fabrics.

The audience of store buyers at Karan’s show stood and cheered at the end of the presentation. This prompted Karan’s staff, standing on the sidelines, to break into tears of joy. It was a nice moment, one of many in New York last week, as big-name designers showed spring styles that will ultimately wind up, in one version or another, in most women’s closets.

Ralph Lauren’s audience broke into giggles when they noticed the page of credits distributed before the designer’s show. It read: “With special thanks to: Shoes from the Ralph Lauren footwear collection; belts from the Ralph Lauren leather goods collection; scarfs from the Ralph Lauren scarf collection; hosiery from the Ralph Lauren hosiery collection; sunglasses from the Ralph Lauren eye-wear collection; makeup from the Ralph Lauren cosmetics collection; hats by Ralph Lauren for Hat Attack.”

Then Lauren himself came out to explain why a sofa, chairs and potted palms were placed on the runway. No, they weren’t from a Ralph Lauren furniture collection. It’s just that his clothes, he explained, look best in an “intimate setting,” and so he created one for his models.

Lauren offers long, languid, silk-print dresses with full skirts for spring. They’re shown with narrow belts at the waist below sweaters and blouses absolutely classic and simple in style. His pants are classic trousers with amply wide legs.

Sweater sets are a sure hit for spring. And there’s nothing especially revealing about them. Lauren, Oscar de la Renta, Bill Blass and Louis Dell’Olio for Anne Klein all showed various versions of the cardigan-over-sleeveless-pullover for day and evening, as toppings for both wide and narrow skirts and pants.

Spring pants, in general, are classically shaped and not very skinny. They’re nipped at the waistline, smooth over the hips, and they’re either straight-legged or quite a bit wider.

The question of hemlines continues to be raised, especially among busy working women who aren’t quite sure of how to spend their fashion dollars. This season won’t set the question to rest.

Most designers in New York showed both long (mid-calf or longer) and short (knee-length or just above) dresses and skirts. There simply is no “right” hem length any more. An example, on this page, are the short and long looks shown by Louis Dell’Olio for Anne Klein.

And in the matter of spring jackets (both suit jackets and separates), there are just as many long, free-swinging, unfitted styles as there are fitted and curvy ones.

More trends to look for: Bolero jackets show up on day and evening dresses and suits. Steamer coats (long, swagging, loose coats that swing free from the shoulders) look especially new over short, slim skirts or dresses. Turtleneck sleeveless sweaters and blouses are an unexplainable big trend for warm weather. Navy is the big spring color once again; white, black, gray follow next. Ralph Lauren showed brown with white, which looked refreshing after all the navy. And some very bright jewel tones added spice at many of the shows.

Makeup, jewelry and hair styles are as important as clothes in creating any look. For spring, all of the above might be described as minimal.

The makeup worn by most designers’ models with daytime clothes was of the wholesome, almost invisible sort. For evening, lips were emphasized.

Models did not wear jewelry with most daytime clothes. For evening, Bill Blass showed pearls and Oscar de la Renta featured some glittery firefly pins. But many designers eschewed jewelry almost entirely.

Hair styles for day and evening were short or long, like hemlines. They were always simple, close to the head, and they usually swept away from the face.

There is a trend toward flat shoes for daytime almost everywhere. The exceptions, of course, are at places like Blass and De la Renta, where elegant, slim-skirted suits end just at the knee and wouldn’t look balanced without higher heels.