Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, March 18, 1990 TAG: 9003222117
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: E-19 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: From staff and wire reports
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
But one of the new, light, colorful coats - a lavender, fuchsia or a sunny yellow sweep of fabric that billows in the wind - could brighten the grayest day.
Now that color is chic once again, designers are putting bright splashes into such formerly sober areas as rainwear. Much like the explosion of watches as fashion accessories, raincoats are becoming items to be purchased in multiples - an understated hunter green for the office, a red polka-dot number for fun on the weekends, something elegant in metallic for night.
Available now in the lightest nylon fabrics, the newest coats are a vast improvement over the classic, cumbersome poplin or twill spy coat. They are roomy enough and light enough to layer over whatever the weather requires, be it a heavy wool jacket or your exercise clothes.
Often cut in featherweight silks, cotton and nylon, the new coats also answer the needs of frequent fliers. They can be stuffed into a tote bag, briefcase or overhead luggage rack, and the wrinkles shake right out. The ones made of crinkly fabrics nicely camouflage the most stubborn creases.
Unusual finishes of all kinds are becoming more popular - especially those that feel like suede, as in "sueded silk," or have an iridescent surface that subtly reflects different colors depending on the light. The growth of innovative fabrics woven of "microfibers" has resulted in a proliferation of paper-thin fabrics that can keep the wearer as warm as a heavy wool coat.
All this experimentation in fabric and color means that you'll find a greater variety of rainwear this spring, often in stores where you've never seen it before.
Patina on the Roanoke City Market offers some of this season's most unique styles.
"Colors this year are vibrant and cheerful," said Dana Boyd, assistant manager. "No more of those gloomy raincoats of the past."
Wippette, a favorite label at Patina, offers coats of all kinds - lined, unlined, solids, dotted and an assortment of colors. One popular Wippette style is a purple raincoat lined in black and white zebra stripes with a matching zebra-striped umbrella. The shell of the coat is 100-percent vinyl and the lining 100-percent cotton - great for warmth on chilly spring days.
Patina also offers a coated cotton Australian riding coat that resists water and stains. By Jackeroo, this full-length coat comes in black, brown and green.
At La Vogue by Seiferts, the keyword is fun. Kim Ramsey, manager of the chain's Tanglewood store, said what customers want this year in rainwear is less serious. "You have your customers who are going to need a basic trench because of what they do for a living," she said. "But right now, fun coats are what we are selling."
One popular coat by Visions is a shiny pewter-colored, full-length, double breasted style with dolman sleeves - "great to wear over suits," Ramsey said.
The coat is lightweight but sturdy, having been treated for water, oil and stain resistance. It has the appearance of satin.
Ramsey said the snakeskin-look raincoats of last year are out. "I think most people now want color - especially on a rainy day," she said.
The A-line swing and the trench are the most prevalent styles right now, but lengths vary. The most current look is worn very long or above the knee, but always full.
Several influential American designers, including Michael Kors and Marc Jacobs for Perry Ellis, made a splash for spring with perky trench coats updated to above-the-knee lengths.
But even retailers who are carrying the European-style brief coats seem to have more faith in the longer styles. "The idea of a raincoat is to keep you dry," said Ray Michener, manager of Ruth Shaw in Baltimore. "Those thigh-cut ones are very cute, but these can be worn over everything, and they can go from day to evening."
Memo: Spring Fashion