Whether it was ratty-looking, bleached, flashy or a little bitof all three, denim sold like crazy in a lot of Chicago area storesthis fall. Plain old indigo jeans pretty much laid an egg.
Women went for long, full skirts and took a pass on short, tightnumbers in most stores surveyed. Pants went begging in high-fashionterritory.
Men snubbed basics and snatched up fashion.
Good quality meant good business - all the way from MarshallField's to J. C. Penney.
In a spot check of 13 stores, here's what was hot and what wasnot this fall. Sometimes what was red-hot one place was ice-cold inanother. MARSHALL FIELD'S
Winners:
Women - Studded, fringed and bleached denim and chambray; allkinds of metallics; knit dressing with two-piecers in the lead;leathers and suedes with novelty jackets heading the pack;turtlenecks in any yarn; long circle skirts in gabardine, crepe orflannel; cotton or silk broadcloth shirts in solids or noveltystripes; wool jersey dresses, skirts and jackets; lace trims;evening separates in charmeuse, velvet or wool crepe; updated stylesin cashmere sweaters; luxurious cashmere and alpaca coats, andgabardine trench and balmacaan coats.
Men - Anything by Ralph Lauren or Liz Claiborne; leatherouterwear; updated contemporary sportswear; fashion neckwear inunusual prints as opposed to solids and stripes; suspenders andlong, wool topcoats.
Losers:
Women - Short skirts; body-conscious looks; structured suits;floral prints; decorated sweaters with sequins, beads and appliques;velvet trims on jackets; coats and dresses, and boring, basicshetland sweaters.
Men - Corduroy slacks; basic, striped shetland sweaters andsports coats. CARSON PIRIE SCOTT
Winners:
Women - Leather and suede dresses, skirts and jackets; denim;sequins; embellished sweaters with glitz and appliques; wool jerseydresses with long full skirts; rayon separates; gray flannel;gabardine; neutrals and pale colors; silver-toned jewelry;crocodile-stamped belts and leather wristbands.
Men - Black denim; leather jackets; toggle coats; downjackets; cotton sweaters; knit and leather gloves and wool scarves.
Losers:
Women - Wool knit skimmer dresses; basic sweaterknits; heavymohair sweaters; goldtone fashion jewelry; plain leather belts andbright colors in better-price separates.
Men - All-weather coats and solid-color basic lambswool knits. I. MAGNIN
Winners:
Women - Anything by Donna Karan and Anne Klein; super-luxuriousitems such as cashmere sweaters and cashmere and baby llama wovenwools; crocodile accessories; styles with rounded shoulders;expensive evening wear; sequin tops; Chicago designer MarshaBrenner's antique-goldtone fashion jewelry; zircon rings, earringsand bracelets; head wraps and hair bows; low-heel boots andone-piece foundation bodysuits from the lingerie department.
Men - Leather jackets, heavy tweed sports coats and velourshirts.
Losers:
Women - Anything that looked cheap; square shoulders; heavilybeaded dresses and tops beaded to the hilt; small accessories;headbands; terrycloth robes and high-heel boots.
Men - Camel sports coats, and overcoats with structuredshoulders. NEIMAN-MARCUS
Winners:
Women - All kinds of wool jersey dresses, including short,draped body-conscious styles, across a wide price range; Bisangfurs; crocodile, real or fake, accessories; the animal influence inaccessories, especially printed handbags, belts and boots; long,full skirts; short, slim skirts with jackets; long jackets, shapedjackets in all lengths; cashmere sweaters and stonewashed andjeweled chambray shirts.
Men - Turtleneck tops from $25 to $200; solid colors in suits,coats, slacks and sweaters, and, bucking the local loser trend,indigo denim shirts and jeans.
Losers:
None reported for women or men. POMPIAN (Women only)
Winners:
Long coats; leather; long skirts; fun sportswear such asdenim skirts and wrinkled rayon separates; cashmere sweaters;glitz; rhinestone costume jewelery and forward fashion looks ingeneral.
Losers:
Short skirts; pants; plain belts; inexpensive costume jewelryand classic clothes. ULTIMO
Winners:
Women - Knits, especially Azzedine Alaia tight-fitting stylesand Angelo Tarlazzi's ombred sweaterknits; sweaters and bodysuits;cashmere in every form; shearling three-quarter and long coats;Giorgio Armani soft looks; skirts, long and full or short and slim;understated glitter; solo leather jackets, leather outerwear;alligator belts; pony shoes and belts; expensive-looking handbags;headwraps; gold earrings, antique jewelry and bags, and costumejewelry that's neat and looks like fine jewelry.
Men - Fashion shearling coats in short or very long lengths;luxurious turtlenecks in cashmere and lambswool; 1940s-style wideties; oversized jackets and skinny jeans in stonewashed or blackdenim; corduroy pants in a variety of styles, and luxurious fabricssuch as cashmere, camel hair and silk across the board.
Losers:
Women - Pants and blouses.
Men - Expensive slick leathers, indigo jeans and activewear. BIGSBY & KRUTHERS (Men only)
Winners:
Luxury items in general; top-of-the-line sweaters $200 and up;cashmere sweaters and sports coats, silk and cashmere scarves; $70pure cotton dress shirts; oversized long topcoats, especially Irishtweeds; top-of-the-line suits and tailored sportswear; alligatorbelts and suspenders.
Losers:
Basics in general; corduroy pants and plain crewneck sweaters. GALLAGHER CHICAGO (Men only)
Winners:
Double-breasted suits; long overcoats; fashion sweaters andembossed leather jackets.
Losers:
Basic outer jackets in wool or poplin. CHAS. A. STEVENS (Women only)
Winners:
Lambswool polo sweaters in bright colors; wool gabardinesportswear, suits and coats; trumpet, circle and back-button longskirts; patterned sweaters, novelty blouses with pleating; bleachedand stonewashed denim sportswear; two-piece knit dressing; velvetdresses; cut-out back cocktail dresses; wool jersey dresses withlong full skirts; green, black and beige; wool flannel coatdresses;longer jackets, especially double-breasted; fine worsted wools inmenswear patterns; long trenchcoats and dusters; jewel-tone coats,particularly emerald and sapphire; fake crocodile belts; metallicscarves; fashion pearls in pins and earrings; hair bows; patternedhosiery and knitted leisure and lounge wear.
Losers:
Solid-color jacquards; wool jersey bodysuit and short sarongskirt; patterned pants and skirts; solid-color popcorn knits;solid-color polyester jacquard dresses; basic chemises; jumpsuitsin soft fabrics; wool-blend suits as opposed to natural fibers;basic pearls in necklaces and earrings; structured headwear andtricot sleepwear. LORD & TAYLOR Winners:
Women - Anything in cashmere; long full dresses and skirts, andhair bows.
Men - Anything in cashmere. Losers:
None admitted for men or women. J.C. PENNEY
Winners:
Women - Anything with glitz; black; oversized tops with paddedshoulders; total Southwestern influence in stonewashed and bleacheddenim in dresses and separates; studded chambray blouses withrhinestones; henley shirts; novelty fleece separates and fleeceouterwear; sweater dressing across the board with big emphasis onpatterned oversized sweaters; jumpsuits day and night; partydresses; furs; leggings; silver and turquoise jewelry; hairornaments, headwraps and hats, and drawstring handbags.
Men - Bleached or stonewashed jeans and jackets; black denim;suspenders; jacquard and intarsia wool sweaters; cotton sweaters;fuller-cut pleated pants; cargo pants; metallic yarns; noveltyfleece separates; henley shirts; shirts in dark, solid colors;colored fashion underwear and novelty boxer shorts.
Losers:
Women - Basic, five-pocket indigo denim jeans; stirrup pants;corduroy pants; printed skirts or pants; anything basic such assolid-color blouses and sweaters, and flannel shirts.
Men - Basic five-pocket indigo denim jeans. STANLEY KORSHAK (Women only)
Winners:
Krizia 'gray fox' pattern sweaters at $1,700 each; anythinggray; long fit-and-flare dresses and skirts, and drapedclose-to-the-body dresses in silk.
Losers:
Tight wool jersey dresses and jumpsuits, and a line of bulkyquilted velour separates. MARK SHALE
Winners:
Women - Crocodile belts; anything cashmere, especiallysweaters; knit dressing as a category; suits with longdouble-breasted jackets with long pleated skirts; long skirts ingeneral and short skirts for evening only.
Men - Suits with pleated pants, sports coats in luxury fabricssuch as cashmere and silk, stripes, checks, plaids and tweeds;full-cut '40s-style pants with inverted pleats; Englishspread-collar shirts; boldly striped shirts, and ties in antiquepaisley and textured patterns.
Losers:
No confessions for women or men.
