The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 102

STYLE The Atlanta Journal The Atlanta Constitution L6 Sunday, July 24, 1994 New fuller, fluid trousers update working wardrobe Festivals will showcase art of African fashion 1 ELSA KLENSCH 7 I Legacy Fashion Fair. 7 p.m. July 3 1 Atlanta Renaissance Hotel, 590 West Peachtree St. N.W. Tickets, $25, available through the Smart Group (668-1040), Ancestral Legacy at Greenbriar Mall (349-5733) or Ticketmaster (249-6400.

Also: Free seminar for those interested in the fashion industry at 5 p.m. Aug. I at the Atlanta Renaissance Hotel. 668-1040. Roots and Branches Folk Arts Festival.

Daily fashion shows Saturday through Aug. 6. Free. Piedmont Park. Call for complete schedule: 224-1835.

By Elizabeth Lenhard STAFF WRITER It's easy to forget that fashion is a form of art. But at next weekend's National Black Arts Festival and Roots and Branches Folk Arts Festival, local and national designers will display their work where it fits among visual art and music. The NBAF's Legacy Fashion Fair on July 31 has been organized by Atlanta designer Emeka Okoye, who incorporates genuine kente cloth into business wear and tuxedos. Among the rhythms of the Talking Drums and South African dancers, 12 African-American designers will show their stuff, from the exotic Afrocentric designs of the Wilbourn sisters to Leon Stevens's avant-garde clothes. Roots and Branches, part of the Cultural Olympiad's "Celebrate will host designers and fashion experts from all over the continent.

Fashion shows, scheduled daily beginning Saturday, will cover everything from kids' clothes to traditional woven cloths to a wedding scene. Entertainment and enterprise are key factors in these fashion celebrations, but I 1 -I v' i 1 V. f. i -C SPECIAL The kente tuxedo is from Emee's Collections by Emeka Okoye. $450 at Rich's, South DeKalb Mall.

On the coven A red patent-leather suit trimmed in mud cloth from Wilbourn Exclusives' African haute couture line. $650. Custom orders only: 344-3 1 66. education is just as important, organizers say. African-Americans can learn how to blend.

Afrocentric accents with contemporary European-style clothing. "Wearing your heritage should not be a fad or hype," says Okoye, -who was raised in Nigeria. "I want it to be a way of life." All we hear from designers is that narrow pants are out and fiill pants are in, I love pants; they are so comfortable. But I have short legs. Do I really have to throw out my flattering tapered pants? Al Here's what New York designer Cathy Hardwick says: "Keep your tapered pants to wear with sweaters, shirts and tunics at home and on weekends.

But for your working wardrobe find a couple of pairs of straight or slightly flared pants in fluid fabrics. Choose neutral colors, say, black, brown, gray and navy. Use these new pants to mix with the jackets and tops you already have. "For evening, look for full pants in a semitransparent fabric. These fabrics are a great buy because they are seasonless.

Again, choose a neutral color." For the past few seasons, I've worn nothing but black. Black was everywhere in the stores, and it was the easiest way to build a wardrobe. Now I feel Vve overdosed on black and want to add color to my wardrobe. How do I start? At Liz Claiborne, Bob Aba-jian, head of designer sportswear, agrees that black from head to toe can look heavy in warm weather: "Buy neutral tones like honey, olive, putty and banana. They're fashionable, pretty, easy to wear and fresh.

You'll find subtle shades add elegance and lightness to black wardrobe pieces without overpowering." Another plus: All your black accessories still look good with your new combinations. For parties, I bought myself a short dress with a deep neck and long, soft sleeves. The fabric is a pale peach rayon georgette. It looks great, except that my neck looks too bare. What jewelry would go with it? Silver has made a big comeback, and it would suit both the pale color and the delicate fabric of your party dress.

New York designer Stephen Dweck says it's a cool metal cool looking and cool to the touch: "The more you wear it, the AAP)QD JDiJ Is! ik SPECIAL At Liz Claiborne, mixable neutrals including wide-legged pants make a cool, easy look. more comfortable you feel. I suggest a pendant on a long, flexible chain. "On the other hand, if you love pearls, look for some strung on a silver chain. Or even pearls mixed with light-colored stones.

They look antique and modern at the same time," Dweck says. As for earrings, he says, silver looks best in soft shapes. "The drop is more important than the button. When it moves, it's sensuous." "Style With Elsa" airs at 10:30 a.m and 2:30 p.m. Saturdays on CNN.

Address questions to Elsa Klensch, LA Times Syndicate, Times-Mirror Square, Los Angeles, Calif. 90053. Questions can be answered in the column only. rrr rsr rvn LyDDSDDyGSS mfalSk But is this a GOOD THING? Jf Extra, extra! Newsboy cap is back I' Access Atlanta is the new comprehensive online service from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Prodigy. All you need is Jimi Hendrix wore it.

So did John Lennon. Likewise Fat Albert's pal Rudy. It's the floppy, foppy, ridiculously large newsboy cap. And like every other fashion faux pas that lurked in the '60s and 70s, it's back, swallowing the heads of rappers, schoolkids and ambitious trendies. Some are calling it the Big Apple Hat, no doubt alluding to the baggily clothed newsies on every New York street corner during the Depression.

Others are calling it just plain silly, only slightly more dignified than the PRODIGY. Service Before you could say pianissimo, two of the best seatsin the house had changed hands, and there wasn't a box office in sight. Symphony tickets, record collections, antique chairs, stuffed fish and thousands of other treasures are being bought, sold and traded on the new Access Atlanta Online Flea Market. And all it takes is a click of your mouse to go shopping. JustSSSS grungers' towering "Cat in the Hat" chapeaus.

What do you think of the slouchy headgear? Does it make for a Dapper Dan or is it a foolish fad? Would you wear it? Call 222-8870 and tell us your opinion. Spell your first and last names, tell us where you're from and leave a daytime number. We'll print the best responses in the next installment of "Is This a Good Thing?" Elizabeth Lenhard Per Month a computer, a modem, an ordinary telephone line, and Access Atlanta or Prodigy sofware. Membership in the Prodigy service is available for an additional fee, but you don't have to be a Prodigy subscriber to use Access Atlanta. So the next time you want to clean out the garage or go bargain shopping, remember the Online Flea Market on Access Atlanta.

It just may be singing your song. EFsnsT 2onYEivs Fee Free. accessAtlanta FROM THE ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION AND PRODIGY mini But the biggest bargain of all is that the Flea Market costs just 6 cents a minute in addition to the normal Access Atlanta monthly charge. 1 mm CompUSA 2201 Cobb Parkway 1425 Market Blvd. Around Lenox Shopping Center 3825 Venture Dr.

Babbage's Market Smiare Mall Cwinnctt Place Mall Southlake Mall Shannon Southpark Mall Perimeter Mall The respondents to our question about the propriety of the guayab-era as hot-weather alternative to shirt and tie overwhelmingly approved the casual, tail-out shirt. "We love these shirts in the Philippines; we just call them by another name," said Raoul llwa, vice president of Atlanta's chapter of the Philippine-American Chamber of Commerce. "We call shirts popularized by the late Ferdinand Marcos 'barong By any name, the lightweight summer shirts with embroidered fronts were popular among Style readers. Don Kaye, Atlanta: "Guayaberas are not too casual. It's time to get away from the dull suits and ties, especially in warm-weather months." Sanford Leffingwell, Atlanta: "I find guayaberas reasonably sophisticated and very comfortable hot-weather wear.

They can be made dressy in the long-sleeve version with a bow tie, As a physician specializing in preventative medicine, I'd say they're a good way to prevent heat stress." Frank Malanga, Atlanta: "I'm in favor of them. One of the reasons I voted for Jimmy Carter for president was that I thought he'd do away with ties by decree." Randy Roten, Sandy Springs: "As a person who has to wear a tie all the time, ridiculous weather notwithstanding, I think this is a very good thing." Richard Magruder, Decatur: "I wear them six or seven months out of the year. I have 18 guayaberas, acquired in Mexico, Guatemala, Panama and, especially, the Caribbean. I would certainly wear one to work if I continued to work downtown. They're not too casual." Software Etc.

Cwinnett Place Mall Town Center Mall Lenox Sauare Mall Cumberland Mall Northlake Mall Northpoint Mall Electronics Boutique Town Center Mall Lenox Square Mall Perimeter Mall Microcenter 1221 Powers Ferry Rd. OfficeMax 5615 Memorial Dr. Northlake Tower Festival 2300 Pleasant Hill Rd. 860 Cobb Place Blvd. 1344 Morrow Industrial Blvd.

3183 Peachtree Rd. Akers Mill Shopping Center 5600 Buford Hwy. Mansell Crossing Perimeter Expo Circuit City 4512 Memorial Drive 1968 Cobb Parkway 5495 Jimmy Carter Blvd. 2801 George Busbee Pkwy. 1241 Morrow Industrial Blvd.

Around Lenox Shopping Center Greenbriar Mall Sears Gwinnett Place Mall Southlake Mall Shannon Mall Cumberland Mall Northlake Mall Town Center Mall Northpoint Mall To use Access Atlanta, you need a Macintosh, IBM PC or PC compatible computer, EGA or VCA monitor, hard disk, mouse, modem, an ordinary phone line and Access Atlanta software. Current PRODIGY members can enroll right on the service. Just Jump: Access Atlanta..