The Paducah Sun from Paducah, Kentucky • 62

PAGE 10 SPRING FASHION SECTION -THE PADUCAH SUN SUNDAY, MARCH 14, 1982 Name of the game is skin Designers bring suede, leather into ther fashions By FRANCES CAWTHON The Atlanta Journal ATLANTA Designers are playing a skin game this year, and that doesn't refer to their penchant for hiking hemlines, either. not They are enamored of leather particularly of the soft side called suede as never before. Only in caveman days, one assumes, have women worn more of this material, although leathers were tremendously popular as garments and decorations, mostly for men, during medieval times. What is truly surprising, however, is that designers are choosing leathers, traditionally associated, with cold weather, most strongly for spring, which is supposed to be a season of organdy, voile and other diaphanous fabrics. All of the big "name" fashion houses, however, are playing the skin game from both Kleins (Calvin and Anne) to society designers Bill Blass and Ralph Lauren, to those in Europe, such as Giorgio Armani, considered one of the most trend-setting creators around.

Why is this true particularly when the designers are suggesting such garments for warm weather? Armani told Time magazine, "Leather now has sex appeal. The difference between leather and fur is that fur is just a dead animal one carries around, while leather falls and folds on the body to become a second skin." Herein lies a point: Leather garments have not suffered the stigma fur sometimes does. There appears no outrage among some consumers that animals are being killed just for the sake of fashion vanity. People seem to assume rightly or wrongly that all leathers are by-products of the food industry. Also, the great popularity of Ultrasuede, promoted by Halston, has acclimated women to the look and feel of suede, albeit the synthetic variety.

And finally, suede more than smooth or slick leather itself fits in with the softer feeling of fashion today. Then there is the sophistication factor. As Karen Massel, fashion director of the Atlanta Apparel Mart, sees it, suede garments are an example of more inventive investment dressing, allowing a woman. to use her imagination to put parts together with a stylishly individualistic touch. She might team a pair of suede pants with a silk blouse, for example, then put them with something entirely different another time.

Susan Forehand, fashion director of Saks Fifth Avenue, sees the trend as appealing to women because "it's something new and something different." She adds, "I don't want to say it's a fad; it means a lot more than that. First of all, it's an It also is for the woman who definitely is fashion-oriented, Ms. Forehand says, and to indulge in this trend, "she also is going to have to have a nice little (Designer suede garments generally are priced from $100 to more than $1,000.) Chip Sarver, a graduate of both Georgia Tech and the International Fabricare: Institute, apparently is not surprised at this fashion trend either. "Basically, the designers are using leathers more and more as a vehicle for their designs, and the leather industry also, with new dyeing processes and techniques, is able to do more with leather than could be done 10 years ago." Sarver points out there also have been recent developments in suede and leather cleaning, such as improved fluids, that enable. those specializing in care of such garments to do a more professional job.

Sarver also notes that designers now are into natural fibers, "and leather is a natural material." The reason it is a material suitable for spring, he says, is "nowadays they're able to make leather thinner than they used to." Besides, he points out, leather is a skin, and as such it "breathes" a quality that is an asset in warmer temperatures. Of course, leather fashions are more expensive to clean than those of fabric. Sarver says a pair of fabric trousers, for example, can cost $2.10 to $2.50 to dry-clean, while a pair of leather trousers Youre going to be so proud. He just gave you your Keepsake diamond And we guarantee the quality of your engagement ring and you're floating on clouds. diamond and setting for life.

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Some leather -suede aficionados including designers simply take good care of their garments, and rarely need to clean them. Sarver has some pointers if you are shopping for one of the new fashionable suede garments. First, he says, you should go to a reputable store. Second, "you do get more value in a higher -priced garment" as a rule, he says. You should.

avoid articles of clothing with heavy decorations, too, because this makes them harder to clean. But one of his most important Continued on Page 13 Downtown Paducah Mall Open Sundays Open Sundays TOWN AND COUNTRY Comfort and softness make Perry's new spring groups a sure hit for this Spring. Short sleeve jackets, pleated skirts. cotton and polyester Available in many bright and basic colors. Perry's Downtown Paducah Mall.