Top 5 Women’s Trends
Sheer
Satin
Slouchy
Bold
Leather
—Andrea Giampoli

Top 5 Men’s Trends
Retro
Bahama
Synthetic
Lean
Plaid
—Andrea Giampoli

Top 5 Women’s Accessories
The skinny belt
The patterned scarf
The long chain necklace with story-telling charm
The animal print
The hippie headband
—Andrea Giampoli

Top 5 Men’s Accessories
The buttoned cardigan
The fedora
The loafer
The cotton scarf
The old-school Ray-Bans
—Andrea Giampoli

Top 5 Worst Fashion Trends
Uggs (why won’t these die?)
Bangs
Earlobe stretching
Wearing leggings as pants and/or hosiery
Hipsters wearing scarves in warm weather just to look cool
—Garin Pirnia

Top 5 Trends We Hope Won’t Progress in 2009
From eighties retro to the shoulder padded suit jacket
From skinny jeans to skinny shorts
From leggings to knee high socks
From the Panama hat to the khaki fishing hat
From hobo to homeless
—Andrea Giampoli

By Kari Skaflen
It’s the party of the year, a farewell to the past 365 days, and a fresh start, a new year. We all know some of the best and biggest bashes take place on a night where bubbly, streamers and fireworks are mandatory. With all of this pomp come high expectations for the evening and pressure to shine. And for us girls, that means donning the perfect outfit. It’s a look that expresses a carefree enjoyment of the present and an optimism for the future. And in my humble opinion, the safe little dress just doesn’t cut it anymore. So we’ve compiled a photo collection of ten edgy, atypical New Year’s looks that are bound to turn heads and make a girl stand out in a sea of mini dresses. All looks are available at local boutiques, many of which are having killer sales—this is the time to splurge on a decadent New Year’s outfit that will carry you into the next year with sass.

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By Sarah Klose

She wraps her head in a Persian shawl. The fabric once decorated the wall of her mother’s now-dilapidated mansion. As the walls crumble, Little Edie twists the shawl into a headdress and sinks into self-imposed isolation.

Little Edie Beale and Big Edith Bouvier Beale were the cousin and aunt of Jackie Bouvier Kennedy Onassis. They shared a glamorous life of manicured gardens, horseback-riding lessons and society balls in East Hampton. Jackie married a future President, but Little Edie became a creative, dysfunctional adult living in squalor with her indomitable mother Big Edith.
The life and fashions of the eccentric daughter and mother come to life in “Grey Gardens,” a 1975 documentary film turned into a Tony Award-winning Broadway musical now in its Chicago premiere at Northlight Theatre, directed by BJ Jones. The  film has long been a cult favorite and something of a legend in the fashion world, which raised the stakes, costume-wise, for its theatrical adaptation. The costumes in Act One reflect the carefree gaiety of 1941, while those in Act Two show the mental imbalance and deteriorating living conditions of the mother and daughter in 1973.

“Ultimately, we had to create two worlds,” costume designer Jacqueline Firkins says. For the first act, she brought 1940s glamour to the stage, based on photos of the period. Hollis Resnik dazzles as Big Edith in a flowing green silk caftan that Firkins rented. Handmade matching gold silk slacks wink beneath the frock. “Not many pieces match the script,” Firkins says. “With Act One, we made up a lot more. There isn’t exactly a photo of the mother in the kimono in her loungewear.”

In an engagement party scene, Resnik sports a pink custom-fitted 1940s dress purchased from a vintage shop. Young Edie sashays in a pale blue taffeta ball gown constructed by Firkins’ students at Loyola, where she teaches. Four strands of pale green pearls accent the dress. Ayla’s Originals in Evanston loaned the necklace to Northlight Theatre, and the theater promised to lock it up at night for the duration of the play. Earlier, Little Edie prances in navy-and-white-striped peek-toe pumps fastened with navy bows, borrowed from a Loyola production of “Guys and Dolls.”

For Act Two, Firkins’ designs reflect unhinged creativity. Grey Gardens mansion has deteriorated into a broken version of its former self, its garden overgrown with weeds and house overrun with cats, raccoons and garbage. Big Edith and Little Edie are broke recluses. Firkins watched the movie online and did freeze frames to copy the bizarre fashions. “We had to realize that people who know the cult film, know it really well. The challenge was to make sure the pieces looked as true to the film as possible,” she says.

The elderly Big Edith, expertly played by Ann Whitney, drapes men’s shirts over her chest, ties the sleeves in back, and throws a kimono housecoat over the ensemble. Little Edie’s skewed sense of reality bubbles to the surface in her bohemian oddball style of dress. She wears a series of red pieces called a marching outfit. Her girdle-like shorts are layered over ripped fishnet panty hose. On top of that is a cashmere skirt flipped upside-down, the seams cut open, the sides fastened with huge safety pins. This was how Little Edie dressed in East Hampton in 1973—three years before the Sex Pistols gave birth to the punk rock movement in the U.K.

Twisted sweaters or bath towels wrap around Little Edie’s head. Due to quick costume changes, Firkin says, “You have to fake it. You have to simulate the idea.” The head scarves are decorated with decorative gold brooches bought from Grey Gardens Online. Ayla created one in conjunction with the play; it is on display in the theater lobby and sells for $250.

Little Edie referred to her style of dress as revolutionary, and it may well be so. Designer Todd Oldham mentioned her as an influence, and John Bartlett said he watches the “Grey Gardens” documentary every four months. Jennifer Lopez has imitated Little Edie’s head wraps. In October 2007, Harper’s Bazaar featured a “Grey Gardens” fashion-inspired layout of Lauren Hutton and Mary-Kate Olsen. In September 2008, Italian Vogue wrote about Edie Bouvier Beale and posted photos of her fashion style.
Little Edie’s style, and her story, live on in film. The 1975 documentary film “Grey Gardens” by the Maysles brothers captured the bickering, codependent pair shortly after the health department raided their home. The 2006 sequel, “The Beales of Grey Gardens,” contained unreleased footage from the 1970s. The documentary about the making of the Tony award-winning musical (“Grey Gardens: From East Hampton to Broadway”), premieres on PBS on December 23, 2008. And then, of course, there is the Hollywood adaptation. Drew Barrymore and Jessica Lange star as the eccentric daughter and mother in that movie, to be released in 2009.

The fashions can be seen in “Grey Gardens” at Northlight Theatre, 9501 Skokie Blvd, Skokie , (847)673-6300, through December 28.

Corso Como Sadie riding boot from Akira

By C.J. Arellano

Though clothing is a necessity, fashion is a luxury. If the industry depends on our fixation with glamour, frivolity, escapism, fantasy and money, how does America dress itself when we’re suffering from a deficit in all of the above? Opinions abound on how dire economic trends are steering fashion trends this season, but one thing’s for certain: prepare for a fashion season branded with the B-word—basics. Basic garments, basic colors, basic footwear, basic spending habits. When it comes to living in an economic downturn, our full-length mirror is shaped just like square one.

“Right now, people are purchasing things that are classic and that are never going to go out of style because they know that next year, next spring, next fall, it’s something they can still pull out of their closet,” says Sarah Herold, shoe manager and stylist at the Akira Chicago women’s boutique on Diversey. “People aren’t nearly as willing to jump aboard on trends, especially if it’s going to cost a little more.”

Herold points to shoes as an example: though fringe is one of the latest hot trends on the shelves, customers are walking off in Akira’s more fashionably durable riding boots instead.

So buyers are responding to a recession with reasonable behavior: they’re spending safer and spending less. Designers are doing their best to keep up. “I think that many designers are going back to basics in an effort to make versatile pieces that can support any wardrobe,” says Jote Kaur Mahern, designer for Sunia Natural Fibers. Chicago-based designer Sarah Matouchi notes that even the fashion press is trying to stay accessible: “When I picked up the latest issue of Vogue, they had a section about shopping on a budget…and the average fashion magazine reader knows there’s nothing budget about Vogue. I feel the industry is definitely trying its best to survive this crisis, and the only way to do that is to be smart about what people really need right now.”

As a result, on the runways last month—in Chicago as well as major fashion capitals New York, Paris and Milan—collections were splashed with separates rendered in blacks, whites, beiges or more subdued and classic patterns like plaid. (Have you been noticing the preponderance of plaid jackets on pedestrians this season?) Some designers took the mood of the global economy one step further with hard-edged sci-fi-themed garments. One of the most-talked-about collections, Nicolas Ghesquiere’s stunning Spring 2009 line for Balenciaga, presented a flock of models who looked like an army of strange, destructive robots. In an interview with Style.com, actress Selma Hayek likened them to a “new race—the Balenciaga race.” Are we officially in the age of dystopia chic?
On a less extreme level, Dannia Altemimei, a 20-year-old undergrad attending Loyola, notices that trends among her fashion-conscious pals are also veering back toward the dark and angry: “Grunge is totally coming back in, like with destroyed jeans, flannel shirts, plaid and neutral colors,” she observes. “I really think it has to do with how our generation feels about the country, because the last time the style came about, it was Gen X, who totally had no faith in government.” She also points out that the style is relatively inexpensive to produce and maintain.

Basic black, sci-fi, grunge—the fashion landscape can’t be all this depressing, can it? On the contrary. Several clothiers and their customers are supporting cheery optimism in the face of the country’s current economic crisis. “I find color all over the market, which might indicate the wish for change,” says Marsha Brenner, executive director of Apparel Industry Board, Inc., who doesn’t believe that the economy is driving current fashion trends on a significant level. “Those that drive the industry—the consumers—merely want a little color in their lives.”

Vatit Virashpanth brought color to Fashion Focus Chicago

Last month during Fashion Focus Chicago’s Allure of Couture show, the ready-to-wear line Vatit Itthi presented a standout collection rendered in basic neutrals as well as bright and vibrant colors—colors that actually moved the audience to applause upon their gradual appearance on the runway. “When we showed our Spring and Summer 2009 lines both in Chicago and Bangkok [at Elle Fashion Week], the response of the audience to the bright color section was overwhelming,” says co-creator Vatit Virashpanth. “The situation of the world economy right now is kind of boring for a lot of people. For us now, anything that can make us feel a little bit lighter, let’s do it. Beautiful things help. Trust us.”

When Donatella Versace dedicated her 2009 Spring/Summer collection to Barack Obama at her Milan show, it was an seamless melding of fashion and politics. Similarly, finding the perfect accessory to proudly announce your chosen political candidate shouldn’t seem like a tacky add-on to your otherwise stylish wardrobe. With the election just around the corner, there’s time to pick up some tasteful gems that say: “I’m an American. I have an opinion. And I have a chic way of supporting it.”

BUTTONS
You’re seeing your candidate all over the place, so why not put him where you can always see him—pinned to your lapel? If you want variety, Politcalshop.com is your button go-to. Regardless of your chosen candidate these buttons have it all. The looks range from luxe-looking to simple-yet-sophisticated fonts on adorable circular pins. Go ahead—pair your Prada bag with one of these buttons. The quality aesthetic of the pins makes it a politically correct pairing.

For Obama lovers, MoveOn.org offers three design-friendly styles of mini-buttons for you to sport. The best part? The initial order of buttons is free. If you distribute them all over town, you pay just a little for another batch and the proceeds go to benefit the awareness of Obama’s campaign for 2008—as if there are those who haven’t heard of him.

T-SHIRTS
If you’re digging for a political t-shirt that doesn’t conflict with your Diesel jeans, Zazzle.com offers a variety of styles and designs to suit your personal aesthetic. Like many popular “design your own t-shirt” sites, you’re able to determine your own fit, color and size. Plus, the tees sport graphics that look like they fell off a limited-edition run from a local boutique.

Want to keep your support on the down low, but still support the cause? Voteapparel.com is totally with you. The four-color-option American Apparel t-shirt comes with a fun—yet dapper—logo that reminds your apparel gazer to “vote” in bold white attractive letters. The shirt comes in a of variety of sizes and styles. Plus, you won’t risk coming under fire from your opposing political party just for encouraging people to vote. (Byron Flitsch)

Our Pride Parade is about more than just celebrating Chicago’s out and proud citizens—it’s also the best place to spot true sartorial brilliance. But whether your fashion sensibilities lean big and bold, or veer more subtly stylish, nothing is hotter than incorporating a bit of philanthropist chic into any ensemble. On Sunday, when milling through the swarms of proud gay/lesbian/bisexual/transgender folk, make a statement in some of these top designs we found at a variety of GLBT organizations. Because being sensitively fashionable is so in.

Homos are a Hoot
This Chicago-based t-shirt (originally designed for National Coming Out Day) was such a hit that the designers went into multiple reprints to keep up with the heavy demand. If you’re not already in love with the slogan, you’ll fall for the adorable chocolate brown owl on this baby-pink vintage-cut t-shirt. A large chunk of the money raised by the purchase of the shirts goes to local community organizations that help fund LGBT equality. (homosareahoot.com, $17)

Christian Siriano’s Fierce Equality Tee
“Project Runway” champ (and king of the catch phrase) Christian Siriano has teamed up with the Human Rights Campaign to create an insanely stylish one-hundred-percent organic t-shirt that flaunts a hand-drawn design of “Fierce Equality,” a superhero Siriano created just for this collection. Think a high-end version of a Threadless t-shirt. Two color options—gray and a basic off-white—will make it easy to pair with any wardrobe item. Here’s the best part: it’s signed by Siriano. You’re literally wearing a piece of art. (hrc.org, $38)

Until There’s a Cure Sterling and Leather Cord Bracelet
Through all the Pride Weekend fun we can’t forget the bigger issues. Until There’s a Cure, an AIDS support foundation, worked with New York jewelry designer Kerry MacBride to create a chic, high-end bracelet that looks like it stepped out of a boutique accessory case. Featuring a sterling silver plaque etched with an AIDS ribbon strung on leather cord, this accessory will dress up any outfit. (until.org, $95) (Byron Flitsch)

Finding the perfect add-to

Clothes may make the man, but his accessories allow him to flaunt his personal style. Guys, give your summer look a fashionable boost by stocking up on a few of our favorite wardrobe necessities.

Wallets
You use it multiple times a day; shouldn’t it be something you adore? Eschew the classic brown/black leather and kick it up a notch with a Blue Alessandro bi-fold wallet ($89, Stitch, 1723 North Damen, stitchchicago.com). It’s made from light-blue Safiano leather and it’s scratch resistant. Prefer something a bit more conversational? Check out the Duct Tape Wallet. It’s DIY with style. ($24, Flight001, 1133 North State, flight001.com).

Belts
You know the rule: one in brown, one in black—but no one says that belts have to be as dull as discount-store lighting. The Orciani brown belt elevates any pair of pants into instant high fashion. With a loop clasp and perforated leather, quality is in charge. ($134-$184, Hejfina, 1529 North Milwaukee, hejfina.com). Funk it up a bit with a PS belt from Paul Frank. It’s silk screen-type detailing will have heads turning towards your waistline. ($200, Paul Frank, 851 West Armitage, paulfrank.com).

Watches
Though simple, shiny metal watches are a classic accessory staple, there are chic, less traditional alternatives as well. Interested in architecture and famous designers? Try Karim Rashid’s “Kaj” watch, specially designed for Alessi. It comes in multiple colors and its polyurethane craftsmanship adds an industrial edge. ($85, Alessi, 611 North State, alessi.com) Still want something classic, but not cut-and-pasted straight from other arms? Try a Tateossian. This London-based designer uses rich leather and an articulate face design that will make any outfit pop. ($100 and up, His Stuff, 5314 North Clark, hisstuffchicago.com).

Sunglasses
Sunglasses are stylish all year around, but with summer coming this accessory is your new best friend. Just remember—it’s all about the face. Round-faced folks, try Aldo’s gold “Durwin”-rimmed tinted Aviators ($12, Aldo, 605 North Michigan, aldo.com) For an oval face, traditional round frames work best, and the Chad style from Jack Spade is a perfect fit. ($150, jackspade.com). Those with the longer faces can don the square frames, so take a chance with Ben Sherman’s “Wayfarer” square shades. ($115, Urban Outfitters, 935 North Rush, urbanoutfitters.com).

Ties
Ladies have shoes to complete their outfit. Guys have ties. End the “I found it at a department store” look and start with something fresh and multi-functional that transitions easily from work to drinks. The Yoko Deveraux Jersey tie, which comes in multiple colors and patterns, is affordable while maintaining stylish high-end sensibilities. ($33, yokod.com). (Byron Flitsch)

You’re buying locally grown organic foods, riding your bike to work and your entire house is outfitted with energy-saving light bulbs. Cool. Now take your eco-friendly attitude to your wardrobe. Just in time for Earth Day, plenty of eco-chic clothing and accessories are hitting the shelves in emerging spring/summer 2008 collections. If working Earth-consciousness into your wardrobe is on your to-do list, here are a few must-have items. The best part? These vegan/organic/recycled pieces save the Earth without sacrificing a sliver of style.

Vegan handbags by Matt & Nat
Banning the use of any animal products, including fur, leather and wool, Montreal-based Matt & Nat creates handbags that are fashionable, functional and cruelty-free. Their synthetic leather is as soft and supple as anything real (no, seriously), and the bags are peppered with unique details such as antique silver hardware and faux-suede linings. Taking eco-friendly to the next level, their spring collection features bags created entirely from recycled plastic water bottles and recycled cardboard.
Available at Lori’s Designer Shoes, 824 West Armitage, (773)281-5655. View more at mattandnat.com.

Del Forte Denim
According to Del Forte’s Web site, it takes two-thirds of a pound of pesticides to make a single pair of jeans, and exposure to these chemicals is as harmful to agricultural workers as it is to Mother Earth. That’s why all of Del Forte’s denim—from low-rise to high-waisted, colored to traditional blue—is created using organically grown cotton. Desiring a relationship with the people who grow their materials, Del Forte has teamed up with The Sustainable Cotton Project, which helps support organic farmers. So by donning a pair of these super-soft jeans (available in a variety of styles) your environmental impact reaches far and wide.
Available at Pivot Boutique, 1101 West Fulton Market, (312)243-4754. View more at delforte.com.

Green Karat Jewelry
A little dose of the shiny stuff is essential to any ensemble, and thanks to Green Karat, you can stay eco-savvy down to the smallest accessory. This eco-conscious company uses recycled metals in all of its stunning creations, aiming to lighten environmentally destructive mining practices. Its gems are (impossible-to-tell) synthetics, as the company hopes to one day eliminate diamond mines altogether, which are harmful to both the environment and the workers. The necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings range from flirtatiously fun to simply stunning, and Green Karat even offers a wedding collection of ecologically responsible engagement and wedding rings.
Available at greenkarat.com. (Molly Each)

In the August 14, 2002 issue of the Riverfront Times, Jill Posey-Smith declared, “Neckties have become emblems of pathos, to be tolerated only on bridegrooms, female waiters and the recently deceased.” One can’t help but wonder: How did such a great accessory—the last classic accessory men could truly utilize to show off their personality—find itself so quickly heading the way of the dodo bird?

The trouble first started after the dot-com boom of the late nineties; slackers who had become Internet CEOs overnight had no use for the archaic accessory. But not everyone is convinced that ties are dying out—some would argue that they’re simply evolving. Fatima Mohiuddin, manager of Bucktown men’s boutique Apartment Number 9, says that men are just finding other ways to get their tie fix. “They have so many new options now,” she says. “Things like skinny ties and bow ties.” Bow ties? Surly, she must be kidding. “The best-selling bowties we have are from ‘Band of Brothers,’” she says, “and there are those people who love whatever they put out. So they’re wearing bowties.” But the lack of seeing these new tie styles out on the street can only lead one to assume that ties have subverted to the same position that wine slunk into a few years ago, i.e. “Sure, I’d love to wear it, but what if people realize that I don’t know what I’m doing?”

Men, wearing a tie is like eating a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup: There’s no wrong way to do it. Rock a skinny tie with a slim-fit button-down and a sexy Justin Timberlake-style hat. Or wear a pink or purple tie with a suit to your next interview, showing that you’re not afraid of being different. Even on a dinner date, a tie is a great way to have your clothes speak for you in a deep Barry White voice, exclaiming, “Girl, I’d cut off my neck circulation for you.” Men, I can think of no greater reason for bringing back the tie than the same reason why we do everything else in life: to impress women. (Josh Eisenberg)

Check out ties—skinny, wide and bowed—at Apartment Number 9, 1804 North Damen, (773)395-2999.

Susan Maxwell dives headfirst into wardrobes

By Molly Each

Susan Maxwell enters my small walk-in closet. I am embarrassed. This means that someone (aside from myself) is witnessing my overflowing hamper of dirty clothes, my makeshift shelves, my unorganized heap of purses and my old/outdated/just plain awful clothing that I haven’t yet brought over to the Brown Elephant.

But Maxwell doesn’t even flinch. She’s a consummate pro, even complimenting me on my casual-to-dressy clothes organization and the fact that I keep my laundry in my closet. She notices that I’m cringing, and she tells me not to worry. “I’ve seen much worse.”

I un-cringe slightly, pleased that someone who lives and breathes style semi-approves of my closet. Maxwell is the woman behind design co-op Suz Maxwell, a group of designers with various backgrounds who come together under the philosophy, “life-style-space.” It’s a concept that they’re spreading through the entire city of Chicago by offering style services in all areas of urban life: interior design, art advice, event planning, wedding registry services and closest consultations.

Maxwell, donning a black dress, black tights and tall black flat boots, looking like she just stepped out of In Style, begins by recommending organizational tools.

“The more you see, the more you’ll wear,” she says, advising that I pull my fancy shoes out of the boxes and display them on a shelf. As for the heap of purses, she notes that I’m not using all of the vertical space in my closet, and that adding a shelf or two (or even a pegboard) would prevent the smaller clutches from getting lost in the pile.

I’m starting to think things aren’t so bad, but then: The Purge. Step two involves an examination of every piece of clothing and accessories, determining what needs to go. I’m not ready for this. What if she determines my wardrobe to be a big ol’ unstylish failure? Am I about to find out that my credit card debts were all for nothing?

She explains the purging method. “First, I make three piles: fix, garbage and donate. Then with each item I ask questions. Does it still look crisp? Are there holes, tears, stains or underarm marks? It is outdated? How often do you wear it? Is it versatile?” She rifles through my wardrobe as she talks. The first few pieces, mostly cute tees, pass the test. But she grabs a plaid button-down shirt and holds it out.

“No,” she says. I protest. “But that’s my favorite shirt!” I tell her that I wear it with jeans and Converse All-Stars, when I am running to Target or hanging out at home. She allows me to keep it, as long as I promise not to wear it out to dinner or parties or bars. I promise.

My lime green J. Crew pants aren’t as lucky. “No,” she says, handing them over for the “donate” pile. “But I wear them in the summer with a white tank top and…”

“No.” Her tone is kind and positive but she’s not messing around. I don’t argue; I just put the pants in the pile reluctantly. “I’m honest in my recommendations,” she says. “Because if I’m not, what’s the point of being here?” She has a point.

The rest of the consultation goes smoothly. More items are pulled and donated, interspersed with several “cute” and “this is great” comments about the clothes that get to stay, making me feel good about my collection. I’ll pay my Visa bill confidently this month. After the purge we plan outfits together down to the accessory. Maxwell recommends sitting down on Sunday nights and planning a weekly wardrobe, which saves time. She advises me on how to don pieces that never make it out of the closet because I have no idea how to wear them, and shows me how a few old bridesmaid dresses could be turned into cute summer cocktail dresses, which is a talent unto itself.

We make a list of items that I need to purchase, both for my wardrobe and for my closet organization, and my homework is to create a buying budget for these new, wardrobe-completing pieces. We’ll reconvene in a few weeks for our joint shopping trip and then for another closet organization, where she’ll see if I’ve actually ditched the “donate” items. Smiling, she tells me she’ll likely be harsher the second time around.

Taking a deep breath, I nod. I’m excited that it’s not even 2008 yet and I’ve already conquered one of my resolutions: To clean out my closet.

Service rates vary between members of the Suz Maxwell team. Find out more by calling (312)409-8565 or checking out suzmaxwell.com.