低調春裝.....
Fashion the perfect pick-me-up, say experts
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Fashion isn`t as frivolous as it may seem in these troubled times, experts say. In fact, the gentle, comforting colors showing up in the newest collections may be just what we need.
The colors in clothes for next spring, being paraded down the runways in nearly 200 fashion shows this week in New York, are soft and muted. Nothing is terribly bright, nor is anything terribly dark, note industry experts and insiders.
"I think spring is trying to be cheerful in a low-key way," said David Wolfe, creative director of The Doneger Group, a fashion and merchandising company.
Consumers are struggling with concerns over the world`s woes since the attacks of September 11, 2001, including the war in Iraq, fears of terrorism, the Asian tsunami and, now, the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, the experts note.
"As a society, we`re doomed to living with depressing news," Wolfe said. "But we can take a little happy pill when we go shopping. A little color makes us feel better."
The colors are homey and soothing, said Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute.
Designers are calling purple plum, while green is thyme, pink is blush, yellow is buttercup and blue is cornflower.
Then there`s clove and espresso and earth and ginger and raffia and pecan -- all of which are some sort of brown.