Semiformal Dress Goes Global
By Heather Harlan & Associated Press

’Tis the season to show more of it off, as the cropped tops and sheer fabrics dominant in this winter’s collections reveal. Bare backs, legs, and tummies are in.

Ultra-light techno fabrics, sheer chiffon and dainty silk prints combine to strike a balmy note. Felt is the only truly winter fabric that has survived the season -- it is used not only for the few coats in the collections but also for skirts, trousers and even evening gowns. The colorful palette, ranging from nail-polish pink to turquoise blue combined with the pale powder pastels add to a spring rather than autumn feel. Fun-loving, very short skirts have made a big comeback, but there is room for mid-length and extra long as well, reflecting a sentiment among buyers that the trend reflects a more global approach to fashion -- seasons are not the same everywhere, and the rich tend to fend off the cold by traveling to someplace warm.

This season, dresses are mainly sleeveless and shoulders are often bare. The jacket, once the symbol of female power in the workplace, is out. Instead pretty cashmere twin sets abound. Low-waisted trousers and skirts worn with cropped tops expose the navel to the cold and the aesthetic risk of extra tummy folds.

Fabrics are so diaphanous that strategic embroidery is sometimes the only chastening factor. In fact, embroidery, Vivienne Tam’s signature design feature, shows up on net seperates that can be casual or dressy depending on how they are worn. For example, put her red longsleeved net shirt, embroidered with grapes and autumn flowers, with a pair of tight black pants and boots and you’re ready for a casual dinner with friends. Mix the same top with a floor-length velvet skirt and you’re ready for a benefit dinner.

Doesn’t it seem like most office gatherings are a sea of little black dresses? Tam offers a refreshing alternative to a wardrobe staple -- the classic sleeveless black crepe sheath. She adds some Asian flavor in the form of stylized Chinese characters embroidered in silver down the front. The look also comes in separates -- a skirt with matching longsleeved top and a pantsuit -- all with the same calligraphy embroidery running down the side.

If you want some sparkle, Tam has sleeveless sweater shells decorated with beads or sequins that also inspire countless mix and match possibilities. The dominant theme in Anna Sui’s fall collection -- downtown hippy chic -- is a look that works better at a trendy nightclub than at a cocktail party. There’s a wool sheath in white and black windowpane plaid accented with black sequins embroidered in a geometric pattern down the middle and hem of the dress. Sui also shows a few more understated options -- including a simple slip dress -- a black one with white sequins arranged in a circle pattern.

For men, David Chu’s Nautica line offers several key looks which can be worn for casual evenings out -- harris tweed suits in grey, green and burgundy. These are matched with wool crewneck sweaters, or cotton twill dress shirts in solid bottle green, purple and blue stripes and other autumn hues.

Hides for clothes, bags and footwear, a popular trend in the 1950s, show up in more than one collection. There are also plenty of furs around, but rather than heavy-duty wraps, they come in cropped styles and are dyed in bright shades.