Fur headbands, velvet catsuits, and silver platform moon boots. You've
seen that garb on fashion runways. Now it's time to sport it at New England ski
resorts.
That's right. Ski wear these days can be funky and just as
stylish as the city clothes hanging in your closet.
Fur-trimmed jackets,
boots, and hats (either faux or actual raccoon, fox, and lamb) are de rigueur on
the slopes this season. Intricately embroidered ski suits, often in waterproof
faux suede, are also popular. And who can swoosh down a mountain without donning
a velvet latex catsuit, faux leather vest (it's waterproof), or fleece jacket
with matching fleece baseball cap? Lounging at the lodge, the fashion musts are
corduroy-looking ribbed stretch pants worn with silver platform moon
boots.
"There's a certain level of fantasy involved in skiing," says Paul
Turner, clothing manager at St. Moritz Sports in Wellesley. "Where else can you
go, dress up in costume, and no one knows you?"
For the more
fashion-cautious, fur headbands, in raccoon, fox, and mink, can keep ears warm
and stylish, while calf-fur boots (some with embroidered patterns) can keep feet
dry.
Three-quarter-length tailored jackets (sleek and cinched at the
waist) have virtually replaced shorter bulky down jackets on ski lifts. With new
insulation technology, ski experts say, the thinner jackets are just as warm as
down, and easier to maneuver in - not just on skis. Says Suzann Dwyer, manager
of Bogner Boston in Chestnut Hill, "Fifty percent of our jackets don't make it
to the slopes."
If you loved the movie "Titanic," don't miss skimming the
holiday issue of the J. Peterman catalog. Yes, the catalog's well known for
being spoofed on "Seinfeld." But this time around, it got the last laugh.
Just for fun, J. Peterman offered, at sky-high prices, some of the actual props
and costumes used by actors in "Titanic." Amazingly, almost everything sold out
within weeks.
Actress Kate Winslet's chiffon ballgown - made with a faux
pearl bodice - sold for $ 11,500, in less than two weeks. Leonardo DiCaprio's
outfit (a six-button wool vest, cotton shirt and cordoroy pants) sold for $
9,000 within three weeks.
Thirty-two crewman's caps, with the words
"White Star Line" embroidered on the front, sold for $ 150 each. "Titanic" water
pitchers and ashtrays sold out at $ 375 and $ 350 apiece.
You can still
order an authentic 28-foot lifeboat for $ 25,000. None of the six boats have
sold. Nor has the $ 25,000 13-foot fiberglass anchor.
But based on sales
so far, John Peterman, chairman and chief executive of the J. Peterman Co. in
Lexington, Ky., is optimistic. "There's a bigger intrigue with movie history
than I had perceived," he says.
Not wanting to miss an opportunity, the
mail-order company plans to offer memorabilia from six other movies in its
spring catalog, which comes out in February. The movies include "Casablanca" and
"Out of Africa."
If you haven't gotten enough of "Titanic," though, don't
despair. Unlike the movie script, J. Peterman still has life jackets available
for people, at $ 95 each.
Local clothes designer Geoffrey B. Small has moved
his Newbury Street store - which opened in early 1997 - to a larger site in
downtown Boston, next to his factory on Kingston Street.
The 38-year-old
Newton-born designer is known for using recycled clothing to create street-chic
fashions. He's the only local designer to regularly present his collections in
Paris.
Small's new store, called Edge, has a larger inventory than the
old site and, with its proximity to the factory, provides more custom-designing
services. "We wanted to be closer to our customer," says Masaaki Okamura, store
manager. "If they like something or they don't like something, we want to hear
about it at the factory, sexy
latex stockings" he says.
Edge's collection of funky men's and
women's wear includes leather jackets hand-painted in red; nylon jackets
spray-painted graffiti style; plaid pants decorated with clear plastic strips
sewn into the legs; and an orange Hawaiian-style shirt with black fabric strips
sewn throughout.
"We've been called street, military-tailored punk," says
Okamura. "Because recycled clothing has already been used, it's very
comfortable. When our customers try it on, they know it will work."