Spring Loaded
Newcastle Herald
Tuesday September 7, 1999
A CHANGE of season means a new you. And just as Mother Nature is reinventing herself in a fragrant frenzy of new blooms, so should you be taking a fresh look at your clothes, hairstyle and make-up.
But don't just wander into a store and grab anything off the rack. Nor should you walk into a hair salon, shrug your shoulders and tell them to `do something' with your hair.
Think about your lifestyle, look at last year's purchases and decide if anything can be carried over and what you need to update.
Last spring and summer the big fashion news was cargo. Pants, three-quarter-length pants, shorts and even skirts had the trademark cargo pockets on the side of the leg.
This year the cargo infatuation is continuing. Worn with T-shirts and cotton twin-sets just like last year, cargo is still a winner.
Simply grab yourself a few of the new hooded and draw-string tops and your casual summer wardrobe is complete.
Cargo pants are more comfortable and easier to wash and dry than jeans and in America they now outsell jeans for casual wear for both men and women.
This look means a minimum of fuss for the day with plenty of earthy, natural colours teamed with pastels and basic black and navy.
But evening wear is another story.
Glamour is huge and it is all the fault of the new millennium.
Most people have begun planning their New Year parties and chain stores and boutiques are expanding their formal wear ranges. There is a huge variety to choose from.
While simple, slip-like short dresses and full-length slim dresses are still popular, there is more elegant beading and embroidery detail as well as richer materials and plenty of contrasting linings for a cheeky display.
Separates feature long, flowing, sheer skirts topped with tight-fitting blouses or bodices.
J UST as there is a clear distinction between casual and formal in clothing, so too is there with hair and make-up.
By day the look is wash and wear with less make-up, but by night the glamour continues with upswept styles and more colour, from pale pastels to the darkest berry colours on lips and eyes.
Hair is still straight, but those short, gamin haircuts sported by teenagers and young women are now growing out and instead of looking ridiculous are being pinned back by diamante hair clips ? the more the better.
Selina Kohl, the owner of Peter John Hair Salon in Beaumont St, Hamilton, said that for those in-between styles the messy look was great, with just a little bit of product on the hair to give it texture.
`The casual approach for day and the glamour outlook at night carries over to the hair as well,' she said.
`Everyone is used to the wash and wear, but now it's with longer hair, then you add colour or jewellery into the hair to update it as well.'
Soft curls were in again for shorter styles, but for long hair the straighter the better, and with plenty of texture.
For instance, the Friends cuts that have been so popular have evolved to have more texture throughout the hair, not just around the face.
`Even long hair is being separated into dreadlock-like locks of hair, but with plenty of shine,' Ms Kohl said.
While hair jewellery was big news, the scent of the products used was also important, she said.
Women no longer relied on perfume, but let their hair leave a trail of scent.
For the glamorous nightlife we are all looking forward to at the end of the year, Ms Kohl said the hair should be up, not messy but at the same time not sleek, rather a more individual style.
`People are going for an individual approach with interesting effects, so work with the hairdresser. Don't let them work to a plan or you will walk into a formal and find you have the same hairstyle as everyone else.
`You know what you want, the hairdresser knows what can be achieved.'
© 1999 Newcastle Herald