Simplified Styles Use Natural Fibers and Neutral Colors : O.C. Experts Predict, for Women and Men, a Return to Natural Fibers, Classic Styles and Simple Silhouettes

Orange County’s fashion experts have spoken, predicting the style trends of 1993. Although their views on the new year’s fashions vary, most agree that the emphasis will be on natural fabrics such as washed silk and cotton in pale, nature-inspired neutrals. Men will return to classic suits and invest heavily in casual wear. Women will find simplified silhouettes. Glitz, most say emphatically, is out. Bill Christiansen, owner of Rakish, a women’s clothing store in Orange, says, “Wearing anything overdone will make you look like a fashion victim.”

Instead, designers will be offering women soft dressing, including fuller-leg pants and long and full skirts paired with clean-looking tailored jackets--”no emblems,” he says.

“Everything moves more. The skirts move, the pants move.”

The softer clothes will come in pale coral and peach shades. They’ll be made primarily of natural fibers including silks, linens and cottons, as well as microfiber--a silky man-made fabric that bears no resemblance to its unsightly predecessor, polyester.

Kitty Leslie, Newport Beach fashion consultant, also forecasts simplicity. “For a time there was this preponderance of beads and appliques on everything from evening wear to jeans. We’re mentally ready for simpler clothes.”

There will be greater emphasis on well-made, quality clothing, she says. “Because of the economy, we want value for our money.”

Skirt lengths, Leslie says, remain in a state of flux. Women will still have their choice of short or long, but for the fashion-forward dresser hemlines will probably head south--almost to the ankles.

“I think short looks old,” Leslie says. “I was having a cup of coffee and some women walked by in very short skirts and light stockings. It looked old to me. You see a woman in a longer skirt and you think, ‘There’s a girl who’s establishing herself.’ ”

Billur Wallerich, spokeswoman for Neiman Marcus in Fashion Island Newport Beach, says, “We’ll see lots of ethnic influences and retro looks from the ‘60s and ‘70s. It’s the hippie look in moderation. There will be lacy vests and shirts with long chains.

“Pants will be strong, especially the fit-and-flare and palazzo style,” she says.

Unlike the tailored pants inspired by menswear, these will be made of flowing fabrics such as filmy chiffons so they have more movement and “a bit of romanticism,” she says.

The best accompaniment to soft chiffon pants and long skirts is a structured “hard piece” such as a linen blazer.

For accessories, the one necessary addition to a wardrobe is the platform shoe, Wallerich says.

“This is not the ‘70s platform revisited, but a modern, more sculptured shoe. It will balance the flowing skirts and pants very nicely.”

Marty Barrett, manager of Giorgio Beverly Hills boutique in South Coast Plaza, Costa Mesa, says she and clothing buyers for Giorgio have identified several trends for spring. A “back-to-nature” movement will feature clothes and accessories with a handcrafted, unfinished look.

“There’s a rustic feel to fabric and finishes,” Barrett says.

Mud cloth--silk washed with mud to give it a softer, almost tie-dyed look--will be seen in soft, drapey separates.

Natural colors such as taupe, ecru and beige will be strong, as will primitive materials such as wood and mesh. One example: an unconstructed safari jacket, sarong skirt and body suit with faux ivory trim.

The urban look will be characterized by suits that are softer and less masculine than the menswear-inspired suits of ’92. Long, soft silk jackets, fluid vests and wide-legged pants in soft blues, roses and other ‘40s colors are part of the story.

A fashion nostalgia trip will feature romantic clothes with a homespun appeal, she says.

“It’s a reference to the country, peasant look. There will be soft floral and fruit prints and gingham checks. We’ll have petticoats, skirts that button up the front and white eyelet bustiers. It’s a reference to the ‘60s and ‘70s, but it’s not the hippies.”

For men, the main focus is comfort, say menswear experts, including Charles Lee, manager of Alex Sebastian in South Coast Plaza.

There’s an emphasis on casual, easy looks, from chambray shirts worn under sport coats to relaxed vests worn with everything from jeans to suits, Lee says.

“Guys like comfortable clothes. Suits will be worn with casual knit shirts and T-shirts,” he says, “and vests in contrasting prints will be here a long time.”

Suits will be trimmer than the over-sized Italian styles of seasons past. “For menswear, the silhouette is coming in. Armholes are cut higher. Pant legs are narrower. It’s a slimmer, trimmer look.

“My theory is that when the economy tightens up, silhouettes get trimmer. It happened back in the ‘30s, and it’s happening now,” he says.

The color palette for menswear has gone back to basics. Navys, blacks and grays dominate all categories. Black and white houndstooth or mini-check prints will be all over suits and sport coats. Ties will have “little neat patterns” such as small geometrics or stripes, he says.

Bjorn Sedleniek, owner of P.O.S.H., a men’s clothing store in Fashion Island, predicts that European suits with extended shoulders will be replaced by suits that are still relaxed, but with more natural, classic shoulders.

“The overall silhouette has a more comfortable look,” he says. “We’re getting back to the basics after a relatively short-lived European trend.”

Some suit manufacturers will attempt to peddle an English-style suit. It’s a more tailored-looking garment with a heavier padded shoulder than the classic suit. Will men buy it? “I have serious doubts,” Sedleniek says. “Men want the more natural look.”

Rick Lamitie of David Rickey and Co., a men’s custom clothier in Costa Mesa, also expects the button-down, corporate look to loosen up a bit.

“With the economy getting better, people are feeling more comfortable now to wear a really nice sport coat and slacks combination as opposed to a business suit.

“But you’ll still see traditional looks, with double-breasted suits in timeless colors such as solid navy or black and white glen plaids.”

Men’s interest in what they wear out of the office has grown, Lamitie says. Casual wear is one of the fastest-growing segments of the business. For ‘93, men’s play clothes include silk T-shirts, mock turtlenecks and washed silk pants.