Season Preview

Cap off your look: Molletta's Christa Bevilacqua says leather shoulder bags and these "funky, psychedelic, Jeff-style caps" are hot sellers this season. Photo By: Michael T. Regan

"Color is the new neutral" and other things you need to know to keep up with spring and summer's accessory trends.

by Trish Boppert

Uggs, leg warmers, butterfly hair clips in petite mal tremble mode, initial bracelets, initial anything, toe socks, belly rings, chandelier earrings, platform slides, mirror shades, skinny, fat and fattest ties, spike heels, baseball caps worn backward and (shudder) white loafers. Accessories: They go with anything, don't they? Which is kind of the point. Every season has its signature accessories, the extras that set off the latest look or breathe new life into classic (or just plain old) duds. Local designers and boutique owners gazed into their clothing racks to predict the must-have accessories of spring/summer 2004.

"Shoes with big, bold colors. They're sexy, they're fun, and they define the spirit of the moment while enlivening classic pieces," says designer Paula Hian. Designed to complement her popular, high-end clothing line, Hian says her shoes (starting at $300) are strolling out of her Manayunk showroom at a brisk pace.

Tony Sparacino, owner of the Sparacino-Mens shops in Center City, says, "Cuffs, J. Fold wallets and Block hats." Leather wrist cuffs (from less than $10 to $40) have been growing in popularity for the last year or so. Boldly elegant J. Fold wallets (check out the cool metallic model) are flying out of the store at $40 a pop. Colorful crochet hats from Block Headwear, worn year-round and bringing to mind skateboarders and Hacky Sack, are around $30.

Christa Bevilacqua, co-owner of Old City's Molletta (and co-founder of Philadelphia Fashion Coterie) says colorful, vibrant handbags reflect the bold, vivid colors so in vogue. Leather shoulder bags fetch upward of $220, and double-strap fabric bags in colorful prints (scenes of the Eiffel Tower are big) start at $80. Also selling well are "vertical drop" earrings set with gemstones, larger, beach-friendly straw hats and what Bevilacqua describes as "funky, psychedelic, Jeff-style caps." Laptop luggers and computer illiterates alike are flaunting shoulder wear designed by Philly's Kara Buttimer (www.karab.com), whose elegant, brilliantly colored backpacks and bags ($80 at Molletta) are available in select boutiques nationwide.

Tropically vivid floral ties are moving at Robert's men's store at Walnut and Juniper, says owner Robert Palidora. A little wider than last season's neckwear and selling for $55 to $150, the ties come in orange, yellow, pink and lime green. "They're an excuse for people to buy a tie. They brighten existing wardrobes, and they've been getting increasingly popular as the weather warms up," reports Palidora. Wider leather belts are selling well at $65 to $200. "They have a mid-'70s, almost Western feel to them, with bigger buckles," says Palidora. And, while not technically accessories, he reports that dress shirts featuring bold, busy patterns and vivid colors are selling at a trendsetting pace, even at $150 to $300 per. He says that men want shirts that can work as dressy sport shirts while also adding stylish zing to classic suits. Solid dress shirts, he reports, are languishing on the shelves, while demand for the bold, colorful patterns that can carry suits beyond the boardroom continues to grow. (Note to dickey manufacturers nationwide: if ever there was a time to push bold, busy half-shirts with collars, it's now.)

And what will the well-dressed ear be wearing come summer? "Linear earrings, like chandelier earrings but turned vertical," says jewelry designer Susan Rifkin, whose creations are available at Philly boutiques and stores including Molletta, Hello World and Black Cat. "The look for spring/summer jewelry is feminine, light and sophisticated, and reflects the bright, bold colorful trends in clothing," she says. Look for lots of finer, semiprecious gemstones, necklaces in "lariat style" (wraps around itself without a clasp) and long, elegant "vertical drop" earrings.

"The stiletto earring is a must-have, as big as the continually popular chandelier earring," concurs Mark Baumgardner, co-owner of and buyer for Pileggi's Boutique in Center City.

"Color is the new neutral, and the bolder, the better," he proclaims. Pileggi features handbags in a rainbow of riotous hues, from "bright, taxi-cab yellow to the limest of greens," says Baumgardner. Prints are big, he says, showing up on shoes, handbags and scarves, tied casually on a handbag strap, worn as a headband or belted at the waist.

"You will be amazed," says Baumgardner, "at how many things you have in your closet that will look great with a bright pink bag or shoes."

Even a bold, busy dress-shirt dickey? Amaze us, baby.