Ricky Reruns -- The Ricky Ricardo Look, Updated, Dominates L.A. Menswear Show

Ricky Ricardo has become a fashion inspiration for the '90s.

Tropical shirts, chest-emphasizing suits and oh-so-wide ties straight off the set of ``I Love Lucy'' were among the many nostalgic themes presented at the national Men's Fashion Association spring/summer '90 preview, Jan. 18-21 in Los Angeles. But it is the best menswear of times past combined with new trends and technologies to produce a winning mixture, says MFA executive director Norman Karr, who was joined by MFA fashion directors Chip Tolbert and Tom Julian at the multimedia event.

While the men's fashion industry of the '90s is being touted as a decade of comfort and consumer sensitivity, Julian says, it's also a season of American classics such as the three-button sack suit and penny loafers, with a '60s interest in jewelry.

``No, we won't be seeing men with open shirts and gold chains on their chests again,'' laughs Julian, ``but ensembles will be well-accessorized, with gold, gothic-influenced bracelets, pins and cuff links as well as patterned braces, socks and ties.

Menswear colors for the new decade are based on two palettes: neutrals and jewels. Especially in tailored clothing you'll see a shift to earth tones including taupe, olive and other subtle greens instead of gray and navy, Julian says. Color accents and sportswear, however, will be bright, often irridescent, offered in solids, ethnic designs from Mexico and Africa, and floral prints.

Floral is the fashion buzzword for spring, and the tropical camp shirt is predicted to be a major trend. But this time around it's more sophisticated, with a spread collar and besom (instead of flap) pockets, and made of a more refined rayon fabric than was used in the '50s.

Other sports shirts with a retro mood are in foulard patterns, gothic designs and safari prints, and all are meant to be worn with linen suits or shorts.

Walking shorts, which made major fashion waves last spring, are now weekend staples, but in addition to cotton and linen they'll be found in earth-toned madras and silk with a pleated, tailored silhouette, perhaps worn with a textured silk T-shirt or blouson jacket.

For the office there's a continuing trend to modified three-button sack suits, but two-button suits remain the most accepted. Traditional fabrics will include tropical woolens with subtle or no patterns, and cotton and linen blends, but there's a new interest in silk for elegant, tailored clothing.

Suit details for spring include lapel widths of up to four inches, reaching to five inches on some double-breasted suits with peak lapels. Shoulders continue to be wide but softly rounded, and instead of hefty shoulder pads, Julian says, the look comes from the cut of the jacket. Fashion-forward trousers remain double-pleated, topped either with braces or a new, narrow (1 1/2 inches wide) cowhide belt, perhaps braided, embossed or sporting a silver buckle.

The basic dress shirt is still white with a spread collar, but it may be a button-down style with a slightly shorter point and wider spread. It will be teamed with the season's status tie, the '50s floral, which measures 3 1/2 inches across.

Tired of white? Look for banker's stripes, tape stripes and cluster stripes in cotton broadcloth to be worn with suits and silk jacquard ties in vintage ``ornament'' designs (think of the Pontiac automobile logo).

The variety in neckwear design is reflected in hosiery styles this season, Julian says. Medallion or floral patterns and smaller repeat patterns with geometric and natural shapes appear in cotton and nylon fabrics. But it takes a lot of fashion confidence to wear a bright tie and contrasting socks, he stresses. For those wanting to play it safe, go bright and bold with the tie and choose socks with a minipattern of pin dots or herringbone in the same color range as your trousers.

While tennis and boating themes were popular in the '80s, MFA fashion director Tolbert predicts golf attire to be a major sport theme in the next decade.

``Sophisticated male consumers of today realize the value of color in everyday wardrobes and golf attire has now crossed over to mainstream sportswear. Knit polo-style shirts, cardigans, sweaters, drizzler jackets and colorful patterned and plaid slacks are examples of golf-inspired sportswear,'' Tolbert says. Julian agrees, mentioning that the golf theme also will be found on ties, braces and even pajamas.

Away from work, denim remains the American classic. Basic jeans with a white cotton T-shirt a la James Dean continue to be a standard ensemble, but it's updated when paired with a Western-style fringe leather jacket instead of a black biker jacket. Another old style made new again is farmer's jeans, or overalls.

While the silhouette of jeans remains full, the fabric has been bleached out, chemically faded, dyed copper, red, grey or green and striped or printed. Other youthful trends are appliques of neon-colored nylon, snake and pony-print material, and spot-printed logos.

The news in shoes is retro. The classics to slip into are wing tips, cap toes, penny loafers and suede bucks for the office. Canvas deck shoes with crests on the toe and Top-Siders are weekend favorites.

And for Seattleites wanting to puddle jump with panache, the rain coat for spring is oversized and billowy, cut much like last year's duster.

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KEYS TO A FASHIONABLE SPRING '90

1. Rethink earth tones. A taupe business suit with olive-putty-gray accents replaces the navy and gray suits of the '80s.

2. Slip into something silk. This luxury fabric is now stronger, easily washable and very versatile. To make a fashion statement, select a silk T-shirt or billowy pair of pleated walking shorts. Other ideas include a silk-blend sports coat.

3. Invest in a vest. It made its appearance on fashion runways last year, but now it's a basic. Consider a contemporary, sporty style in woven cotton with an ethnic pattern, or a dressier fabric in a golf motif or floral pattern to wear to the office. Note: The matching, three-piece vested suit may be making a comeback in the '90s, but not this year.

4. Nix the cardigan or blazer, and sport a jacket. Newest ideas for spring are a blouson jacket and a western-inspired, fringed-leather style. The word in casual jackets continues to be ``unconstructed.''

5. Get nostalgic. Madras walking shorts, plaid golf pants, '50s-inspired tropical-print rayon camp shirts, wide floral ties, suede buck shoes, penny loafers, and jeans and T-shirts will be must-haves.