Fall fashion: School attire ditches skin for a classic feel

The fall fashion gods have deemed — to the relief of many parents and schools — the end of micro tees, thong-baring jeans and all the bare skin in-between.

"We hit the sexiest we could get with the lowest of the low," said Tara McBratney, fashion director for CosmoGirl. Pants "have gotten lower and lower every season — a half inch here, a half inch there, 'til you couldn't even sit down.

"Naturally, the next step is 'What's the opposite of that?' "

That would be vintage glamour, preppy styles and girly men's wear, says June Rau, Nordstrom's fashion director for its western region. "It's much more covered up," she explained. "We're trending toward something more traditional. It's a more dressed up, more put-together look."

Clean-cut Natalie Portman graced Seventeen's September issue in a T-shirt, jeans and tweed jacket; elegant Anne Hathaway, in a red sweater, fronted August's Teen Vogue. The July Vogue — with a shot of fresh-faced Kirsten Dunst — featured a cover story on "Why showing skin is no longer in."

Ditching the sleazy look is "really a trend that's been spearheaded in the Northwest," said Brian Morgan, Bon-Macy's buyer for girls sizes 7 to 16. "It's been our direction for a while. We've definitely shifted our mix to be more modest."

In the tween department, Bon-Macy's tries to offer moderate-rise jeans with "nothing that leaves the midriff exposed," he said. To meet school standards, he looks for halter tops with wide straps.

But "hootchie is out" press notwithstanding, many fall fashions are hardly demure.

"Teens will dress more conservatively, but they're afraid to go too modest," said Casey Lewis, the 17-year-old creator of a teen-fashion Web site (www.teenfashionista.com). "There might be less cleavage, less midriff, but you'll still see legs until it gets cold."

Plaid or kilt miniskirts are popular again, as are faux fur and animal prints, McBratney said. "If you ask our readers, 'How do you want to look?' sexy is the first word out of their mouth. Sexiness is not going away; it's just appearing in a new form."

To wit: Teen Vogue listed "the high-waisted" jean as a "back-to-class staple" — along with the minikilt and lace-up high-heeled boots.

Old Navy still promotes "ultra-low-waist" jeans, silk camisoles and low-waist miniskirts in its fall promotions. Nordstrom offers an off-the-shoulder fitted T-shirt.

"All I see on teens lately is minis," said Lewis. As for jeans, "they're not Britney Spears low, but a lower-rise jean is more flattering. The high-rise jean is not really anywhere [in stores]."

If teens wear something modest, such as a cardigan, they'll pair it with a lace-trimmed tank top, "something flirty to balance it out," Lewis said. "If they're covered up on top, they'll wear a pleated miniskirt."

For tweens, scooters — skirts with sewn-in shorts underneath — allow younger girls to wear short skirts but still have full coverage, Morgan said. (A skort has a skirt front but shorts back.)

Eastside teen leaders from Catholic Challenge Girls Clubs, who all modeled modest clothing in a "Pure Fashion" show this spring, agreed it's easier to find appropriate clothes this fall but said some searching is still required. Jeans are still too tight, but they like the longer skirts and layered look with ponchos, tunics and preppy sweaters.

"I think the styles are getting better," said Mary Bucy, 16.

Several girls report their parents or schools require the "worship test" of lifting the arms overhead and bending over to see if any skin shows. "Our rule when we go shopping is if you can span the pants zipper with your fingers, it's too low," said Pam Gunderson, mom of Robin, 14, and Ella, 11.

Ella, who lives in Redmond, sparked a media storm on the topic of modest clothes with a plea to Nordstrom in the spring.

Nordstrom.com now offers a "modern and modest" category in its online juniors section.

Girls can easily mix hot items, such as '40s-style vintage little jackets or cropped cardigans, with jeans or denim skirts for a casual, comfortable look. "There are so many types of denim to choose from," Rau said. "They'll find denim fits into any of these [trend] categories."

Indeed, "a lot of people are mixing trends," McBratney said. "It's not head-to-toe plaid. They take one element from each trend to make it their own."

Juniors can make a "playful and preppy" style by combining different patterns, such as a plaid jacket with an argyle sweater, Rau said. This can work if both patterns are a similar color and size, with neutral accessories, she said.

This season's menswear-for-women, such as tweed or corduroy jackets, are softened with lace or satin details, Rau said. It's not a suited, matched look for teens; instead, she suggests pairing a masculine jacket with a romantic blouse or feminine top with bows on it. Or girls might wear plaid trousers with a screened T-shirt and cardigan, she said.

"It's classic," she said, "but with very much a twist to it."

Stephanie Dunnewind: sdunnewind@seattletimes.com or 206-464-2091.

Items in all the photographs are available at Nordstrom.