Ask Fashion Girl

Dear Jenna,

With the year 2000 just around the corner, this Fall is an exciting season for shopping! All those cool futuristic-looking fabrics and outfits we have seen for the past few years are finally coming into mainstream style. Look for skirts and pants made of nylon, vinyl, and iridescent chiffon or chintz. Drawstrings are showing up on everything from skirt bottoms to t-shirt sleeves. But it looks like some of the hottest trends coming up this Fall are going to be variations on older styles. Right out of 1950-something, cardigans, argyle sweaters, and capri pants are hot right now and will continue into Fall. Classic khakis are hanging around, not just as pants but as long skirts and jumper-dresses.

This Fall's colors will be extremes of earthy and synthetic. On the earthy spectrum, look for camouflage greens, muddy eggplant purples, and sunset oranges. The synthetic pop colors of bright pinks, yellows, and blues will show up alone or in combination with more muted colors.

As quickly as trends come and go, it seems a waste to spend a fortune on clothing just for one season. It's always fun to splurge on a few really cool items, but you don't have to spend tons of money on your entire back-to-school wardrobe if you know where to shop. Go to boutiques and expensive department stores not to buy, but to check out the latest styles and get ideas for the clothing you want. Only buy from them if they are offering sales. Take your season's fashion sense over to retail department stores that offer brand name clothing at reduced prices, like Ross, Target, or Mervyn's. You will get much more clothing for your money at these discounted retail stores, and still find the latest fashions. You will develop a great eye for picking out the best clothing since you are keeping up with the latest trends. Sincerely