All That Glitters Is Sold

By E.Graydon Carter

From scarves to sandals, the metallic look is flashy--and hot

The customer in a Chicago shoe boutique wanted something to set off a new dress that would also go with the rest of her wardrobe. The salesclerk asked hopefully: "Have you thought of pewter?" The customer looked blank for a moment, then replied: "Not since I last bought beer mugs."

Well, dear lady, think again. The well-dressed woman may once have considered a metallic accessory to be on the order of rings, bracelets, necklaces and earrings. Beyond that, anything more than a gold-accent belt or an evening clutch in gold thread was generally regarded as rather tacky. Now, however, the fashion industry has struck a mother lode in a new sort of metallics. The season's liveliest accessories--belts, buckles, totes, handbags, scarves, T shirts, sandals, shoes and hats--are flashing and gleaming with finishes of gold, silver, bronze, copper, pewter and even anthracite. Nor does the style show any signs of fading with the summer. In fashion salons from Paris to New York City, designers are practicing an alchemy that promises a dazzling fall collection not only of metallic accessories but of metallic tops, jumpsuits, jackets, sweaters, skirts and boots. Says Vogue Editor Grace Mirabella:

"The question this fall is not going to be whether to wear it, but, rather, how much of it should you wear." To be sure, lame jumpsuits and sequined evening gowns have been around since Cher was in knickers. For Dede Dolce, 43, a mother of three teenagers from Culver City, Calif., metallics recall the days of sequined Capri pants and speckled harlequin glasses. Gazing into the glittering windows of Saks in Beverly Hills, Dolce muses: "The whole thing reminds me of Palm Springs `a la 1950." But the current gilt trip, according to Mirabella, began in the spring of 1980 with French Designer Yves Saint Laurent's ready-to-wear collection. His show included a gold leather skirt and a gold-threaded scarf. The look quickly followed the path of least resistance to Saint Tropez, where gold-brocaded jogging shorts, silver bikinis and gold jackets over denim skirts became as common last summer, says one Saint Tropez shopkeeper, "as button-down shirts on Wall Street."

Ever since metallics hit U.S. shores last summer, all that glittered has been quickly sold. In New York City, sales at Bloomingdale's have been multiplying by the week. Macy's has moved more than 250 bronze leather T shirts at $150 each and has a lengthy waiting list of customers for the next shipment. At Joseph Magnin in Los Angeles, customers snapped up 60 pairs of $57 Martini Osvaldo metallic sandals in a single day. Says Magnin Buyer Laura Rosenthal: "I've never seen anything come close to that record--not even when go-go boots were in." At Saks in Chicago, the gold rush has been similarly frantic. Says General Manager Marvin Cooper: "We haven't pulled the metallics together in one department yet, because we can't keep them in stock long enough."

Prices for the new accessories vary so greatly that almost anyone can satisfy that metal urge. In New York City, street vendors hawk bronze leather shoulder bags for $23. A similar item at New York's Henri Bendel runs $165. Metallic belts can range from $2 for a gold cinch to $200 for a Judith Leiber number with handcrafted metal buckles from Bullock's Wilshire in Los Angeles. Miami's tony Twenty-Four Collection is devoting its entire holiday catalogue to metallics, from $124 gold-sprayed straw hats to $1,800 gold-striped snakeskin jackets. A gun-metal sweatshirt from Ultimo in Chicago runs $700 to $1,200.

Metallics can both set off a new wardrobe and spruce up an old one. Says Bendel President Geraldine Stutz: "It's fancy as opposed to plain, and we've had a big dose of plain." Kathy Byrne, 23, daughter of Chicago Mayor Jane Byrne, sports her pink, gold and blue metallic sandals to official events, including a recent reception for President Reagan. Says she: "I wear them to work and out for the evening. I have a metallic purse and earrings, and some gold-and-white bloomers that can be casual or dressy. I like the look because it's shiny, kind of Hollywoodish. It makes you feel like a star."

--By E. Graydon Carter. Reported by Georgia Harbison/New York, with other U.S. bureaus

With reporting by Georgia Harbison/New York

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