Falling back into the 1980s

Big shoulders, leggings, tunics, cuffs, booties, poufed minis -- dare we say stirrup pants?

Like a "Dynasty" rerun, fashions from the 1980s rolled down the runways in New York and Milan recently at designers' fall preview shows.

American women gasped.

"I look at pictures of myself in high school where I was wearing shoulder pads and stirrup pants," lamented Lyn Page, owner of Clementine consignment shop in Richmond. "I make fun of those pictures and the way we looked. Why would I want to look like that again?"

The retro-'80s looks may fly with younger customers, "but people who have already done it don't really want to go back," said Mila Gould, sales associate at The Phoenix in Richmond's Carytown.

Designers are well-known for reinventing the look of another decade, said Holly Price Alford, assistant professor in Virginia Commonwealth University's Department of Fashion Design and Merchandising. "We see fashion repeating itself consistently."

Alford said the'80s hit street fashion a couple of years ago. Slashed tees and leggings won't shock the college crowd -- but she added: "I refuse to wear them again."

Richmond women dress conservatively for the most part, although the fashion chasm between Fifth Avenue and Monument Avenue isn't as wide as you might think.

"I grew up here, and I don't know how truly trendy we are," Page said. "We might spend money on one trendy, higher-end piece and accessorize it at the lower end -- tone it down to make it more conservative."

Vanity Fair recently announced its annual international best-dressed list. Michelle Obama ranked high because of her ability to mix J. Crew pieces with designer fashions.

That may be the answer as the fashion cycle turns back to the '80s. Women don't have to spend a fortune or wear the full look head to foot to pull off the style.

Experts say women should choose what they like, maybe splurge on one good basic piece, and adapt it to what they already have -- particularly in this economy.

"With limited budgets, you might have to go through your closet and say, 'Hey, this might be in again,'" Alford said. "Accessories help bring out your clothes, even if they're not trendy.

"If you accent it right, you can wear something from Old Navy and make it look good."

A common complaint of middle-age women is that they're stuck in a fashion abyss between skinny jeans and cleavage-baring tops and granny dresses and elastic-waist pants.

"It's very frustrating," Alford said. "I don't want to dress like I'm 40, but I also don't want to dress like I'm 20."

Some stores that cater to middle-aged customers include Coldwater Creek, Talbots, Chicos and Eileen Fisher. All of them have Richmond locations except Fisher; its nearest store is in McLean.

Karolyn Wangstad, vice president of trend for JC Penney, said her company has worked to address the gap.

"Additionally, I am one of those women 'of a certain age,' and regardless of our body types or level of fitness, we want options to look relevant and updated in our traditional or modern apparel without looking like we raided our daughter's closets," she said.

Worthington, ANA and Nicole Miller are brands in Penney's more modern collection. The cut and fit are designed for what Wangstad calls "the real-sized individual."

For this fall, it's key to remember that anything with a menswear look is good -- oversized white shirts, vests, a leather jacket. Layering camisoles, tees, scarves, vests and jackets is still in vogue.

As for those broad shoulders?

"Our policy has been if you see anything with shoulder pads, don't accept it," said Page, at Clementine consignment shop. "Now I'm going to have to go back and tell the girls we'll rethink it."

Contact Julie Young at (804) 649-6732 or .