FASHION 'Garage retro' styles go back to the '70s and '80s

The blast from the past features hip-hugging jeans and wide belts.
SCRIPPS HOWARD
Everything old is new again as back-to-school shoppers head into the stores in search of the hottest look.
Elizabeth Trevino, the area sales manager at Belk in Anderson, S.C., said much of what's trendy for fall is reminiscent of decades past.
"A lot of what's coming in has been geometric prints, lines and shapes. A lot of black and white," Trevino said. "It's a very retro look, what they call 'garage retro.' It's '70s and '80s shirts with ties on the waist."
If you need more of a visual, try flipping back through old photographs of moms and dads back in the early '70s. It's the same record brought out once more for another spin. Gone are the natural-waist jeans. In their place are hip-hugging numbers straight out of "That '70s Show."
"The denim has the big belts either on the pants or coming with the pants," Trevino said. "I would say there's an equal amount of light and dark denim, but I'm seeing a lot more dark than in the past."
Leggings are another blast from the past making a comeback, while animal prints are hanging on for yet another season. Cottons, as always, remain popular but silky rayon material is taking up a lot of space on the rack.
Other trends
For those not feeling up to the retro look, tailored suits in pinstripe varieties are making a splash on the fashion scene.
"We've seen a lot of clunky heels in the past but were seeing more of the skinnier heels now," Ms. Trevino said. "There are a lot of athletic-style flip-flops. Tennis shoes will be a main thing this fall season, with fashion tennis shoes not so much athletic but just to wear with an outfit."
Pam Kelly, the district manager of the Fashion Shack, said accessories are especially huge this fall.
"The jewelry is more trendy with turquoise," Kelly said. "We see a lot of beads and a lot of stacked bracelets. Hoop earrings are still big as well."
Leather belts with the strings that tie are popular, Ms. Kelly said, as are rope belts and chain belts.
Brittany Trembley, a sales associate at Retro-Depot in Greenville, S.C., said the popular choices for belts have been brown belts with big flowers on them or western paraphernalia with big buckles.
"A lot of the button-up shirts we have (for guys) come in colors that most stores don't even touch anymore, colors you wouldn't be able to find," Trembley said. "There are a lot of prints that just can't be mimicked."
Getting graphic
Other popular choices for shirts are screen-print T-shirts with different graphics on them -- everything from sports to Spiderman and Mighty Mouse -- that make a simple, casual statement for teen-age boys this fall.
Gone are the bland-colored carpet bags. It looks like even the handbags are making a statement all their own.
"We've gotten in handbags with different graphics," Trevino said. "Some are really small, like the size of a change purse, and some are larger, but many of them have bright colors and graphics or beads on the outside."