Fashion reaches back into past

Snappy dressers in State College bought clothes inspired by styles of the past in 1997, a year marked by fashion repeats.

Women were sporting flared or boot-cut pants, a more modern version of bell-bottoms.

A big seller at Metro, 324 E. College Ave., was "the standard black flare pants -- very New York," said a store manager who asked that her name not be used.

Boot-cut jeans were one of the trends Ali Loy (sophomore-psychology) said she noticed this year.

Loy said the boot-cut pants are stylish, and "they fit tall people."

However, some students passed up the modern version and opted for the real deal -- 1970s bell-bottoms from stores such as the Rag and Bone, 220 S. Allen St., a store specializing in vintage clothing and accessories.

Shelley Pecsek, owner of the Rag and Bone, said "the trend in fashion toward more of the '70s look" may have inspired customers to buy vintage this year.

"At the same time, lots of clothes in the stores are copying vintage," Pecsek said.

The 10-sizes-too-big jeans look of the early '90s also came back in style in State College, but this time around, the jeans actually fit.

One brand, Jnco jeans, was a big seller among younger men at Rude Boyz, 200 W. College Ave., said Alissa Martin, a sales clerk at Rude Boyz.

Jnco jeans boast huge "openings," the circumference of the bottom of the pant leg.

"Instead of asking waist and length, they're asking about the opening," Martin said.

The largest opening size the store has in stock is 32 inches, she said.

Martin said she remembers when saggy jeans were in style a few years ago.

"Now this company took that idea and made them actually fit," she said, giving the jeans the "illusion of being oversized."

Students don't embrace all fashion trends to look good, though.

Fashion also combined with function, such as fleece jackets, shirts and pants were seen everywhere.

And, as in previous years, students continued to wear huge wool sweaters to keep warm in the chilly State College winter.

"We get the sweaters in from Ecuador," said Renee Mahler, sales associate at Mode, 123 S. Allen St.

Although similar thick wool sweaters have been popular around town for several years, Elements, 214 E. College Ave., sold the sweaters for the first time this year.

The sweaters appeal to many students who want to keep warm.

"They're cool or whatever, but it's pretty cold out," said Jen Odenbaugh, sales associate at Elements. "I'm sure that's mainly the reason (they sell)."