Getting your summer wardrobe in order

Good morning, everybody, and welcome back to another Cecil’s World in Print. Did you know summer is just 12 days away? I am not kidding, it feels like summer is already here. It reminds me of that old beach song, “Summer Time’s Calling Me.” Yes, you guessed it, I love the summer — especially living at the beach.

With summer just around the corner, I thought it would be good to talk about summer fashions. No, I am not having a fashion show, I just thought it would be fun to talk about what’s hot in summer fashions. I know a lot of you are fashion nuts and have to have the latest fashions for every season. While there are some of us who can get by with wearing last year’s fashions once again (that is, if they fit) and this year my summer stuff is too big.

We are going to start off our “getting ready for summer wardrobe” with sunglasses. Don’t laugh, you are not going to believe how important sunglasses are to some people. Do you remember your first pair of sunglasses? My freshman year in high school, 1962, I bought my first cool pair of shades. Can you believe I paid a little over two bucks for them? There is only one way to describe the sunglasses: Remember the Blues Brothers? I am not kidding, they looked just like the shades they wear — small rounded black rims, I think they were Ray Bans. Another high school buddy of mine, Steve McCall, and I were the only two wearing these types of shades.

Today when you talk about sunglasses, you had better get off some bucks. The hottest in ladies’ sunglasses right now are Brighton, Bolle, Christian Dior and Gucci, just to name a few. You can spend as much as $300 for some of these. For the men, Bolle, Ray Ban and Killer Loop are at the top of the list. Now I am not a big fashion nut when it comes to shades. I can pick up a pair of imitation brand-name sunglasses for about $5 at the flea market. Don’t tell anyone. My friends think they are real. Here is an interesting fact about sunglasses: Did you know that Ray Ban is the biggest-selling brand name in shades?

Now let’s take a look at jeans for the summer. Can you believe the jeans the young people are buying again this year for summer look dirty and have holes in them? Levi’s Vintage clothing is just one of several clothing companies that offers jeans with that worn-out look. You can buy jeans that look like they are several years old with holes in them and patches. So if you have some old jeans that are almost worn out, you already have the “in” look for the spring and summer. I have two pair with holes in them, so I will not have to buy new (or should I say old) jeans this year.

It looks like the fashions are dressing down for the spring and summer, especially with the younger crowd. The casual look is in for shirts and tops. The guys will be wearing their favorite T-shirts with various logos and designs, while the ladies are wearing simple tops with lots of bright colors.

We can’t forget the swimwear for 2008. We are talking lots of bright colors. The young girls are still into the little bikinis while the older ladies will be wearing the more conservative one-piece sold colors. Fashion experts tell me the guys will be wearing anything and everything this summer. Tommy Hilfiger and Old Navy are two hot brands you will see a lot on the beaches. Some of us, however, will just wear shorts to the beach because we are still afraid to go in the water. Don’t laugh, I know Jaws is out there somewhere and I am not going to give him a chance to feast on me. Remember, the fashion patrol will be out in full force this summer.

I’ll see you next week, right here in the Morning News and on the tube for another edition of Cecil’s World in Print.

— Cecil Chandler is a veteran reporter at WBTW News13. His column appears Mondays in the Morning News.