Men are from Mars, women are from Venus, and the fashions for 2006 are from – Earth? Nature calls as muted colors, easy-going styles and natural materials take center stage on the world’s runways and in local stores. Leather boots, worn-in denim, long flowing skirts and beaded handbags are some of the staples that most stores will carry this year. From deep chocolate to soft beige, these basic items will appear in every shade of the most prominent color in fashion right now: brown.
The new color shift and earthy styles are unexpected to some, considering that spring and summer fashion for both men and women usually consists of bright and colorful pieces reminiscent of flowering gardens.
“I was really surprised when I opened my first shipment of the spring collection and found, well – that,” said Alena Zweben, manager of the downtown women’s boutique Ipnosi, as she pointed to a flowing dark brown skirt and tan beaded sleeveless top. “I guess the colors are not as pastel as usual – and the new more muted colors compliment mauves and khakis.”
Heather Hagen, an employee at Banana Republic in Valley River Center, also agrees that brown and anything leather are the starting points for wardrobes this year. She recommends that men 9dress with a clean, natural style including several shades of brown.
“Guys will be wearing – more khaki with blues and greens and softer, more pastel colors,” Hagen said. “Also, short leather outerwear with rugged, unfinished edges, the more worn-in type stuff, will be paired with – woven and fabric belts that have detailed stitching.”
Though Hagen suggests men should pair brown with soft pastels, Autumn R., a manager at Abercrombie and Fitch, said the style for women is to pair “beige with neon colors to make the skin glow.” She also said that with the style being more laid-back, it’s naturally more modest, with the popular long shirts and skirts leaving more to the imagination than to the eye.

Although most of the styles in early 2006 show less skin, Kari Pape, the manager of Buffalo Exchange in downtown Eugene, said that designers such as Seven for All Mankind, Gucci and L.A.M.B (Gwen Stefani’s clothing line) are all showing extremely short shorts for women in their spring ads.
“Really, really short shorts are going to be everywhere,” Pape said. “They’re going to be paired with everything from cowboy boots to flip flops so everybody can wear them.”
Pape also said that when the weather warms up, denim mini-skirts will be popular. But she suggests that while the weather is cooler, women should layer the skirts over tights and leggings to create warmth while also conserving style.
“In Oregon, it’s always cold in the mornings and you end up undressing throughout the day,” she said. “So adding more, like blazers with hoodies underneath for guys, really helps.”
Amy Rogers, a manager at Banana Republic, suggests that every woman should have a good, lightweight peacoat to protect themselves from the cooler winter and spring weather, preferably in a beige to compliment the season’s color palette. She also recommends a “really good handbag” to match the coat.
“The handbags this year are not quite as big as last year, though,” Rogers said. “They’re a little smaller and a lot more detailed.”
The attention to detail and smaller size also carry over to most of the other accessories that will be seen throughout 2006.
According to Pape, men’s accessories will be significantly smaller and simpler while women’s jewelry will consist of a more detailed look, including stones inset into rings. Though the pieces may be small, she said that their little details will make a big statement.
Rosa Walker, manager of the downtown shoe store Ms. Meer’s, and Courtney Roby-Sage, an employee at Ms. Meer’s, both agree that magazine ads are showing a lot of details and embellishments for shoes as well.
“You’re seeing – a lot of little things going on at once,” said Roby-Sage. “Prints, woven wedges, platforms -“
“Especially platforms with stacked heels instead of stilettos,” Walker said. “(The bigger heels) make them more comfortable and natural to walk in. And surprisingly, people are buying significantly more brown than black this year.”
With so many comfortable styles and possibly clashing little details coming together, some may find it daunting to put together stylish outfits every day. But Pape assured that it won’t be as challenging as it seems.
“The cool thing (for the year) is that anything goes,” Pape said. “You can mix up everything that may be in, and it will really look great.”