Sports Watches Push Fashion Back
Last updated Saturday, July 19, 2008 6:11 PM CDT in Living
By Emili Vesilind
Los Angeles Times
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There is no end in sight for fashion's infatuation with the Reagan era. Fast-fashion chains are stocking Ray-Ban rip-offs, tapered jeans are seeping back into style and neon colors are all the rage, so naturally the cheapie plastic sports watch is once again a bona-fide accessory.
And is it ever a watch for our times. Most can be had for less than $100.
Swatch, the Swiss brand that sparked a worldwide craze for bold, cartoony watches 25 years ago, is still kicking out timepieces fit for a "Square Pegs" episode.
Freestyle USA has reissued its Shark watch - the zany, multicolored watches were big with Southern California surfers in the early '80s.
And Paul Frank is doing the nerdy-chic thing with a red, rubbery calculator watch.
Vans has a bubble-gum pink watch that scrolls the time across its screen in red digital numbers, ticker-tape style.
For a more subtle take on the trend, Casio G-Shock, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in May, has an oversized gray model flecked with neon green, or the slightly smaller Casio Baby-G in solid white.
This time around, it's not about pairing neon watches with fluorescent Body Glove T-shirts. Subtlety is key. Think of these timepieces as colorful plumage, best revealed in unexpected ways - say, a black sheath dress with a chunky red sports watch, or a neon Shark with a white silk blouse.
"It's great when men wear them with suits or girls wear them with contrasting colors like black or gray," says Jodi Leesley, a stylist who's worked with actress-singer Jennifer Lopez and the neon-loving singer-songwriter Beck. "The watches are naturally very casual, so wearing them at night with a dressy outfit - when it doesn't make much sense - is really interesting."
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