Lynn Lau
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Aug 15/01) - Flares, logo Tees, skate wear and anything '70s -- that's what's happening in fashion for the back-to-school gang.

Retro colours like rust, orange, avocado and browns are in. Of course, the great thing about retro is that those on a low budget can still catch on to the trend. Especially for cardigans or vintage coats, it might pay to take a trip to your grandparents' closet, or one of Yellowknife's thrift stores.

The trend towards skatewear is still big -- sporty, wearable and edgy are just some of the catchwords of the season. The great thing about skatewear is the comfort factor.

That scores points with Siku Allooloo, 15, who rates comfort as a number 1 priority for her wardrobe.

"I'm really sporty and I'm always running around so I like stuff that's easy to wash and easy to move around in," she says.

Allooloo buys most of her clothes on trips out of Yellowknife, but she occasionally finds a good accent piece around town, like the Etnies shoes she bought at Overlander Sports.

At Chic Chik, part-owner Joni Walker says she's seeing a continuing trend on flare pants of every kind.

"Low-rise flare pants are still really hot and dark jeans are still hot," she says. For the fall season, Chic Chik will be bringing in several popular lines of jeans, like Mavi, Silver, XOXO and Dish.

But forget those mid-calf clam diggers -- they're on their way out, and probably not so good for the approaching winter.

In accessories, body jewelry is huge, Walker says, and in keeping with the '70s revival, leather chokers and bracelets are particularly popular.

Cheap but hip accessories are also available at the Saan store. At times, Extra Foods also carries some fantastic dollar jewelry. If you're so inclined, it's not that hard to make your own hemp-string jewelry, which works for guys or girls. The library is a good source of knotting books or you can pick up tips and supplies at JJ Hobbies.

For sweaters, the look of the moment is skinny with flared wrists and long lines. Hoods are still good. "The big one that I see are the long sweaters with the fur trim," says Walker. These hooded-knit sweaters come in button-down, zipped, or cinched at the waist like short housecoats.