Hot looks

Skin isn't in this year. Back-to-school basics include jackets, crocheted ponchos and lots of denim.

Fashion-conscious students all over the Tampa Bay area soon will head back to school and roll up their sleeves - and not just because they will have a lot of work to do. It will be hot outside, and the back-to-school styles will make it feel hotter.

The biggest trends this year are blazers - fitted or shrunken for girls and classic for guys - lots of layers, denim and plenty of corduroy, said Jorge Ramon, fashion director at Teen People. Perhaps nothing is more important to the girls' look than the blazer, cut right at the hip and made of denim, tweed or pinwale corduroy, paired with a T-shirt and worn over jeans or cargo pants. And even in 90-plus-degree heat, those jackets are likely to be everywhere on the first day of school.

That's Tuesday in some bay area counties.

"We're selling them now," said Allen Gustason, a junior denim buyer for Dillard's Southeast division. "Florida is a funny place. Climate doesn't matter, temperature doesn't matter, as long as it's in fashion."

There will be some relief in the way of skirts, which all spring and summer have taken the place of shorts, Gustason said. They will be equally prevalent at school.

Ramon said the skirts have "style details like zippers and pockets and pleats," and they're often made with tweedy or denim fabrics, but other textures are in play. "Old Navy has a great "sweat shirt material' one," he said. "The Gap has a really cute cotton twill (skirt) with cargo pockets."

Jeans are just as detailed and interesting, often with a vintage or antiqued look, Ramon said. Said Gustason, "It's all about the (type of) wash."

On days far too hot for a blazer, jeans can be paired with layered T-shirts in vibrant colors. Message and retro, fitted Ts are everywhere for girls and guys.

The guys' styles haven't changed much in recent seasons, but the colors are more vibrant, with a '70s feel, and the fabrics are more varied and textured. Jeans or corduroys, a button-collared shirt and a denim jacket is a typical look. Ramon said canvas Chuck Taylors and Vans sneakers are rivaling Nikes and Pumas for popularity.

For girls, colorful pumps and ribbon belts are throwbacks to the '70s and '80s. And flats, with either a pointy or rounded toe, are making a comeback, especially when worn with skirts or slim pants cropped just above the ankle.

As always, this season's trends are heavily based on celebrities. Witness Mischa Barton's flats and, especially, Jessica Simpson's crocheted poncho.

"We will be seeing these everywhere," said Laura McDowell, a fashion spokeswoman for T.J. Maxx.

McDowell said teens looking to stretch their dollars should "splurge on the wardrobe staples but save on the trendy items that will quickly fade out of style." She suggests clipping pictures of favorite pieces from magazines and shopping around for the best buys.

Teen fashions don't often mesh well with schools' dress codes, but this year, most of the trendy attire is rule-conforming. The popularity of strappy shirts and revealing midriffs is waning, and the notorious low-rise jeans have risen by at least a couple of inches.

"Skin is out," Ramon said. "Being overtly sexy is out. It's more about the layered look. A T-shirt with blazer, scarf, pair of jeans, sneakers. It's individualism, how you put your outfits together. It's really about confidence."

Britta Hays, 17, will be in 12th grade at Seminole High.

* Crocheted ponchos

* Colorful pumps and flats

* Bright-striped ribbon belts

* Tweed jackets with denim

* The "baby doll look" (a flowing top that is extra-long over jeans)

* Just-above-the-knee skirts

* Preppy style with layered shirts, sweaters and jackets

* Relaxed jeans

* Retro, fitted tees

* Track suits with bright color combinations

* Corduroy jackets and pants

* Layered looks with button-collared shirts and jackets

* Vans and Chuck Taylors

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