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Spring/summer 2000

Calvin Klein 'shirts' the issue

May 19, 2000
Web posted at: 5:46 p.m. EDT (2146 GMT)

NEW YORK (CNN) -- When designing his spring/summer collection for women, Calvin Klein reached in the closet and pulled out ...

... a shirt. A man's shirt.

And why not? As practically every husband and boyfriend knows, there is something about a man's shirt -- its drape, its design, its availability in the closet or on the floor -- that most women cannot resist.

SPRING/ SUMMER 2000 Collections: Mischka and Badgley Bella Freud Alannah Hill De la Renta Randolph Duke Cynthia Rowley DKNY Vera Wang Calvin Klein Swimwear SS2000 Beene Men's shirts Shoes 2000 Valentino Narciso Rodriguez Versace Sonia Rykiel Balmain Badgley and Mischka ArmaniClements Ribiero Guinness purses Accessories 2000 Jewelry for 2000 Dries Van Noten Gucci Marc Jacobs Michael Kors Ralph Lauren Chanel Missoni Bill Blass

"The shirt inspires so much of what we see," Klein said. "It becomes very sexy because it's close to the body, long, lean and yet, there's softness from below the hip. ... They kind of float along."

The inspiration for colors comes from the work on his cosmetics collection, Klein said.

"There are shades of buff, nude and lots of blue," Klein said. "I was thinking of eye-shadow colors and blush and lip colors. There's peach, pink -- lots of blue, actually -- and lots of gray."

He uses natural and manmade fibers. The latter give the fabric a special character to the subtle patterns -- stripings, herringbones and houndstooth check -- in the collection.

The soft, feminine dresses are versatile enough to be worn any time of the day, Klein said.

But for real evening wear, Klein offer a group done in layers of organza-like fabrics. "They kind of float against the skin and are very inspired by slips and lingerie," he said.

Klein accessorizes with shoes, belts and handbags. He maintains a strong snakeskin theme, using plenty of python. Color is important too.

"You'll see that handbags are in white, lined in a sky-blue leather," he said. "Or they're in blue, so that the accessories become really important to the clothes."

CNN Style Correspondent Elsa Klensch contributed to this report.

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