Gray Expectations
When style mavens proclaimed gray this season's gotta-have-it color, Hollywood hopped into uniform—none too soon for some sick of basic black. "Gray has been served an injustice," says actress Vivica A. Fox (Soul Food). "For the longest time everybody associated it with doom and gloom, but it's really beautiful, rich and sophisticated."
And red hot. "Gray is the new neutral," gushes designer Max Azria, whose gray BCBG skirts have swathed Ashley Judd and Jasmine Guy. Gray has stepped into the style spotlight before—steely evening wear was a hit last winter—but this fall it's positively ubiquitous, from shoes to bags to head-to-toe outfits. "All the fashion magazines have been dwelling on it," says America's Funniest Home Videos cohost Daisy Fuentes, who recently sprang for a gray skirt. "Every girl I know has one." Why all the excitement? "Designers are finally putting gray into sexy silhouettes," explains L.A. fashion stylist Jeanne Yang, who praises "forgiving" flannel fabrics and the chic color's "slimming effect." Still, she warns, gray's current heyday may be short-lived. "Spring will bring baby blues and pastels," she says. "You know, really happy colors."
with Steven Cojocaru in Los Angeles
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