It May Be Nautical but It's Not the Navy

When the U.S. Navydecided to redesign some of its uniforms for next year, it was just as wellthat nobody conferred with Rudi Gernreich, Oscar de la Renta and Bill Blass.Gernreich's sculptured trompe l'oeil tank suit and jump suit (cover and right)would never do quite the same thing for a chief bosun's mate that they do forSheila Roscoe. And a bikini, even with gold braid, loses something inbattleship gray. But what the designers have done for girls who live on thewater and by the water—not to mention those who live in Oklahoma City—makes aclose look at the following pages well worth a call to general quarters. Thenew nautical look includes everything from sweaters decorated with signal flagsto foul-weather gear with a difference. Modern technology has provided fabricsthat shed water or are quick-drying, and such innovators as Gernreich have comeup with some futuristic clothes to match the spirit of the 55-foot Baglietto onwhich Sheila is pictured, a sleek craft capable of 25 knots—the Baglietto, thatis.

At Marina del Rey,Cheryl Tiegs (above) stars in a tank suit that she wears with bell-bottoms fromde la Renta's "Something" sportswear collection; aboard "Gem,"Charles Hathaway's Columbia 50, Samantha Jones will stay fair in Mighty-Mac'sfoul-weather gear.

Open and closedcases: Sheila (above) attracts the sun wearing de la Renta's gold-braid-trimmedbikini, and Annette Molen basks on the deck in a Gernreich tank suit. MaggieSmith (right) sails and suns on a Soling in a halter-tied swimsuit from Gottexof Israel.

Wearing classiccorduroy, Maggie teams a belted blazer and jeans with crew-neck sweater andshirt—all from Bill Blass for Blass-port. Pixie Peterson (below) crews a Hobie16 with Sandy Banks, wearing a swimsuit and extra matching shorts fromCatalina.

Sheila buttons upsnugly in a double-breasted striped pea jacket from Blassport while Maggie(below), in shorts, work shirt and bush jacket from Levi's for Gals, trims herjeans with rhinestone pins. For sailing, she shapes up in a bikini with amatching shirt by Catalina.

Dress whites arealways in order for sundown parties aboard ship, and Cheryl is lookingshipshape in a trim white and navy sharkskin middy dress from the Something!sportswear collection by Oscar de la Renta.

As for Where It'sat—

Gernreich trompel'oeil swimsuit on the cover, designed for Harmon Knitwear, $60 at Apropos,Orange, Calif.; Nan Duskin, Philadelphia (all Gernreich for Harmon outfits instores after March 30). Inside: black and white matte jersey jump suit,Gernreich for Harmon, $95 at the Gazebo, L.A.; Ron Markin, Las Vegas. Navy dela Renta tank suit and matching bell-bottoms (not shown), $34 and $62, MarieLeavell, Dallas. Mighty-Mac polyurethane-coat-ed nylon foul-weather gear: parka$45, sou'wester $6, bib pants $25, all at Abraham & Straus, N.Y.; Carroll& Company, Beverly Hills. Following pages: Maroon de la Renta bikini $20,all Bonwit Teller stores. Gernreich for Harmon tank suit $40, Lord &Taylor, N.Y. Orange Gottex of Israel bikini $20, Bloomingdale's, N.Y. Blassportcorduroy blazer $106, striped shirt $34, cord jeans $30, white sweater $32, allat Bloomingdale's, N.Y.; Joseph Magnin, San Francisco; Marshall Field, Chicago.Navy tank suit and shorts from Jrs by Catalina $21, Abraham & Straus, N.Y.Opposite: Blassport striped denim pea jacket $80, Bloomingdale's, N.Y.; AmeliaGray, Beverly Hills; Marshall Field, Chicago. Levi's for Gals chambray workshirt $7, bush jacket $24, shorts $6, The May Company, L.A. Rhinestone pins byWillie Woo, $3, to $9, at Bigi, Bergdorf Goodman, N.Y. Jrs by Catalina nylonjersey bikini $17, shirt $14, Gimbels, N.Y. De la Renta sharkskin middy dress(above) $92, all Saks Fifth Avenue stores.

TWELVE PHOTOS

JOHN G. ZIMMERMAN