European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - July 25, 1986, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Ahmar Gumto found it it Tricia and Metlz Bigfor. Cutting la on Khaki ethic across 0 � nation. Anti fashion passion out of Africa into Manhattan by Melissa Somes United press International Here is no better example of the growing passion for Anil Cashton than banana Republic the Chain of upscale military surplus stores created by husband Wile team Mel and Patricia Ziegler. People have had it up to their ears with fashion said Ziegler 41, who with Patricia started their first banana Republic store offering travel and safari clothing in Mill Valley calif., in 1978. I. For one have Raver worn a designer anything judging Tram Manhattan stores though the baby Boomers who shop there May not Wear designer clothes but they adore anti fashionable ones which at people have had it up to their ears with fashion. I for one have never worn a designer  Mel Ziegler of banana Republic the moment include Reebok sneakers and banana Republic s Khaki safari shorts and Camp shirt for summer. Outside their trendy upper West Side store in Manhattan a male passerby asked his female companion Why so Many otherwise attractive new York women now Wear those masculine shorts like they wore in out Ofa Tricot. " there a Utola doubt that baby Boomers who grew up in lha 60s Are renewing their interest in the comfortable declasse club ties they used to swear by provided those clothes Are upscale and updated. I did grow up in the 60s," said Ziegler. And i did Wear a lot of army surplus clothing in the 60s. I never did toe my taste for it. The reason we began was that it was unavailable. It just was t anywhere to be  banana Republic clothes Are expensive for army surplus. The Khaki expedition shorts sell for $25 and the Costa 8rava" shirt for $18. A Cotton a neck to shirt is $16 nevertheless Ziegler says banana Republic s clothing oilers More value for the Dollar than designer clothes this he says is the Root of its Appeal. They re not As susceptible of the kind of exaggeration Over the years by the self proclaimed marketing experts who sell them nothing for a lot of Money he continued. Despite the marketing mavens Peers fashion or the growing interest in the mainstays of american style such As Blue leans work shirts and leather jackets banana Republic is booming although the Ziegler refuse to discuss sales figures they currently have 48 stores nationwide and plan on 69 by year end in 1983. The Gap a company whose All american retail outlets Are also booming bought banana Republic Lor its mail order Catalon. With financial backing from the Gap clothing once pieced together by Patricia Ziegler from old army surplus goods is now manufactured in the far East. And banana Republic Headquarters in san Francisco houses one o he largest creative departments of any like business in the world. It operate like a Magazine says Mel Ziegler a former journalist who oversees he operation. Artists writers formalisms put together the Catalon advertising in store promotions  banana Republic is known for its Cata logs which have a literary turn and include artwork by Patricia Ziegler and for the theatrical flair it brings to its retail establishments. The newest Manhattan store near booming Date a is modelled alter an Aid hotel the one on the upper West Side after an officer s club and the one in Greenwich Village alter a Hunting Lodge. One negative aspect of Success for the Ziegler has been the Many Many Many Many who have attempted id counterfeit banana Republic goods. Ill just wait till they Burn themselves out said Zieglar angrily. They walk into our store and they la Lake a garment and they la take it to Hong Kong and have it copied they la sneak a few photographs and try to build a store that looks like it. It s  in their Effort to Slop counterfeiting they have seen not Only Racks of phony goods in major department stores but entire warehouses Lull in Italy and England Zieglar said. You get a cease and desist order he said Trace the goods try to gel the people not to move them  the Ziegler have also been plagued by requests to License their name but unlike others in their business Ziegler said we re not interested in passive  rather than respond to requests Ziegler wants to create opportunities in new Fields Ballantine books is publishing a banana Republic Book this fall and they will be getting into other publishing projects. They also Hope to move aggressively into the travel business. We want to extend our unique vision said Ziegler. A Favora associated press Iet and health have become big business but despite All Tho publicity increasing number of americans admit drinking More exercising less and gain weight in recent years. More americans managed to Cut Down on their smoking and indulged in fewer snacks taut Farad 1 Well on several other Heath practices according l study by the National Center for health statistics. Overall these findings especially with regard alcohol Uso body weight and physical Aci Ivity us the need for further assessment of efforts to re improved health goals concluded the study by Charlotte a. Schoenborn of the s statistics Canter at Berniee h. Cohen of Johns Hopkins University. In general Between 1977 and 1983 there apm have bean an increase in unfavourable head la Traci they said in the study trends in smoking. Atco consumption and other health practices among  they found that 9.9 percent of americans re of drinking two drinks or More every Day and 37.7 a said they had five or More in a Day at least once Iri past year. That was up from about 30 percent in 1 who said they had five drinks in one sitting at teat once. Men Are four limes More Likely to be heavy Drof and twice As Likely As woman to have consumed More drinks on any one Day. Iha study said. Younger people were More Likely to drink Narf tended to drink More heavily than older people 1 study added. In Light of current knowledge about the harm tit health and social consequences of heavy drink inc findings of More prevalent and heavier alcohol consumption among the Young should be a malts considerable Public health  the research said. Despite the recent emphasis on fitness a Grov number of americans reported that hey get less exercise than their contemporaries. In 1983 about 14 percent of people said they it less physically Active than most folks the age u about 12 percent in 1977. The report cautioned though that while this indicated a decline in exercising he publicity or fitness May also be a Factor by causing people to change their perception of what is Normal. Some Natu Page 14 the stars and stripes