Style to spare

Bowling chic for every budget

by Suzanne Kammlott

Fred and Barney knew it. Laverne and Shirley knew it. Now the arbiters of fashion know it: aesthetically speaking, bowling is big league.

Hipster types have long recognized the timeless appeal of the bowling shirt, fueling a steady demand. To meet it, original '50s outfitter DaVinci has updated its traditional styles, and new brands like BC Ethic and Johnny Suede have also stepped in: their loose, two-toned shirts with the requisite embroidered doodad on the pocket or front panel can give any slacker the desired look. Even Stray Cats frontman Brian Setzer has jumped into the fray with his clothing line, Steady. There's a wide selection at Gregz, in Cambridge, for $44 to $75. But if you're aiming for authentic shirts, Dagmar's, a new vintage store down the street, has plenty, at $55 for men's styles and $48 for women's.

These days, shirts are only the beginning of bowling chic -- especially at Dagmar's. "My grandfather was a big bowler, and I've always loved it too," says owner Julie Allen. The day we stopped in, she confessed that a week before, some lane-iac had lightened her stock, but it was hard to tell: there were still tons of bowling-theme tie and money clips, key chains, salt and pepper shakers, and ice buckets, as well as genuine bags and balls. Dagmar's even stocks little candy-colored totes that look just like real bowling bags, but in a handy purse size. For modernaires, it's back to Gregz, which sells a line of high-style accessories by Winky & Dutch -- cuff links, lighters, and tie bars that bear the crossed-pins motif.

And it's not just the devotees of vintage kitsch who are filing into the alley. Louis, Boston is selling shoes from Prada, with soft leather uppers and grippy treads, that bear more than a passing resemblance to the rent-a-shoe version. For $350, though, you better believe you get to keep them. Sola Men, not to be left in the gutter, also stocks deluxe footwear with the look of the lanes -- two-tone, oxford-inspired men's shoes by Kenneth Cole ($149), with flexible soles and decorative stitching. And designer Kerri Kahn has retooled the classic loop-handled two-tone bowling bag, slimmed it down, and socked it with a startling price tag -- $280 at Jasmine Sola. Sure, at these prices you might have to consider yourself a fashion victim -- but at least you won't be bowling alone.

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