It May Be Nautical But It's Not The Navy

When the U.S. Navy decided to redesign some of its uniforms for next year, it was just as well that 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 for Sheila Roscoe. And a bikini, even with gold braid, loses something in battleship gray. But what the designers have done for girls who live on the water and by the water—not to mention those who live in Oklahoma City—makes a close look at the following pages well worth a call to general quarters. The new nautical look includes everything from sweaters decorated with signal flags to foul-weather gear with a difference. Modern technology has provided fabrics that shed water or are quick-drying, and such innovators as Gernreich have come up with some futuristic clothes to match the spirit of the 55-foot Baglietto on which Sheila is pictured, a sleek craft capable of 25 knots—the Baglietto, that is.

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

Open and closed cases: Sheila (above) attracts the sun wearing de la Renta 's gold-braid-trimmed bikini, and Annette Molen basks on the deck in a Gernreich tank suit. Maggie Smith (right) sails and suns on a Soling in a halter-tied swimsuit from Gottex of Israel .

Wearing classic corduroy, Maggie teams a belted blazer and jeans with crew-neck sweater and shirt—all from Bill Blass for Blass-port. Pixie Peterson (below) crews a Hobie 16 with Sandy Banks, wearing a swimsuit and extra matching shorts from Catalina.

Sheila buttons up snugly 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 her jeans with rhinestone pins. For sailing, she shapes up in a bikini with a matching shirt by Catalina.

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

As for Where It's at—

Gernreich trompe l'oeil swimsuit on the cover, designed for Harmon Knitwear, $60 at Apropos, Orange, Calif. ; Nan Duskin, Philadelphia (all Gernreich for Harmon outfits in stores 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 de la Renta tank suit and matching bell-bottoms (not shown), $34 and $62, Marie Leavell, 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. Blassport corduroy blazer $106, striped shirt $34, cord jeans $30, white sweater $32, all at 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.; Amelia Gray, Beverly Hills ; Marshall Field , Chicago . Levi's for Gals chambray work shirt $7, bush jacket $24, shorts $6, The May Company , L.A. Rhinestone pins by Willie Woo, $3, to $9, at Bigi, Bergdorf Goodman , N.Y. Jrs by Catalina nylon jersey bikini $17, shirt $14, Gimbels, N.Y. De la Renta sharkskin middy dress (above) $92, all Saks Fifth Avenue stores.