Oak reproduction furniture. As the decade faded into the '90s and the boom cooled, the word somehow got around that conspicuous consumption was out. Silicon Valley loosened its ties and abandoned the hard-sided briefcases. A new sense of style emerged. Clothier Rhonda Lackmann, who owns the Alta shops in downtown San Jose, Willow Glen and San Carlos, has noticed a marked shift in the the clothing habits of Silicon Valley's women.
People can wear whatever they want.
They can work all week in jeans and a T-shirt. People seem to be more secure in their positions and can express their personality. The shift was evident last week in a Netscape conference room, where a product team was delivering a client demo. With short, smart hair cut to precise angles, an Asian woman circled the room in snug-fitting velvet pants. Another wore faded, baggy jeans.