RETAIL TRADE: Beat into Neat

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As the nation's 18 million teen-agers began heading back to high school and college last week, there was a new look: the neatnik had replaced the beatnik. Out were dungarees, sloppy slacks, baggy sweaters, etc. Reflecting the back-to-school buying surge, department-store sales across the nation rose 20% over a year ago. Said Teen-Age Research Expert Eugene Gilbert: "There is a general upturn in the appearance of both boys and girls from the lower middle class on up." Gimbel's department store pitched its ads to "the neat generation." Chicago-area stores reported that their best sales to teen-age girls came in conservative, mannish-looking apparel: vests, West Point-styled jackets, wool poncho capes, hooded sweaters and jackets called "benchwarmers." New York's Peck & Peck said that sales from its mail-order back-to-school brochure are running 23% ahead of last year. Biggest demand is for old standbys such as polo and Chesterfield coats, but there is also a fad for kilt skirts and shaggy-dog coats. In Los Angeles the Smart Sixteen set is buying blankets for a sew-it-yourself skirt and blazer set. Most popular are clothes adorned with raccoon. Says Angela Kroll, buyer for Saks Fifth Avenue: "We can sell anything with raccoon." Best & Co. is doing a big business in detachable raccoon collars ($10.95 for a 14-in. Peter Pan collar, $15.95 for a 31 -in. shawl collar), and Chicago teen-agers are buying up sailor hats topped with raccoon pompons.

Tights and leotards have passed the fad stage, and some manufacturers report shipments running 30% ahead of last year. To go with the tights, stores are pushing boots with raccoon trim, corduroy or plaid coverings. Back-to-school teen-agers have also taken to some nonclothing fads. Among them: plastic-coated textbook covers with zany titles such as "Embalming Can Be Fun," by "Maude Lynn."