By Melissa Segrest

Fashion is so flighty. Glossies and bloggers declare their picks for what’s hot and what’s not. Celebs can make or break a look by deigning to don it.

Slideshow: Update Your Fall Wardrobe With Some of These Styles

Trends are spotted all over the runways – so much so that it can leave a lady scratching her head about what to do for fall wardrobe pick-me-ups. So Shopperati set out to bring you the best advice on what looks will look good for your closet in the next few months. We counted about 75 “official” trends declared by the fashion elite, but we’ll spare you most of them and hit the highlights.

1 — Gray is the new black. Charcoal gray, silvery gray, houndstooth gray, plain gray, dresses, skirts, pants, sweaters, tights, everything. If you don’t have a signature gray element in your fall wardrobe, you will be deemed completely out of touch with fashion reality. Please stop reading and go buy something gray immediately. We’ll wait for you to get back.

2 — Waists are back. For many of us, that is not a happy thought. But for those with slim genes, it will be a rollicking good time. Pants are showing up at the waist, instead of only hanging low on the hips. Stylish, tailored suits have cinched-waist jackets that finish with flares just above the hips. Dresses have skinny belts at the waist. Start doing situps now.

3 — Say goodbye to hip-hugging flared jeans. Pants for fall are a cacophony of looks, from huge slouchy low-rises to wide legs with (gasp: pleats in the front) and cuffs to very, very skinny how-on-earth-did-you-get-those-on styles. And denim was nowhere to be seen.

4 — Skirts are longer. Much of what we see is mid-thigh, 3/4 length or just plain long. Their styling is varied, from loose and flowing to pencil slim. Some minis showed up as cocktail dresses, but a more demure hemline is definitely front and center. Especially striking are the swingy pleated at-the-knee styles that look kind of ’40s-ish.

5 — Did we say gray was in? Some say that bright blue is the new gray. Bright colors did show up, especially for bold coats and flashy evening apparel, which often appears with glittery accents or even feathers. Some of that flashy evening apparel is silvery, which sometimes looks kind of gray.

6 — Capes are making a comeback, from short to hip length, mostly in striking colors.

7 — Bows are big, on blouses, and even on evening wear. Speaking of evening wear, many of those featured a sort of origami-style pleating/draping that looks lovely but could be hell for the dry cleaner.

8 — Biker-style girlfriend apparel gets some fashion nods, mostly in the form of short leather jackets with lots of metal and diagonal zippers, paired with skinny pants.

9 — Patent leather is all over bags, shoes and dresses. Also, you’ll be needing tights – mostly black tights – but also in hues of (yes, you guessed it) gray. They are mostly paired with black shoes

10 — Speaking of shoes, the simple “shoe” has morphed into a “bootie” which is kind of a shoe with boot-like leanings. Sometimes it is hard to see where the shoe leaves off and the boot begins, but we’ll leave that for you to sort out. Those are popular in suede and patent leather. And there are still boots out there for you traditionalists. Give your boots a nod to 2007 and try a pair with cuffs.

11 — This next is a trend that Shopperati believes will not extend beyond this season, but if you want to make a statement, by all means go out and purchase patent leather lace-up oxford styled shoes with high heels. They are striking and a pair will scream “fashionista” to your pals.

12 — Bags are still big, as in large, carry-everything-you-might-ever-need huge. Fortunately, to lend some balance to the oversized bag trend come some nicely structured medium sized bags with solid handles, as well as very cute clutches with metallic trimmings or even bows (See #7).

Copyright © 2007 | Distributed by Noofangle Media

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