A Touch of Class

The look for fall is still glamorous but more along the classic lines than the retro 50's and 40's that we saw last year. The designers on the fall runways showed clean-cut classically simple dresses and suits. Clothes are tight but not vulgar. There's a new sleeve length that's been creeping in since spring. It's a bracelet length -- a length such that if you were wearing a bracelet your sleeve would not hide it. Jewelry is minimal and simple, intended just to add a touch - a pearl necklace, a modest watch, or a plain bracelet.

Subdued Sensuality

The splashy colours have gone and the more subdued black and white are back. And loads of camel coats with a few outfits in red, making these clothes easy to wear.

Unlike some of last year's short and sheer far-out designs, the attitude this season is sensuality. These are wearable elegant clothes that you don't have to be 18 with a beautiful body to wear.

Audrey Hepburn

Camelot

Think of Audrey Hepburn and Jackie 'O' combined and you have your look for fall. In John Galliano's words, "Think Breakfast at Tiffany's". Gone are the gimmicky styles that were dubbed as fashion. The lines are simple, almost dowdy. The fall wardrobe is livened with a sleek hairdo and some interesting shoes.

Michael Kors Suit

Fall Suits

Getting up in the morning and deciding what to wear won't be the ordeal it usually is this fall, because the suit is back. It's not as conservative as it has been in the go-getting career-oriented 80's. These simplified suits have skirts that just reach the knee, and short fitted jackets that are 3 or 4 inches below the waist, another option being the boxy-shaped jacket. Jackets are worn without shirts, and if the need to remove the jacket arises, a plain shell is the answer.

To keep out the chill of late fall days, tweed, wool boucle and cashmere in ivory, grey and brown. Accessorise with a pair of slingbacks and a neat handbag.

Little Black Dress

Remember those films of the 60's, where ladies and gentlemen stood around drinking cocktails, wearing elegant clothes? Didn't you just wish you were all grown up, so you could wear those clothes? Well those clothes are back, although I don't know about the cocktail hour.It's "happy hour" now, isn't it? It doesn't have quite the same ring, somehow.

On the runways, cocktail dresses were all over the place. Little black dress followed little black dress. Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors to name just a few, all showed this all-time favourite on the runways.

Leather's Back

Anna Sui Leather Suit

With all this elegance and niceness around, you might think it odd that leather finds a place. The runways swarmed with a new updated attitude to leather. When you see what the designers have done, your attitude may change, too. You won't see the usual black motor-bike type of jackets, but instead, well-cut dresses and coats. Colours ranged from white in Donna Karen's trench coat to Gucci's oxblood, 60's style coat. Black wasn't completely absent though; it was present in the guise of a butter-soft gathered skirt from Michael Kors as well as this offering from Anna Sui.