New York Fashion Week Fall 2011

American designers want you to think about wearing bold prints, pencil pants with high heels, and sleek silhouettes. That seemed to be the theme at New York's Fashion Week which trotted out the latest fall fashion ideas from our designers. Some featured women wearing feminine menswear but I think that they should then design menswear, really what is the point of women wearing mens clothes? That Annie Hall look is so 70s and should have stayed there. Marc Jacobs was pushing polka dots for autumn but then you end up looking like walking chicken pox from afar. Other designers were featuring loose, drapey or deconstructed looks but I know that normal women always look fat in those even though they are probably more comfortable. I've included pictures of looks that I think are wearable and interesting and can easily be adapted to your wardrobe without breaking the bank.

I like the way these designers have incorporated bold colors and or bold prints into their clothing line for fall. DKNY's pairing of large stripes with herringbone plaid is an easy look to achieve since practially every woman has some kind of striped sweater and plaid skirt somewhere in the closet. Keep in mind to keep the pieces to one major color scheme. Don't pair a yellow stripe sweater with a green plaid then wear a blue short coat over it, you'll look confused. Pair a green stripe sweater with a green plaid and the color of your coat should be neutral such as black, dark blue, taupe, or camel. The look can be appropriate for older women as well, just wear a longer skirt and a longer coat.

If you have stayed away from print dresses, don't be afraid of them, they can be fun and whimsical and still look good as a cocktail or party dress. The trick is to buy a print that suits your size. If you are small and petite don't buy a dress that has a huge print because it will overwhelm you and if you are a large-boned girl don't buy a delicate print, it doesn't match. Now I'm not saying that petite girls are restricted to small detailed dresses or that big girls should only wear large prints but do take the time to try out prints and make sure that it suits your size and in colors that don't overexaggerate or overwhelm your size whichever it may be.

These dresses from Diane von Furstenburg, Oscar de la Renta, Jill Stuart, and Nicole Miller are beautiful and classic and should tell you that print dresses and shirts that are appropriate for you can be timeless.

Jason Wu is a favorite designer of Michelle Obama and I can see why the First Lady likes his clothes. They are wearable, unfussy, sleek, and great style. The mustard yellow skirt is an usual color but it shows people that you shouldn't be afraid of wearing color to a formal party. The lace halter top with the full skirt is a great pairing and looks very comfortable.

The long, gold, dress in this classic silhouette is a great style for women of all ages and sizes to wear. It is elegant and it doesn't really need any accessories at all. If you can find this style is a short dress it would be a stunning look for office parties and a fun night out.

The look of pencil pants and high heel shoes are hot! Pair it with a sleeveless shirt and you look flirty. Wear a jacket over it and it can be worn in the office. This three piece outfit can be worn for the day and shed your jacket after work is done and you are ready for a night out. It's such a versatile outfit and look.

There are so many women who are self-conscious of their size and it's unfortunate that we don't feel better about our bodies. We think our breasts are too small or too big, our hips are too big or don't have one, or our thighs are too big or don't have one or that our arms are too big or scrawny.   Here are some great dresses that address each of those fears but the great thing abour these dresses are that they have a sleek silhouette.  We are talking sleek, not tight, because it's really about wearing the appropriate sized dress.  If you are a big girl a sleek silhouette will slim you.  If you are a petite or slim girl a sleek silhouette will emphasize your assets.

if you are big on top and bottom, you will do this simple, cream dress by Halston, justice and it'll show off those gorgeous legs.

For those with small tops and large hips, the off-the-shoulder styles by Naeem Khan and Ralph Lauren are great for you as the diagonal top will bring attention to your top half while minimizing the bottom. Khan and Lauren seem to be channeling each others thoughts in their fall lines.

The very versatile outfit by Jill Stuart is appropriate for everyone. It is great for all body types and you can wear it for day and well into the night.

For the petite girls, the gold topped dress by Naeem Khan and the black beaded halter dress by Ralph Lauren will make you look splendid. You want to look for dresses that will show off your slimness and emphasize your top. The emphasis up top draws people gazes up and will make you look taller.

These designers have come up with some timeless looks for fall and can be easily incorporated in your wardrobe. It's all about having you think a little differently about bold prints and colors and a sleek silhouette.

I really don't know who can carry off a dress like this. Even the model looks messy in it. I'm not sure what the designer at Marchesa was thinking but all I could think of was that I need to put that dress in a garbage bin because it just looks so crinkled.  Well there's always one dress during each fashion week where you think the designer ran out of ideas and didn't know what else to come up with.  For me this was it.