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"  If it&amp;#039;s classics you&amp;#039;re craving for fall, you&amp;#039;re in luck. The style setters put a new spin on retro, sculpted shapes. Silhouettes were a bit more streamlined, and the volume we&amp;#039;ve seen in seasons past turned up in a restrained and deliberate manner \u2014 with full shoulders or a pouf at the end of a sleeve, for example. The looks were strong and feminine: ladylike, not with prim girliness but in a superchic, power-chick way. Think structured jackets atop slim skirts and sexy, body-conscious dresses that emphasize the hourglass. Menswear also made an impact with tailored but slouchy trousers. Black and gray dominated, but a rainbow of brights made a splash on the scene. Says designer Phillip Lim, &amp;quot;Fall is all about textures and a quiet sophistication that is feminine but fun.&amp;quot; But let&amp;#039;s be honest: All we really want to know is, What should we buy this season that we can wear for years to come, and how can we update our look?  SEE LOOKBOOK: BUILDING THE PERFECT FALL WARDROBE WHAT WORKS AT WORK Looking professional and pulled together this season couldn&amp;#039;t be easier. Polish is key, and there are plenty of pieces out there to fit the bill. The woman&amp;#039;s office standard, the pencil skirt, is more important than ever. This season, it was shown with a higher waist and a longer length, an inch or two below the knee, making it incredibly versatile. Fitted blazers are the ideal topper (try belting them for the freshest look), and blouses in all forms are also lovely complements, especially the latest feminine tops, which are voluminous without being ostentatious. Poufs showed up on shoulders and sleeves in the form of small ruffles or drapes and are a nice balance for a curve-hugging skirt. Alber Elbaz perfected the look, while Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren showed tailored shirts and blazers with the slim skirts and John Galliano gave the style a &amp;#039;40s feel with dramatic square-shouldered jackets at Dior. The tights trend that&amp;#039;s been so prevalent has continued its momentum. &amp;quot;A covered leg is a must-have,&amp;quot; says Neiman Marcus fashion director Ken Downing. &amp;quot;Tights are a finishing element to the polished look.&amp;quot; And it&amp;#039;s not just about the black opaque. Try woolly gray (Vera Wang), superslick and almost wet-looking (Valentino), sparkly (Anna Sui), or even jeweled versions (Carolina Herrera), which look glam at night.  At the other end of the spectrum, slouchy, menswearlike suits made many appearances on the runways, from newcomer Todd Lynn to the established Bill Blass. Trousers were pleated and loose in the more traditional way, and matching jackets were slightly more trim and tailored but still retained their old-school shape. Fabrics were in tweedy grays and autumnal browns along with basic black. And if you are not ready to give up your stovepipes, don&amp;#039;t fear; they still exist. See Narciso Rodriguez, Doo.Ri, and Marc Jacobs. &amp;quot;Slim pants make you look long, lean, and leggy \u2014 something we all crave,&amp;quot; says Donna Karan, whose new Icons capsule collection is filled with her signature chic staples. When dashing off to work this fall, don&amp;#039;t forget to grab a structured bag. The classic style, whether framed or in exotic skin, is the piece to have and plays perfectly in professional environments. Consider the Kelly bag as standard and go from there: It can never not look good, so don&amp;#039;t be afraid to invest. When it comes to footwear, traditional is also on trend. &amp;quot;Every woman needs a terrific fashion pump and a shoe bootie,&amp;quot; says Downing. While the bootie may seem a little edgy to some, this season&amp;#039;s styles recall an old-fashioned men&amp;#039;s oxford shoe with exposed stitching and laces.   THE NEW LOOK FOR NIGHT Say goodbye to your babydolls and ta-ta to your trapeze dresses. A slimmer, more sophisticated style is at the forefront. The good news is, it&amp;#039;s a timeless look, so bring your sleek pants and formfitting frocks out from storage, or start thinking about making a new purchase or two. After a season in which pants were MIA on most runways (Miuccia Prada showed nary a pair in her spring show), they&amp;#039;ve returned. And they look especially novel for evening, as proved by Proenza Schouler (who went slouchy), Narciso Rodriguez (who kept it slim), and Marc Jacobs (somewhere in between). With a matching jacket with a flirty blouse, a slinky tank, or nothing underneath, reintroduce pants to your dressy repertoire. Your old-school LBD will certainly pass muster, but if you are looking to modernize your evening look, try belting it, wearing the aforementioned fancy tights, or adding shine or color with accessories. &amp;quot;My fall collection was inspired by New York at night\u2014the shimmering textures, the neon lights,&amp;quot; explains Karan. &amp;quot;The shapes are architectural in feeling with flashes of color and shine ... created to illuminate the power of a woman.&amp;quot; Or forgo the classic frock altogether and pick something more spirited. &amp;quot;The black dress is always right for evening,&amp;quot; says Downing. &amp;quot;But break out and go for color \u2014 the peacock blues, all those amazing jade and emerald greens, the beautiful Bordeaux and red shades, and the magentas.&amp;quot; A bright dress is too much for you? Try a topper in a vibrant shade or pattern. It&amp;#039;ll bring life to any look. Balenciaga had lively mixed hues, Nina Ricci showed soft, ethereal shades, and Donna Karan went for shiny jewel tones. Coats are always a key building block in a fall wardrobe, and now is the time to buy a new one, as designers put out multitudes of beautiful options. Retro-style animal prints, elegant fur-trimmed cuts, new takes on trenches, structured, soft-shouldered \u2014 you name it. Many of them are so special, they can double as a dress. Patent pumps are ideal for this eternally chic evening look. And your footwear is also a fab way to add color in a more restrained manner. Ditto clutches, the ultimate classics in evening bags. On the fall runways, larger envelope purses made many appearances \u2014 a great size for toting during the day as well.   CASUAL-CHIC WEEKENDS In the cold-weather months, low-key dressing calls for cozy comfort. Fortunately, sweaters continue to be a strong point. Weighty cardigans, knit dresses (chunky or thin), turtlenecks, grandpa styles \u2014 they were all represented in the latest collections, including Stella McCartney, Chanel, and Michael Kors. No doubt you have mounds in your closet, and this is the season to wear them. Lim exalts the wearability of cashmere dresses &amp;quot;for their quiet luxuriousness and versatility. They are so easy to pack and go for weekend trips as well.&amp;quot; Downing suggests a sweater coat for slightly warmer days. &amp;quot;I love all the cardigan jackets. They&amp;#039;re great over delicate dresses, bringing an updated casualness to them that still has real polish.&amp;quot; Pairing your knits with tweedy trousers taps into the very of-the-moment (but really always in style) English-country vibe. Keep the palette in autumnal hues \u00E0 la Michael Kors to truly capture the look. So how to take classics and make them look fresh? &amp;quot;Wear unexpected pieces together,&amp;quot; suggests Tory Burch. &amp;quot;I showed a silk dress covered with sequins paired with a boyfriend cardigan and patent ankle booties. I love the contrast of masculine and feminine.&amp;quot; For a more urban style, wide-leg jeans have replaced superskinny styles as the denim du jour. (If you want to keep it strictly classic, go for a simple straight leg.) Worried about whether pairing heavy sweaters with full trousers will be flattering? Utilize belts. Cinching your waist will let everyone know you have one under those layers. You can&amp;#039;t go wrong with equestrian-style boots or easy skimmers for dressed-down days. &amp;quot;Flat boots are a great investment that you can dress up or down,&amp;quot; says Burch, who also relies on her ballet flats on off-duty days. &amp;quot;They are chic and comfortable at the same time.&amp;quot; If you must have the added height, the men&amp;#039;s-inspired ankle boots work well on weekends, too, with jeans or trousers. The same goes for structured bags. Tote them everywhere. If you can afford more than one, pick a style in a rugged brown or a spirited bright for Saturdays and Sundays. The weekends are time to have some fun, after all. The bottom line is, a closet filled with classics \u2014 well made and of high quality, mind you\u2014is a sure thing. You can mix and match for work, evenings, and the weekends and know you&amp;#039;ll always be chic. We couldn&amp;#039;t be more in luck, because the new season plays right into this never-fail wardrobe concept, offering loads of timeless options \u2014 which means you have no excuse not to go shopping. "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/trends/a60/perfect-fall-wardrobe-0707/>