*Love is in the air* or maybe that's just fall?

I love fall. LOVE it. I love the "newness" of back-to-school (even though I'm neither in school nor have a family member in school), the way everyone seems to fall back into a routine (har har, no pun intended). I also love football season and the approaching holidays. But perhaps most of all, I love fall clothes. Spring and summer clothes are kind of boring to me... tees, tanks, shorts, flip-flops, la-de-da. Fall clothes feel cozy, rich and luxurious, outfits feel much more pulled together and the colors make me feel warm and fuzzy.

Based on what I've seen in the market, here's your easy-to-apply trends for the fall 2010 season.

Military
Oh, Military Trend, how you never seem to go away. It seems this trend keeps resurfacing year after year, and I suspect as long as our country remains at war, this tribute to our armed forces will continue. Luckily, I love this trend. It's beautiful and versatile, and super stylish.
Pieces to look for: cargo pants, aviator boots, anything olive or in the brown family, structured jackets with pockets and heavy hardware.
Make it unique: pair a structured piece with something super feminine (like a floral blouse under a form-fitting trench, or a ruffled tee with cargo pants).

Charcoal
Hurray! One of my favorite colors! This color is never really "out" of style, as it's a neutral that should be a constant in one's wardrobe. However, this fall it moves into a more dominant color. Since it goes with everything, it shouldn't be hard to incorporate into your wardrobe. It is, as they say, "the new black."
Pieces to look for: Any accessory (bags, jewelry), a statement jacket (either a blazer or heavier weight coat), boots.
Make it unique: wear it with jewel tones, or surprise people by wearing it with another common neutral, such as brown. Contrary to popular belief, you can wear neutrals together.



Plaid
If you've been to any store in the mall lately, you've probably seen the over-abundance of plaid styles. Pieces to look for: Button-ups, pullovers, tunics, loose and belted, vests... you'll see it in just about every body.
Make it unique: Plaid's a tricky one to pull off, especially if you want to wear it in a professional work environment. Plaid reads very casual, so to dress it up, wear it under a jacket (a military style or charcoal one, perhaps??) or wear a more fitted style with a pair of tailored pants (straight leg or skinny).


Feminine
This is another style that is continuing from the past few seasons. It was big this spring, and continues in a fall color palette this season.
Pieces to look for: The feminine trend is marked by ruffles, embellishments (such as studs or sequins) or floral patterns.
Make it unique: Since you don't want to go overboard with the feminine trend, pair it with simple, structured pieces such as a military jacket (look at that, all the trends working together so nicely!), a straight leg pant (one with a subtle pinstripe or plaid would be beautiful) or a simple cardigan.


Pencil Skirts (subset of feminine)
Tying into the feminine trend, pencil skirts are big for fall. It's a false assumption that only thin people can wear a trim-fitting skirt. It's actually quite slimming no matter your size.
Pieces to look for: Keep it simple with a neutral solid or a very subtle pattern. Some pencil skirts come with built-in belts... or add one of your own!
Make it unique: Wear it with a pair of opaque, jewel-toned or patterned tights and a pair of booties.


Cardigans (another subset of feminine)
I'm seeing these a lot, and they are not your grandma's sweater! Cardigans also work in the spring and during the transition between seasons. It's a pretty basic staple that you probably already have in your closet and can find new ways to wear it!
Pieces to look for: Since you may already have a basic button-front style, add to your collection with a floral print, short or 3/4 sleeves, open front or wrap style.
Make it unique: Wear it on top of a spring or summer dress to "autumnize" it. Wear it unbuttoned (if it's a buttoning style) with a skinny belt on top. Pair with a pencil skirt and some chunky accessories, like a wrist cuff or a statement necklace.


Animal/Skins
Animal is yet another trend that continues from previous years. What makes it a bit different this season is the addition of skins: alligator, snake and other reptiles.
Pieces to look for: "minor" items, such as accessories (perhaps a wallet or small clutch), shoes or a layering tank/tee. This is not something you want to deck out in head-to-toe!
Make it unique: You don't need to do much to make this unique as it's already pretty special on its own. My main advice is to make this an accent, rather than the central part of your outfit. Take things up a notch with a snakeskin shoe or alligator print tee under a blazer.

Happy fall, and happy shopping!!