Fashion Trends

This season is filled with bright, warm colors that accentuate all that is beautiful about the natural beauty of fall. Enjoy the cool of autumn in some of these refreshing styles. Makeup: Gina Bateman for Smashbox cosmetics. Hair: Lisa Jones-Butz of Subtle Rebellion Salon and Gallery Photography and styling: Amy Jones (amyjphoto.com) Dress made by Papillion available at Be Fabulous on Main Street in Bel Air.  $72 Copper bracelets made by Barbara Burke for "charmed" sold at Subtle Rebellion Salon and Gallery $30 each Brown Brighton Cuff -$98 Brighton pearl ring - $62 Brighton silver cuff bracelet - $88 all available at Heartbeat Boutique Model:  Piper Bateman is a student at Fallston High School.  She is lead singer and guitar player of Harford County based rock band Crying Out Loud.  This successful all teen band has played Bel Air's First Fridays, Magerk's, Looney's as well as the Green Turtle in Aberdeen.

One of the most interesting accessories at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week has been children. From celebrity stylist June Ambrose taking her daughter to the hottest shows throughout the city to random women hoisting infants on their hips like a Birken bag, children have been in full force. "Women have been celebrating motherhood," said Alice Ntam, a D.C.- based image consultant. "When was the last time you saw stylists have children? Now it's like a celebration of that. " My favorite was a woman leading around her 4-year-old.

LAST WEEK, Nike Inc. warned that its earnings would fall below forecasts this year and next, sending the stock of the Oregon-based athletic shoemaker reeling. The company, which derives 61 percent of its revenue from athletic shoes, blamed the shrinkage of retail space devoted to athletic shoes. Indeed, in the past several weeks alone, two of the nation's largest athletic shoe chains, Venator Group Inc., owner of the Foot Locker and Lady Foot Locker chains, and Just For Feet Inc., have closed what could amount to hundreds of stores.

I had the perfect plan for my bus ride up to New York City last night. I was going to complete my Christian Siriano profile, maybe watch a couple episodes of the ultra fashionable "Revenge," and get a couple minutes of some much-needed shut-eye. It's never that easy, right? Instead, the power chord to the computer mysteriously died, and so did my access to my story. Luckily I was surrounded by familiar faces to help me pass the time. Karen Garalde, a Baltimore-based designer known for her ability to work with eco-friendly materials, was seated in front of me. And there was Tiarra Plato, a hairstylist who recently moved from Baltimore to New York City where she now works at Jeffrey Stein Salon.

Even Preakness fashion wasn't immune to the recession. In the Corporate Village - itself downsized - many fashionistas used a bit more ingenuity instead of income to create their race day outfits, beginning with the event's iconic fashion symbol: the hat. "When you look at the prices of hats, they're going for $400. And I'm not that good a bettor," said Bethany Chirico, 36. So the Falls Church, Va., meeting planner found an inexpensive white brimmed hat and wrapped a white feather boa around it. Managing the Turf Club tent wasn't Denise Dotterweich's only Preakness duty.

I had the perfect plan for my bus ride up to New York City last night. I was going to complete my Christian Siriano profile, maybe watch a couple episodes of the ultra fashionable "Revenge," and get a couple minutes of some much-needed shut-eye. It's never that easy, right? Instead, the power chord to the computer mysteriously died, and so did my access to my story. Luckily I was surrounded by familiar faces to help me pass the time. Karen Garalde, a Baltimore-based designer known for her ability to work with eco-friendly materials, was seated in front of me. And there was Tiarra Plato, a hairstylist who recently moved from Baltimore to New York City where she now works at Jeffrey Stein Salon.

Pat Benatar's bandana. Madonna's lacy gloves. Michael Jackson's red leather jacket. And Kurt Cobain's Unplugged sweater. There were Puck's tattoos. Cindy's mole. Britney's belly button. Boy George's makeup. George Michael's stubble. And Snoop Dogg's locks. For millions of us who raced off the school bus, even bypassed the refrigerator in the rush to switch on MTV and see Duran Duran serving champagne on a sailboat, there's a video memory for practically every stage of junior and senior high.

Merry-Go-Round Enterprises Inc. announced the opening of an office in New York's Garment District yesterday in an effort to bring its clothing lines more in tune with emerging fashion trends.While the move may prove to be a positive one, analysts said it was only a small step in addressing fundamental problems that led the company to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in January.The new office also should serve to heighten the profile of Leonard "Boogie" Weinglass, chairman and chief executive, who will be spending 50 percent of his time there, meeting with scores of fashion designers and clothing manufacturers each week.

Fashion designers are a grateful bunch. In between setting trends, planning shows and running companies, they pause and reflect like the rest of us around this time of year. We caught up with some and posed this question: "What are you most thankful for from the world of fashion?"Patrick Robinson:The first thing that pops into my mind is that I'm able to have a platform to express my artistic self and my inner soul. That is something a lot of other people never get the chance to do.Nicole Miller:I'm most thankful that these days anything goes - from heels to flats, long skirts or short skirts, colors and prints.

How does a woman develop a style that is personal, distinctive and polished? For suggestions, we turned to several stylish women, including fashion buyers, retailers and consultants. Here are their tips:* Identify your basic style. Give it a name. Is it dramatic, romantic, tailored, casual, conservative, sporty, eclectic, feminine, funky? Now stick with it.* Find stores that carry fashions that appeal to you. Shop primarily in those stores.* Hook up with a sales associate whose look you admire and who inspires your confidence.

100 Years Ago Gowns and frowns In the "In Vogue" column of the Times : "Skirts, especially on lingerie dresses are showing more fullness. Double veilings are being used to give lovely iridescent effects. Velour hats are proving strong favorites. The vogue for black and white alliances shows but little abatement. The jumper design has been furiously revived for dressy shirtwaists. Collarettes of black or white tulle are used to wear with afternoon gowns.

This season is filled with bright, warm colors that accentuate all that is beautiful about the natural beauty of fall. Enjoy the cool of autumn in some of these refreshing styles. Makeup: Gina Bateman for Smashbox cosmetics. Hair: Lisa Jones-Butz of Subtle Rebellion Salon and Gallery Photography and styling: Amy Jones (amyjphoto.com) Dress made by Papillion available at Be Fabulous on Main Street in Bel Air.  $72 Copper bracelets made by Barbara Burke for "charmed" sold at Subtle Rebellion Salon and Gallery $30 each Brown Brighton Cuff -$98 Brighton pearl ring - $62 Brighton silver cuff bracelet - $88 all available at Heartbeat Boutique Model:  Piper Bateman is a student at Fallston High School.  She is lead singer and guitar player of Harford County based rock band Crying Out Loud.  This successful all teen band has played Bel Air's First Fridays, Magerk's, Looney's as well as the Green Turtle in Aberdeen.

Fall is a get-cozy season full of nostalgia and homey memories. We anticipate the newness of what Seventh Avenue will preview, yet we find security in a certain amount of predictability. Uncluttered is a word that captures the mood of many designers' new lines. Classically man-tailored looks are expected on the menu of this season's offerings. Think Faye Dunaway (you young ones can look that up) and you understand the classic elegance we have come to love in fall. These latest trends provide a winning combination of new twists with enough warm and fuzzies to satisfy designers and consumers alike.

Even Preakness fashion wasn't immune to the recession. In the Corporate Village - itself downsized - many fashionistas used a bit more ingenuity instead of income to create their race day outfits, beginning with the event's iconic fashion symbol: the hat. "When you look at the prices of hats, they're going for $400. And I'm not that good a bettor," said Bethany Chirico, 36. So the Falls Church, Va., meeting planner found an inexpensive white brimmed hat and wrapped a white feather boa around it. Managing the Turf Club tent wasn't Denise Dotterweich's only Preakness duty.

Every once in a while a fashion trend comes along that's wrong for everyone. At least that's what we've been told about big, bold horizontal stripes. "They're back, they're definitely back," says Tim Gunn, chairman of the fashion design department at Parsons the New School for Design in New York, who points out that fashion trends tend to come and go in 20-year cycles. "A horizontal stripe can be deadly," he adds darkly. Just about every kind of stripe is part of this spring's fashion story: pinstripes, sweet vertical stripes in pastel colors, seersucker, and crisp, clean preppy stripes.

The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming! Well, not the Russians exactly, but their clothes will be in stores through the fall and winter. Look for the trend to continue into summer. Elements of Russian style - also called Russe - are everywhere this fall. Earlier, designer runways were filled with fur hats, trim military jackets, embroideries, voluminous skirts in flowery prints, boots, gold bangles and pendants. Diane Von Furstenberg even named her fall 2005 collection "Winter Palace," after the former imperial residence in St. Petersburg.

There is peer fashion pressure exerted on teen-agers, but the solid stamp of fashion credibility comes from magazines aimed at the youth market. The editorial staffs are young, hip and a generation removed from parents. After all, these are the voices that field questions about sex, skin eruptions and celebrity heart throbs. The magazines tap young correspondents on regional trends. Here, some of the editors gauge this fall's school dress direction.* Andrea Linett, associate fashion and beauty editor at Sassy magazine, zeros in on pieces to make fall's look complete.

The Russians are coming! The Russians are coming! Well, not the Russians exactly, but their clothes will be in stores through the fall and winter. Look for the trend to continue into summer. Elements of Russian style - also called Russe - are everywhere this fall. Earlier, designer runways were filled with fur hats, trim military jackets, embroideries, voluminous skirts in flowery prints, boots, gold bangles and pendants. Diane Von Furstenberg even named her fall 2005 collection "Winter Palace," after the former imperial residence in St. Petersburg.

This spring, it's all about the bling. For your summer wearing pleasure, stores are filled with sparkly things, ranging from bejeweled sunglasses to sequined sandals. Jeans decorated with Swarovski crystals, tiered skirts with mirrored discs and rhinestone-studded Ts are no longer considered eveningwear only. "It's one of the strongest, best-selling trends of the moment," says David Wolfe of the Doneger Group, which forecasts fashion trends. On the way to his New York office, he says, he saw a woman wearing jeans, flip flops, a T-shirt and a "solidly sequined" bolero jacket.

Upstairs in your grandmotherM-Fs attic, in a dusty trunk she long forgot, fallM-Fs fashion was born. Designers rummaged through, it seems, and found in that sweet little old ladyM-Fs packed-away wardrobe a treasure trove of inspiration. Fitted, tweed jackets. Ribbons. Long skirts. Lace. Fur collars. Brooches. Velvet trim. Gloves. Cashmere sweaters. Satin. Dainty cardigans. Chiffon. This fall, the designers said M-y breathing in the satisfying smell of mothballs M-y women will play dress-up again.