Autumn/Winter Fashion is upon us and it would be great to know what is in fashion this year, just so we can add those extra things that might make a difference to our already existing wardrobe.

What can we do?

Well, the northern hemisphere has just been through their winter so they already know and have a cupboard full of warm and fashionables!  Down here in the southern hemisphere we are on the cusp of cooler weather and are ripe and ready to buy a few items to spruce up our winter wear.

THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE IS TO WEAR BLACK

This winter the fashion colour of choice is ‘black'.  I can hear a sign from relief from you already.  My wardrobe has certainly become fashionable again anyway. 

And the layering look of different fabrics, such as a silk dress over a knit skivvy is also the trend. 

Lisa Ho has gone with the layered look with a limited colour range of black, charcoal, chocolate, plum, neutals and silver.  Fashion Week in Melbourne  has just begun and Ms Ho included Italian white feathers although I am not sure how we would include this item in our dressing. 

The black skivvy with black knitted tights will be the base of most of the clothing styles, including evening gowns and would be this years “strong styling trend”. 

Be careful how you cover the black launching pad though.  Not many of us have perfect figures, so be mindful of the layers you build up over the ‘cat suit'!  But you could go for either the structured or floating look, its all in.

So it is generally a season of dark and sombe including navy, grey, slate and smoke incorporating metallic finishes, shiny leathers or PVC, visible zippers and military embellishments which are used to add colour, texture and interest for “gleam and metal sheen”! 

Having dressed in your somber colours, it is fashionable this year to add splashes of bright colour to create some pizzazz.  Try purple, red, fuchsia or orange.  Maybe you could add these colours by way of tights, scarf or other accessories.

If you are ‘square’ or you have always wanted to project this image, this is the season for you.  If the “chanel librarian look” is what you have always hankered after, now is your time.  If you have the figure for it, wear "waisted skirts with cardigans", or “floral shirts under nanna-knits”.

Karl Lagerfeld, I am sure wears a lopsided smile when he sends out his expensive designer tweed skirts, suits and jackets with deliberately fraying edges, unraveling braid and loose weave coming apart.  He is able to persuade his couture following to move outside of their safe havens of saddle stitching or roulay edging.  He says "When you buy clothes which are very expensive, you shouldn't treat them as if they had cost a lot. You should be able to destroy them like a pair of cheap jeans." 

He says that, but I assure you the fraying scarf I bought by a French designer in Paris (and I could only afford the scarf) is utterly divine.  Don’t think you can wear your cheaper clothing in a disheveled state and think you can pass them for designer.  It won’t work.  Top fashion designers use glorious materials, with textures, colours, braids and ribbons which are all top class and expertly put together colour wise and artistically.  It works.

Lagerfeld’s clothing costs a fortune and this is because some of his articles are entirely hand-made in first class materials. His 2008/2009 show was full of bright primary colours from the opening sequence of giant white polka dots on scarlet.  He also included the leggings, with ‘back to school” blazers with bright geometrical patterns on skirts and jeans with stars and stripes. 

We may not be able to afford such high market clothing, but if we do our homework and watch the trends by visiting designer web sites and pinch some of their ideas. 

Good luck