Yesterday, we talked about the colors of fall 2010. Today, it’s all about the FABrics. Notice the emphasis on the FAB. That’s because the fabrics showing up for fall will be nothing short of fabulous. There are really a lot of textiles to choose from, and since layering will be big, you’re in luck! Pile these fabric favorites on in luxe layers of love.

Viva la Velvet: There’s a wrong way to do velvet (an oh-so wrong way). But if you stick to plush, supple velvets in the colors we talked about yesterday (rich tans, deep greens, ruby reds or blacks), you’ll look like you walked right off a runway this fall. If you can’t get that awful vision of a full-length velvet dress from 1992 out of your head, try harder. This season’s velvets are anything but tacky. They’re made to look sophisticated, elegant and like old money.

This regal Prada handbag has a charm all it's own. It's simple, elegant and carries all the punch of Prada in that "old money" way.

Leather: I’m always a huge fan of leather. The right leather piece (like a jacket or blazer), when incorporated into your wardrobe, can speak volumes about your style quotient. This season, stick to leathers in the colors we touched on yesterday. Take a look at yesterday’s post. That red, leather jacket was a hip and happening piece that could stick around for years. And the best news? It’s hot right now. This fall, find the leather that works for you. It might be a leather jacket or blazer. You might even branch out (if you can handle it) and find the perfect leather skirt (there were several on the runway this year) or skinny pants.

Fur: I love fur. Real fur. I know, I know. I’m basically a murderer who has no love and compassion for the creatures we share our Earth with. But I think fur is great. And so does the rest of the fashion world this season. Now, I’m not saying you need to leave the house in a full-length mink coat (please don’t). Fur will be fab this season sprinkled into your outfit. Perhaps you invest in a sweater or jacket with a nice fox fur collar? Or grab a handbag with fur detailing for the winter? Or, everyone’s favorite furry execution: boots with the fur. You know, to go with those Apple Bottom Jeans (no, please don’t, Nelly isn’t really a fashion designer).

This dress has a personality all it's own. Made by Gucci, it combines a rich, tan leather will just the right amount of fur near the collar. It's fierce and definitely not for the fashionably faint of heart.

Wool, Cashmere and More: Besides the more exotic fabrics I’ve mentioned above, this fall is all about the classics done right. Invest in jackets or coats made from a high-quality wool that curves in all the right places. Pile on loose cashmere layers to give the look of unrivaled luxury. And if you’re really feeling adventurous? Try something with texture and warmth, like mohair.

A sweater just like this one pairs great with skirts, leather, denim and more. It's a basic piece that can be layered and love all winter long.

I’m not saying you should throw cotton and denim to the wind—you should continue to wear your favorite fabrics. These are the simply the hot fabrics of the moment. So if you’re looking to turn heads this fall, turn yourself on to luxe fabrics like velvet, leather, fur, cashmere and fine wools.

Interested in any of the above looks? Check out Neiman Marcus for more.

Fall’s color palette is nothing bright, sunny and new. But the new take on neutrals is something to get excited about! Here’s what you should know.

(Check this awesome graphic I made for you visual learners. Read more about each color trend below.)

Black is back. If you’re someone with layers of black in your closet, rejoice. Black (especially in layers) is back this fall. If you’re lost for a style look, it’s never been more okay to pile on this slimming, urban color. To show that you’ve got a real hold on style, throw black textures or patterns into your outfit.

Time to Tan: Rich hues of warm beiges and tans go a long way to achieving an in-style look this fall. Leather looks in glowing tan colors (with gold undertones) will be a showstopper this autumn, as will accompanying shades of brown and bronze.

Going For Green: When in doubt, opt for green this season. Green will be all over the place—from military inspired jackets to slouchy bags—and will make a style statement as the military trend (more on this later) continues to gain momentum. Pick rich, dirty greens to fit in seamlessly. Opt for non-bright hues of green to be really glam.

Rad in Red: The jaw dropping color of the season will be red. Rich, ravishing reds. If you’re looking for a great dress or a fabulous coat in a creative color, try red. Mix red with the neutrals of the season for an understated look. Red will be rockin’ this fall!

Sure, there are other colors in the fall 2010 spectrum. But these colors will be easy to attain, and somewhat simple to incorporate into any wardrobe. Plus, showing mastery of these four color trends will help you prove your knowledge of fall fashion.

Stay tuned for more great fall 2010 fashion tips this week!

Interpreting trends is always tricky. Sure, everyone comes out with their list of what will be hot for the upcoming season. But that doesn’t always translate to real looks the everyday woman can insert into her wardrobe seamlessly. That’s where I come in. This fall, my goal is to help you understand how you can translate the trends and make them work for you. You’ll be a vision of fall 2010 in no time.

This week I’ll be blogging about everything fall so you can get a head start on perfecting your seasonal wardrobe. I’ll be starting with the basics (colors) and finishing with more specific trends. My hope is that you get some great ideas for transitioning to fall in style.

What does it mean to be high maintenance? Based on looks alone, 99 out of 100 men surveyed on the street would say that I (yes, little old me) appear to be high maintenance. (It could be the giant heels, huge Marc Jacobs bag, blinged-out watch and oversized sunglasses. But judge me based on looks alone? How dare they!) I have high expectations for a lot of things in my life—but does that necessarily make me high maintenance? Absolutely not. To me, high maintenance is defined my incessant nagging, annoying and time-consuming habits and unrealistic demands. Doesn’t even sound like me for a second. And if you don’t think so, here are some things that might make you side with me.

I can shower, get dressed in an adorable outfit, put on full make-up, dry my hair and accessorize in 45 minutes.

I know people who can’t seem to pull themselves together given two hours. They have to go through an entire ritual-like process. My philosophy? Don’t waste your time getting ready. Make that quick so you can spend more time having fun AFTER you’re ready! Plus, if it takes you three hours to get ready, it probably means you’re ugly.

Last weekend, I didn’t wear any make-up for four days. I only showered two out of those four days.

Confidence goes a long way, people. When you don’t have glitz and glam at your fingertips, put on a smile and an attitude and no one will notice your lack of dazzle. And make sure you take care of your skin, too.

I rarely ask people to do things for me. Normally, I do stuff myself.

Other people do things wrong. That’s why I don’t ask. I don’t feel like I need to elaborate any more on this. In the event I ask you for help with something, it must mean I really respect you.

I rarely ask people to buy things for me. If I want something, I buy it myself.

Other people are too cheap. If I ask for Chanel, I want Chanel. Not a pleather bag with two interlocking C’s on it. If I buy it for myself, I’ll never be disappointed. At least that’s the theory….

I don’t believe in emotions. Life’s just easier this way. I don’t do that, “Can we talk about our feelings?” stuff.

Feelings are high maintenance. They require a lot of pampering and a lot of attention. The only thing I like to pamper is my body—in the form of manicures, pedicures, salon treatments and expensive highlights. And as far as attention is concerned, my ego has called dibs on that.

See? I’m not high maintenance. At least according to my standards. What about you? What things make you a high maintenance princess? Or are you just as easy-to-please and go with the flow as yours truly? Leave your thoughts in the comments section!

I am a sunglasses snob. Dior. Chanel. Versace. Fendi. Gucci. You name the brand, and chances are I’ve got two pairs of each. Really, I just like the way they look. Most designer sunglasses tend to be a little over-the-top. They’re generally adorned with extra bling, interesting design elements or exotic materials. Sometimes they even have unique shapes and rare colors. And did I mention the bling? You can throw on a pair of designer shades with the most boring t-shirt in your wardrobe and still manage to look like a movie star. They’re a style statement.

I’ve always taken a lot of slack for my love of designer shades. I’ve got friends that call a particular pair of Dior’s my “welding glasses.” And when others see the rhinestone designs on the side of my Versace shades they chuckle and say, “you would.” And I’ve even encountered people who laugh that I would “pay so much money for a piece of plastic.”

Adelle, who wrote a guest post for me this week (see it below) is probably rolling her eyes and thinking the same thing as my friends. After all, sunglasses are small. Why would anyone splurge for those? I must admit, even I thought there was some merit in Adelle's point. But alas, a personal experience has made me stick true to my designer roots.

So recently, in a desperate attempt to be more normal and more frugal, I ventured to the sunglasses department of Target, where I tried on shade after shade to no avail. Everything was so plain. And boring. Then, one day at the mall as I was breezing through a chain retailer, I saw a pair of black, oversized sunglasses that were actually pretty cute. And they were only five dollars. Nothing special. But they could give me a different look for the nearly laughable price of five bucks. So I bought them, and put them into my normal sunglasses rotation.

And now, nearly three weeks later, those five-dollar sunglasses have broken. But when I reached into my purse to find them missing a vital piece, my Fendi glasses were sitting right next to them, ready to be worn. The cheap sunglasses had mysteriously broken, while the expensive ones were sitting pretty in the pocket of my purse. Coincidence? I think not.

This just proves that it’s okay to buy expensive designer shades. And if you don’t believe me, let’s consult the good ole’ PPW for this situation.

Cheap Sunglasses
$5.00
Worn approximately 12 times
PPW: $.42

Fendi Sunglasses
$90.00 on sale at Bloomingdales
Worn 190 times over a 3-year period
PPW: $.47

And just for kicks, we’ll PPW my Chanel glasses, too. I had these glasses forever and wore them almost every day in college.

Chanel Sunglasses
$350.00 at Neiman Marcus
Worn 500 times over a 5-year period
PPW: $.70
*Approximately 20 cents more per wear, but it’s Chanel. So duh.

In my eyes, the PPW difference is too small to matter. And, the designer sunglasses bring years of amusement (and they're still kicking), whereas the cheap sunglasses only brought a few weeks of sun protection (and definitely NOT as many compliments). While the price tags may be very different, the PPW is nearly the same. So bring on the Gucci, Prada and Oliver Peoples! Because that, my friends, is a win for label whores everywhere.

I love my Twitter friends. I know, half of you are shaking your heads thinking, "Twitter is for nerds." Or maybe you're laughing because I referred to a select group of people as my "Twitter friends." But let's be honest, in the world of fashion blogging, I've made some solid connections that can be largely attributed to Twitter. Today's post is from one of my Twitter friends, Adelle. We're two kindred style mavens who found each other by means of microblogging. Adelle's blog, The Fashionista Lab, is a trove of great outfits, fashion advice and rock star style (and she's always got great things to tweet about, too). But today, Adelle dishes on one of her personal theories about splurging.

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Long before I had a fashion blog I had a critical inner fashionista, and she manifested herself in my now-longstanding fabric-to-price ratio. From the time that my mother began dropping my sister and I off at the mall when we were in middle school, I simply decided that some items were not big enough to pay big money for.

My two basic tenets:

Synthetic fabric – such as polyester or acrylic – should not be expensive. Conversely, it’s ok to pay more for great textiles, such as cashmere, jersey (wool, silk or cotton), or linen. (I’m a textile snob.)

Small things – such as sunglasses or bathing suits – should not cost hundreds of dollars. If it can fit in the palm of my hand and it’s NOT jewelry or a piece of expensive technology, there should not be more than 2 digits in the price.

But the older I get, the more I develop my personal style, and the more money I have to spend, I do come across situations that challenge my ratio. Just today I encountered two beautiful tops I dearly wanted but that gave me serious pause:

The top on the left is just downright Gorgeous. Beautiful. Classy. Satin is a “great textile” and it’s the kind of blouse you can dress up or down and always look fabulous. And did I mention that blouse was originally $395? It’s expensive, but feels like it would be a great investment.

The top on the left is fun and original. How about that print?! It’s the kind of t-shirt you need in your closet because you can throw it on with jeans, make zero effort, and still look cool. We all need t-shirts like that! It was originally $495, so $123.75 is quite a discount. But still, $123.75 for a t-shirt??? But again, this is the t-shirt you want to have in your closet when you just can’t be bothered to think about clothes, but still want to turn heads.

Tough call. I’ve thought about it for hours and still can’t decide what I would do (the black top is sold out – probably for the best), but whatever the outcome, it will certainly be a defining moment for my fabric-to-price ratio.

Remember to go check out Adelle's blog here for more sassy fashion advice and to find out more about her theories on spending!

Today's guest blog post is from a lovely young lady who apparently just can't stop writing for me. During my senior year of college, I was the Editor-In-Chief for a little niche publication on the University of Missouri's campus. The paper highlighted Greek life and all the happenings of sorority and fraternity days. Claire, today's guest blogger, was on my staff. It should be noted that her stories involved virtually little to no editing. And they were always in on time. Now chasing a career in magazine journalism, Claire finds herself living life in New York City-- an experience that has helped her hone her writing skills and her ability to judge. In today's post, Claire points out that sometimes a pair of supposedly stylish jorts can be much more of a joke.

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It's hot and humid here in New York and there's no better time for airy dresses, bare arms and light, breathable fabrics. This weather also signals that touchy time of year when women must decide just what to put on their legs. Some choose skirts -- mini, flowing, patterned or plain -- while others opt for the all too slippery slope of shorts.

Sure, shorts are the practical option. Who wants to worry about flashing your lady parts on the subway? But when they don't fit perfectly (which is all too often the case) they're dangerously unflattering. The most offensive culprit? Denim shorts.

These jean mini-pants range from knee-length to non-existent, and come in an array of washes and rippage. Rippage? See photo. Yes, someone out there is paid to rip holes in your jeans just so you can pull off the Olsen twins' trademarked look: sloppy chic.

I digress.

New Yorkers have embraced the jean short spectrum, but what are most disturbing are the shorts' hideous half-sister: the high-waisted jean shorts. These are the thorns of the fashion world and should go the way of their cousin, acid washed denim. To anyone considering a high-waisted purchase, please reconsider.

In fact, the lines created by these pants (think: a deep V outlining your pelvic region in front and nearly the same image in back) are so distracting that I often find myself openly gawking. More plainly, there is absolutely NO body that can make this fashion tragedy work. And I've done the leg work (Ha! Punny!). Living across from Union Square means I'm privy to a catwalk of all sorts of hipsters, model wannabes, and the fashionably adventurous-- which is fine. But this also means that I see about 20 offending pairs of jorts a day traipsing about the streets, forcing everyone's eyes to the fact that their inseam is measured in millimeters.

So, when choosing a pair of shorts, try for something with an inseam of at least three inches and in a dark wash. And leave the high-waisted version in the closet, or better yet, the trash can.

Want to read more about Claire's life? Check out her blog here.

Today I bit into a delicious, juicy pear and it tasted like it was infused with vodka. At first this caught me off guard…then I ate the whole thing. It reminded me of Grey Goose La Poire, which in turn reminded me of Vegas. Which made me think, “What things would actually be better with vodka?”

Things That Would Be Better With Vodka:

Pears. I experienced this so it’s a fact. Pears that taste like vodka would make eating fruit more fun.

Exercise. I’m not one of those people that enjoy exercising. I’m not going to feed you that, “running on the treadmill for an hour makes me feel so energized” crap. It makes me feel tired and sluggish. But, if vodka and exercise were combined I could see my opinion changing.

Swimsuit shopping. If martinis were mixed with swimsuit shopping, the female population would be a little less uptight about that extra five pounds.

Beer. A cold brew just doesn’t really do it for me any more (my college days are definitely over). But maybe with a little vodka in it, I could rekindle the flame between me and a nice, cold pint.

Some people. I won’t mention any names. But you know who I’m talking about—they’re not fun unless they’re buzzed.

Doctors appointments. Sure, your vitals might be off. But who cares? Knock off the edge and relax a little bit. Suddenly, “You’re gonna’ stick that WHERE?” doesn’t sound quite as bad.

Tests. I use really big words after a few cocktails. I would love to go back and take the SAT after a couple martinis.

When you really think about it, a lot of things could be better with vodka. Maybe even this blog.

PS: I realize that this post is ridiculous. Sometimes this is just how my mind works. I am by no means addicted to vodka, nor do I endorse binge drinking. Vodka just happens to be something I enjoy occasionally (and by occasionally I mean most weekends). Drink responsibly. And make sure you’re 21.