STYLE / Women’s Fall Fashion : The Straight & Narrow

Now that we’re safely past the dangerous curves of spring and summer, women’s fashion has veered in a new direction for fall. At the crossroads between mod and classic, the season’s clothes are (imagine!) sensible and wearable, less about exposing the feminine form than merely suggesting it.

Shift dresses with demure jewel necklines and coat dresses buttoned all the way to the top keep cleavage under wraps. And while the corset’s influence remains apparent, there’s a welcome ease along the body’s contours: hip-length or longer jackets, slim skirts that graze the knee and low-riding trousers with tapered (but not tight) legs.

The beauty of this look is its overall simplicity and--depending on how the details are tweaked--its dual personality: In shiny black or white fabrics and finished off with a wide belt and patent-leather boots, the effect is Twiggy reincarnated. Or when businesslike solids or prints are teamed with a structured handbag and low-heeled pumps, the resulting vision brings to mind the young Jackie Kennedy (minus the pillbox, please).

So if you’ve ever longed to return to the days of Carnaby Street or Camelot, here’s your chance. If all you want is to dress for real life and still be stylish, well, good news: You’re in luck, too.

Text by Emily Young; styled by Cathy Dixon; hair: Kevin Ryan/Visages Style L.A.; makeup: Melissa Rogers/SmashBox Beauty; model: Patricia Velasquez/IMG Models