THE MIDAS TOUCH

The trend toward gold accents and fabrics popped up a few seasons ago, but for Fall 2005 the clothes are shining even brighter. Oscar de la Renta, Zang Toi, Vera Wang, and Tracy Reese all showed dresses or gowns that were solid gold – sequins, that is. But gold, silver, and bronze showed up throughout the collections in looks for cocktails, too. Lela Rose’s gold lamé full skirt was a bold – and glamorous – use of the fabric. In shoes, handbags, and jewelry, gold is a safe bet this year.

SWING TIME

Look forward to a swingy, romantic silhouette. Skirts with flounce and bounce were in collection after collection. One take on this trend includes tiers that give the skirts a hippie, almost country edge. Paired with a sharp jacket (à la Vera Wang’s gold tiered skirts), the look is feminine but professional; paired with a flowing top and a wide belt (à la BCBG Max Azria), it’s a bit more carefree. The same skirts can do double-duty this spring when matched with a tight ribbed tank. No matter how you accessorize it, the knee-skimming hemline is modest.

BEDAZZLEMENTS

Last year’s rhinestone brooches have snowballed into a trend for allover decoration. Beads, rhinestones, and anything that adds a little spark to your wardrobe were consistently used by designers for daytime and evening, as were fabrics with embedded designs such as brocade and jacquard. Nanette Lepore sent out loads of embellished velvet tops, jackets, and skirts. Carolina Herrera added little trinkets to brighten even the sleeve of a jacket. Elie Tahari showed a collection that wove lamé into fabric belts, and nary a garment was without beads, velvet, or lace. The good news is that adding a little dazzle to your wardrobe can be pretty easy if you’ve got a glue gun and an hour or two. If it’s plain, bead it.

DEEP TONES

Rich, deep colors are taking the lead. Dark greens, ruby reds, and chocolate browns were popular, especially for eveningwear. Marc Bouwer and Bill Blass both centered their collections around a palette that recalled the changing leaves of fall: orange, brown, and – because we must have metallics – bronze. Chaiken and Yigal Azrouel dipped heavily into green, purples, and blues, but also rich orange. Across the board, plush fabrics like velvet and cashmere were ubiquitous, as was fur cut into any sort of stole, cape, wrap, or coat.

FUR HATS

While the collections included ample coats and wraps made of pelts, plenty of looks were also paired with fur hats. There were full head coverings that tied under the chin at Vera Wang, and Russian-looking fur toppers at Peter Som, as well as an exaggerated newsboy cap at Jennifer Lopez. Whether these accessories are simply the doing of stylists who have to put on a show or an actual trend remains to be seen.

DR. ZHIVAGO

Only in rare circumstances did the Russian and Byzantine moment seem to translate into anything wearable. A high-neck Cossack coat here, a velvet shirt there. But no one wants to walk around town looking like something out of “Doctor Zhivago” – or a fairy tale. Take the best of this look – gold trim, velvets, and long, jangled necklaces – and leave the rest on the Steppes.