I love autumn. Yes, I know I say this every year but I really, really do. And, this year I’m particularly excited for the transition because it was such a very hot summer. The cooler weather is such a wonderful relief. So, for those of you mourning the end of summer, let me share some fun fashion updates for the Fall that will bring a delicious smile of anticipation to your lips and sometimes an out loud guffaw at what they try to pass off as style! Thankfully there is more to celebrate than bemoan.

In case you are new to my seasonal fashion updates, I divide the various new trends into those that I find beautiful and bewitching, those that are bothersome on some level and the ones that are just downright bewildering. Are you with me? Let’s explore:

Bewitched

Colors: You know I’m all about color and fall is often my favorite season for color. I love the transition as we move from lighter, brighter colors to warm, deep, rich tones. So what’s up this season? Let me share the bewitching colors here and look for the bothersome ones below. Navy blue is making a well-deserved comeback. It works on many women as a great neutral and has been hugely neglected in the past few years. Add to that a deep forest green (also largely overlooked in recent autumn/winter seasons) and a deep (not bright!) red. Yay. These are colors that work on a lot of women, so if you look great in them, snap them up now. (Click here for shopping information)

Textures: The feel of fall is yummy. Not only in the colors but also in the textures. What is more soft and elegant than velvet, and they are promising lots of it as we get into the cooler months? Want something more casual? When the temperatures take a nosedive you can turn to chunky knits but in the meantime, open weave sweaters are hot. Think of them as the fall version of the summer macramé sweaters that were everywhere. Simply wear a long-sleeved fitted top underneath, and you’ll be cozy and fashionable.

Peplums: Yes, I know. I for the past few seasons I’ve been putting these in the bewitching category, and that is deliberate. If you don’t know what a peplum is, http://www.thefreedictionary.com/peplum defines it as, “A short overskirt or ruffle attached at the waistline of a jacket, blouse, or dress.” These days, believe it or not, it even is used in reference to skirts that have a ruffle type attachment at the bottom.

Can everyone wear a peplum? Yes, technically with the right design everyone can wear one. Should you? Maybe, maybe not. It depends on how the peplum is constructed. Some are so small you can barely see them. Others are huge and long and the defining design of the jacket. The fullness or sleekness will definitely affect the success of the peplum on a particular body shape but it is possible to find one that works. But, what’s equally as important is whether a peplum suits your personality. That’s a totally different discussion and only you can decide.

Of course, if it intrigues you I’d say try them and see (you’ll most likely have to try many to find one that’s a contender). You can always take it off and put it back on the rack – no harm done or money wasted.

Wide leg trousers: No, skinny pants have not disappeared. In fact, they are as hot as ever and even come in the deep tones of the season (which are kind of fun!). But, to balance out the latest obsession with their skinniness is the wide leg trouser. Yay! A great look on many women especially those who carry a little weight in their hips and thighs (sometimes a tad tricky for petite women – but not always).

Denim: As always denim is hot. The colored jeans are continuing but the colors are deeper and richer (actually, they are very beautiful). Yes, most of them are skinny but not all so you can still pick up a pair even if you aren’t a fan of the skinny style. Denim jackets are huge right now and even double-denim is popular but it has to be done with great panache (you generally want to pair two different denim washes together so it doesn’t look like a denim suit), or it will look dated. (Click here for shopping information)

Shoes: Boots are always popular in the colder weather and knee high boots are still going strong. Whether you prefer a high heel or flat riding boot style there’s something for everyone. They’ll be flooding into the stores soon. What else is popular? Color blocking on shoes and embellished heels are fun. Ankle straps are huge again which is great if you have long thin legs and ankles but if not, avoid them (you’ll also see ankle straps with low cut ankle boots – kind of interesting but definitely a trend so choose wisely), and probably one of the hottest new trends is the smoking loafer. It’s a nice change from, or alternative to, the ballet flat. It looks great with pants and is super comfortable, and it not only comes in basic neutral colors but in prints, textures and with sparkles! (Click here for shopping information)

Handbags: While there is a lot happening in handbags and many, many options (see: my take on this season’s handbag trends: the dome bag is big.

(Click here for more information)

Prints: Prints are huge again this season and we are seeing everything from fall florals to brocade (especially in pants) and the new optic prints are exploding. As always, choose wisely for your taste, body size, and coloring and be absolutely sure that one of your best, most flattering colors is the predominant color in whatever print you choose. There is no exception to that rule.

Trench Coats: After a wonderful run of fun trench coat options, the past season or so has been a little disappointing. This fall they are offering us a new option to spice things up a bit – the patent trench. It looks like it is made of slicker material and has lots of shine but the saving grace is that it comes in beautiful rich jewel tones in addition to black.

Accessories: Brooches are back, and they are beautiful. If you love them, pick up a few of your favorites and if you aren’t a brooch type of gal, there are plenty of other jewelry options to choose from to express your unique personality. One fun option is a bejeweled headband. Very fun and playful if that suits you, and it can even be worn (in fact, it’s very fashionable and trendy to do so) with short hair.

Bothered

Color: Two very hot colors this season are mustard and gray. Okay, so I acknowledge that these colors are important to some women who look good in them but the ratio of these colors on the store racks to other more widely flattering colors is way skewed in the wrong direction! Mustard is one of THE hardest colors to wear well and light gray is dreadful on a huge number of women (charcoal fares better). Is this some kind of cosmic fashion joke? Please, unless you are absolutely positive that these colors look good on you, avoid them like the plague!

Coats: As we move into colder weather we are seeing a new trend for coats. Let me preface it by saying that I really loved the 80’s. I had big hair (I do big hair really well!) and loved the beautiful colored structured suits with shoulder pads that balanced my hips. I leaned toward the elegant side of the 80’s so when I see them bringing back the most questionable trends from that decade, I have to wonder. So, what we’re seeing now (and let me warn you that when we get a trickle of a trend one season within about 2 seasons we usually experience it as a full blown trend) is what they are calling the boyfriend coat. You know how the boyfriend jackets have been popular (they are longer and slightly oversized and are meant to look like you are wearing your boyfriend’s jacket)? Well, translate that into a coat and that’s what we’re seeing – oversized, shapeless coats. Please say it isn’t true!

Ripped Denim: So much is happening here as you saw in the bewitched category so why this fascination with ripped or distressed denim? Now it has expanded from pants to ripped jean jackets and shirts. Very few people can pull this off without looking messy (what a surprise!) so my advice is steer clear.

Contrasting Peter Pan Collar: No. It’s that simple. Youthful is one thing, infantilized is another. Leave it to the teens and super trendy fashionistas.

Bewildered

Matchstick Pants: These are everywhere just as they were in the spring. Designers and advertisers make them sound like the best thing since sliced bread but they aren’t. They are slightly fuller in the thighs so they won’t feel as constraining as skinny jeans (which can be good), but they are meant to end at the ankle. Because they are not generally as snug to the leg they tend to make your legs look infinitely shorter than long pants. If you have long thin legs this will work well but if not, hmmm, I’d pass them by.

Coated Denim: This is in this category only because the coating makes the pants shiny so they draw a lot of attention to the lower half of your body. Maybe good? Maybe not? Coated denim in a jacket is rather fun and a little more wearable.

Capes: They are beautiful. They are not practical – at least in the cold northeast of the U.S. If you don’t mind that you probably have about 5 days of the year when you can actually where it, then by all means get one. Otherwise, admire them in the stores, even try them on, but leave them hanging on the rack and buy something where your price per wear will be more in your favor.

So, there you have it — the fashion update for the coming season. Clothes are flooding into the store so start looking and see what you see that you like. Take this with you if you want to to inspire you and get your wardrobe moving in a really fun direction.

As you may be aware, I write a monthly article for One Green Planet — a blog that brings together a range of distinct voices, unified by a commitment to spreading good ideas that benefit people, animals and the planet.

Many of my readers have indicated that they are interested in my vegan lifestyle and the options available to anyone interested in exploring cruelty-free fashion choices.

My latest article, “5 Reasons to Use Vegan Makeup Brushes,” has been published and can be of interest to Vegans and non-Vegans, alike. After all, every woman needs good quality makeup brushes.

Please visit

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/lifestyle/5-reasons-to-use-vegan-makeup-brushes/

to read my latest article.

I invite you to leave a comment on the site or share the article with your social networks as well.

This is an animal lover’s nightmare. You spend countless hours scouring the stores for a fashionable coat that does not have real fur on it and finally, yay, you find one!

Then, you see something like the report I just saw on “Inside Edition,” and your heart sinks. Reporters went undercover to see if faux fur being sold in stores (Loehmann’s and Burlington Coat Factory) were truly faux.

Sadly, in each case, they found evidence of deception (not on the part of the stores but by the designers who purposefully sold miss-marked merchandise). Both rabbit and raccoon dog fur were found on garments that were labeled as faux.

So, buyer beware! Sadly, we have to be investigators in our own right, as much as possible, when we shop for winter coats. The offending label at Burlington Coat Factory was Ed Hardy (they have since removed all Ed Hardy coats).

To read (or watch) the entire report, go here: http://www.insideedition.com/news/5410/inside-edition-investigates-is-that-fake-fur-on-your-coat-really-fake.aspx

At the end of the story, you will find the link to learn how to tell real from faux.

Thank you for caring and being willing to take a stand for animals to wear their OWN fur!

Bugs are not cuddly or cute (well, at least to most people they aren’t).  In fact, they are often scary or creepy looking.  Think about it.  When was the last time you cooed over a spider or hugged a beetle?  So, when I tell people that, as a vegan, I do not wear silk or use lipstick with carmine in it they shake their heads.  What’s the big deal?

Like most people I grew up with a fly swatter in the house and my first apartment after college had cockroaches which we regularly exterminated.  So, who would think that today I would get all riled up about what happens to bugs!

To be honest, I never really thought about bugs as living beings in terms of their capacity for suffering.  Bugs were bugs and they didn’t take up much space in my head (or heart).  The more I have learned, however, the more respect I have for who they are and what they do – and, most importantly, for their right to live free from our interference and abuse.

Let’s look briefly at three of the most commonly farmed insects.

Silkworms
Silk worms create their cocoons out of raw silk – actually, one long continuous thread (from 1000 to 3000 feet long).  When ready, the silk worm will eat its way out of the cocoon but, guess what…that action breaks the threads rendering the silk useless (for our use).  So, what do we do (in most cases)?  We throw the unbroken cocoons (with the silk worm still alive) into boiling water.  This kills the silkworm and leaves the thread intact.

Carmine (Cochineal) Beetles
It comes as a surprise to many to learn that the carmine (or cochineal) beetle is one of the primary sources of the red dyes in cosmetics (it is also used in food and by the pharmaceutical industry to color pills).  Since the fact that it comes from a beetle is left off the label, most people don’t give it much thought.  These beetles (like the silkworm) are harvested or farmed and then boiled alive before being dried to produce the sought-after dye.  You can learn more here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochineal

Bees
Bees are the most well-known farmed insect.  This is a huge topic – way too big for this article.  You can read more here: http://www.totalimageconsultants.com/fs-veganbeeornottobeeJan08.shtml

As you can imagine, so many people do not want to acknowledge what we do to cuddly animals in the name of fashion, so it comes as no surprise that it’s a lot harder to garner sympathy for creepy, crawly bugs.  My purpose here is to raise awareness on a topic that most people have never even considered.  I cannot help but encourage you to bring as much awareness and compassion as possible to the clothing and personal care choices you make.  I promise it’s easy to do and getting easier every day.  In fact, as I write this I am on my way to support a woman who has designed absolutely gorgeous, warm, cruelty-free winter coats.  I couldn’t have said that just a year ago!

Want to know more about being a vegan?  Listen to my new Vegan radio show:

Join me, Ginger Burr, a long-time self-described health nut and image consultant, and Marion Davis, a former serious meat eater and self-esteem guru as we explore the ins and outs of being a vegan on our talk radio show “Vegan and the Living Is Easy,” — every other Monday evening at 8 pm (eastern)  http://www.totalimageconsultants.com/VeganRadioDiva.shtml.  The next show is scheduled for Monday, February 22.

Join me, Ginger Burr, a long-time self-described health nut and image consultant, and Marion Davis, a former serious meat eater and self-esteem guru as we explore the ins and outs of  being a vegan on our talk radio show “Vegan and the Living Is Easy,” — every other Monday evening at 8 pm(eastern)

http://www.totalimageconsultants.com/vegan-radio-diva.shtml

On Monday, Dec. 28, we are delighted to welcome Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart, founder of Vaute Couture.

If you have ever tried to find a stylish, cruelty-free winter coat, you know it has been the one hold-out to a truly “easy vegan” lifestyle. Well, not any more. Join us as we talk with award-winner, Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart, founder of Vaute Couture, the first and only vegan winter coat line to exist. We’ll discuss what prompted her to develop the line, what’s wrong with wool, and how being vegan does not mean you have to sacrifice style and much, much more. Continue reading…

While it is getting easier and easier, as the movement towards cruelty-free dressing grows, to find beautiful, fashionable clothes (in fact, another image consultant (non-vegan) recently complimented me on my stylish (vegan, of course) boots), finding an attractive dress coat with some degree of warmth is still lagging behind. Yes, the gen-Y’s have no problem since they often love the trendy, more casual looks. But for gen-X and baby boomers, the pickings are slim! Continue reading…

“I could never be a vegan. I love shoes too much!” “What do you mean you don’t wear wool in the winter? Shearing doesn’t hurt the sheep, does it?” “What do you wear to keep warm?” Those are just a few of the many comments I hear regularly from women when they consider what they think it means to be a vegan. In a word . . . deprivation. Nothing could be further from the truth.

As with the food we eat . . . if I had a dime for every time I hear, “You’re a vegan! What do you eat? Oh, yeah, salads.” Period. It’s as if that’s it. And, the only thing they can think is, “Yikes, that would be horrible. I like salad, but every day at every meal . . . I don’t think so.”

Eating a vegan diet is much more delicious and uncomplicated than most people imagine (and salads are only a small part of it), but we’re not here to talk about that right now. Instead, let’s look at the 5 myths that abound when it comes to “vegan style,” and no, the two concepts are not mutually exclusive. Continue reading…

You would be surprised at how many top, as well as lesser-known, designers are creating beautiful vegan clothing (whether on purpose or not) in cotton, linen, polyester (not to be confused with the polyester we knew in the 1970′s), and other manmade and micro-fibers. The choices are growing by the day!

Each time you make a vegan choice (in food, fashion or personal care) you reduce suffering.

As the demand increases for non-leather shoes and handbags more and more beautiful, cruelty-free choices are popping up. Check this out: http://www.her-design.com/catalog_vc.html?Iit=11&Ict=6 (I have this bag and it’s gorgeous!)