Large cocktail rings are a big hit right now. Wear one with a little black dress with tall boots for a sleek Uptown look. I love this Gold 1960's leaf cocktail ring by Alexis Bittar. Made out of Lucite cabochon set in gold-plated leaf detail make it one-of-a-kind.

Fall is usually the time when we start the winterizing process replete with dragging out the cable knit sweaters, overcoats and sensible boots. The grays, browns and blacks dazzle. Snap out of it! Fall doesn't have to mean drab! Colors are brighter than ever for fall, including vibrant blues, yellows and reds. This week's spotlight is on Michael Kors Brookville Satchel available in happy new colors for fall.

What to keep and what to toss, donate, or relegate to the back of your closet

Leggings

There are a lot of trends floating around, and some of their staying power is surprising. Like leggings. They look good on virtually no one and yet the trend has persevered despite much backlash and skepticism. How can a style that so blatantly accentuates the calf and calls attention to ankles and the true height of the average American woman have endured for this long? Finally, the end is near my friends.

Whether you're ready for it or not, fall is right around the corner and stores are gearing up for the dip in temperature. Stores are stocking up on the cutest boot styles for the upcoming seasons. Here's what you can expect:

It's bootie time! Okay, mind on fashion please. Booties are sort of like truncated versions of taller boots-lopped off at the ankle. Think stylish Mary Poppins (with a few extra inches on the heel).

For pretty much all boots, the style is decidedly rounder toe with a narrower look. Patent leather is still in, as well as suede and smooth leather. All sorts of cute variations are popping up in different colors and varying size heel heights and widths. Women can wear them as a dressy or casual accessory, so I think you will see all sorts of women wearing them--to work, out shopping or on the town. Booties are so stylish they can be worn with dresses, skirts, jeans and long shorts with tights.

Short, flat boots and tall boots make a comeback as a fall staple for a "safe" option. For men, short boots in smooth leather present a polished and hip look for work or play.

Belisi Fashions, Jupiter, FL www.belisi.com

Remember the days when trends lasted one season? To be caught wearing last season’s “it” item was the Kiss of Death. Now we cross our fingers and hope that skinny jeans and metallics come back for encore performances. Well, we got our wish. And for those of us who love wearing dresses—even in the dead of winter—we can hold on to most of those too. Finally, the style mavens are cutting us some slack!

A Leg up on Leggings

You’ve probably noticed that leggings are back in a big way, so if you were holding out to make sure the trend caught on, now’s the time to catch up to the early adopters. According to Michelle Antonelli, design director of Cable & Gauge and Spenser Jeremy, wearing leggings can be tricky (and you thought it was as easy as one leg after another).

To avoid further confusion, Ms. Antonelli breaks it down for us.

How to wear leggings

• Pick an easy style dress in one of the new baby doll, a-line or trapeze shapes.
• Go soft by selecting a feminine printed georgette or an easy soft knit dress in a great color.
• Keep it simple by opting for a solid color legging in black or brown
• Keep it in proportion. Make sure the dress or top you select hits just at or above the knee. If you’re wearing a mini-dress, select Capri length leggings and a ballerina flat.
• Skip the hosiery and show off your ankles and the top of your foot by wearing a ballerina flat or colored pump.

Dressing up for the transition from winter to spring/spring to summer

Fashion divas hate to give up their favorite frocks, and fortunately layering is still a key trend, which allows us to wear make a smooth transition. Here are some simple tips from Ms. Antonelli on making your must-have dress span a couple of seasons.

Favorite Sheer Printed Dress: When the weather is chilly pair with a great turtleneck, tights and boots. When springtime arrives shed the layers and slip into a strappy metallic sandal with the great completer – an abbreviated length cardigan. For a super casual summer look, treat yourself to a fabulous pedicure and slip on your favorite flip flops.

 

Essential Sheath Dress: Layer a fine gauge long sleeve knit tee to give the essential dress a jumper look for winter. On a chilly spring day trade in the tee for a soft short sleeved tee or slip into a colorful topper jacket that is just about two inches above the hem of the dress. When it’s time to go sleeveless be sure to select a structured patent leather flat or go for a color or special detail like a bow or buckle. Jimmy Choo recently featured a rich red with vanilla trip and a bow that would be the perfect addition to the essential sheath dress.

Knit Dresses: Matte jersey dresses or separates can be your year-round friend. Pair with your favorite short cardigan a pair of warm and cozy tights. Many women find knits an essential addition to their travel wardrobe or for those in between days when Mother Nature hasn’t quite figured out what she’d like to do.

The Return of Metallic: How to Make It Work

According to Antonelli, if the runway is an indication of what’s here to stay, then metallics will be with us for yet another year. Designers have embraced shimmer and retailers are still hot for metallics, but how can we be on trend without blinding ourselves? Here are two quick tips to keep in mind the next time you reach for a metallic piece:

Find Your Shine: Don’t be afraid to experiment. Handbags, shoes, belts, Lurex sweaters and dresses in brocade or jacquard fabrics all feature different degrees of shimmer, from metallic glazes to simple touches of metallic, hardware details (grommets, buckles and rings) and two-tone trims. Cable & Gauge features gold metallic thread details and hardware in its nautical and classic neutral resort styles that can be worn from late winter and into spring. The summer line will also offer shimmery shells.

Opt for Simple Shimmer: Remember less is more when it comes to metallic and the trick to pulling off the luxe look is to pick one piece and let it shine. It’s easy to start at the top by selecting a metallic knit with a special detail like a kimono sleeve or a blouson shape and dress it up with a velvet skirt for cocktails or pair it with jeans for a casual look. Experiment and investigate this trend, it’s here to stay… at least for now.

Special thanks to Michelle Antonelli, design director of Cable & Gauge and Spenser Jeremy for her fabulous advice!

~A. Covington for Belisi Fashions

Shoes, shoes and more shoes!

For the past few seasons we've seen a battle for dominance among divergent trends, namely post-grunge edgy rocker, ubran prep, modernized romantic, bohemian free spirit and ghetto-fhab-ulous. They've all held pace but with Spring comes change and a desire for a softer look. I think people simply get tired Fof in-your-face fashion after a while, or maybe the designers stop and shake their heads at their own creations. Surprisingly metallics are still going strong but collections are promising a more subdued line of golds, pewter and bronze footwear. So, if you just bought the most embellished pair of pointy-toed slippers or sequined platforms, you might feel a little like the shiek of Dubai at an Eddie Brickell concert or Tina Turner (circa 1984) amongst Kelly Clarkson fans.

One recurring trend is the flat shoe and ballet slipper. I know a lot of women, myself included, who groaned at the thought of wearing flats. At just a little over 5 feet tall, I need all the help I can get. But fortunately the styles have come a long way--to the point even a die-hard stilleto wearer like me has added a couple pair of flats to my notorisously teetering shoe collection. I guess that's a good thing, since celebrity stylist Misa Hylton, who is gearing up to launch her own online boutique in Feb. '07, says they're here to stay for a little while longer.

"Women need a break from wearing those four-inch stiletto's!" she says. "Designers have also stepped their game up with the variety of designs offered in the flat shoe, making them interesting and allowing women to still feel sexy and not like the soccer mom." So not even the "I-never-wear-flats" woman could resist buying a few pair.

"From ballet slippers to dress shoes flats will be all over the pages in fashion magazines," says Frank Patryn, president of Top Industries, a licensee for Playboy Footwear.

If you're all about comfort, you'll love this season's flats, which have a markedly preppy and comfortable feel, like the Espadrille ballet flats from Banana Republic. Some of the more tailored flats are appropriate for the office, like Banana Republic's Bedford' o-ring driving moccasins.

White is the new black

You read correctly. If you don't believe me, take a look around. It seems a lot of fashion-forward gals are breaking the no-white-after-Labor- Day rule, sporting white coats, pants, skirts and accessories all through fall and winter. Go figure. While it's nice to have the freedom to wear white whenever you want, let's face it. It's not the easiest to keep clean--especially if you're dodging slushy snow puddles.

White accessories are an easier way to wear this trend. To minimize the appearance of dirt, try patterned pieces with textured detail like lace or ribbon. Crisp, clean whites in cloth ballet slippers, espadrilles and flats with tortoise upper treatments are also big sellers, according to Patryn. Just don't forget to coat them in fabric guard. White is showing up in all styles, however. Like these super cute white pumps by Ruthie Davis.

Bootie-licious

Transition your sleek, modern boots to spring and beyond. "The overly embellished boot has faded," Misa Hylton says. "I don't expect a come-back anytime soon. Sleeker, more modern boots are in." 

Channel your inner Greek goddess

80s inspired styles are still clinging on, metamorphosis into more subtle variations, like the new Grecian sandal. The Linea Paolo Blaze Sandal would look great with a flowing skirt on a spring or summer day.

Wedged in

Wedge sandals are a welcome alternative to the spindly-heeled sandals of springs/summers past. These '70s-inspired heels are comfy and stable and at the same time totally stylish. The KORS by Michael Kors Kasbah Wooden Platform Wedge is a perfect example of the right combination of trend and function.

Science Meets Sexy

We've all felt the pinch of gorgeous heels that hurt like h-e double hockey sticks. Your calves may look sculpted and sexy but your toes look like they've been chewed up in a blender. Blisters, corns, callouses and back pain are just some of the ugly repercussions of wearing sky-high I'm-the-hottest-thing-since-Paris-Hilton sillettoes. Leave it to a group of scientists to create a solution for shoe addicts everywhere. Insolia offers shoe inserts that shift weight off of the ball of the foot back to the heel by placing the foot in the optimal position for high heels, so you can look forward to many more years of wearing high heels.

For on-the-go shoe emergencies, throw some Foot Petals in your purse, so you're always prepared. Through a virtually invisible cushion shaped like a flower petal, these life--or rather foot--savers prevent calluses from forming, and cushion the sensitive ball-of-foot area. Seriously ladies, you don't have to suffer to be beautiful.

A. Covington for Belisi Fashions, Inc.

Laces out: do shoes really make the outfit?

What came first, the chicken or the egg? The sexy black dress or the strappy stilettos? One way to look at it is that even if you blow your house payment on the sexiest dress on the planet, if you wear a pair of shabby shoes—or the wrong shoes—you might as well have worn a flour sack. On the other hand, you could wear a so-so dress and a pair of hot heels and bam! Insta outfit. But seriously, it doesn’t really matter which one pulls more weight, what matters is that neither can pull off a fabulous look with the other.

This season, platforms, knee boots, ballerina flats and ankle boots are accessory must-haves (or outfit makers, however you want to look at it). Here’s how to pair each style, courtesy of Faryl Robin Morse of Faryl Robin Footwear:

The knee-high boot: Wear with mini skirts and knee length skirts, skinny jeans. The ankle boot: Wear with skinny jeans and skirts with tights. Platforms: Wear with everything! Dress them up with A line skirts and tweed jackets, or go for casual with jeans. Ballerina flats: Wear with skirts and tights or skinny jeans.
A. Convington for Belisi Fashions, Inc.

Trend setter Jessica Simpson showing off one of the hottest trends in ladies boots, rounded-toe knee boots and oversized Jacki-O sunglasses. Make this look your own--wear your boots with a baby-doll dress like Miss Simpson, or a long billowing skirt or gauchos. And don't forget your big handbag.