How to Always Look Young Fashion Musts for Fall.

1. The Little Black Jacket: this season the little black jacket is being hailed as, "The answer to every fashion question." My favorite is cropped and fitted just under the bust or boy cut in black leather or black denim. This is look made for us. The little black Jacket can dress you up and make you look youthful if you pair it with a little dress or jeans and a high quality little white t-shirt! Tuxedo, biker, military, or lady-like... velvet, wool, or embellished... so many to choose from! Make sure it fits. You have to be very careful with denim the “washed” or faded look or biker look is difficult to pull off when you are an over 40 woman, but if the jacket fits you and you pair it with crisp well pressed clothing you can look really cute. Do not pair denim with denim. It looks great on a teenager but it can make us look like we are trying to hard to get the "under twelve" discount at the movies. Wear your cute black fitted jacket with your jeans and flash your AARP card with a big ole’smile on your face.

2. Pants: Jeans are taking a back seat this season to cotton or leather trousers, I don’t know many women over 40 who can do leather pants, but we can look great in black denim. Ankles are this season's bare-skin. Great for us as they ankles don’t wrinkle! If your comfortable with your ankles roll loose-fit jeans above your ankle and give yourself some length with nice heals.

3. Skirts: Classic cuts and lines in vivid, can't-look-away colors dominate the skirt collections of this season. If A-lines and pencil cuts aren't for you, don't fret! Super short, super full skirts are just as noteworthy for fall. Love those full skirts. One of my sisters looks adorable in a short super full skirt. She is over 60 and a size sixteen!

4. Tops: While jackets were a focus in the top-department, what goes under them is just as important! Ruffles are big big big. However, we must be very careful in how we choose them. We can look hip in deep jewel tone purple and like a little churchwoman in pastel pink. Don’t pull out your old ruffled blouses from the back of the closet. The ruffles this season are bigger often asymmetrical and the colors are bolder. In addition, when you wear the new ruffles make sure you pair them with something hip not dowdy. Mix the formally formal ruffles with jeans, corduroys, and an above the knee skirt or casual boy cut jacket. Boundaries of matching formal to formal are aging and are out out out this season. Mix and match the style and dressiness of your tops with your other pieces: a white t-shirt with a velvet blazer and patent heels goes just as well as a silk, puff-sleeve blouse with jeans. Rebels rejoice.

5. Dresses: perhaps the most understated piece of the current wardrobe, sheath dresses and draped frocks are the two most sought-after styles: think 50's style silhouette... and then pair it with high heels! I wish I could wear them.

6. Colors: Black is back! Black, white, black & white, navy (yes, navy,that has been out of style for several years is back) gray, deep yellows, reds, nudes, and my favorite, purple are the front-runner colors of this season's pallet. You have to be careful with this seasons hot stripes, sequins, hounds tooth, embellishments, studs, and plaid. Plaids and hounds tooth can make you look spinster aunt, Agatha Christie Miss Marple old and the hot looks in stripes, animal prints and sequins can make us look like you are ready to go to Las Vegas and sit on a stool at the end of the row of slot machines with a coin cup and a cigarette. You can pair a hounds tooth skirt with a low next cashmere sweater in bold color and you can look great with the new cute patched pockets on jackets and jeans, or candy-colored-footwear. Take the somber new looks that make you think of afternoon teas and foggy-morning-in-London main pieces and accent them with traffic-stopping, bold, bright accessories.

7. Accessories: Don’t you just love TJ MAX for purses and Marshals for shoes! So in Quilted clutches, gloves. So what if we can’t wear these seasons knew high socks. We may be able to do the leggings. I like me feet to be comfy but if you can do them heels and cut-away booties, metal and metallic detailing, riding boots, patent leather, fringe, and animal print shoes are so so in. The switch-up this season: bare your ankles, not your knees! Sadly, to say, nary a flat was in sight... unless, of course, it is a boot. I will be looking at out for what my favorite oh so comfortable no more sore feet and aching back shoe brand Q form Merrill’s has in a boot this fall.