The ABCs of updating your wardrobe this season

The key to true personal style is a detail-oriented attitude. Personal style is about personal choice. The new chic is no longer about logo mania but about quality, custom-made and individual preference. Interpret the season’s looks in a way that best suits you and your lifestyle. Just a few updates in your wardrobe will make you look current without making it contrived. Don’t force yourself to wear something just because it’s the season’s hottest trend. The key is to look natural and comfortable.

Asian-inspired fabrics and prints, obis and kimonos brighten any rainy day.

British eccentricity in traditional fabrics like tweed, tartan and houndstooth get a feminine touch.

Cover up with a cape. It’s the season’s chic outerwear.

Dresses are the all-in-one answer to the season. You may choose to be girly and wear an empire line one day. Then, sexy the next and wear an hourglass-shaped style. Think pretty. Empire cuts are dainty and demure in reference to the old-fashioned style of femininity. A day dress is high-impact this season. Cover up with a long grandpa cardigan and wear opaque tights to make the look more current.

Evening is back to Hollywood glam. Getting dolled up has never been so exciting. Floor-sweeping designs in luxurious fabrics rule the night. Make an entrance in the mode of old-style red-carpet glam.

Feathers flocked the season’s style. Touches emerged on hair accents, hats, garb and other accessories. Frocks get "glammed up" in a variety of shapes and colors.

Glad for gray this season. Not gloomy at all – shimmering steel, charcoal and silvery dove gray add to the season’s color palette.

Her highness, Russian Czarinas rule. Eastern European decorative arts, paisley swirls and floral embroidery are everywhere from bags, jeans, coats, jackets, dresses and shirts. A treasure trove of boho basics turned up this season. Baroque details and fur-trimmed accents show an empire air in the season.

An Individual, standout coat is one of the season’s statement pieces. Dramatic details from fur trims to brass buttons, leopard prints, exotic skins, brocade and other printed options make the coat new again.

Just cinch your waist and you’re already updated for the season. Many seasons in the past have attempted to shift focus on the waist. Will this season be any different? Let’s find out in a few months’ time. Belts – from obi styles to double belts, slim or wide versions – made a statement this season.

Knits will always be the season’s best friend. Grandpa’s oversized cardigans cinched with a belt make the look current. Put a cardigan over a camisole or a chiffon dress. Wear an opulent necklace on a simple sweater. The choice is limitless.

Luxurious velvet and brocade — rich tones from garnet red to emerald green, deep purple, canary yellow and midnight blue are the season’s key fabrics. Pieces from suits, trousers, dresses, coats, tops, shoes, bangles, bags, pins and necklaces showed up in the runways. It’s the key to a polished and elegant look.

Military might emerged again. A strong invasion appeared in brass-button details, bold braids, flat-front wide-leg pants, gold medallions, pea coats and knee-high stacked boots. An unpredictable take on the uniform style make the look refreshing.

Noir is always chic. "It’s time to appreciate the construction of clothes, to look at details like pin tucking again and maybe to exercise a little restraint," said Miuccia Prada in Lisa Armstrong’s "How to Wear it Guide The Rules for Wearing Black," Harper’s Bazaar, September 2005. The key is texture and detail. Then add accessories to liven it up like a scarlet bag, metallic shoes, a long gold necklace, a wide cuff, show-stopping pair of earrings or accentuate with a colored satin ribbon. The new black returns in a range of styles from slim trousers to day dresses and evening frocks.

Opulent jewelry turned up in all forms, from inordinate necklaces to maxi pins, bejeweled heels, hair accents and beaded bags. Pieces took reference to the turn-of-the-century style. A necklace is the season’s statement piece. It’s about wearing sleek pieces to frame your face. It should be refined and sophisticated. Rocks rule this season.

Power puffs made the new tops ladylike. Voluminous sleeves in different lengths were the detail of choice of many designers.

The Quaint quilt sparked a craze, from patchworks to puffed designs.

Rosettes adorn all the season’s must-haves, from blouses to sweater appliqués, shoes, bags, belts, pins, necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings.

Suited for suits. Boyish shapes in straight and structured or soft and loose suit the season’s style. Katharine Hepburn’s menswear-inspired suits made a comeback. The slouchy trouser suit is a must in your closet. Wear it with lace-up shoes, a prim scarf and a men’s watch with croc strap. Two-piece skirt suits also showed up in sexy and sharp pieces. Grownup glam takes center stage this season.

Tulip skirts are in bloom. The new proportion was prevalent in the collections.

Ultra-femme lace appeared as one of the romantic options of the season. Choose different styles for both day and night essentials.

Victorious Victorian rules. High-neck, ruffles, frills and volume took over feminine tops. Keep your bottom sleek and simple when wearing one of the season’s beautifully detailed blouses. Period styles give the season an elegant effect.

Wearable wide-leg trousers are mod. The men’s staple is back in the women’s closet. Slouchy, pleated trousers from full length to gauchos strutted the catwalks. Balance is key. Don’t wear oversized tops with slouchy pants. Your boyfriend’s white shirt or a trim V-neck sweater will look great. Mix feminine tops with the masculine bottom. An empire-cut top or a lacy camisole will do the trick. Add a belt for the season’s must detail.

Xtra details give the season’s look an air of affluence — from embroidery to bows and folk art-inspired embellishments. Nicolas Ghesquière, designer of Balenciaga, revived a bow from the house’s archives and updated it for his fall collection. Bows appeared in bags, blouses, suits, gloves, necklaces, belts and shoes.

Yin and Yang, black and white made its way to the collections again. There is a strong call for elegant and sophisticated dressing again.

Zealously be individual.

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Send queries and suggestions to jo@joyceorena.com