Published: August 23, 2008 04:15 am         

Anythings goes: Fall fashion offers array of choices

The aspiring fashionista will certainly not feel restrained by this fall's fashion edicts, which seem to offer more options than they do limitations.

A recent visit to JC Penney in Oneonta gave a glimpse of fashion's current identity crisis. The racks seemed to contradict one another, offering preppie, tailored looks alongside slouchy, bohemian styles. The moral here: there's something out there for everyone's taste, whether it's clean-cut, wild-and-wooly, or somewhere in between.

In the juniors section of JC Penney, the preppie-boho split was on full display. Decree offered a scoop-neck top with patchwork trim and faux flowers and a blousy, square-neck top trimmed in crocheted lace, both for $30. On the next rack over, Arizona Jean Co.'s thermal T-shirts with deconstructed argyle and paisley prints offered up a modern twist on preppie classics for less than $20; Energie's hooded Ts featured sporty patch pockets and primary-colored stripes reminiscent of rugby shirts, priced at $26.

Much of what's hot for fall will sound familiar to the seasoned shopper. For several seasons, we've been seeing feminine detailing and blousy shapes on women's knit tops, and this trend shows no sign of abating. Pleating, pintucks, gathers, ruching, embellished and unusual necklines, kimono sleeves and empire waistlines _ all of those familiar features are back for fall in the predictably muted hues of gray, brown, teal, eggplant or violet (more on this preponderance of purple in a moment). This season's twist on the theme: skirts are getting in on the game.

Featured in several designers' fall collections were embellishments on the straight/pencil skirt, with front draping, pintucks, ruffles or pleating. This style may sound hard to wear, but if the tailoring's right, it should be no sweat. Throw a sweater or blazer on top, and you've got a fresh, feminine look for fall. The skirt can be carried into colder temperatures this season with opaque tights or leggings, another look that's here to stay for at least another few months.

Amber McNaught, editor of TheFashionPolice.net, a website that offers "a humorous look at the good, bad and downright ugly side of fashion and style," says she has come around to the leggings look a little reluctantly, but now feels it's a good wardrobe option to have.

"I absolutely hated leggings when they first started to reappear, but I've grudgingly started to accept them as an alternative to tights in the winter. I'd never wear them Lindsay Lohan-style, on their own, but they're really handy for wearing underneath dresses, and they tend to be warmer and more comfortable (than) tights. So I've welcomed the leggings into my life, albeit with a few reservations," McNaught wrote in an e-mail interview.

As the weather turns cooler, jeans are another fashion staple to consider. The question for fall: skinny jeans or not? In keeping with this season's anything-goes theme, retailers are offering both looks, perhaps acknowledging the fact that skin-tight stovepipe-style jeans aren't for everyone. At McLaughlin's, skinny stonewashed jeans hung alongside 70s-style dark denim flares with button-down patch pockets. The same contrast could be seen at JC Penney, where skinny styles predominated in the Juniors section and the women's department featured tailored, dark-denim flares by a.n.a. that could be dressed up with a feminine blouse for a polished look.

For those like McNaught who have become skinny-jean devotees, this is good news. "I've also adopted skinny jeans as something of an off-duty uniform, despite initially telling myself that nothing would ever get me into a pair. Now I love them, and hope they never go away!," McNaught said.

Did we mention purple? Well, Prince fans or other purple-lovers out there, prepare to rejoice, because this royal hue is the big color for fall. As spotted on styleoberver.com, "We usually associate fall with colors like brown, red, green, and deep yellow. This year we're seeing shades of purple appear in fall collections across the board. A color that was once associated with royalty, wealth and power is now to be worn by woman everywhere." Sounds good to us. Let's call purple the yellow of fall _ that of-the-moment color that you can inject into your wardrobe of black, white and grey pieces to bring life to an outfit and make it look contemporary.

With the fashion landscape so wide open this season, it's a perfect time to take a few chances with your wardrobe.

"I think fall is a good time to experiment with your style, because you have the opportunity to use multiple layers to tone down a look, and things like thick tights to allow you to get out legs you'd otherwise be tempted to hide beneath a pair of jeans," McNaught said.

So whether it's a bohemian-inspired blouse with skinny jeans and knee-high fringed boots, a tailored-with-a-twist skirt with peep-toe Oxfords or a combination all your own, don't be afraid to try out some new looks this season _ there's plenty to choose from.