Skirts to suit every female

NEW YORK -- Forget fall. Fashion designers and their inner circles have moved on to spring. They recently made their predictions of what the hot looks will be during New York Fashion Week.

The big story is skirts.

"I understand skirts are selling well for fall, so it seems like a good decision," said Cindi Leive, Glamour's editor in chief.

There is a skirt out there for every woman, whether it's the full, prairie version seen at Anna Sui, the tiered skirt from Luca Luca, the fantail at Zac Posen or the pencil skirt from Monique Lhuillier.

Leive suggested pairing any of the popular shapes with a glittery or embellished top, a look sure to translate from the runway to a mall near you.

"Whether it's ethnic, metallic or beaded, tops are not about a simple tank," Leive said.

But Harper's Bazaar Editor in Chief Glenda Bailey said she's going to find a perfect white tank top and build the rest of her spring wardrobe from there. Looks she likes include sequin-covered skirts, wide-leg trousers in neutral colors and shrunken jackets.

As for the petticoats peaking out from under skirts and dresses, Bailey said they are utterly romantic but not that wearable. She suggests wearing a soft skirt, an A-line or circle shape in chiffon or cotton, that will give off the same vibe without looking too childlike.

"This season is an expression of personal style, a mixture of textures and moods," she said.

Bailey also noted the "back-to-basics handicrafts" she admired on the runway and the palette of earthy neutrals and shades of white with pops of muted mint and rose.

Coats are another key piece for spring, including the bolero, freshened up by Narciso Rodriguez as a cropped corset jacket.

At Calvin Klein, noteworthy toppers sent out by head designer Francisco Costa were in a python print -- a print also used by Michael Kors on some menswear pieces and a woman's shirtdress.

Also from Kors, a designer who often uses animal prints, tiger stripes were the new leopard dot. Nanette Lepore put a pretty peacock print on a long tunic dress, and Bradley Bayou, the designer for Halston, embraced insects -- particularly the sexiness of a spider's web.

Other designers found inspiration in faraway lands, Japan (Vera Wang and Behnaz Sarafpour), Africa (Diane von Furstenberg), Morocco (Nicole Miller and Cynthia Steffe) and Uzbekistan (Oscar de la Renta), among them.

"There's going to be a lot to choose from," Glamour's Leive said.