Wide-leg palazzos are hip, flirty enough for dressy occasions

Wide-leg palazzos are hip, flirty enough for dressy occasions

How about the polka-dot palazzo pants illustrated here? William Calvert designed them for his Callula Lillibelle collection and shows them for spring with a scoop-neck, stretch T-shirt. This duo fits Calvert's design credo of "hip, dressed up but not dopey, and a little bit naughty."Wide-leg pants are a coming attraction in many of the recently shown spring collections. Those illustrated here were not yet priced at this writing, but the collection ranges from $90 for tops to $500 for the dressiest styles.

New York design wiz Prabal Gurung has created the most amazing fur of the season. It's in fuchsia feathered fox that has been hand-dyed to ombre from light to dark. The paparazzi will love it!The newest updates to me involve your face -- specifically your eyebrows. Dark, thick brows look totally new -- they literally caught my eye -- especially on the models at the Altuzarra and Derek Lam shows. You can check it out by clicking on their runway images at vogue.com. Eyebrow pencils are, of course, a lot less expensive than a new blouse or shirt. But if you don't want to look high-brow, bring your pantsuit up a notch by separating the jacket and pants. Wear the jacket with a skirt, especially a full skirt in any color, print or pattern.

Then wear your pants with a white shirt or a blouse with a peplum.What are some guidelines for determining your best length? I'm thinking of buying a midcalf-length skirt, but I don't know if I'm tall enough to "carry it off."Begin your hemline research by wearing black pantyhose or leggings. Now face your mirror and hold a black skirt in front of you, beginning just above the knees. Then lower the skirt until you feel you look your best. I would be cautious about buying a midcalf skirt at your height, but a black skirt and black hosiery or knee-high black boots will elongate your figure visually, and you just might "carry it off."