The time of year has come when we must ask ourselves that age-old question: what do we really, really want to dress up as?  After several years of dressing as celebrities (Mary-Kate, Courtney Love, Kate Hudson in Almost Famous), this year I decided to go the old-school route and dress as Creepy Alice in Wonderland.  But, imagine my chagrin when I realized Paris Hilton had come up with the same idea!  Mortifying.

So, for those of you running a little late, or who would like to get an early start on next year’s costume, I have decided to gift you with a guide to NOT looking like everyone else this Halloween.  The best way to do this is to go high-end - or at least high concept.

1. Louis Vuitton nurse

For his spring LV collection, Marc Jacobs sent a plethora of supermodels onto the runway dressed as nurses, putting a whole new, and much classier, spin on the ubiquitous “sexy nurse” costume.  Make like Naomi and Natalia this Halloween and wear that nurse outfit with your favorite Vuitton bag.

2.  Karl Lagerfeld

Can you think of another costume so easy and yet so sublime?  Wear all black, white, and tight; with the Chanel designer’s trademark shades, gloves, and heavy jewelry.

3. Victoria Beckham

Spice up your life in a short, tight dress (like this one by M Missoni) and gravity-defying platform heels.  Don’t forget an angular bob haircut and a perfect pout.

They’re everywhere, and there seems to be no escape!  Yes, next season will no doubt be all about the ruffle.  Whether childishly sweet or artfully high-concept, these girly-girl staples made an appearance on nearly every spring runway.  Galliano, for one, plastered them on everything from shoes to coat sleeves, and Lanvin (below) fashioned them into beautifully shaped, fluid, and impeccably tailored pieces of art.  Meanwhile, Miuccia Prada at Miu Miu (above) hardly let a look pass onto the runway without at least one ruffle attached.  Glovelets, collars, ankle socks, even antiquated-but-oh-so-new bloomers and petticoats featured these ubiquitous forms.

Do designers mean to turn us all into little girls and sculpture enthusiasts for Spring, or is it about something more simple?  Ruffles are the ultimate girlish, thrilling, fun visual, and this season we like what we see.

Don’t be afraid to explore the possibilities of this trend - designers are doing it, so why shouldn’t you?  Invest in a few classic, simple pieces to ground the look, but this Spring- for once - it’s okay to sport as many frills as you like.  These pumps by Irregular Choice are sweet and irreverent, while a wool dress by Marc Jacobs is a fall-weather-appropriate way to get in on the trend.

In a word?  Menswear!  This model-of-the-moment is always sporting something borrowed from the boys - suspenders, wide-leg trousers, bow ties, and oxfords are her wardrobe staples, and she often piles on the layers.  Irina’s look is that of the free-spirited model/musician, but thankfully hers is more polished than the aesthetic of her current boyfriend Pete Doherty; she expectedly favors Chanel and Balenciaga - after all, she has played muse for the designers of both houses. 

Of course, she’s not completely opposed to the ultrafeminine, often pairing her fedoras and waistcoats with a frilly blouse or wispy bohemian dress.  It is Irina’s beauty routine, however, that has drawn the most attention - her trademarks are her bangs and long locks and she generally wears little to no makeup. 

If you’re scared to take the menswear leap, a simple vest or tie paired with a flowing dress will do the trick.
A leaf-print Nicole Miller dress looks modern when worn with a straw fedora by David Morgan.

Irina is known for her effortless take on high-meets-low-end style.  To get her look, try pairing a vintage ensemble with a luxe bag by Balenciaga.

It may not be as well-received as its counterparts in New York, Milan, and Paris, but Los Angeles Fashion Week will always hold a special place in my heart.  I’ve worked there and tagged along to events there so many times now that I now know the layout of Smashbox studios almost as well as I know that of my own apartment.  Victoria Beckham and Mary-Kate Olsen may not attend shows there, but the Hiltons (above is a look from Nicky’s recent “Chick” collection) and the former stars of The OC are almost as fabulous, and I always find the lack of bodyguards and pomp to be refreshing, even comforting (although Anna Wintour did bring all her bodyguards and definitely all her pomp to the fantastic Louis Verdad show last year, she has quite fairly earned the right to do so).

Besides, although LA is known for its casual, trendy, even sloppy style, some of the hottest designers around got their starts here.  Rodarte, Jenni Kayne, and Grey Ant all have roots in the City of Angels.  And the latest LA up-and-comers show great promise of one day being just as huge - Petro Zillia, Louis Verdad, and Kevan Hall have each dressed their fair share of starlets, and the Smashbox tents have played host to designers from Heatherette to Collection Bebe to Jeremy Scott.

So, while the shows are going on, why not celebrate LA’s fashion resurgence?

dresses by Yaya Aflalo and Corey Lynn Calter.

 This Parisian social star is the daughter of Vogue Paris editor Carine Roitfeld, and she’s clearly whip-smart enough to take style cues from her mother!  Restoin-Roitfeld is perfectly chic and oh-so-French, and she clearly knows what silhouettes work for her.  Her outfits tend toward the dark and sleek, but usually have a feminine edge and an insouciant sex appeal.  This tried-and-true look is so striking that Tom Ford hand-picked her to model for his Black Orchid fragrance campaign.  In short,  she’s the perfect representative for Vogue Paris - and for Paris’s ‘It’ girls.

So how can a less-connected, less-Euro-chic girl get her fabulously cool style?  It’s all about proportions - volume on top with a tiny skirt, or vice versa.  The other key components?  Just enough makeup, black and white, tights, feathers, and clever textures.

Get Julia’s look with a strict Nanette Lepore silhouette that would turn anyone into a society swan.  No Vogue-worthy look would be complete without some weighty, sky-high heels; this pair is by Kristen Lee.

It might be the continuation of last season’s 1920s-feathered look.  Or perhaps it’s all Al Gore’s fault, with everyone suddenly thinking green.  Either way, nature was on everyone’s minds when the models hit the runway this season.  Feathers, of course, were abundant, worn in the hair at Olivier Theyskens’ Nina Ricci (below) and on numerous jewel-toned cocktail dresses at Lanvin (bottom).  Earth tones and bohemian looks were also popular, showing up at D&G and Cavalli, as was a Native American influence, particularly at Theyskens’ show.  Flowers, that springtime staple, made several appearances, and were most exuberantly placed at Giles, where models sported both flowered hats and floral dresses. 

Another curious touch?  Animals, and plenty of them.  Bat prints were a motif at Luella, and Alexander McQueen went with a bird-of-prey theme.  The most fun use of an animal theme, though, would of course have to be the hairpieces at Sonia Rykiel (above).  From tame butterflies to stylized cat masks to startling beetles, these accessories truly stole the show.

For a timely wild look, look no further than a butterfly-print dress by French Connection or a Prada fringe bag - the perfect mix of the natural and the haute.

Dark and somber are not words we often hear in association with Spring fashion.  Yet here it is, the Spring goth trend, in all its gloomy-but-not-too-warm glory.  What is the state of our culture if even in the sunny months we can’t seem to shake that fashionable melancholy?  All of a sudden, looking and feeling disaffected is in vogue once again.  Black was on runways everywhere (perhaps even as often as summer white!) and shows from Dolce and Gabbana to Dior to Miu Miu (below) featured ultra-pale face makeup and dark red lips.  Clearly, this spring’s fashion and makeup cues are to be taken from Siouxsie Sioux and not Jennifer Aniston.

The upside of the doom-and-gloom look is that working primarily in black allows for a startling amount of unique and sumptuous fabrics and textures - usually lightweight ones, of course.  The new goth look also happens to be showcased primarily in micro-minis, as at Marchesa (top), although floor-length gauzy black gowns were not uncommon on the runways.  Whichever look you prefer, the new springtime black is anything but basic.

A black lace minidress by Jill Stuart or Christian Lacroix looks very on-trend paired with dark tights and crimson lips.

The 80’s revival?  So underway - and so tired - last year.  But, leave it to Paris fashion week: the looks shown at the spring shows by YSL (above), Lagerfeld (below), and Givenchy (bottom) somehow make that decade seem chic again.  This time there are no shoulder pads, no garish makeup, no leggings; it’s all about fresh color combinations, inventive materials, and a certain punkish insouciance - think Debbie-Harry-meets-Robert-Palmer-video.  In short, this look is less pop, more rock-and-roll, and far more clever in its imitation of the recent past.

YSL’s look is the most forward-thinking - sleek, chic hair and makeup, spare accessories, and an attention-catching cocktail dress are fresh and new and yet always in style.  Lagerfeld and Givenchy, meanwhile, went playfully punk with spikes, grommets, and sky-high chunky heels.

These pumps by Miss Sixty are a great match for any new-wave-inspired outfit.  Tokidoki’s spiky-but-sweet watch captures the spirit of Lagerfeld’s runway with a quirky flair.

Via Spiga’s white trench coat mixes just the right amount of Park Avenue and St. Mark’s Place, with sharp tailoring and hard-edged grommets.

 How does one stand out in a world filled with fashion “originals”?  This question seemed to be on the mind of many a designer - from Giambatista Valli in Paris (above) to Jason Wu in New York (below).  The apparent answer?  Attention-grabbing neon colors - electric blue, fluorescent pink, and of course, acid green.  What better way to stand out than to wear a bright color that is far, far removed from the usual? 

Neons were showcased at several major shows - Badgley Mischka, Vera Wang, Celine, Yves St. Laurent, and Valentino, to name just a few.  But this season’s brights are not the gauche 80s, House-of-Holland-spawned brights so popular in last year’s nightclubs.  Instead, they are sharp, sophisticated,  ladylike and impossibly fresh.

Because of this new outlook, these neons should absolutely not be paired with one another - that look is as overdone as the decade it emerged from.  The new neons can stand on their own, as at Valli’s show, or if you would rather pair them with other shades, black and white are by far the hottest and newest choices.

Michael Kors’ sandals are perfect for a small dose of color.

To add a summery touch to any outfit, try Tory Burch’s lemon yellow tunic.

Alexander Mcqueen’s shows are always marvels of cutting-edge design mixed with an element of historical reverence.  This season, though, McQueen outdid himself, with beautifully orchestrated suits, gowns, and cocktail dresses, each executed with an architectural finesse that could only be his.  His Spring collection incorporates everything from ancient armor to old Hollywood polish, with somehow fitting doses of flora and fauna sprinkled in at every turn.

But, while all of these themes are affecting in their own ways, McQueen’s most touching Spring influence by far is certainly the late, great Isabella Blow.  The fashion icon, who left us far too soon and very recently, was known for her impeccable style and her love of eccentric headwear.  And, as McQueen’s models floated down the runway in sequins, lace, feathers, and impressively engineered hats and headpieces, Blow’s influence was
unmistakable.

If imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, perhaps we should make like McQueen and pay homage to the forever fashionable Blow?  Afterall, Sonia Rykiel and John Galliano also showed such cutting-edge headpieces that we couldn’t help thinking of her.

Capture Blow’s spirit with a fanciful topper like this cloche by Miss Sophia, or get McQueen’s latest look with his feather-print silk cocktail dress and embroidered suit jacket.