It was all over the runways of New York, Milan, and Paris this season:  filmy, barely-there, flesh-toned clothing that begged for a second glance.  The trend seems to stem from Dior’s 2006 and 2007 runways, in which models sported lacy corset structures over deceptively sheer-looking nude fabric.  So why is it only now that so many designers (including Moschino Cheap and Chic, above, and Nina Ricci) are choosing to follow that lead?

One reason is that flesh-toned garments seems startlingly self-aware.  What better way to question the importance, use, history, and future of clothing than by tying those concepts inextricably to the appearance of the human body?  Fashion is essentially both the enhancement of and the masking of the human form, and the use of nude-colored and sheer-looking fabrics effectively hammers this point home.

Walter’s sheer “Secretary” blouse strikes the perfect balance between revealing and concealing.

Alexia Admor’s nude lace corset dress fuses the earthy with the ethereal.

She’s not quite a big-screen star just yet, but Leighton Meester’s character on Gossip Girl, Blair Waldorf, certainly has a wardrobe fit for the silver screen.  The look fashionistas the world over will soon be copying?  Elegant and feminine-but-preppy.  Blair is singlehandedly bringing back preppy headbands, perfectly set hair, and stuffy tweeds for the younger, hipper set.  All in all, it’s very Chanel (but yours doesn’t have to be real, of course).

Why is Blair so popular a character, though, on a show populated with well-dressed young girls?  Perhaps it is because she acts as the tightly wound foil to free spirits like her “friends” Jenny and Serena.  One would never find Blair looking bohemian-chic - she is put together, she knows what she wants, and - despite her scheming - in many ways she is preternaturally grown up.  In other words, she’s an aspirational, ambitious, whip-smart girl-for-today.

Blair would never be caught with a “trendy” handbag.  This tote by Botkier is subdued and unique but still oh-so-polished.

DKNY’s tweed and taffeta jacket and a headband by Marc Jacobs complete the look.

 Who better to be the subject of our first Film Fashion blog than the iconic Holly Golightly, the epitome of cinematic chic for the past four decades?  Played to perfection by Audrey Hepburn, Holly was a  restless soul, with a deeply shallow dream.  As we watch the film, we follow Ms. Golightly’s social trajectory and romantic travails through a dizzying whirl of shops, outings, and parties.  (Black and White Ball king Truman Capote wrote the novella the film was based on, after all).

Even today, Holly’s is the movie wardrobe to beat - it even seems that she and Hepburn have become fused in our collective consciousness as one LBD-wearing, diamond-dripping, chignoned, croissant-eating figure in film and fashion history.  It is hard to say whether, without Holly and Audrey, would we have Gwyneth-as-Margot-Tenenbaum or Kate-Hudson-as-Penny-Lane or Kirsten-Dunst-as-Lux-Lisbon at all - those fictional but somehow very real icons of utterly chic yearning.  Holly Golightly is fabulous and inspiring - who wouldn’t want to emulate her?

Holly wouldn’t be Holly without her little black cocktail dress.  This modernized version is by Nicole Miller.

The girl who brunched at Tiffany’s would certainly appreciate these Swarovski crystal hair combs.

Ah, the elusive roommate-or-coworker present.  What do you get for those people you don’t know very well, or for those of whom you have far too many of in your life to shell out big bucks for?

To the young urbanite: No matter how much you love your apartment-mates, if you have three, four, or more of them, getting each one a pricey present tends to break the bank.  To the cubicle worker: while you understandable cannot buy something for everyone in your office building, it is always a good idea to get something for those you work most closely with.

Clothing can be a great gift for a best friend, but for anyone else, why risk getting the wrong size, cut, or style?  Accessories and beauty products are much more practical in these instances.

The best bets:

1. Wallets or Cosmetic cases.  Every woman needs them, and a cute one - like this makeup bag by Benefit - is always a winner.

2. Scarves.  The best gifts, like this luxe logo scarf by Fendi, are the ones that keep you warm all winter.

3. Beauty products.  Any lotion, cosmetic, or perfume by Anna Sui or Bath and Body Works always makes for a great gift.

What does it take to be a muse?  Well, great genes, for one thing, and what better example of this than Jane Birkin and her daughter Charlotte Gainsbourg?  Singer-actress Birkin was the face of 1960s bohemian Paris, posing provocatively-but-chicly on camera and dating music icon Serge Gainsbourg.  Her most enduring fame, though, comes from the bag - you might have heard of it - that Hermes named after her. 

Charlotte, meanwhile, does her muse duty not for Hermes but for Balenciaga, accompanying Nicolas Ghesquiere on every imaginable red carpet and trying out daring looks that most women would shy away from.  The second-generation singer-actress (her sister Lou Doillon is an actress and fashion plate too) most recently appeared on the cover of Vogue Paris wearing Ghesquiere’s textured, armorlike bell suit - and she pulled the bizarre look off fabulously.  Though Charlotte’s style is more shape-oriented and structured than her famous mother’s, one aspect of Birkin’s look remains with her: those dark, shaggy, fringed tresses.

Exercise some of Janes’s insouciant charm in these high-waisted jeans by J Brand.

 A lariat tote by Balenciaga will help you capture some of Charlotte’s je ne sais quoi.

It seems that during the holiday season, women are always the easiest people to shop for.   We are the ones the stores cater to -  candle kiosks,  cosmetic gift sets, dazzling cocktail dress displays, and jewelry blowout sales were most likely not designed with men in mind.  But any women’s holiday shopper can get stuck in a retail rut - after all, these displays are all there every other year too, and a woman can only have so many candles and bottles of perfume.  So what do you get your sister, mother, or best friend once those default options have all been relied upon time and time again?  This year, why not try a unique, fun, chic gift that will thrill even the most jaded gift recipient?

This year, Louis Vuitton outdid themselves in the quirky-pop-art department with the very new, very limited edition  ”Groom” wallet and coin purse collection.  The sweet illustration, classic monogram, and eye-popping colors could melt the winter-coldest of hearts.

How adorable - and practical - is Marc Jacobs’ new line of pendant watches?  Choose a shape to fit your fancy - from a heart to an apple to the bowling-ball shape below.

Juicy Couture’s nylon snowboots, in an array of crisp colors, will keep her warm wherever the winter holiday takes her.

It is almost difficult to believe they’re related: the styles of dress preferred by Grace Kelly and her granddaughter Charlotte Casiraghi of Monaco are as different as night and day.   The one thing that gives their family ties away?  That would be their strong physical resemblance to one another - those doe eyes, regal noses, pouty lips, and creamy complexions are unmistakeable.  Both royals radiate glamour, but while the screen-goddess-turned-princess favored prim and proper, her socialite heir gravitates toward a more unconventional style.

Kelly was every bit the royal, known for her perfectly made-up visage, Hermes handbags, and not-a-hair-out-of-place blonde coif.  She also favored dainty gloves, classic cuts, and soft colors like pale pink and white.  In other words, she made for the perfect fairy-tale princess.

Casiraghi, on the other hand, is a little more eclectic.  Her trademarks?  Red lipstick, off-kilter minidresses, ankle boots, and artfully mussed locks.   Her style tends toward a more downtown glamour; she once turned up at a Chanel show in a sweater and a headband, and later the same week at an afterparty in a short gold dress and thick eyeliner.

Capture Princess Grace’s immortal chic in a Anne Klein tweed pencil skirt and a structured frame bag by Prada.

Get Charlotte’s look with a two-tone dress by McQ Alexander McQueen and a versatile black Chanel tote.

Last season’s stark, layered sheer ensembles at Miu Miu may have seemed a little strange six months ago, but it’s clear that everyone is finally starting to see the beauty in this strange, ethereal look - including designers.  This Spring will be all about sheer layers in stiff fabrics.

Witness the shows from Vuitton (top), Sonia Rykiel (above), Verrier (bottom), and, of course, Miu Miu, whose designer Miuccia Prada apparently loved the look so much that she produced an encore performance, this time not in coral and sky blue but in darker hues like burgundy and charcoal.  Vuitton’s Marc Jacobs updated his sheers in shocking brights and pretty-but-clashing pastels, with matching veils.  Rykiel layered her sheer tiered dresses to flirty perfection, pairing them with avante-garde sunglasses and neon-hued heels.

To transition sheers from the runway to real life, wear a balanced mix of sheers and opaques, and of brights and neutrals - translucent black is always chic, as is white when layered properly and tastefully.  Wear with tights or bare legs, and polish it all off with a pair of prim pumps.

This dress by What Comes Around Goes Around and top by Walter are perfectly on trend for fall and spring.

It has been said that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and the same is certainly true of this season’s beauty trends.  While last spring was all about healthy tans and beachy wavy hair, this spring is shaping up to be a little more unique - even alien.  Most of us probably cannot remember the last time neon-streaked hair or electric blue lipstick were in style, but these are just some of the oddball looks that loomed large on runways this season.   Rodarte and Anna Sui (top) painted their models’ eyes with thick liner and placed bold streaks in pink, violet, and turquoise in their hair, merging punk beauty with sophisticated, ladylike dressing. 

Louis Vuitton (above) also made an daring effort at individuality with lipstick in coral, purple, and electric blue contrasting against white makeup.   Meanwhile, Cavalli, Ferretti, and Marc Jacobs showcased Victorian-style teased-out updos; and Dolce and Gabbana, Miu Miu and Lanvin (below) paired dramatic eyeshadow with dark crimson lips.

The only common thread in these curious beauty trends?  They all seem to come from left field, and they all aim to push the boundaries of what the concept of “beauty” really is.  If it’s what you like, then blue lipstick is beautiful in and of itself.  So wear what you like - even if it’s not in line with the runway trends - and be ready to steal the spotlight.

 Clinique’s pale blue lip gloss is the kinder, gentler version of Vuitton’s shocking look.

For edgy streaks of color, Manic Panic is THE classic.

We’ve been seeing a lot of blonde, photogenic Paris-based designer Erin Fetherston lately, most likely due to her recent CFDA fashion fund nomination and her upcoming diffusion collection for Target stores.  Fetherston once referred to herself in a Vogue interview as her  own “brand’s best ambassador”, and it appears that she’s absolutely correct in that assessment - not only does most of her wardrobe come from her own line, but she also happens to carry off her sweetly showstopping designs better than almost anyone.  This means that to have the Fetherston look is to take inspiration from the designer’s own wardrobe and styling.  Even if you can’t afford her couture line (because let’s face it, one Target collection could never be enough), you can still dress as though you were styled by the designer herself, simply by following her example.

The first order of business, then?  Stock up on brief babydolls that show a lot of leg and not much of anything else.  This mini is by Design History.

 Fetherston’s favorite motif is the sweet-but-chic heart shape.  These Yves Saint Laurent heart applique pumps and Isabella Adams crystal clutch are just too cute not to fawn over.