IF I WERE A GIRL : shut up, you know what i mean . . .

not to belabor an obvious fact,

but paris fashion week just wrapped up,

and my inner fashion whore kind of went rampant this season.

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often i have bemoaned the fact that men's fashion is so torpid and stale,

and tim has thanked god that i'm not a woman,

(for obvious reasons, yes),

because the budget for shoes alone would screw us in a month.

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looking at spring was fascinating though.

you saw designers struggling across a spectrum on how to SELL,

and how to EXPRESS.

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but sticking with the point of this blog,

here's what we can learn from women:

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1) stick to the neutrals this spring.

the runways were awash with neutral colors, with more beige than a sandstorm,

and with black used as an "accent" more than as a statement.

and when it wasn't beige, it was gray.

retailers are going to struggle with this, as sales floors will look horrid in a wave of beige,

even if it is on trend.

look for "new neutrals" in every editorial spread.

dread it.

but wear it.

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2)  the classics made a comeback.

chanel was hugely youthful and inspirational.

ysl carved out modernism and pushed forward.

phoebe philo was back at celine, and nailed it.

the old guard proved why they are timeless.

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3) lindsay lohan is not a designer.

enough said.

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4) for women, short is the new long.  still.

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5) on the beauty front, natural looking makeup is IN.  eyebrows are OUT.

i have no idea.  you figure that one out on your own.

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6) the label to name drop if you want to appear in the know,

or at least turn a woman's head,

is BALMAIN.

think dusty military looks with chain mail accents,

everything skin tight, battered, and sexy.

from there, it's GIVENCHY,

for black and white, geometric prints, and sophisticated draping.

bu for the truly elite,

it's still LANVIN.

with a show that pushed the most beautiful dresses and accessories

into another stratosphere with beading, beading, and color.

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the next few days, i'm shopping the girl's side of the aisle,

to keep you and your eye on guard

for when your girlfriend sits down and expects a compliment this spring.