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(1) You’ve Got a Whole New Length to Adjust to
And perhaps a visit or two to your tailor to plan. After hovering for several years right below the knee, hemlines migrated farther south for spring, to mid-calf. Challenging to wear, yes, but the demure silhouette is certain to stick.

(2) You’ll Join a Quilting Bee
Embellishment took a folksy turn for spring, with crochet cutouts on hems at Oscar de la Renta and Michael Kors, passementerie on the bodice at Behnaz Sarafpour, and lots of down-home quilting at Project Alabama.

From left: J. Mendel, Vera Wang, Calvin Klein, Thakoon, Narciso RodriguezPhoto: Firstview

(3) Lilac Will Be Your New Favorite Color
But for the occasional accent, this was not a bright season. Lilac was the perfect compromise between the collective neutrality and designers’ irrepressible need to acknowledge that spring is when flowers bloom. J. Mendel and Narciso Rodriguez showed a light and airy color for evening, while Thakoon and Vera Wang did deeper hues for day.

(4) You’ll Tie One On
And don’t be shy about it. The bigger, the better was the mantra for bows, which bound up Richard Chai, Donna Karan, Carolina Herrera, and Vera Wang. Sarafpour offered a more demure method of following the trend, with tidy bow details on the pocket of a daytime sheath.

(5) You’ll Crop Your Top
But not to bare your belly button. Jackets stopped just at or above the waist, creating a feminine silhouette over lean skirts. Diane Von Furstenberg’s version was particularly sharp (her inspiration, after all, was Roman Holiday), while Oscar de la Renta’s tweed suit was perfectly classic.

(6) You’ll Get Stacked
Suddenly, the stiletto looks frumpy. The best shoes of the season had bulkier stacked heels on sandals made of rich, thick leather. Michael Kors’s favorite shoe resembled nothing so much as a classic huarache, while Marc Jacobs dressed up the style with a bit of silver lamé.

From left: Calvin Klein, Proenza Schouler, Marc Jacobs, J. Mendel, Doo. RiPhoto: Firstview

(7) You’ll Cover It All (and Forget About Your Waist)
It may be spring, but you still need a coat. Shapes are full: no waist-cinching, no narrow silhouettes. Marc Jacobs and Proenza Schouler made theirs from metallic brocades, pretty enough to be dresses on their own. J. Mendel showed a simple topper for evening, and Doo.Ri’s full, light khaki trench is fabulously versatile.

(8) You’ll Roll Right Out of Bed
Perhaps the biggest trend was the dreamy, creamy nightgown dress. Unstructured and loose, it made us think that designers were inspired by the stifling summer. Proenza Schouler’s take was very Victorian, while Anna Sui’s was more of a hippie-commune. Either way, you’ll be comfy.

(9) You’ll Keep the Shine Alive
Metallics have been in for a few seasons now, and they show no sign of imminent departure. This time, battered, antiqued “old gold” ruled the roost. Peter Som and Ralph Lauren’s elegant cocktail dresses are a subtle way to sparkle, while Marc Jacobs takes a far shinier, but no less chic, approach.

(10) You’ll Hear Wedding Bells
Not like a wedding gown—more like a cake. The ruffled, banded skirts that clogged every wardrobe this summer moved into the big time, with swinging tiered ziggurats for evening at Jacobs and Kors, and stacks of flaring ruffles at Sarafpour and Ralph Lauren.

See also: More Collections from New York Fashion Week

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