Bloomingdale?s Fall Fashion 2006 ?A Woman of Mystery?

Bloomingdale?s Fall Fashion for 2006 is a season wrapped in reassurance, covered with purpose and layered with confidence. Fall Fashion radiates a serious sense of style that finds balance in modern familiar proportions yet looks seamlessly pulled together.

Fashion for fall is inspired by the past but styled to be fashion forward. Many designers are referencing the past by going back to archives of legendary houses or re-visiting their own roots in order to re-interpret their collections in a modern way. Most popular examples are Diane Von Furstenberg and Norma Kamali.

Fall Fashion also offers an entirely new color palette not seen for several seasons. Fall?s canvas of color includes a combination of darks and neutrals, such as camel, taupe, black, chocolate brown and smoky grey accented with jewel brights like gold, teal, purple and red.

There are three themes to fall dressing. The 80?s Feeling consisting of sweater dressing layered with leggings. The new jersey dress, a dress movement based on jersey dresses. And Mad for Plaid which incorporates inspiration from all things British highlighting the use of plaid and a renewed interested in Biba-like dressing.

Bloomingdale?s recommends the following must-have items for Fall 2006:

The Oversized Sweater is key to the concept of layering for this season. Sweater dressing comes in slouchy and oversized shapes with a feeling of looseness and volume. Choose from a cardigan, a sweater dress or sweater coat. The key to mastering the new proportions of sweater dressing is layering over a slim bottom, such as leggings or skinny pant.

Legs are covered this season and Leggings are the way to complete this look. Leggings were seen on almost every runway and one of the key components to layering. In dark hues, leggings are always worn under something with volume, such as an oversized sweater or under a short skirt or jersey dress.

Continuing the craze of the past season?s skinny jeans, it was only natural for the trend to evolve this fall with the Slim Pant. The Slim Pant is the only silhouette, besides leggings, to wear under big sweaters, jackets and coats with volume. Skinny pants add balance to the layered look of the season with a dressier more sophisticated option to leggings.

Short Skirts may not be a new length but what is new is the way we wear our short skirts. Again, short skirts are a key element to layering. A short skirt can be worn over leggings under an oversized sweater. Bloomingdale?s particularly loves a plaid short skirt!

A Coat with Volume is the epitome of covering up that dominated the runway. A fuller coat finishes off the layering look. Shapes such as cocoon, shift or A-line in a ? length balances the look of narrow bottoms.

Jersey continues to be the fabric of choice; Bloomingdale?s loves the Jersey Dress. What?s new is the modern shapes, from sexy and shorter to drapier and detailed. Try cinching the waist with a fabulous belt that gives the Goth Chic touch.

Something Plaid. The love for plaid begins with the fondness for everything British. From smart tartans to bold Brit prints, a parade of plaids came down the runways in full force. Plaid is the single most important pattern for this fall season and looks best in jackets and short skirts.

To accessorize your look of the season Bloomingdale?s suggests one of four Knit Accessories. Depending on your look you may want to top it off with a knit cap or a knit scarf. The more daring may try 80?s style legwarmers or armwarmers. Keep in mind ? pick one and go with it. Don?t try all four at the same time!

Platform shoes continue to be the biggest trend in shoes but for fall they are found in snakeskin, suede and patent leather. Platform shoes also come in sexier shapes and exaggerated new heights.

Boots for Fall can be found on two ends of the height spectrum, Short Boots or Over the Knee Boots. Short Boots in fresh variations, such as slouchy, platform or lace-up worn with short skirts, leggings and sweater dressing. Over the Knee Boots is an alternative to wearing leggings but still achieving the layered look.

All handbags tend to be structured this season even considering the vast difference in size. Frame Bags with bold details like chains and hardware as well as new skins. The Satchel continues to be the bag to grab for women on the go. Roomier this season and rich with details.

Bloomingdale?s, a division of Federated Department Stores, was founded in 1872 and with the opening of the San Francisco store, operates 37 stores in New York, New Jersey, Nevada, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, Illinois, Minnesota, Florida, California and Georgia. For website access, please log onto www.bloomingdales.com.