Hot Clothes for Crazy Nights

Getting dressed to go out in the summer is easy. You looks your sexy best in legbaring shorts and skirts. It's perfectly acceptable for women to be almost naked at night — the tinier the tank top or sundress, the better. If you rely on barelythere wear to make you stand out in a crowd at night during the summer, you might fret the coming of fall. Don't. Even if the cold weather forces you to pile on some more layers, you can still hit the town looking sexy and in style. First of all, you can still wear tiny tank tops and camisoles. You just need to layer over them — but what better excuse than a steamy party to remove your warm layers? And the bright colors that characterized nighttime fashion this summer are still an option for fall. "Bright colors are in," says Sarah Hamel of Abercrombie and Fitch. Resist the easy allure of old standbys. "Anything that's not the usual khaki is good," she says. Hitting clubs and bars is a great opportunity to use oranges, blues, and greens to pull together a trendy look. Indeed, the "black is the new black" mentality of the late 90s is fading, and people are celebrating in the new millennium with a splash of color. "Dark red, purple, pink, and green will all be popular," says Anna Hossman of Banana Republic. She says the drab shades commonly associated with fall eveningwear will be livened this year. Patterned purses, like Kate Spade's new line, can also be used to add personality to simple outfits. Just because the air is crisp and the wind is about to blow you over, don't hide your bod under a trench coat. Tapered semistretch pants are warm but bodyconscious for women. Combined with a sensual sweater or stretch top, they create a look that's sure to attract plenty of attention. "The economy's good and people are showing off," says Chris Wong of Barney's New York. "We have a lot of leather — that's always popular," he says. For going out at night he recommends a "sharp, tailored look," with black pants (loose leg for this season) and a fitted color shirt. "Splashes of color are definitely in, with black as a base." For colors, he says deep purple and dusty orange are hot. Hamel says waisthugger pants will be popular, as will waistlength shirts. "The snowboarder look is in," she says, and expects that any coats or sweaters of that style will be hot. For guys heading out to bars to be noticed, puffy ski pants with a retro tshirt definitely makes a statement. Bars and clubs are usually like ovens inside, so it's best to try and dress warm enough to get to the venue, but not so warm that you have to leave five items at the coatcheck. Russell Ferrante of Urban Outfitters recommends dark denim for looking great when going out — it's dressier than your old Levis, but it's still denim. For the ladies, cute little skirts with the pleat in front are also popular, Ferrante adds. Or try a shimmery skirt in a justbelowthe knee length. "I think vnecks are the best for going out," says Matt Kemper, a junior at Holy Cross College in Worcester, Massachusetts. "A dark orange sweater is really good for fall, and not too fancy or loud," he says. Kemper also likes brown for bars and parties, saying that it's softer than black, but doesn't make you stand out as much as bright colors. Capri pants were all the rage this summer, and Michelle Hurley from Esprit says they'll continue to be popular into fall. "We have Capri pants in fall fabrics," she explains. For an over the top nighttime look, try capris (or regular pants) in supple, skintight leather. BisouBisou carries several styles of pleather pants in colors like maroon and green with the right top, you'll look like you just stepped off a catwalk. You don't have to spend a fortune to look great going out. The fall season is all about colorful and simple, and a little creativity can easily replace big bucks. Combine a colorful namebrand sweater with department store pants, or a quirky thriftstore shirt with trendy dark jeans from Diesel. Be comfortable, be you — and you'll be so sexy.