If there is a queen of the fashion village this season, it would be Katharine Hepburn. Look to the fitted suits and the tailored silhouettes of fall to see the essence of Kate.

TV fashion expert Stacy London calls the look "an homage" to the great American iconic women who first made the menswear look their own Hepburn, Marlene Dietrich, you get the picture. London is the fashionista half of "What Not to Wear" on cable's TLC, and while she heralds the sophisticated look, she also notes that making it look good on the individual is all about fit.

"The fact is that even a Kate Hepburn and a Marlene Dietrich were aware of the way the proportions sat on them so the look was still feminine and flattering," she said.

London does take issue with the autumn decree that black is back for color.

"It's never gone out," she said. "Everybody needs a great black suit. Everybody needs a little black dress."

Expect to see rich black velvets, fitted black jackets, black satin skirts and black belted coats. The experts at www.style.com note that Gucci took black lust one step further than anyone else this season, adding black on black embroidery to a high-collar coat.

Kathy Flanigan

Copyright 2005, Journal Sentinel Inc. All rights reserved. (Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media.)

Copyright 2005 Journal Sentinel Inc. Note: This notice does not apply to those news items already copyrighted and received through wire services or other media
Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning Company. All rights Reserved.