MOTO JACKET

Yes, the motorcycle jacket is still around and it's not too late to get in on this fashion trend. I think the jackets at the Balmain Spring 2011 show were especially cool. We often see a lot of motorcycle jackets with leggings and jeans, which is totally great, but what about a moto jacket with a cute full skirt? Here, with the monochromatic color scheme, the skirt and jacket combine to almost feel like one piece, almost like it is a leather and wool dress, which I find intriguing and refreshing. The Modest Girl could also pair a motorcycle jacket with a full floral, or otherwise patterned skirt and still give a cool, urban vibe.

RETRO PERFECTION

This pretty vintage dress is perfectly on trend with the 50's retro resurgence going on all over the runways lately. Trend or not though, this is a classically glamorous, tasteful look. Pretty pearl drop earrings, a silver belt from JCrew, and sexy platform pumps are forever glamorous. As children, I think we imagined stiletto heels and full skirts to be the most beautiful thing a girl could wear...I kind of think the modern, Modest Girl still feels the same way.

GOLD

Gold was all over the runways for Fall/Winter 2010-11. Since this gold skirt is such a statement maker, we decided to mix it up (and tone it down a bit) with a sweatshirt style top. To keep the mix balanced we paired the sweatshirt top with a seriously jeweled necklace, then toughened the whole thing up with some lacy patterned tights and zippered booties. The Modest Girl can party in style. We love Banana Republic for statement making jewelry.

ECLECTIC

I love Hilary Onyon's sense of style - it is so individual and seemingly effortless. She is an artist and illustrator so it seems natural that those skills and instincts would transfer over to her taste for dressing. Notice the patterned tights with the bright dress and lace collar. Such a pretty mix for a pretty girl. And I love lace-up boots to toughen things up. You'd be surprised - a lace-up bootie compliments nearly everything.

VINTAGE LACE

Lace seems to be having a moment and we couldn't be more pleased. Lace is timeless and feminine. This dress is a vintage piece and, given that the television series Mad Men is having such an impact on the fashion world at the moment, what is old has become new again. A little cat-eye liner can give a nod to the dress's origin though. If you're wearing lace, keep the jewelry to a minimum - maybe one piece - to avoid looking too busy. Also keep in mind, if you are going to buy a vintage dress always have it tailored to fit you (unless by some stroke of luck you find one that magically fits like a glove). Find a tailor that has some experience working with vintage clothes or costumes, as the fabric and seams are more fragile on a vintage dress than on a modern garment. You don't want your pretty vintage dress falling apart on you! Even with the added effort of tailoring, the rewards are well worth it. With no worries someone will show up to the party wearing the same dress as you, you can truly be one of a kind.

BURBERRY

Photo Hanneli Mustaparta

This is Alexa Chung wearing a gorgeous Burberry Prorsum dress. I love everything about it - the color, the tiny collar and buttons, the shoulders and tie at the waist. I adore the subtle military feel of the whole thing. Perfection. In fact, I was in love with the entire Burberry Fall 2010 ready-to-wear collection. There were pretty dresses with tough military and shearling jackets, and the alluring mix of leather and lace. We Modest Girls could wear nearly everything in the line, given our bank accounts were large enough, but as that is probably not likely for most of us, we can still aspire to look like the Burberry girls (while recreating a look here and there of course).

PARTY SEQUINS 2 WAYS

So, depending on the party, how dressy you want to be, and the kind of crowd you run with, you may want to take sequins in a couple of different directions. In the first look we showed how the Modest Girl can get in on the biggest party-dressing-fashion-trend happening now. Some black tights and sky-high heels are all you really need to add to sequins because the dress is the star of the show. Any added jewelry could send you into pageant queen territory, in a bad way. In the second look we showed how you can tone the star quality of a sequin dress down. With lace-up booties and a vest you can really wear this to almost any party. Layer this look with some sweaters, scarf and an anorak and you have street wear...just saying...

Trick divulged - I actually had this dress made by my seamstress because I was having trouble finding a sequin dress with enough coverage. Me being a Modest Girl with determination to wear some sequins, I took the fabric and a couple photos to the seamstress and told her I just wanted a basic t-shirt dress made out of sequins. And there you have it, a sequin dress that is long enough and has some sleeves.

THE FLARE

OK, so obviously we love our skinny jeans and have no intention of abandoning them any time soon, but the newest fashion trend right now is the 70's style flared jean. This new breed of jean, although it is a throwback, is not synonymous to the bootcut jean of recent years past. Look for a jean that is tight through the hip and thigh and then flares extravagantly from the knee down. I've paired these here with a loose blouse, but just a simple not-too-long sweater would also do. Oh, how I'd die to steal a pair of these from my mom circa 35 years ago... but, alas she gave them all away. Still, I'm going to be scouring vintage and second hand shops on the off chance I may score a legit pair of 70's flare jeans.

BLUSH TONES

I think blush tones are universally flattering on every complexion and skin tone. Think of celebrities from Nicole Kidman to Zoe Saldana (who we have pictured here) to Frida Pinto. All gorgeous in blush tones. And there are fashion forward dresses with sleeves out there so don't settle. Some of our favorite go-to brands and labels that frequently have dresses with sleeves are Diane von Furstenburg, Alice+Olivia, BCBG, Catherine Malandrino, Marc By Marc Jacobs as well as our old stand-bys like Anthropologie, H&M and Zara. There are so many beautiful options out there for pretty party dresses, believe me! And we will be featuring many here on this blog. There is no need to sacrifice any amount of style to be a Modest Girl. The necklace is Badgely Mischka.

COZY KNITS

Hm, how to make cold weather wear more interesting than just throwing a down coat over everything... The neutral camels and grays this season are a really lovely way to go. We like ours with a splash of color for interest and love the warmth of a cozy knit hat. I adore scarves, can't get enough of them, and have a very large drawer stuffed full of them. They are inexpensive and yet the style options are endless. The Modest Girl can take an outfit so many ways just by changing, or adding, a scarf.

THE NEW RETRO

We are totally in love with the new 50's mid-calf length skirt. The Louis Vuitton and Prada Fall 2010 runways inspired this look. We like our longer skirts paired with sweet retro sweaters that hit at the skirt's waist or can be tucked in, but you can also wear them with a baggy t-shirt or blouse tucked in. A fun high pony tail finishes the look. I can't tell you how excited we are to have the most fashion forward shape and length of skirt be one that Modest Girls everywhere can wear. Modest Girls can find the new long skirts at Urban Outfitters and Topshop.

BEYOND BASIC

Sometimes the difference between a basic dress and something special is just the right belt and scarf. We're loving a little leopard at the moment and love to use it in unexpected ways. Alone, this dress is sweet and pretty, but with this thrift store belt and Banana Republic scarf it's much more edgy and interesting. The Modest Girl doesn't need to show skin for attention, all she needs is a leopard scarf and some attitude. The dress is Robert Rodriguez.

WARDROBE STAPLES

See HarpersBazaar.com

These stylish girls are wearing pieces that most of us already have in our closets. Neutrals, leggings, skinny jeans, a turtle neck and converse sneaks can look super chic when on the go and in the right combination.

THE RIGHT BALANCE

Too many guys think that dressing is just a t-shirt and jeans or a suit. This obliging guy shows that there's the perfect place right in between. We like his small collar, the loose tie and mix of flattering autumnal colors.

POLKA DOTS

I like throwing a jacket on over a dress that can't stand on it's own in the cooler weather. To avoid this blazer looking too corporate (unless, that is, you're a working girl and have a dress code) I like to flip the collar up and push the sleeves back to keep it young. Polka dots are hot this season and we chose caged heels, red lips, and leopard glasses to give the look some punch. I think a lot of girls play it a little safe with the caged heels because they are afraid of appearing too aggressive. Don't worry! A strong heel is the Modest Girl's best friend. When you're not making a statement by showing a lot of skin, you have a lot of room, style-wise, to make a statement with your shoe. A black cage heel is a great way to go.

MIX MASTER

We need to forget about matching our shoes to our bags. This cute girl we met on the street knew how to mix her accessories. We love her burgundy western boots paired with the vibrant structured bag. I think mixing the style and color of accessories adds interest and depth to an outfit. I also love the simple tunic dress over leggings and the sweet detail on her jacket. This could be a very simple, yet stylish and modest, winter uniform. Let your accessories do the talking while you run around town cozy and comfortable.

THE DRAPE

Baggy blouses are the look de rigueur now, and one of the biggest fashion trends. I looked for a while to find the perfect blouse with a great drape. I wanted it to look effortless but have a high end feel. Funny enough, I ended up finding this one at a thrift store. One of my sneaky tactics with full blouses is to tuck part of it in, to give some definition, and in the process maintain that laissez-faire attitude (a la style icon Kate Lanphear). I think the baggy blouse will be my new uniform well into spring and summer for many reasons. It obviously has great coverage for us Modest Girls and it is the easiest way to be on the cutting edge. I'm going to wear them with skirts and baggy trousers, even denim cutoff shorts when the weather mercifully warms up (or if I ever take that exotic vacation I'm dying for).

SLOUCHY PANT

We are seeing these trousers everywhere right now. I picked this pair up at h&m, but Topshop also has a great selection. What's important to keep in mind if you are going to try this look, is proportion. Make sure the pant is slouchy at the hip but tapers near the ankle. Also watch the length. If you're going to wear some killer heels, as we've shown here, make sure the pant is slightly cropped. If you're going to go with a flatter shoe (like a menswear oxford) keep the length slightly lower on the ankle, but not touching the top of your shoe. I love a tough little screen or concert t-shirt to keep the look young and modern (also helping to avoid a too literal reference to the 90's). And voila! The perfect rakish look.

A POP OF COLOR

You may wonder what to do with the summer skirts in your collection now that the cold weather is setting in. I've reworked my favorite sunny yellow skirt to give it a more wintry feel. Tights, a jacket and some oxfords not only give warmth but take the skirt into the new season. A bright pop of color also amps up your winter neutrals. You can see this fashion trend at style.com, but we've toned it down for an off the runway look.

MIXING PATTERNS

Sometimes I have trouble making floral patterns work -- they can feel too precious. What's great about all of the pattern mixing going on, is you can toughen up your floral looks. I feel like it's OK to mix patterns as long as they're in the same color family; and these stripes are special with some shoulder detailing. Also, none of this here is expensive. I picked the skirt up at the 5th Avenue H&M in New York, but you can find many like it at places like Zara or Topshop. This type of skirt tends to run a bit short, so if you have long legs use your judgement on length. To feel especially comfortable wearing full skirts that fall just above the knee, I would tell the Modest Girl to throw on a pair of opaque tights for a little more coverage. You instantly look chic and deceptively covered. I have searched far and wide for true black tights and my favorite are Vera Wang for Kohls.