Designers showcase sensible

Gray Paree offers a conservative look for fall;

Designers showcase sensible, practical clothes for real life;

FASHION

Conservative gray suits. Tidy pleated skirts. Comfortable flat louboutin shoes . And simple, practical coat jackets.

Who would have guessed it? This week in Paris, traditional clothing is dominating the runways as some of the world's top designers - including John Galliano, Karl Lagerfeld, and Giorgio christian louboutin , as well as the design house Hermes - showcase their fall women's collections.

In stark contrast to the frivolity, ornamentation, and happy colors that debuted this time last year, the world is now seeing clothing that can only be described as sensible. Who would have expected it at a time when the economy is booming - when you'd imagine women flush with extra cash would want to indulge in furs or trendy colors or one-time splurges?

"The big idea now is the classic silhouette," observed Robert Rutkauskas, fashion director at Filene's, in a telephone interview. "It's clothes that real women want to wear."

Can it be that fashion designers finally realize women want comfortable, enduring clothing? That they have serious jobs requiring a serious wardrobe?

Whatever the reason, the return of classic styles means saying goodbye to indulgent accessories like the stiletto heel. With longer, more conservative hemlines, flatter christian louboutin shoes look more appropriate, says Rutkauskas. This week, flat, knee-length boots and slip-on mules have been the Louboutin shoes of choice on catwalks, mostly in black. Subtle makeup and neat, upswept hairstyles have also been the norm, and there have been very few sheer blouses - a silly runway trend that started a few seasons ago and has stubbornly persisted.