Not all of us can jet off to exotic countries - maybe because we already live in one! - or maybe just because our day-to-day responsibilities keep us home / office / school bound.  But we can get fashion inspiration from our friends all over the world  - especially when it comes to seeing all the creative ways people choose to wear a scarf.  Due to the proliferation of blogs today, people can share photos of fashion out on the street - any street - from Le Place de L'Concorde in Paris, to Monbijouplatz in Berlin, to the steps of the Public Library here in New York city.  Here are a few from Styleclicker.net   Notice that instead of one big, bulky coat, layering works well with scarves and can keep you just as warm.

Have you been noticing the resurgence of lace in fashion this winter? First Lady Michelle Obama was spotted recently in a great 3/4 length sleeve walking coat with lace overlay. Stella McCartney was seen in a full lace bodysuit. Designers Fall / Winter 2009/2010 collections used lace as well as brocades, stones and sequins.  Other Winter 09/10 trends include the layering of lace and sheer fabrics in moody blacks, inky blues, rich berry and oxidized metallics - ranging from onyx to silver- copper to pewter under and over opaque wools and furs for a mesmerizing effect.

Leathers also took on a new look - they can be metallicized and ruffled or laser cut and pleated. Peek-a-boo laces got modernized with metallic finishes or overstitched with chunky wools and the otherwise simple boyfriend jacket gets a hint of sparkle with embellished lapels or encrusted epaulets.  Vintage shops are perfect for finding that great sequined jacket to pair with jeans and booties.

Investing in a few of these important pieces will take you through to the rest of this season. And you don't have to do it in a full lace body suit - you can integrate a few key pieces to stay on trend. Try a lace wrap tucked around a black turtleneck and jeans with knee high boots. Or layer a 3/4 length sleeve faux fur with our metallic leather gloves and ankle booties.  It's Luxury but understated - and definitely not out of reach. Cheers!

Ask A Designer Question: Help! I lost my most treasured Echo cold weather wrap. It was smart and interesting in an understated way and kept me warm and stylish up here in Montreal. I would be most grateful for any help you can offer in replacing it. Please see photo - it was a wool blend, garter stitch and had rounded ends with a microfiber trimmed hole through which an end could be threaded. Winter 08 or 09. Thanks for your time and for designing such beautiful things, Meghan   From: Meghan Sent: Monday, January 04, 2010 10:08 PM Email: meghan****@********.com

Ask A Designer Reply: On Tue, Jan 5, 2010 AskADesigner(at)echodesign(dot)com wrote: Hi there Meghan, So sorry to hear about your wrap. I'd love to help you find another! If Montreal is anywhere near as cold as NYC we better make it fast! I'll show the picture to our designers and see if we can find it for you. I'll get back to you asap! - Jennifer

On Tue, Jan 5, 2010 , AskADesigner(at)echodesign(dot)com wrote: Hi Meghan! Success! I found this same style - I believe the price is $98 - but it's on sale now for $69! The style # is 374467 and it's called the Downtown Wrap. If you want to order one right away feel free to call our customer service reps at 1-800-327-3896 and they will take care of you. Or I you can follow this link to see it on the site. Let me know what you think or if you have any other questions! :) Thanks again for writing in - so glad we could help! -Jennifer

Ask A Designer Final: Wow Jennifer you are a star! Thank you so much for your help. I will have a look at the website in a couple days and order then. Have a great day - you've made mine, Meghan              From: Meghan Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2010 3:31 PM To: AskADesigner Subject: Re: Echo cold weather wrap

Each season has it's own colors, sounds and scents.  It's hard to compare the shocking brights of fall leaves to a brilliant blue summer sky but winter has a sort of secondary layer of emotion and a stark brilliance all it's own.  The trees are dormant. The ground is cold and hard. Nothing grows. But the quiet beauty of a pure white snowfall against the bare trees is a reminder to pause. It's sort of Mother Earth's downtime.  A powdery fresh snow absorbs sound which lowers the ambient noise over a landscape. This quiet peace is a simple but remarkable difference compared to the bubbly brilliance of birds and sunlight in spring and the roar of a summer thunderstorm.  Winter can be your transition, your in-between days because it's an important note in the music of the seasons.  The pause in the chorus, the white space on the page. Without space we wouldn't have matter.  Winter is punctuated by marking the passing of the year. It's more than flipping a page in the calendar. This year is gone but a new one is beginning. We wouldn't have spring without the cold change of winter.  And we don't have new growth without reflection.  Hope this season you get time to stop and watch the snow fall.   Thought you might enjoy this video tribute to George Winston's December. It's long, but then again, so is Winter.

Welcome to our new feature called Cubicle Couture - Echo Our Style.  Check in and see how and what we're wearing here in the hallways at Echo.  Today the windy morning influenced everybody's outfits and most of us layered up in wraps, sweaters and ponchos.  We found 3 people each wearing a wrap a different way.  Wraps are commonly thought of as something to be worn around your shoulders, like a shawl or a pashmina. This is a great way to wear a wrap in the cold weather months and a lace, sequin or silk wrap also can be a nice touch to a party dress or bridesmaid's dresses.  But these wraps shown here are worn like scarves.  They provide just the right amount of fabric to gather and drape loosely for that casual look.  The first two wraps are also eco-friendly. They are made of bamboo which is naturally anti-bacterial and are amazingly soft!   The last look is our brightly colored ikat.  Ikat is a type of fabric which is created by dying the yarns before they are put onto the loom and woven into fabric.  We had an earlier blog post all about ikats here if you'd like to read more.  So if you're searching for a perfect, long and versatile scarf, you might just find it in the Wraps section!

What could be cuter for Fall than a flattering little driving glove in a luxurious deep purple? Nothing! Whenever I hit the shopping racks to update my look, I always gravitate toward classic styles with a bit of an updated twist. And while driving-styled gloves are making a bit of a comeback in our pop-culture, their stylish demure has always reminded me of the sophistication and glamour of a Hollywood.  Picture a starlet, hair wrapped in a silky scarf, with her leading man driving an 1940’s convertible with buttery leather seats, humming down a windy road playing Billie Holiday.  Although this glove comes in a variety of colors, I decided the regal purple would be a great compliment to the neutral-colored trench coats and the bomber jackets I have lined up in my closet.  The color adds just enough pop so that I can re-vamp my fall wardrobe without having to go out and spend hundreds on a new coat or some sweaters. Best of all, the size and weight of these gloves won’t over-heat my hands on the mildly chilly days of mid-October (nobody likes clammy hands)! I am confidant that my new stylish little leather friends will be gracing my hands frequently…and not just when I plan on getting in the driver’s seat.  Enjoy! - Haley

A few of our designers just returned from Paris and Milan and brought back details of the current trends in stores. Here are a few highlights:

Paris
At Bon Marche (the home for all accessories in Paris!) they had chunky crochet neck pieces that were a cross between a winter scarf and a necklace.  They also had lightweight wools in all shapes, sizes and patterns - patterns from florals to geometrics to ethnic prints to solids. The neckrings are also very popular!

The windows of Galleries Lafayette - Sequins, fur, leather and studs.

The Left Bank
The theme everywhere we went was red, black, cheetah and sequins. We saw black sequin vests and little sequined jackets.  The cheetah print was on everything - prints, fur, shoes, bags and wallets. 

We also saw a lot of cardi-wraps and chunky knit vests.

 Check back tomorrow and next week for more Paris and Milan trends!

Hi there Stacy,  Thanks for your question about our wool blend ruffle gloves. As for how the gloves react to a wet climate - I'm sure a little humidity wouldn't be a problem, but they really shouldn't get completely wet.  The care instructions are dry clean only and because of the wool blend, they would most likely shrink and become misshapen if they got wet. These gloves should not be used to make snowballs! Sorry!  I'd recommend our superfit nylon gloves for that perhaps?  We have a lot more though - so check our gloves section on the website for other choices.  

As for sizing of gloves, that is a popular question. But it's very easy to determine what size glove you need. Simply measure around the knuckles of either hand. Then find your size in the chart below. 

5 1/2"- 7" around knuckles = small
7"- 8 1/2" around knucles = medium
8"- 9 1/2" around knuckles= large

I hope that helps!
Thanks again,
Carol, Senior Cold Weather Designer, Echo.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Stacy [mailto:****@aol.com] On Behalf Of Stacy
Sent: Saturday, October 03, 2009 10:38 PM
To: AskADesigner
Subject: Weblog - Ask a Designer
Name: Stacy
Email: ****@aol.com
How do you size for your wool blend ruffle gloves? Do you adjust for shrinkage in a wet climate?

In honor of the changing season we wanted to share some colors of Autumn. Pretty soon the green summer leaves will turn to golds and brilliant reds and, here in New York,  will turn the banks of the Hudson river into an amazing display of nature's glory.  But you too can add this beautiful color palette to your wardrobe. And you'll need some warm layers to protect against the crisp, cold air when you plan a pumpkin picking expedition or evening stroll through the park.  For me, the poncho is the best item to break out for the fall. It's perfect with my favorite jeans and its much roomier than a sweater.  And the bonus of a poncho? The twirl!  Maybe I'll even do a few pirouettes to just to see the range.  Who said growing up meant we had to stop being ballerinas?  Here's to getting reacquainted with a season of bright orange pumpkins, crisp October skies, hot tasty cider and layer upon layers of beautiful colors!  (I think there's a song here about 'warm woolen mittens and whiskers on kittens' but that's going a bit too far now, isn't it?)

This quilted trapper hat with plush fur (faux, of course) and earflaps has become a staple in the New York woman's winter wardrobe.   But wherever you are, this style works for anyone with a cold, blustery winter ahead of them.  Because when that icy wind comes whipping around the corners of the buildings here in the city, we often see this classic, unfortunate move:  gust of wind hits, hat goes flying, the 20 oz double caff soy latte plunges mercilessly to the sidewalk.  (a moment of silence for the coffee...)   And contrary to popular belief, rarely does a man like Mr. Big stop to help (remember how Carrie and Mr. Big met?).  So keep your 'cool' by buckling the strap under your chin. The plush fur will keep your ears warm, your iPod earphones in and your grace in check.  Add some aviator sunglasses and it's style, function and ecologically friendly. And it goes with everything - especially coffee.

If you were reading up on Fashion Week in this weekend's NY Times, then you may have seen our ad in the Magazine.  It features the Quilted Fur Trapper Hat and the Abstract Metallic Muffler.