Fashion Week, Day 4: It's All About the Dress

At the Jill Stuart show Monday I talked to a couple of dress designers (the kind that design affordable, work-ready dresses for real women) and they confirmed what I had been seeing in the stores: the knit dress is huge for fall. Specifically, the ponte knit -- a doubleknit fabric that has a substantial, smooth appearance -- dress is popular.

Going forward into spring, the dress is still strong with designers like Carolina Herrera who showed it embellished with ruffles and appliques (which I've been seeing a lot of.) At Ports 1961, the dress took on huge geometric embellishments, and at Jill Stuart the dress appeared with hanky hems and gossamer layers. Each designer may be putting his or her own spin on it, but it's still a powerful piece to own. (Photo Credit: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images)