Now that the entire Fall 2012-Winter 2013 line-up has come and gone, now that the creative fashion dust is finally settling down, in order to decipher emerging trends for all to see, we looked back at our Fashion Week notes taken while the shows were happening. Keep in mind that these are a first draft and that all of this will change very soon, once we start checking out London, Milan and Paris. It is only when we review the emerging trends from all four cities and determine the trends that dominate we’ll know what will really impact retail for fall 2012.

Is it the state of the economy, or, grown-ups finally sick of acting like young adults? “Proper dressing” made the rounds throughout the New York line-up. The looks were as varied as they were popular with designers. These ladies in question ranged greatly in appearance and feel; think of them as anything from proper grannies to celluloid tramps to WASP dowagers.

The C-word this season is definitely color or color-blocking more specifically. It’s nice to see models drenched in ‘happiness’ (perhaps it’ll start making them smile soon). Still, all-white was also a popular choice. Dressing white after Labor Day might simply be the next big thing (sorry! Emily Post).

We’ve been feeling the Americana ‘thing’ evolving for some time now. It seems that blanket style coats and other garments in various oversized plaids are becoming as common as can be. The looks range from frontier style to country chic. This somewhat rustic feel translates really well and is even influencing the Euros (more on that later).

Good thing that Louisiana changed a few of its remaining Napoleonic Codes (remember the BIG purchase a little more than a 100 years ago), because loads of women would be ticketed for not only dressing masculine, but in military uniform on top of it! Yes, military details are back with a vengeance and transcribed effortlessly as womenswear. We’ll call this trend (which is always around, really) an officer and a gentlewoman.

Colorful looks may have been omnipresent on the catwalks, so were monochromatic ones, especially white, but fashion being fashion there was also lots and lots of black too. The main difference this season, compared to past ones, was that the overall look was ultra-glossy and sleek. This new, edgy bad girl came out with a vengeance in attire that channeled everyone from intellectual sophisticates to  dominatrix bombshells (Meow!).

NEXT: Initial TRENDS for London