The fall clothes are already in the stores, but it’s not yet Labor Day so I’m going to say that I’m not yet late with my fall 2008 color predictions. These are not necessarily the colors the fashion industry is trying to foist upon us. Rather, these are the colors that I think people will gravitate to most. (For example, it doesn’t matter that there are a lot of pumpkin-colored sweaters in the stores right now because I expect most of those to be hanging on the clearance racks come November.)

These colors aren’t just for clothing: they’re the ones I think you’ll want to surround yourself with in napkins, wrapping paper, nail polish, flowers, rugs, soap, etc. because they just somehow feel right right now.

Color by COLOURlovers

• Teal: We’ve had about 15 years to recover from the teal binge of the late 80s/early 90s and it’s time for this lovely color to make a comeback. Sadly, it doesn’t render well on a computer screen. Imagine it bolder and richer, with a little more green. Surprisingly, teal hasn’t really taken off yet (it’s not as easy to find in stores as, say, purple), so I predict that anything you buy now will wear well for at least a couple more years.
• Dark Gray: Ubiquitous on the runways, goes with everything, and flattering on more people than stark black.
• Light Gray: Gray is everywhere this season, so it’s worth having some variety in shades. Don’t stop with dark and light, try medium gray, too. You don’t have to limit yourself to a palette of 5 colors like I did.
• Plum: From a blueish to a more magenta-ish hue, plum (dark, rich purple) is very current. This is one of the fashion industry picks that I think people will actually warm up to.
• Gold: Another color that doesn’t render well on the computer screen; you’ll just have to imagine that it’s metallic. I believe that gold jewelry, gold accessories, even gold nail polish will appeal to a large number of people this fall.

Like many other fashion bloggers, I keep my eye on the big spring and fall shows in New York to see where trends are going. Looking at the shows gives me some kind of zeitgeist for where fashion is headed, and an occasional longing for some fabulously expensive item that can’t be purchased by mere mortals.

But every now and then I see a designer who really does something different. The Rodarte Fall 2008 collection is a work of art. The looks are beautifully constructed and, I think, offer a fresh perspective on the goth aesthetic. Goth has been really overdone as of late, to the point where you can buy baby clothes at Wal-Mart with skulls on them. This Rodarte collection, by contrast, is a far cry from “mall goth” and convincingly dark. Who would have thought that red and white chiffon could look so sinister?

I read via the Consumerist that Americans are spending a lot less these days. With the economy on the rocks and the word "recession" slipping from economists’ lips, it’s understandable that consumers are nervous about their financial future.

I wonder, though, whether an economic recession would be enough to make people overcome shopping prejudices. I’m speaking specifically about many people’s dislike of second-hand clothing stores. Will Americans just buy fewer clothes this year to save money, or will we see a change of heart and a surge in the number of consignment and thrift store shoppers?

I just realized that winter is fast approaching and I forgot to post my color predictions for the season.

The robin’s-egg blue was inspired by Fashionista, who keeps mentioning it as an up-and-coming nail color. The bright purple I keep seeing everywhere, so it feels very current.

It goes well with both navy and gray, and it hasn’t been in for long enough that you probably don’t own anything that color. I think that the dark orangey-red family of colors, usually called rust, are in for a resurgence over the next couple of years. If you buy rust now, it should look current ’til at least 2009, depending on where you live.

I created a palette over at ColourLovers to show how rust might work with possible fall colors. If you click on this palette, you may notice I named the color in the middle “oxidized.” I think the color name “rust” has too many negative associations for people. You’ll probably see it called “bittersweet” or “blood orange” or “cinnabar.” Post your own suggestions for rusty pseudonyms in the comments!