In a nod to the 80s, designers are bringing back metallic for everything
from dresses to flats. (Creative Commons Licensed.)

What comes to mind when you think about metallic clothing?  Space ships?  Miniscule men with antennae protruding out of their little green heads?  Yes, I imagined the same things, however, this season that is all about to change.  

Instead of miniscule men, you should start imagining miniscule mini-dresses and luxe jackets.  Metallic everything and anything is the hottest trend right now, and you don't have to be from Mars to pull it off.

It is very rare to see similar trends walk down the runway for fall and spring consecutively, but metallic clothing was so hot, it was seen in both the Fall 2009 and Spring 2010 seasons.  Everyone from Devi Kroell to Marc Jacobs seemed eager to use metallic wherever possible.  

Dresses, bathing suits, jackets, and not to mention accents on everything, were constructed out of soft metallic fabrics in any color and shade imaginable.  Marc Jacobs said his Spring 2010 collection is a departure from all of the studs and leather that was seen in the fall, and he is absolutely right.  

Metallic fabrics may have been seen as edgy in the past, but this season metallic has taken on a new aesthetic.  The hottest pieces this fall are soft and elegant while being youthful and energetic at the same time.  Think Avril Lavigne attending the opera in Paris...

Here is my favorite metallic look of the week: skinny jeans paired with a simple tank top and a metallic bomber jacket.  This look can take you from casual (swap out the luxe bomber jacket for metallic flats), to the hottest club in a matter of minutes.  

And because one look is simply just not enough when it comes to metallic (yes, I have become slightly obsessed with the versatile 80s meets absolutely amazing that is metallic), here are my must-have metallic pieces for the fall and spring:

-Biker jackets from Stella McCartney, Bally and Smythe (Intermixonline.com)
-Dresses and tops from Devi Kroell, Marc Jacobs and French Connection
-Skirts from Haute Hippie, Loeffler Randall and Zara
-Everything metallic from American Apparel

So, while metallic clothing may have conjured up images for you in the past of outer space or crazy parties at Studio 54, this season I hope it brings lasting memories that span beyond aliens and leave you with a feeling of energy and elegance.