Fall 2011 Trends: Hemlines do double duty as dusters...

Photo: Dan Lecca for Cynthia Steffe

...for your floors, unless you have a handmaiden to lift the bottom of your dress as you scurry about town. Boy blazers, boy flats with shoelaces, menswear-inspired plaids, shapeless bulky sweaters - for girls - why do designers design to dress dames like dudes? Guys look out for a little extra competition from women tomorrow at the Barneys Warehouse Sale who may be stocking up for themselves for Fall 2011. Leather everything. A resurgence of jade, emerald and sea foam greens -- redheads, this is your season to rule. Lush luxe fur looks in rainbow of hues. Sleeves on dresses are back - finally. Opaque tights - use those Lord & Taylor coupons now! Cozy neck wraps. Antique gold. Red. Color me happy.

/nancy brenner

Don't look back at Barney's long lines - you may turn into a pillar of salt

Sharp hipbones swiveling for spots at the bench for shoe try-on. Come to the sale with padding. One hoarder had well over 100 pairs in a clear plastic bag. Turnout huge - all ages, all sizes, all boros, white hairs, flaming bottle reds. The unemployed, the good weather, the curious, consider The Barney's Warehouse Sale a free edition of the Fringe Festival. Look for markdowns of 25% off extra on blue marked shoes.

~brenner, nancy

Where do Upper East Siders Find Fall Fashion Foliage?

Some New Yorkers plan their staycations around the big bang Barney's warehouse sale, while others line up a day earlier for the Memorial Sloan Kettering Fall opening slated for August 18th (yes, the line runs around the block). The Arthritis Foundation already kicked off their Fall shopping yesterday. The Upper East Side is dotted with a dozen thrifts worth discovering, below are a few to peruse. Call for shopping or donation hours.

Memorial Sloan-Kettering Thrift Shop 1440 3rd. Ave., (212) 535-1250
Arthritis Foundation Thrift Shop 121 E. 77th St. 10021, (212) 772-8816 [Hours are from 10-6]
Housing Works Thrift Shop 202 E. 77th St., NYC, 10021 (212) 772-8592
Irving Institute for Medical Research Thrift Shop 1534 2nd Ave., NYC, 10021, (212) 879-4555
Spence-Chapin Thrift Shop 1430 3rd. Ave., (212) 737-8448

~nANCY bRENNER