There isn't really any hard and fast rule when it comes to fashion these days. However, one has to know what works and what does not before choosing to wear the latest looks. As the year draws to a close, we select what was hot and what was not in fashion.

 

HOT

PEEP-TOE soles spell sex appeal to the max. Such shoes, with the front slightly cut to reveal some toes, are not only feminine and sensuous but look good with just about anything. Why, the design even makes wedges and espadrilles look hot! Also cool are shoes with architectural heels as well as fetish-inspired footwear.

 

NOT

IN the name of creativity, Nina Ricci's chunky, heel-less platforms and Alexander McQueen's bulky "armadillo" soles are severely arty. But, with their accident-prone heights, these hell heels are not hot. Strictly for showgirls like Lady Gaga and serious stylista Lady Amanda Harlech. Oh, Datuk Michelle Yeoh wore Nina Ricci's heels for a shoot in this month's Harper's Bazaar too. Then again, being a martial art expert, the actress's got good balancing skills.

 

HOT

WHETHER faux or real, exotic skins like crocodile, ostrich, python, lizard and eel (yes, Yves Saint Laurent's coveted Easy carrier comes in the latter slimy, snake-like creature's skin) add a touch of luxury to your wardrobe.

 

NOT

GOING logo is a no-no. The loud, logo-laden look of the 80s is way too showy and tacky. Why, some would even think you're insecure for wearing your double Gs and intertwined Cs head-to-toe.

 

HOT

WELL-KNOWN for his edgy designs, Alexander Wang hit fashion's top mark in the accessories department with the Coco bag. First spotted on fashionista Mary Kate Olsen, the black (it now comes in other colours like grey and denim blue) leather bag takes the form of a simple duffel but enhanced with bullet studs at the base. Fashionably fierce, the bag not only caused a sensation among stylistas but also airline carriers. Apparently, because of the heavy embellishment, it is prohibited from being carried onto an aircraft.  

 

NOT

EVER since the Lady Dior and the Saddle, Christian Dior has not really had a bag that's hot and coveted. We especially do not agree with one of its designs called the Soft Babe. In a half-round shape detailed with metal round handles, the carrier did not even get the approval of bagsnobs (of www.bagsnob.com) Tina Chen and Kelly Craig. They initially thought it was from an obscure designer!  

 

HOT

THE bob. It's sleek, chic and easy. Whether short or shoulder-skimming,the bob is a can't-go-wrong classic. No surprise why fashion maven, American Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour has had this hairdo since her teenage days.

 

NOT

THE Pob. Well, we must admit it is kinda cool but even Victoria Beckham who made the Pob (a combination of her Spice Girl name Posh and the bob hairstyle) hot is beginning to experiment with different  hairdos of late. We also find big hair a big mistake. High hair equals high maintenance. We think the big tease is only for the super-rich with a lot of time to worry about their appearance.

 

HOT

BANGLES, bracelets and cuffs detailed with pyramid studs update any old number instantly. It lends a youthful, modern edge to your wardrobe.

 

NOT

SKI goggles and oversized, white sunnies are a definite shady deal. They're so over. They either make you look like a rapper or one of Charlie's Angels.

 

HOT

COLOUR, colour and more colour. We love the fact that the fashion world is embracing colour from sombre shades to hot hues.

  

NOT

LOUD colours for men!

 

HOT

  IT  may look a tad futuristic but the eye-catching pagoda shoulders first seen on the runway at Pierre Balmain is simply fabulous. It is dramatic and glamorous without being gaudy.

 

NOT

OPAQUE stockings. Sure, every fashionista from Paris to New York wear them with their Roger Vivier pilgrim pumps but they're so over now. It's time to get naked (by this we mean leaving your legs bare) girls!

 

HOT

  DETAILING on shirts and jackets. From punk studs (at Prada), military braids (at Balenciaga) to safety pins (at Alexander McQueen), these accents give a trendy lift to menswear that can sometimes be a tad staid.

 

NOT

  TIGHTS for guys. Enough said.

 

 

HOT

A continued trend from last year and the year before,  bejewelled pieces are still hot.

From blouses, bags to shoes, fake baubles are encrusted on these items giving them a luxurious and glamorous look even for day. 

 

NOT

POP star Madonna may have worn it to the year's biggest fashion event -- the New York Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Gala --  but Louis Vuitton's velvet bunny ears (which inspired high-street knock-offs) are comic, not chic.

 

HOT

  THE boyfriend's blazer is perhaps fashion's cleverest idea ever. Slightly oversized, it hides figure flaws perfectly well. What's more, worn with the sleeves rolled up, it gives that effortless, relaxed cool vibe.

 

NOT

SHEER and diaphanous numbers are just too transparent. It's also a look that was the rage in the 90's. It does not work anymore in this day and age.