Lipstick jungle

This season, sophisticated looks make a return to form

It was during an unusually balmy spell in Manhattan last February that the long dormant style crept up on tastemakers fanning themselves in the shoulder-to-shoulder heat of crowded fashion shows. Designers showing their women's fall/winter 2008 collections in the Bryant Park tents rediscovered a part of the body that had been ignored under shapeless trapeze and baby doll dresses: The waistline.

After multiple seasons of dressing grown women like petulant school girls, and prompting countless celebrity pregnancy rumors thanks to dresses that hid secrets under flowing fabric, designers returned to tailored, fitted forms, and runway models suddenly looked ready for a glamorous and grown-up day at the office.

"This season is an antidote to the loose, casual style of dressing that's been prevalent for so long," says Nicole Phelps, executive editor of Style.com. "Everybody needed a change. I think you could argue that there are some aspects of dressing up that are already making a comeback - like tights. And I think we're going to be seeing a lot more of that this fall."

The man leading the charge was none other than sharp-tongued "Project Runway" judge Michael Kors. His massive fall collection was directly influenced by the genteel 1960s cocktail-ready look of "Mad Men." Tweed dresses were accented with silk scarves, and somewhere Kim Novak was smiling.

Other designers followed suit and waistlines came out of hibernation, emerging with belted dresses and wide-legged trousers.

It may be a challenge to sell this look to consumers who have enjoyed a culture of casual Fridays and loose-fitting frocks that can be worn alone or over skinny jeans. Chances are women won't return to the girdle to nip in their waists, although a good pair of Spanx probably wouldn't hurt.

And although fur was prominent in runway shows for this fall's collections, Phelps thinks it unlikely that pelts will stage a comeback, not for the reasons that People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals may hope, but because of the expense involved in procuring them.

Already happily embracing the more refined look of this fall's forthcoming tweeds is designer Laura Bennett, who won fans on "Project Runway" with her very adult evening dresses.

"There is a caveat though," she says. "The danger with this kind of clothing comes in the styling. One can actually look perfect to a fault. If you are going to wear a perfect little Tippi Hedron dress, with prim shoes and bag and proper hair, it is going to come off looking like a period piece. As classic as Michael's [Kors] clothing tends to be, his accessories are very modern, that is really the only way to carry off the look. One can always ask themselves, 'What would my mother wear with this?' and then don't wear it."

At its most extreme, the look can be very Douglas Sirk. In moderation, however, it's simply a return to classic tailored clothing. And American designers were not the only clothiers ready to toss the baby doll look into the charity shop bin.

"It was really funny to see the other fall collections from London, Paris, and Milan," says designer Brian Reyes, who showed in New York and attended the European shows. "It was fairly covered up and conservative. They were having the same mindset. It was a very tailored moment for everyone. Last spring you were having a surreal moment in fashion with crazy explosions of color. It just needed to come down, and the result is a very grounded fall."

Christopher Muther can be reached at muther@globe.com.