As all of my friends know (as do the folks at Visa), I love clothes. BIGTIME love. Others who share the passion (or disease depending on how you look at it) know of what I speak. I covet quality and beautiful fabric. I like to be well put together and I appreciate it when others make a similar effort. Unfortunately I'm not sure I'll be doing much shopping come fall.

I distinguish clothes from fashion, because I think of the latter as more of the art form than something to wear. Knowing the general trends and what looks good on my own body is about the extent of how much consideration I give the subject. I really don’t think it should be taken too seriously.

Of course I respect that fashion is art, and that it has a practical element as well makes it all the more interesting. But more than it is art, fashion is business. Very big business. And that means every season designers must reinvent reasons to get us to shop. As a result there are always a few hits we lust after, but also a few misses that would be best left on the runway. And this fall there are some doozies in that department. Here are my suggestions on what to avoid come autumn:

The turtlneck dickie. Seriously? While it is perhaps useful for hiding an aging neck (like mine), this one should be reserved for the ski slopes.

Furry shoes. I get that there’s a comfort theme running through fall fashions, but I’m wondering if the designers who came up with this one were feeling chilly at the time. Aside from looking gnarly, these make me think of the sweaty feet inside them. I don’t think they will do well in the rainy Northwest.

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Second skin boots. While sexy in a dominatrix sort of way, what if you’re asked to remove them when you go inside? That could be an awkward and possibly undignified experience. I do see the appeal, but I don’t think it’s one that’s easy to wear and I suspect they’ll wind up collecting dust in the closet.

Culottes. I want to love culottes, really I do. And I did when I was 10. But I just cannot get with this trend. Your fashion friends will appreciate your culottes, but I bet your husband won’t (if that matters to you). Opt for long wide leg pants instead, which are also on trend and much more flattering.

But it’s not all bad news for the clotheshorse this season. There are lots of cute flats, red tartan and pencil skirts on the top trends lists. Fortunately I already have all of them covered, saved from the last time they hit the runway.