A Hairy Topic

Almost every woman loves their hair or wants to love their hair.  It's a woman's crowning glory, even when it's not there.  My grandmother, towards the end, would refuse to wear her chemo wig, stating that she was still alive, so to hell someone who thought she needed to be ashamed of her baldness.  I have seen ladies chop off waist length fried out hair to a healthy pixie and rock it out.  Find the style and color that rocks your socks off and wear the hell out of it. (Caveat: check with HR before you rock the purple 'hawk, to make sure you don't lose your job over it.)  I don't give two flying fucks in a high wind if the hot thing is a caramel bob.  If you like your waist length platinum hair (and it's not fried out), rock that shit!
That said, the easiest way to keep your hair gorgeous and a thing of pride, aside from finding the cut and color you love, is to take care of your hair.  Don't kill it with heat, product, and chemicals.  Wear it au naturel, whatever that is for you: curly, kinky, stick straight,whatever.  The quickest way to fry your hair is to use heat and chemicals to make it what it's not.
Black women: rock that 'fro, dreads, or braids; you don't need weave and straighteners. Please, ladies, I'm tired of seeing hair teased and tortured into something it's not.  Go natural. I realize it takes effort and time, more than weave, possibly, but I encourage you to step up and stand out for what is right for your hair and for your culture.
Curly and wavy haired gals, from tight ringlets to loosely curled: don't straighten it.  I've known entirely too many straight haired gals (I was one) that would kill to keep a curl in their hair.  I realize this takes time and effort, and a short cut on an extremely curly haired girl can go horribly wrong.  But, if you can take the time and effort to find a good hairdresser and/ or brush it out right, you will look damn hot, without fried hair.
Stick straight haired girls, my sisters who can't keep a curl even if they want to: let it be. A curtain of stick straight hair is absolutely just as gorgeous as a 'fro, bouncy hair, or a wavy mane.  Don't attack it with a curling iron when it won't stay anyways.  Rock it!
This all said, if you truly feel better in a style of hair that isn't your natural texture or color, find a way to do it with as little damage to the hair as possible.  Frizzy, fried out hair, no matter it's length or cut, is not sexy or good looking.  It's truly akin to skankyho hair.  Try demipermanent hair color instead of permanent, if you can. Try a less harsh relaxer.  See if there's a perm that'll take the heating elements out of your routine (no, not all perms make you look like an '80s reject.) Healthy hair looks a million times better than heated into a fried mess hair.
A special message to my chicas who have lost their hair for some reason (chemo, alopecia, etc.): Ditch the wigs and bandanas (unless you need the coverage against the sun.)  Rock the bald look.  Make it your own.  Have fun with markers and waterbased paints.  When people ask and stare, stare back and say "this is me, are you brave enough to do it?"

Down Low: Fall/ Winter 2012

When you mention winter clothes, most people think boots, pants, and heavy coats.  Even in warmer climates, it's boots and coats.  Fashion designers this years have apparently decided that your legs don't get cold.  There are still boots out, and pants, but it appears that the ladylike silhouette of Mad Men and the rockabilly trend have taken over winter.
Ladies who love clothing with an actual waist, as opposed the shapeless sacks we've been seeing, you're in luck.  Belts, dresses with waists, pencil skirts, peplums... it all centers around showing off the feminine waist. 
Belts, as you've seen, are one of my favorite accessories.  Use a leather one, a cloth one, tie on a scarf as one, and BAM, a less than shapely outfit fit right and looks good. Proud of your waistline? Buckle a belt around it.  Don't care for your waist, but love your bust? Put a belt just under the bust.  Pants keep falling down?  put on a belt and tuck your shirt in to show off the belt.  Verdict: Unless you truly don't like your torso, or have other issues with belts, get a few.  While skinny belts are technically the hot thing, any belt (excluding the overly wide corset belt) is your friend.  This "trend" has never really wavered, even in the era of the potato sack.  I'd say stick with the classics and subdued version of the hot new trend, or you run the risk of looking like a teenybopper.
I also love a dress with a waist.  It looks good on damn near everyone, from the skinny toothpick to the heavily overweight.  Even if it's only the dress that has a waist, that create the illusion of the wearer having more of a waist.  A potato sack dress does very few people any favors.  Verdict: Enjoy this trend.  It is one of the very few in recent years that is nearly universally flattering.  Stick with the waist height that looks best on you (empire, natural waist, dropped waist) and you're in like Flynn.  I also believe this one may stick around a while, as a backlash against the shapeless dresses of the past several years.
Pencil skirts, straight skirts, wiggles skirts: whatever your preferred variety is, these are very "in" right now.  These cause the same waist effect that a good dress with a waist does.  Verdict: There's a reason these are considered classics.  Get at least one (preferably as a suit.)  Don't go too high in the leg (it turns into a skanky ho mini) or too long (sister wife or 1980s reject.)  Ideally, you want it to land within a couple inches either direction of the knee.  Also beware of frou frou detailing or detailing that would instantly date it.  You want a classic look.
Peplums are also back in. These also fall into the waisted category, and can be very figure flattering on many figures.  This is a very ladylike silhouette.  Verdict: This one comes down to personal taste.  It is a VERY feminine cut, so if you generally dress more tomboyish or avoid the romantic looks, I'd give this one a miss.  If you do go for it, the trend should be around for at least a year.  Just beware the overexaggerated peplum and the one in a very stiff material, as both of these can cast you toward fashion victim territory and make your hips appear ginormous.
For those of you that mostly wear pants, you're almost SOL.  There are a few trends I was able to dig up, but they seem to have taken a backseat to the skirt and dress this winter.  From what I've seen, the skinny/ cigarette pant trend has no intention of slowing down or going away.  This winter, it's colorful skinny jeans, cigarette/ stovepipe pants in nearly any color of the rainbow, and patterned pants.  (Translation: if you live in boot cut or wide leg pants, like I do, you're screwed.)
If you loved the skinny jean sensation this past year, you're in luck. Now they come in more colors and a couple variations of skinny.  You can even get them in patterns!  Verdict: This one's a matter of personal taste.  If you like skinnies, enjoy this trend, it shows no signs of going anywhere.  Stay away from the overly trendy colors (neon green leopard print is a bad idea) and don't get the leggings style to wear as pants. LEGGINGS ARE NOT PANTS.
Cigarette pants and stovepipe pants are back in season, too.  Unfortunately, it appears that the fashion gods have decree that this shall exist only in slacks, not jeans, for whatever reason.  Remember, this is the season of Audrey Hepburn and Mad Men, so of course we aren't entertaining your silly warmth ideas. Verdict: A cigarette or stovepipe pant can look good on nearly any figure, depending on the top it is paired with.  Beware that these are both meant to be ankle pants, so bunching around the ankles isn't good. 
If you like colorful, patterned pants, this is your season!  Brocade, prints, and true colors are all big things. Verdict: If you decide to partake in this trend, be very careful.  The colorful pants thing shows no signs of slowing down, but it can turn into a very dated look in the near future.  I'd avoid the wild patterns and brocade on the pants.  This one is nearly impossible to do right; you either look like a fashion victim, like a 60 year old woman at the opera, or like an '80s reject.