NEW YORK, NY-As the last few weeks of open-toed freedom dissolves into messy puddles of scattered rain showers and segueing blustery rifts, predictable weather inevitably lights the creative torch to the much-deprived fashionistas, unleashing a city-wide romp of unpredictable fashion and free-reign on fall’s ubiquitous looks.

On the radar: Bow-tiful bounty

Alright prep-school princesses, here’s your opportunity to have your bow and wear it, too. Ready-to-wear and the couture du jour are peppered alike with whimsical swatches of bows, in the most delightful way. Waistlines and handbags and shoes (oh my!) are following the ribboned brick road these days. Be creative: tie a bow on as a belt over a tweedy jacket, loop a prized choker necklace in place, or experiment with ballerina-esque, calf-climbing weaves. Any way you tie it, you’re sure to hold the look in place.

The Dark Side

Trailing on the heels of Hollywood’s coif-of-the-moment, the limelight’s brightest and blondest stars have sent beauty editors chasing their lead by converting their prized locks over to darker dyes. “Blonde is so last season,” is the anthem of choice chanted by newly pledged brown-ies Sarah Jessica Parker, Reese Witherspoon, Keira Knightley, Brittany Murphy and Nicky Hilton. How long will the previously platinum keep up their sinfully rich-hued indulgence? Your guess is as good as mine, but my money’s on attention span: for now, cocoa-colored hair will warm up starlets’ looks when the weather outside gets frosty, but stay tuned for bored beauties eager to get back to the peroxide bottle.

On the street:

New-age spin, Old-school print

Detail-encrusted vintage prints may conjure pangs of sneezing fits, via attic raids and time-capsuled closets, circa grandma’s first date, but they’re far from fashion history, as one of the season’s most liberal options strides boldly into the present. Originality governs the print rule of late, leading the fashion forward to experiment in pleasantly un-tapped print potential. Think full dresses, eye-catching shirts, slips of fabric detail on a blazer, in a bag, a scarf, or makeshift belt: almost anything goes. Here’s the catch: don’t drape yourself in polka dot and paisley. Be safe and spare others by not exceeding the print limit: more than one pattern per outfit, and you’re going too vast.