The old chestnut about fashion being about contrasts has never been more apt. It's not just about feminine vs. masculine, or short vs. long, or past vs. future, although all those themes played out at the Paris prêt-à-porter shows last week.

"The divergence between the known and the experimental was reflected, too, in the juxtaposition of flouncy with functional; in the contrast of sharp-edge vs. soft line; and in the multi-choice of scintillating brights, subdued flesh tones or black and white."

Much wider issues surfaced, too: democracy vs. inaccessibility, inclusion vs. exclusion and rich vs. poor. The worldwide economic quagmire cast its shadow, with critics addressing the place of extravagantly expensive fashion in a time of doom and gloom.

"The fashion industry, not to be confused with the garment trade, is in the unfortunate position of manufacturing merchandise that many would argue is wholly unnecessary and, when a $10,000 blazer is strutted down a runway by a teenager, is morally offensive.

Highlights turn back the clock. You might not necessarily have more fun as a blonde, but you will look younger. Our hair colour darkens as we age, so adding back childhood-blonde highlights is an anti-age. Simply lightening the hairline by a shade brings light, life and glow to the skin.

Glazes give hair a flattering gloss. Dark hair can be aging, but not if it's very glossy. Colour glazes are the big story.

Layers put skin in the spotlight. Heavy hair by the face shades the skin, making it look dull. Which makes the trend for blunt fringes less flattering than 'shorter layer with movement around the face that let light shine through'.

There is a French phrase that I adore: bien dans sa peau, or "happy in her own skin." When I see a woman who looks like that, I know she is fashion savvy. She's dressed just right and she knows it. There's no fussing, no checking every nanosecond to make sure a seam's not crooked that her hem's straight. She looks as if she could rule the world. On days like that, she probably could.

In these uncertain times, she might just have to, which is perhaps why designers have introduced three major trends for spring 2008, that play on the idea of dressing for empowerment.

So what are the high-fashion equivalents of the proverbial security blanket, the piece that won't ever let you down? With just one of these pieces in my wardrobe, I could kiss bad days goodbye forever. And let's face it - we all have bad days.