Dear Avery,
I’m going to a party in a few weeks that requires semi-formal attire — basically a nice cocktail dress. I know how to dress up in the spring and summer, but now that it’s a little cooler out, what type of dress should I wear?

Though fall brings with it some wonderful things like pumpkin spice lattes, apple pie and Fashion Week, it also offers a few challenges when it comes to looking fancy. It may not necessarily be difficult to find the right dress, but accessorizing can be a challenge — wearing a windbreaker over your cocktail dress on a cool, drizzly fall night doesn’t exactly scream “chic.” Not that I don’t love a nice windbreaker, but you have some more fashionable options.

No. 1

If you were paying any attention to the runways in New York, you may have noticed that baroque patterns are everywhere. Think of post-Renaissance Europe, lots of gold and anything painted by Rembrandt. But while baroque patterns can be a little too stuffy and conservative, you don’t have to be so serious: splash a baroque pattern on a body-hugging pencil dress, pair with some color-of-the-moment burgundy (or if you’re classy, “merlot”) heels and a studded shoulder bag for some edge. Top it all off with a structured tan blazer with big gold buttons — bonus points for anything military-inspired — and you’ll be the hottest thing since “Girl with a Pearl Earring.”

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Blazer
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Bag

No. 2

You know it’s going to be a great autumn when the runways at Fashion Week showed gold sparkles everywhere. Gold sequined body suits, gold lame dresses — it’s a dream come true for the Golden Girls, Kanye West and Jamie Foxx, or General Ratcliffe from “Pocahontas.” Basically, gold sparkles are having a moment and you don’t want to miss out. So with that in mind, snatch up your nearest gold sequined mini dress and wear it like the “Gold Digger” you are deep down inside. But if you’re a little shy, or just don’t want to blind people with your shine, play it down with a super-soft gray angora cardigan, lady-like, ballerina-pink pumps and a neutral scalloped clutch.

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Sweater
Clutch
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No. 3

I know what you may be thinking: “It’s been nine months, I’m sick to death of orange.” Well, I have two things to say to that. 1) Don’t even try to tell me you’re sick of orange until you live in Syracuse, the home of the Orange, and everything down to the plates in the dining hall are a lovely, glaring shade of tangerine and 2) Since it’s the 2012 Pantone Color of the Year, you may as well wear it to death before the year ends. Enter: the most orange party dress on the planet. What it may lack in subtlety it makes up for in being adorable, flattering, backless and having an awesomely shiny gold metal belt. While this girly style may not be for everyone, it’s easy to ramp up the sex appeal with leopard-print platform pumps. Pair with a black and gold envelope clutch and add a floral bomber jacket because, well, why the heck not?

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Jacket
Bag