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How does the fashion industry tackle the fact that shoppers may not actually care about trends this season? Among other things, it cleverly spins a yarn that women should be looking for investment pieces, that the notion of “fast fashion” is incongruous with concerns about the economy and environment.

Clothes won't be getting less expensive any time soon. In fact, just the reverse seems to be happening; designer boots are now inching into the four-figure price range, which is why the predominant message from fashion's talking heads is to spend more wisely.

“I think we're heading into a much more conservative way of dressing, where clothes have a classic but modern bent to them,” says Barbara Atkin, vice-president of fashion direction for Holt Renfrew. “When we see the economy fluctuating the way it is and people are re-evaluating what they are spending, I think we're actually looking for signals that speak to success. And we're looking to traditional signals that we've all grown up with for decades and decades and they're coming back in a new way.”

Think bow blouses, chain-link bags, tartan, long luxurious coats, flat boots and updated versions of the little black dress. These are as blue-chip as trends get.

And let's not forget the new heirloom: couture lace, which has been masterfully revived from the mothballed closet by Miuccia Prada. In a rejection of dainty and demure, she showed textured knee-length skirts and dresses that have a veiling rather than peekaboo effect. (Cut-out knitwear, lace's distant cousin, were the theme of her Miu Miu collection.)

As Nina Garcia, the incoming fashion director for Marie Claire, rightly points out, “we don't dress head to toe runway any more.” When buying statement pieces, the Project Runway judge suggests women should ask themselves, “Will it have some longevity or will you put it away and never wear it again?”

Having just finished a new book called The One Hundred: A Guide to the Pieces Every Stylish Woman Must Own (due out at the end of this month), Garcia feels strongly about “style pillars.” In other words, choose pieces that are relevant to your daily life. A handbag shouldn't have excess hardware, she says. “That's what's going to date your bag.” Chain link is the exception because of the association with the iconic quilted Chanel 2.55 (named after its launch in February, 1955).

For many women, a bow blouse will be this season's must-have. It is elegance redefined: less 1980s Working Girl than Catherine Deneuve in Belle de Jour. “If it's too feminine or ruffly, you kill it,” says Adrian Mainella, host of Fashion File.

Jodhpurs and flat, equestrian-inspired boots paired with blazers have the potential to become a weekend uniform.

Cue the return – yet again – of tartan, a “perennial favourite,” according to Atkin. This time, however, variations on plaid seem to be blanketing every possible category, from handbags to booties.

As far as colours go, fuchsia and neon orange aren't exactly subtle. Alternatively, designers such as Olivier Theyskens for Nina Ricci set their sights on shades of russet. Amethyst, or deep plum, is an improvement on chocolate brown.

But black has no competition this fall – even jewellery and sunglasses are dark and more Gothic. This channels a “superheroine of the netherworld” look that avoids straying into Elvira territory thanks to sculpted silhouettes.

The more obvious reason for a season of black is that it just makes sense. “We gravitate as consumers to simple black items when we're spending money,” Atkin says.

Which means black is the new green. Setting aside inroads made in organic and sustainable fabrics such as hemp and bamboo, Mainella says, “the only truly green fashion is buying and investing in pieces that you're going to wear for years to come. It's not wasteful fashion.”