I'm totally in love with the Spanish fashion world. Why? Skinny girls have now been banned from the catwalk. In Spain, skinny girls are out, and larger, more normal looking girls are in. For those of us who aren't a size 0 (most of the world, I might add), this is a welcome change and one that should be adopted by every other country's fashion industry.

I was in Spain recently on vacation and immediately noticed that Spanish girls are quite curvy (good for me, as I tend to be the same). But they have fabulous fashion sense and wear gorgeous clothes in beautiful, high-quality fabrics and designs. The latest fashion trends in Spain have been long flowing floral dresses that are really romantic, jeans with a faded look and lots of jersey pieces. Leather three-quarter length jackets are also making a comeback along with plaid skirts and pants and thigh length knitted cardigans. (Spain can get quite cold in winter, which surprises many foreigners who arrive in December toting bikinis for 50 degree weather).

Lately, Spanish fashion has been influenced by designs from acting luminaries like Penelope Cruz and Milla Jovovich, who have been designing collections for a popular Spanish chain boutique. Knitted pieces in vibrant greens and purples are part of Penelope Cruz's latest designs along with dark brown and black leather pieces. Milla Jovovich, on the other hand, is into flowing, flowery dresses that are slightly off-beat and cool. Clutch bags in bright yellows, greens, purples and pinks are also all the rage, especially if made in Italian silk and complimented by brightly colored accessories.

Overall, there is no strict fashion code in Spain. Everyone pretty much wears what they want. In the summer, you'll see lots of dresses, skirts, skinny tops and shorts, and in the winter, sweaters, jeans and jackets reign supreme. For this reason, Spain is one of my favorite fashion countries. The Spanish have great style but don't insist that everyone looks alike. Other country's fashion cultures could take some hints from that.

One thing my mother always says about British fashion is this: If it's in fashion in the UK this year, it'll be in fashion in the U.S. next year. Her philosophy is that British fashion is usually one year ahead of the U.S., and from what I've seen, I think she's correct.

The first thing that always surprises me and makes me laugh when I go to the UK is how quickly the Brits strip down to bare bones clothes - shorts, tank tops and spaghetti strap tops - even though, by American standards, it's still freezing outside. My latest trip was no exception. The weather in England is so cold for most of the year that, when it hits 65 degrees, that's a heat wave for the Brits and they're darn well gonna take off as many clothes as possible to enjoy the sun.

Overall though, the Brits do have a good sense of style. Also, as they go out quite a bit to the local pub orceat dinner with friends, British women tend to spend a lot of money on clothes for evenings. For women, current fashions are spaghetti strap tops and dresses, brightly colored dressescand skirts in all lengths and shawls (both heavy and lightweight) forcevening wear. Pants are also in style in block colors, with Capriscstill being pretty fashionable, especially in black, white and beige. These are paired with designer T- shirts or filmy, flowing tops. There's also been a re-emergence of ethnic fashions with clothing from India, Thailand and Nepal coming back in vogue.

For men, classic khakis and black trousers or jeans in classic cuts, paired with shirts cut in clean lines and often with a colorful sweater or hooded sweatshirt to finish out the outfit. In the evenings, the UK gets pretty chilly. Keep a sweater or jacket to keep out the cold.

In the UK, as long as clothes are cut well and have a stylish flair, it doesn't really matter what you wear. All lengths of dresses and skirts are fine along with T-shirts, shirts, blouses and spaghetti strap tops. Classic British men's clothes will never go out of style so an investment in beautifully tailored pants and shirts will always be a good bet. Oh, don't forget Bermuda shorts. They're back in fashion too and look great with a nice pair of Italian leather loafers.