"Stacking" is a re-emerging fashion trend in jewelry. Every other decade, it becomes popular again. What is it? Stacking is the layering of bracelets. If done right, stacking can liven up an otherwise dull outfit. If done wrong, stacking can make the wearer look like a bag lady. So, what are the rules surrounding this trend?
The rules for stacking jewelry are simple. You don't have to be a rocket scientist to do them. They are:

Rule #1: Stay in the same color family.
Don't mix and match colors if plan on layering your bracelets. Even if it seems like a good idea, too many colored bracelets will overpower an outfit. So, instead of looking chic, you'll look cheap.

Rule #2: Wear ethnic materials together.
Many ethnic bracelets are created with wood. Because of the texture and pattern, they don't mix well with gold or silver. Therefore, you should stack them together. Be sure your earrings match them as well.

Rule #3: Treat pearl bracelets as neutrals.
Pearl bracelets can be used as neutrals when you stack gold or even silver bracelets. Here's how to do it. Layer on two or three pairs of gold (or silver) bracelets and then slide on a pearl bracelet. (Be sure they match in size.) The pearl bracelet will help accentuate all of the other ones (bracelets) you are wearing.

Rule #4: Mix bangles with chains.
By mixing bangles with chain bracelets, you will add texture to your stacked jewelry. The contrast of a smooth bangle with a linked bangle will add more sophistication to your look.

Rule #5: Stack bracelets with watches.
You've seen (and admired) this look before, but nine times out of ten haven't tried it. To liven up a bland watch, add a similar bracelet to it. This mix works best with "skinny" gold or silver watches. Stack bracelets behind the watch or on either sides as bookends.

Follow these stacking rules and you'll brighten up your wardrobe. You will also be able to take advantage of a fashion trend that is cross-generational.

In 2007, birth rates rose dramatically across the board in America. It seemed that during that time everyone of every age was either getting pregnant or having a baby. So, how has that affected our culture today? It's led the way to more baby fashion lines. Some of which are very questionable.

One of the more questionable baby fashion lines is called "Heelarious." They make high heels for babies. High heels? Unless something has changed, high heels are not shoes that a baby really needs. Nevertheless, "Heelarious" has got a lot of TV and magazine advertisement time. It brings up a new question for parents. What is it? Are there any clothing rules for babies?

Yes! There are clothing rules for babies. Mainly, they are ones that help keep them safe, healthy and in-line with social norms. Here are a few important ones. Babies should be dressed in clothing that . . .

Fits the Weather
Forget about dressing your baby in clothing that doesn't keep him warm just because he delights in being naked. Adorn him with clothing that keeps him warm in the winter and cool in the summer. By doing so, it will help your baby fight sickness and disease.

Suits Their Age
Childhood only happens once. So, let your baby enjoy his. Dress him in Dockers and other clothing suitable for his age. Leave the high heels and other adult clothing created for babies and kids on the shelf.

Keeps them Comfortable
Pay close attention to the kind of clothing your baby likes to wear. If he always rips anything wool off of him, quit buying it. Opt for cotton clothing instead and keep him comfortable.

These three rules should help you keep your baby in fashion. Notice that I didn't mention any actual baby trends. Why? I didn't mention any because until your baby goes to school, they really don't matter.

The pencil skirt first emerged as a style with a name after World War II. With the end of cloth rationing, clothes could once again be luxurious and used fabric in ways more inventive than utilitarian military styling. This led both to the full, crinoline skirts of the 1950s, but also to longer, sleek styles that echoed pre-World War I silhouettes with their full busts and corseted waists. These styles also emphasized hips and were made even more dramatic by a fishtail flare around the ankles.

By the end of WWII, a more casual world filled with more active women only supported the fishtail detail for evening or formal occasions, but the long narrow skirt, now dubbed a pencil skirt, was ready to make a comeback. These tight skirts in their most extreme form were essentially hobble skirts -- difficult to walk in and almost impossible to sit down in. The look was emphasized by a corseted waist, emphasized by how this fashion of the times was photographed with the model standing with one foot behind the other and angling their hips forward to make the skirt look even narrower than it was.

As the sixties approached, skirts began to change again with hemlines going up and structure and tightness going down. These more freely moving skirts became the dominant fashion statement in the 1970s, but the pencil skirt was far from dead.

The pencil skirt reemerged as a fashion item in the 1980s as a curvier look became fashionable for women again, and highly structure clothes appealed as women became more focused on taking leadership positions in the workplace. The pencil skirt of the 1980s, though, was slightly more practical, often being styled with buttons or even a zipper up the back to allow the woman to adjust the skirt to make it easier to move in.

While the 1990s saw a retreat from structured clothing with retro-70s styles and the emergence of the grunge look, structured clothes returned with the turn of the millennium -- a trend inspired both by an interest in the fashion of the first half of the 20th century and the fact that war-time fashions historically tend to be structured. Today's pencil skirts, often paired with a "secretary blouse" (tight waist, short puffed sleeves and loose but suggestive bust line) are shorter than the hobbling pencil skirts of the 1950s, usually coming in at about knee length, but their strong silhouette continues to be appealing.

If being neutral was a crime, some of you'd be in prison for life. Yes, I am talking about you. You are the person who buys everything in tan, cream or brown so you ALWAYS fit in and match. You probably are ecstatic now because you found out through that neutral is the new trend. However, before you start doing flips, learn the rules.

Yes, there are rules that apply to dressing in neutral. These rules are designed to help you use all of the colors that fit in this category to your advantage. They will help you avoid looking bland and washed out. So, ready to learn them? Here they are:

Mix Up Your Neutrals
Forget about buying tan in the same color and mixing it all together. This look will guarantee that no one ever notices you. Who are these no ones? They are your boss, significant other and any store clerk at Macy's. So mix it up! Wear creams with tans and make each neutral color stand out.

Add Splashes of Color
Add bright colors accessories or tops or bottoms with your neutrals. It will help bring out their color and liven up your outfit. Which colors should you go for? Think of orange, pink, yellow and blue. With a neutral offset, you can get away with wearing almost any color.

Go for Crisp Material
One of the worst things in the world to see is a pair of wrinkled, tan pants. The dullness of the color alone makes the outfit look worse. So, don't do this. Iron out your neutral clothing or buy material that doesn't wrinkle. This way you'll avoid looking like a haphazard professor.

If you follow these rules, the neutral you wear will work for you. You will look smart and stylish.

For those of us who were watching the presidential inauguration as keenly for the fashion as the politics, there were other reasons besides history to get excited. Not to minimize the enormity of the event, but as a fashion commentator who happens to be a hat lover, I was hoping Michelle Obama would opt for a fabulous, wide-brimmed hat.

Not that I blame her for her slightly more conservative but elegant choice of a bare head paired with a cutout lace dress and coat. It was still refreshing due to its color, which leant a hint of spring to the mid-winter proceedings. Because of her Ivy League education she has this perception of elitism to overcome, and for the First Lady, there are no fashion choices that are not fraught with political meaning. As much as I personally would have enjoyed it, she couldn't go into Inauguration Day dressed like a queen. Fortunately, there was a real queen on hand with no such constraints*—Aretha Franklin*, the Queen of Soul.

Ms. Franklin was on hand to sing "My Country 'Tis of Thee" on this extraordinary day in history, and while she did it she wore an extraordinary hat. Though it was not wide-brimmed (that might have made singing with gusto difficult), it was a stunning gray wool felt topped with an enormous bow and featuring rhinestone accents with contrast stitching. There's no doubt that there's a clamor for this hat in stores and online today, and I'm hoping fervently that it's only the beginning of an epic movement to return hats to their prominent place in fashion that's been a long time coming. Thank you, Queen Aretha, and maybe the next time you're in Mrs. Obama's company, you can put a bee in her bonnet about wide brims!

Even this cold weather that we are having this winter celebrities are still rocking the miniskirts. Now, miniskirts always seem to be in style and then the next minute out of style. This has been the case for over 20 years now. Celebrities like Lilly Allen, Kate Hudson and Chloe Sevigny seem to be bringing the mini skirt back into fashion. Whether it's an actual miniskirt or a mini-dress, the short style is being seen more and more again on the Hollywood scene. If you want to sport this celebrity fashion trend but you live in a colder climate, try a mini-dress from Jean Paul Gaultier that has long sleeves but leaves little to the legs.

Other celebrities such as Mary Kate Olsen, Gwyneth Paltrow and Selma Blair are going for a much darker look this winter. They are wearing the all black ensembles with the touches of the Gothic accessories. Yes, we all know that Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen seem to have this trend down pat, but now it seems like they are setting the fashion trend with the black leggings, oversized coats and pointy black shoes. Mixing a sheer black, over-sized top with some black leggings and black heels will set you in perfect with celebrity fashion trend.

Another celebrity fashion trend that you can spot on the red carpets now is the cut-out dress. These dresses give little hints of the body here and there rather than showing off the whole package. Celebrities such as Rihanna, Jenny McCarthy, Christina Ricci and Ashley Olsen have all dazzled in cut-out dresses. This may not be a fashion trend for everyone, though, since cut-out dresses look best on woman who have the body to show off. If you still want to try this celebrity fashion trend, try to find a cut-out dress that flatters your best assets and go from there.

Celebrities are making more and more of a statement with their shoes. Their shoes are the main attraction on the red carpet. When looking for attention-getting shoes like the celebrities, think shoes that have spikes, crazy cut-outs, bows, flowers and studs. Celebrities such as Nicole Richie, Eva Longoria Parker and Fergie all like to sport the dramatic-statement shoes. One thing to remember when trying to follow this celebrity fashion trend, make sure that your shoes are comfortable and wearable if you are going to be wearing them all night.

If you aren't that interested in "notice me" shoes, how about a bold handbag to add to your outfit? Celebrities are still carrying around bold and dramatic handbags. No longer are plain black and brown handbags acceptable in Hollywood. No, you have to be like Blake Lively, Jessica Simpson or Paris Hilton and carry around a handbag that is a bold color or has unique accessories on it. Think bright pink like the bag that Alexander McQueenmakes or a geometric print handbag like Kate Spade designed. This fashion trend is definitely going to be carried into the spring months, because spring is known for color. So go ahead, take a leap and go for this celebrity fashion trend and you can act like you are Paris Hilton walking down the streets of Hollywood.

Celebrities like Rihanna, Nicole Richie and Miley Cyrus all love to make a statement with their jewelry. Look for big, chunky pieces of jewelry that sparkle and shine. Bracelets, necklaces, watches and even rings are popular choices among celebrities. To really follow this celebrity fashion trend, make sure that you are not adding too much jewelry to your outfit. You really want one or two key pieces that pop and make people take notice. If you wear too many big jewelry pieces, you may just get lost in them and that is not a celebrity fashion trend!