Superheroes have seeped into every dark corner of pop culture. References to superheroes are as popular on The Big Bang Theory as they were on Seinfeld in the 1990s. The slew of superhero movies has been a box office tsunami, and you've probably wondered about the cool clothes superheroes wear. You can borrow some fashion ideas from superheroes for work, as long as you don't wear them all on the same day or you may be banished into oblivion.

Cape
Every gal loves a cape. A cape is a comfortable, non-binding cover up that forgives your extra fall and winter layers. A cape will dance in the wind, even if that cape is made of wool and the wind is made of icy air. A fashionable cape may not help you fly, but your spirits will definitely soar.

Sleek Knee-High Boots
If you go with black, you might be able to wear a pair of sleek black boots to the office. Hide them under a long skirt, if you must. Knee-high black boots, with a bit of sheen and a low-heel will add Amazonian confidence to your day.

Two Wrist Cuffs
In the same Wonder Woman tradition, a pair of wide gold bangle cuffs, one on each wrist will make a strong statement at work. Tone down the superhero reference by opting for silver, bronze or copper instead of a brilliant gold.

Painted Mask
The truly courageous can wear a mask to work. Not a real mask, but a painted mask, a la Portia de Rossi on Ally McBeal. She used black pencil eyeliner to draw a mask over her eyes and along her temples. Her reasoning was that she didn't have any clients that day anyway. The playful mask was an interesting juxtaposition to her otherwise rigid character.

Smart Glasses
Disguise your true identity with a pair of dark-rimmed smart glasses (sans prescription lenses), similar to those worn by Tina Fey and Clark Kent.

Just put your lips together, and go on a search for the 1940s styles to enhance your fall wardrobe. While many people will suggest Casablanca as the must-see 1940s Bogart movie, it wrongly overshadows another Bogart movie, To Have and Have Not.

To Have and Have Not was the breakthrough role for Bogart's future wife, Lauren Bacall. The styles of the 1940s, including fashions worn by Lauren Bacall in To Have and Have Not, are back in vogue, particularly the fashions of the late 1940s.

Lauren Bacall
In To Have and Have Not, Lauren Bacall did not have a new outfit for every scene. She had a few memorable outfits in the movie, and each one was perfectly suited to the occasion. She wore a slinky dress with part of her midriff showing for her singing scene.

Bacall's Black and White Checked Suit
In the movie Lauren Bacall wore a black and white checked suit, similar to the black and white suits being made today. The small checks are seen on longer coats with matching man-style trousers, as well as skirt and coat pairs. The suit for women is back, and the economic climate of today mimics the uncertainty of the post-war decade. While fabric rationing is not happening now as it did in the 1940s, women know that investing in key pieces is essential for staying in style and within their budget.

Trench Coats
The trench coat was a must-have for 1940s Film Noir detectives, and Humphrey Bogart was no stranger to the trenches. In addition to actual trench coats for fall, trench coat collars are also finding their way onto more feminine suits and separates.

Ankle Socks
Another trend from the 1940s that has incarnated into the popular ankle boot, is ankle socks. Material to make nylons was scarce and women were encouraged instead to wear fancy ankle socks.

Shoe Silhouettes and Ankles
The silhouette of these Enzo Angolioni shoes is reminiscent of shoes popular in the late 1930s. Mary Janes and low-heeled birdcage shoes also made an appearance.

Fashions of the 1980s are hot commodities right now. There are those of us who remember wanting to pull off some version of Madonna's look in Desperately Seeking Susan, much like Rosanna Arquette. Women wanted to dress like her and the guys all wanted to be with her. The movie made a huge impact on youth culture and high school fashions of the mid 1980s.

Today we are clamoring for the 1980s look, in all its excess, perhaps because we cannot live so lavishly as we did back then. Less caution is being thrown to the wind, and the fashion conscious are more conscious of their bottom line. Incorporating elements from the outrageous fashions found in Desperately Seeking Susan is a nostalgic move for some, and a way to embrace Retro culture for others.

A Little Animal Print Goes a Long Way

Animal-like patterns found their way onto coat collars in the movie, although the print was somewhere between floral and animal, with a black and ecru pattern. Add a little animal print to your wardrobe with a zebra print belt or a leopard print blouse. Wear the blouse to work, under a jacket, or pull out the bustier and play up the subtly sheer fabric for night on the town.

His Wear

Don't underestimate the fashion statement of wearing his shirt, either. Madonna turned a pair of boxer shorts, a white tank top and a men's shirt into a fashion statement in Desperately Seeking Susan.

Neither Madonna or Rosanna Arquette wore these shoes in the movie, but they surely would have if they had been available. When you can't afford the rhinestone boots in the window, a pair of black Type Z Emily heels with a row of four wide straps should be added to your shopping list. Wear them with a pair of black, sheer knee-highs, your favorite black cropped pants, a black top and a belt.

Don't be so desperate to capture the 1980s that you find yourself in your own savings and loan disaster, instead, enjoy the 1980s fashions of Desperately Seeking Susan in small, palatable doses.

This year the spring trends are all about the throwback to 1980's pop culture and fashion, when stylish clothes were bright and fun. Along with the bright colors and fun jumpers, shirts and dresses in brightly colored, funky patterns are making a comeback of their own. Whether it's a tee, tank, halter or simple summer dress, the bolder and more individual the pattern the better. Here are a few great examples to get you started on your 80's inspired look.

For those of you who are new to this trend, it's a good idea to start wherever you feel comfortable. You can test this trend out for yourself with a funky pattern on a favorite standby: the summer tank top. One perfect piece is the Custo Barcelona Sveta Turquoise Tank ($171). This tank is incredibly gorgeous and features beautiful black, blue, purple and turquoise hyacinth-like blooms in a bright and beguiling pattern. Another super-trendy top that is sure to get you noticed is the Apple Bottoms Printed Strapped Back Keyhole Fashion Top ($51), in eye-catching tropical shades of red, green, blue, yellow, orange and black. If you're a little more rock'n'roll and you want to test the waters with a funky, rock-inspired tee, you'll definitely want to check out the Custo Barcelona Hokie Berge ($81), a seemingly dichotomous mix of a purple and black rock print with a central pattern of orange, red and white.

This trend is easy for anyone to incorporate into their spring and summer wardrobes, and it's oh-so-easy as the brightly colored piece does all of the work for you! Just throw on your favorite pair of shorts or jeans, a cute pair of shoes, some funky jewelry and you're at the top of your game for the beach, the pool or anywhere else this season takes you.

Superheroes and comic books have long been studied for their influence on fashion. But it's not the capes and the masks that made Watchmen so fashion-relevant. Rather it's the showcasing of looks from the 1980s, which have been slowly but surely making a revival over the last year.

While there had been much talk of updating the setting for Watchmen, it soon became clear there was no way to tell this story of an alternate mid-80s world filled with masked heroes, nuclear dread (not to mention a Richard Nixon who, thanks to the repeal of term-limits, keeps getting re-elected) without the 1980s backdrop.

The film uses both music and clothes to make sure everyone knows exactly what time period it's set in, even if the political landscape of the film is a bleak, alternate universe fantasy. From leggings and sweatshirt dresses to big hair and bigger earrings and giant shoulder pads, Watchmen takes place in both a past era and a time that never quite was.

It's also a great showcase of how we can borrow fashion ideas from the 1980s and make them work for the 21st century.

What was one of the great lessons of the 1980s? Men can and should wear color. Okay, maybe that bright purple jacket that Adrian Veidt wears is more than a little over the top, but vibrantly colored ties and dress shirts are definitely in right now. Forget about white collar or blue colors and look to burgundies, purple, dark greens and more.

For women, you can create a great 1980s look and still skip the legwarmers. Think brightly colored leggings under dresses, brightly colored high heels and bold patterns. If you wear eye glasses, consider owning more than one pair so you can have frames in multiple colors. And while blues and pinks were overused in makeup in the 80s, a hint of vivid color in your eye make-up can be fun to play with for evening looks.

Speaking of evening, the 1980s were all about metallics, and they're making a resurgence now. Look for cocktail dresses in silver, gold or copper, but be careful of some of the weirder 1980s silhouettes, which might not necessarily flatter every figure.

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!