Fashion Tips for the Ages -- All Ages

"If there's one fall-to-spring item essential to every wardrobe in every decade, it's a trench coat." Amen. That's according to style guru Nandini D'Souza's wonderful "Harper's Bazaar Fabulous at Every Age: Your Quick & Easy Guide to Fashion" (Hearst Books, $24.95) -- a picture-packed, tip-laden book. Based on HB's popular column, "Fabulous at Every Age" is all about dressing your best at different stages of life. It also reveals the fashion secrets of the world's best-dressed women, including Kate Moss, Gwyneth Paltrow and Carolina Herrera. The book shares savvy advice on closet essentials such as tops, skirts, dresses and jackets that flatter your figure; advice on dressing for work, play and going glam; strategies for shopping in your own closet; insider tips and cost-saving ideas; and looks that work across the decades. Some of our favorite bits for women in their 40s: "Your collection of tops, like your 401(k), should be diversified." For women in their 50s: "A smart woman remembers that a gorgeous coat can be a scene stealer and intrinsic to an entire look." And those in their 30s: "The working girl who wears sneakers to work and then switches into pumps is an iconic image. But a chicer way of making that commute more comfortable is swapping those Reeboks for ballet slippers. They take up less space in your bag, too." Now, go get that trench coat if you don't already have one. As for the book, find your own copy in bookstores nationwide.