Milan is where one looks for trends: Sharp shifts in the way we dress, from hemlines to hair doo-dads and every tweaked item in between. I have come to the city late this season, hindered by children and snow, and have missed Prada and Fendi(yesterday's hot tickets) andSportmax this morning. So my news today is partial, and no doubt subject to revision by lunch tomorrow. First, atAlberta Ferretti's lovely fest of loveliness, there was a long sleeve dress in nude chiffon—dropped waist, lots of pintucks, and dressmaker flourishes—that was as demure as it was sexy. This is a must-have dress. It fits the new mood of soft minimalism and, yet, is unapologetically romantic; it can be worn with any jewelry and any footwear (ankle boot, kitten heel, ballet flat, etc); it can go on a date, meet the parents, or slip under a tweed jacket and head to the office. This is what basic should look like in 2010. Second, who knew a romper could stomp into work? It can if it comes from Jil Sander, where Raf Simons cut cool short tweed jumpsuits that had a groovy efficiency to them that—with tights, boots, and a jacket—will appeal to younger tailored types this fall. Finally, unusual juxtapositions of materials —fur with suede with leather, say—is the way forward for ornamentation. At Tods this was evident in the bags, especially a fluffy sided number in grape, lavender and mauve. At Versace, Donatella's references to motocross—all that piecing of leather, denim and cashmere—made her separates seem less slick than usual and all the more modern for it.