Every season, fashion nudges us in new directions – or at least directions slightly different to the ones we were moving in the season before! You can spend a fortune keeping up with trends by replacing your clothing every season, or you can get a little crafty by adapting last year’s clothing to this year’s trends.

Perhaps one of the biggest Autumn/Winter 09 trends is the re-embracing of that old eighties standby, the shoulder pad. What works on the runway isn’t always necessarily meant to work in real life (case in point: huge shoulder pads are toned down to a more high-street friendly detailed shoulder) but something we’re seeing a lot of, and will only see more of in the months to come, is the shoulder pad.

Return of the shoulder pad

The shoulder pad is back, though thankfully not in its power-suit incarnation (…yet?!). This season shoulder pads are being used to add depth and detail to a silhouette, but they are used in a way that keeps things pretty and feminine.

On the Balmain runway shoulder pads were everywhere, but more often used to widen the shoulders (and narrow the hips) than they were to summon the bulk of the eighties Mafia bride look.

Shoulder pads used to shapely, feminine effect -- Balmain

A/W 09 update tip: Steer your favourite jackets – not coats, as this works best with lighter fabrics and more fitted shapes – back on trend by stitching in a pair of shoulder pads.

You can get a pair of shoulder pads at any sewing store, usually for £3 or less. Pin them in place before you stitch; try your jacket on with a couple of different tops underneath to assess versatility. Ultimately, you’re changing the shape of your look – once you’re happy with it, stitch those pads in and take your new style to the streets.

But what about the boots?

Autumn is boot season, and if London’s recent Fashion Week is anything to go by, we’ll be seeing a lot of thigh-high boots and very detailed, knee-high or mid-calf boots. This detailing comes from leather straps, studs and chains, for a strong, sometimes even fierce look.

Strappy boots for A/W 09

A/W 09 update tip: If you’ve got a pair of heeled boots from last year or even several years ago, you can give them an instant update with a pair of boot straps.

Bootstraps at the ready! Thanks http://fluxorist.blogspot.com

At £10-£20, boot straps are certainly less expensive than a new pair of boots, though they can be a little harder to find than shoulder pads. My best tip is to shop eBay, vintage stores and even a shoemaker’s. You can also get one of this season’s skinny leather belts and wrapt that round your boot, making sure to secure the belt under the instep.

Next up…

The savviest fashion pundits predicted A/W would feature a return to the military look, specifically with a Michael Jackson Thriller-era sort of theme. They were right – and my next challenge is to give last season’s grey pea coat this season’s edge.