By: Tim Chai <[email protected]>

Fall fashion for 2007 is big, daring and unapologetically indulgent. And of course, the “it” looks straight from the runways do not come cheap, costing several thousands of dollars. However, the trends can be pieced together at a fraction of that price.

Knits like cardigans are popping up in numerous designers’ collections, usually cinched at the waist with a super-skinny belt. The knits are longer this season, with drop shoulders and deep necklines. The shift dress, which falls in a straight line from the shoulders with a minor A-line hem and scoop neck, is also witnessing a reemergence in popularity. This basic dress, a favorite of many designers this season, is being created in bold colors like rich blues, royal purples and vibrant reds. The color coordination of the season is definitely the monochrome combination of black-on-black, but with splashes of bold blues in between.

Donatella Versace’s Fall 2007 Ready-to-Wear collection featured black, camel and white with chic and startling contrasts of reds, sulfuric greens and the chemical-bright turquoise, which she calls litmus-paper blue, that appeared through the best collections of Milan. The heir of Gianni Versace, using some of her brother’s themes for the first time since his death, combined bold color with a precise feminine, yet strong silhouette.

“It’s about a bell shape. Controlled volume,” Versace said in an interview with Style.com. “Black and white—and color to put the life in.”

While the look picked by the editors at Women’s Wear Daily—which incorporates many of the trends of this season including a black over-sized cardigan, a skinny belt worn tightly around the waist, black tights, a dangling oversized pendant necklace and a bold blue-hued shift dress—may be unreasonable to the high school student’s budget, it can be pieced together at a more student-friendly price. Combining pieces from stores like American Apparel and Target, we bring you the look for under $200.