Fashion has always been months ahead of its time. In the springtime, designers are sending their fall and winter looks down the runways. Then, as soon as the cold weather hails, the catwalks are brimming with breezy shifts and summer whites.

The disparate seasons which allow apparel buyers to plan inventories ahead of time also leave fashion-savvy consumers scrambling for a different look every season.

But for better or worse, the fashion forecast for 2010 is decidedly more straightforward. Expect this year to look a lot like 2009.
 
"I think that due to the economy, a lot of design pipeline [material] was slowed down, and truly new styles were put off by companies," jewelry and style expert Michael O'Connor says of the designs that will prevail in the new year. "I think that unlike 'regular years,' there will be a good amount of holdover from this year."

Among the trends O'Connor believes will live on in fashion's favor are larger, openwork styles that maximize design and minimize the materials; designs that incorporate unusual materials such as rubber and leather; and pieces that feature larger colored gemstones of the non-precious variety.
 
"This color trend will be very important this year since clothing designers are showcasing such a vast array of colors in their runway collections," O'Connor says. "We're seeing rich colors in the red, purple, green and blue hues--all easily found in the gem kingdom."

Jennifer Gandia, co-owner of Greenwich Jewelers, is betting on color as well.
 
"There's so much happening with color for the next season, and I think that's going to translate to jewelry--great, juicy pink sapphires and tourmaline and turquoise," she says.

Given that Gandia's store is located in Manhattan, Greenwich Jewelers' clientele is a fashion-savvy crowd, but not one that is beholden to the trends.

"She's stylish yet elegant," Gandia says of her typical client. "She's not edgy. At the same time, she definitely wants to see new things, they just have to fit in with her lifestyle and wardrobe."

In the new year, while customers at Greenwich Jewelers will find plenty of new pieces, they'll also find familiar design motifs.
 
"I don't think people are finished with statement pieces," Gandia says. "I still think there's a tentativeness about buying, and I think consumers are looking for statement pieces that can transition from outfit to outfit. I think that going into spring, we're going to see more cuffs and bangles. I don't necessarily think the necklace is going anywhere."

Over on the West Coast, Ann Mangini, co-owner of Santa Monica, Calif.'s Rafinity, has
been tweaking her inventory to feature plenty of offerings in two main price points.

"Right now, I'm either selling inexpensive or super opulent," she says.

Among the former are $500-and-under pieces, including bead jewelry and Bill Levine charms.
 
As for the high end, Mangini is currently working on a 50-carat yellow diamond design and says customers have shown interest in diamond-intense, opera-length strands that retail for prices of $70,000 and up.

Price point decisions over the last year have been inextricably tied to conversations on fashion, and in response to the concerns, retailers and manufacturers have been negotiating new territory.

"I think the economy has made many designers think more creatively about how they use precious metals and gems," O'Connor says.
 
He points to Neil Lane, who has been incorporating more color into his jewelry, using white sapphires and black diamonds in addition to pricier colorless diamonds. Chad Allison has been achieving bolder looks via openwork, while Erica Courtney has been creating versatile pieces, such as earrings that can be worn as a simple hoop, or embellished with a drop. On the retail side, Gandia says that at one time, Greenwich Jewelers carried only fine jewelry, but it, too, has shifted its strategy with the times.

"Over the last year, we've started to branch out more into fashion jewelry, the reason being that designers for fashion jewelry have a different sensibility," she says. "They're able to do more because their materials cost less. As a store that wants to offer great jewelry, we felt that we had to offer both [fine and fashion jewelry]."

Customers--and Greenwich--Gandia says, benefit from having an availability of both. "Maybe you have a younger client who hasn't taken the jump into buying fine pieces very seriously, or an older client looking for pieces that are more fun," she says. "Over time, I think you can transition clients one way or another, and it opens our store to a much broader audience."