A look at men's fall fashions

After a season spent focusing on women's swimsuits, cute lounging clothes and the top ways to increase your bust, I think it's high time to pay a little attention to the masculine side of things.

It's In The Bag: I'm not talking about a murse (man purse, for the luckily uninitiated), a juvenile backpack or your father's briefcase. This season, bags are everywhere, and while you can spend high into the hundreds for a designer satchel, there are plenty of respectable, affordable options out there. Consider a statement piece like the $65 vintage messenger in bright yellow or red from manhattanportage.com.

Stylish Sweater: In all kinds of weather, few things wear better than a classic cable sweater. This season, the silhouette is sleek, and almost anything goes, from zip-ups to chunky knits to slim vests for the office. Dillards.com has a wide selection, starting under $50.

Jean Theory: This fall, we're done singing the blues as menswear designers step out of color comfort zones by offering up cream, gray, camel and black jeans. Straight cuts are always appropriate for most settings, but if you're fashion forward, then you'll want to go slim, slim, slimmer. American Eagle has chic finds at ae.com, starting around $50, and Lucky jeans look great if you're willing to spend a bit more.

The Dress-up is in the Details: From pocket squares to tie bars to French cuff links, men are actually starting to dress up when they're dressing up. I'm particularly a fan of tie bars: thin, sturdy little pieces of metal that help draw the eye to an impeccable tie knot and let you rise above the throng. Amazon.com offers a wide price range for those of you newly dabbling in suit accoutrements. And remember: It's not old-fashioned, it's fashionable.

Follow a few of these tips and revel in being voted best dressed -- or, depending on your starting point, most improved.

(Helen Malani is the chief shopping expert for Shopzilla.com, a Scripps Networks Interactive company, and the largest comparison shopping search engine on the Web. E-mail Helen at askhelen(at)shopzilla.com. Distributed by Scripps Howard News Service, http://www.scrippsnews.net.)

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