With fashion weeks around the world all but a distant memory for another season, it is time to think about the overriding looks that were adopted by the industry’s biggest designers.

While I personally was impressed by the sexy underwear as outerwear ethos presented by Christian Dior in Paris last week, as well as the raunchy prints and cuts unveiled by Dolce and Gabbana in Milan, one blogger was unimpressed by the plethora of designer clothing that has been dished up over recent weeks.

According to the Clothes Whisperer Kristin Knox, between New York, London and Milan at least, the designers played it too safe.

"In terms of colour, there was so much black, white and pastels. In terms of shape, all of the fun stuff which we saw last season has gone - the shoulders have come down, the sparkles have also been toned down," she said.

While we lot here at Secret Sales HQ are a bit peeved at the fact the shoulders are set to be less dramatic next spring and summer, change from season to season is a must.

But Kristin isn’t so sure that the clothes will sell as well as a result, saying: "Everything has been toned down and I don’t know if that’s going to sell. I don’t know if that strategy is going to work."

Her problem seems to be that the forthcoming trends are set to be less ostentatious and theatrical, which I admit is a shame. But those looks are great for autumn and winter - the party season around Christmas. In spring and summer you want to wear light, no hassle, comfy clothes. So all in all, I was thrilled by the designs showcased over recent weeks.

What did you think about the global fashion offerings?

Some say Italian labels have the best knack for injecting sex appeal into their designer clothes, but for me personally, it is the French who do it best.

Take Christian Dior for example. The new spring/summer 2010 collection that was unveiled during Paris Fashion Week simply oozed sultry and burlesque glamour. No other label does underwear as outerwear as well as Dior and that is because its designers have provocative looks down to a tee.

So, I’m sure it will come as no surprise to most of you dedicated followers of fashion out there that the brand’s biggest look for next year is set to be very French and almost Moulin Rouge-inspired.

John Galliano’s models sauntered down the catwalk in sexy boned bustier tops and those oh-so trendy oversized Parisian pants that everyone from Lady Gaga to Katy Perry is dying about.

Barely-there satin teddies also featured heavily in the collection - but not in a sleazy way. The luxurious French fabrics used by the brand prohibit anything created to look cheap, tacky or in anyway distasteful.

With that in mind, babydoll dresses are set to be another phenomenon next spring and summer - all in nude and girly colours that would look fabulous with femme fatale-esque curls and pouts.

Is there any label sexier than Dior?

We lot here at Secret sales HQ love our designer clothes - that goes without saying. But just because our tastes are relatively high-end, does not mean that we don’t like nabbing the odd bargain or two.

While some of my colleagues here enjoy a stroll down the high street at the weekend, I personally am a more make and mend vintage kind of girl. Next to attending fashion shows in Paris and drinking cocktails in my favourite London haunts, I love nothing more than rummaging through the second-hand thrift stores and vintage shops on Carnaby Street.

There’s nothing wrong with mixing and matching high-end labels with nameless designs, in fact in fashion, it’s encouraged.

Makeandmendit.com shares this sentiment with me and the rest of the fashion world. The organisation’s co-founder Clare O’Brien commented: "The big stigma has been lifted from the whole area of second-hand clothing, so a lot more people are happy to wear second-hand clothes these days."

She added that there are not only some fantastic bargains to be had, but there are some fantastic fashion finds to be discovered too. "Whether [that means] hand-me-downs from family members or friends, or whether it is buying stuff from eBay, or charity shops, or second-hand clothes exchanges," she explained.

I once found a fabulous Diorhandbag in a charity shop that I still use all the time - and it only cost me £15! And just last week, I managed to nab a gorgeous floral Roberto Cavalli dress for under £50, which I have already mixed and matched with the Miu Miu heels I got from Secret Sales last season.

Are you a fan of second hand clothes?

The fickle world of fashion moves so quickly. With Milan Fashion Week barely behind us, the industry is gearing up already for nine whole fabulous days in Paris - and I can’t wait.

I have my flight booked, my suitcase packed and my schedule securely fastened in my Dior handbag - all there’s left to do is get a move on and before I know it, I’ll be sitting in a chic Parisian cafe drinking espresso and waiting for my favourite shows to start.

While I do love the excitement surrounding London Fashion Week and the hustle and bustle in the air, I have to say, it doesn’t even come close to the way I feel about Paris. This is the capital of fashion after all!

Granted, Milan was fabulous and those sexy Dolce and Gabbana, Giorgio Armani and Moschino shows did stand out, but I expect Paris will be magical in comparison.

Among the shows I’m most looking forward to seeing are Chanel, Stella McCartney, Dior, Yves Saint Laurent, Marant and Balmain - of course.

The only problem is that I might find it hard to squeeze them all in. Every trip to Paris must be accompanied by at least a little sightseeing after all.

What about you? Lanvin, Valentino, Miu Miu, Chloe, Nina Ricci - does any of that tickle your fancy?

No one can deny that France’s First Lady Carla Bruni has got style. As a former model, it should come as no surprise that she knows how to look good in designer clothes and with some of the world’s top labels battling to dress her, it makes sense that she can be seldom seen committing a fashion faux pas - unlike a certain Sarah Brown for a example!

People have compared Carla with Michelle Obama in the past. Granted, they are both married to presidents and they both clearly love clothes, but there is another First Lady I think the French beauty is more like - the original queen of style and the inventor of chic - Jackie O.

Naturally I’m not the first person in the world to have drawn such comparisons as they are so blatantly evident. In fact, 41-year-old Carla has already been quizzed on the fashion resemblance, of which she replied she is very happy.

In a recent interview with Vanity Fair, she said: "Unconsciously I would project myself more like Jackie Kennedy than for instance, Madame de Gaulle, who would be much more like the classical French woman behind her husband."

Everything from her Chanel twin sets to her Dior little black dresses, Carla has down to a tee, so if she continues the way she is going, I expect it will be her fashionistas the world over will be talking about in 40 years’ time.

Do you think Carla Bruni has more style than Jackie O?