Expect to see some meaty prints, leather, lace and micro shorts on the racks of fashion-forward stores come spring, but the real trend to emerge from the bellwether catwalks around the world is cautious optimism.

New York, London, Paris and Milan, Italy, just wrapped up their Fashion Weeks for next season. While other cities and individual brands will still stage runway presentations, those four fashion marathons are the ones that set the tone.

To reflect the economic times, designers stripped down the glitz, toned down the glamour and created a warrior-like muse.

"The tough-girl, biker motif must be working and popular for fall, so we're getting the spring interpretation," says Ariel Foxman, editor of InStyle magazine. "The cool, attitudinal girl has been embraced, but there also was a lot of romantic, feminine collections that were lovely. You have layers, pastels, lace and silk - it's a real dichotomy."

Designers seem to be flexing their creative muscles, too, realizing that shoppers don't want expensive basics from top-tier collections, adds Allure Editor-in-Chief Linda Wells.

Julie Gilhart, executive vice president and fashion director at Barneys New York, says the retailer looked specifically for clothes that were stylish but also offered value and longevity. She is eager to get draped dresses and many of the printed fabrics into stores.

"Spring is about the sum of all the details. You have the sense the clothes have something extra and are not the basics you've seen a million times before," agrees Wells. "It must be a reaction on some level to the economy, that no one is running out to buy a new pencil skirt - but what about one with an applique or beading?"

At the top of Wells' personal shopping list: something in white lace, an embellished cocktail dress and a draped dress. "I love the draped trend. It's soft and interesting, the clothes don't feel flat and ordinary, they seem spontaneous. It seems like the clothes just landed there - perfectly."

A peek at five looks from the four fashion capitals that could end up in your closet:

Hems up to here

The high-waisted pant, loose-leg short and fuller skirts seem popular for spring - all to offset the very high hemline.

Designers also encourage a new power suit: a strong-shouldered tailored jacket paired with sleek city shorts.

"There were tons and tons and tons of shorts," says Allure's Wells. "I don't know if anyone really buys designer shorts, but we've seen tons of them. They're good for the young girl going to a club."

The translation into real-life fashion might be a lot of miniskirts.

Short can work when so many of the silhouettes are draped. There has to be this trade off between length and looseness, Wells says.

"Short doesn't feel so threatening because it's not hugging the body so much," agrees Sasha Iglehart, deputy fashion director at Glamour. "There is draping and delicious colors and fabrics, which are accentuating curves, but it's all short."

Lingerie

Lingerie touches, whether it's sheer fabric, lace or obvious borrowed-from-undergarment silhouettes such as bra tops or tap pants, encourage femininity, but not in a wimpy way.

Granny bloomers and bare-belly bra tops might not be wildfire items for consumers, but the idea that the tough girl has a softer side underneath could resonate with many women, says Foxman of InStyle. And bra tops as part of layering or the structure of a dress can be a wearable approach, Iglehart says.

Layers upon layers of lace or other sheer fabrics effectively make the garment opaque, leaving a suggestive look without revealing much skin - a great trick if you can pull it off.

Ruffles and florals

Under her tough exterior, the new muse embraces a few girlie touches - ruffles and floral prints, among them - but they're not done delicately.

The ruffles are either tight, tiered and seemingly abundant, or they cascade on an asymmetrical angle just to remind you that they're meant to be askew, Wells says. "It's all very beautiful and desirable. I don't know what it is about a ruffle and a woman, but they all go together," she says. Foxman notes that other nature motifs, including skins, scales and butterflies, got the same treatment creating "hypermodern" prints.

Deconstruction

Want more of a rough edge? Try an unfinished seam or a sexy slash in the fabric that exposed part of the back, shoulder or midriff. Bandage styles, especially snuggly wrapped dresses, also were popular.

"This works with the sheer trend," Foxman says. "It's the illusion of something being there when it's not."

Seasonless

There could be some confusion about the seasons, however. On the runways, long-sleeve black tops, denim, and even occasional pieces of fur were mixed with swimsuits and sundresses.

Gilhart identifies leather leggings as a must-have item, continuing a look already in stores now. Maybe the fashion world has caught on to the fact that very few people out there shop months in advance of being able to wear something. There's also the unpredictable weather and the economic reality that almost no one can afford to buy a completely new wardrobe every few months.