Cheryl Shops

Confession: Last spring, I went to see a psychic. It was, overall, a pretty awesome experience, and call me gullible, but I really felt like she was communicating with certain people in my life who've passed on. One of the bits of advice they conveyed to me was that I should wear more color, so since then, I've made a concerted effort to expand beyond my usual black-gray-white-camel-navy palette. Thankfully, the runways are on board with this too (does every designer go see a psychic too?), and for fall, the most prevalent color was red. Now, red is a pretty powerful color; for one, it's seductive. I've found it to be pretty empowering, however, so while it seems like an obvious choice for nighttime (and it's still a good one), why not try wearing it for day?

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Winter in New York is long and cold and long, and by the time March rolls around, you're so sick of your winter coat, you can barely stand the sight of it. I can't guarantee you won't tire of this adorable bell-skirted Miu Miu coat, but it's a much better bet than the typical basic black wool number.

There is nothing practical whatsoever about this Matthew Williamson feather skirt, but it's fabulous enough to qualify as a wardrobe secret weapon. (And, yes, unless your name is Serena van der Woodsen, I'd recommend saving this one just for nighttime.)

I think Kate Middleton has been photographed in a shorter, blue version of this Issa dress, but isn't it better in red? Again, probably better for nighttime, due to the plunging neckline and back cutout, but a perfect example of how restraint can be sexy.

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If you don't want to make quite such a statement as with the above pieces, I recommend investing in a layering-friendly red jacket, like the beautifully draped silk Becky jacket from Rebecca Minkoff. You can throw it on over everything from an LBD to jeans and a tee for an instant pick-me-up.

Fashion insiders have been raving about Equipment's silk blouses for several seasons, and having just bought my first, I am now 1) addicted and 2) bent on snatching up as many as I can. Their signature blouse in fiery red looks like a no-brainer to me.

I recently bought a brightly colored maxi skirt; not only did I get a ton of compliments on it, but I felt incredibly elegant and cheerful in it. In fact, I'm convinced I had a good day yesterday because of it. Mine is blue, but I'm considering this Rag & Bone red maxi skirt too—it's airy silk chiffon and a bold dose of color.

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BB Dakota's Richie Jacket is arguably just as cute as the Miu Miu style above (okay, maybe it's a little less refined) and while it might not cut it in February, you can at least wear it now, especially since the last time I checked, we're having September-ish weather in New York.

I have a red skirt that people stop me on the street to ask where I got it (for the record, Zara, last spring). This Allie pleated mini from Alloy is just as fun, and you can get away with wearing it to work, as well as at night.

ASOS has quickly become one of my favorite places to shop online; the vastness of their products means you can pretty much find anything you're looking for. Case in point: they have pages upon pages of inexpensive red dresses, but this Lanvin-esque '40s-inspired dress is my favorite; it is, for lack of a better term, classy. And isn't that how you should feel when wearing red?