Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York is over.

The fall runway clothes of the week will not move into stores until late summer, but never mind. The conversation has already changed. The ideas offered here almost immediately affected how people think about style. Gradually you may begin to shift your own closet.

Fall clothes are lighter in weight, thanks apparently to global warming. Natural waists have returned. So have belts. Ruffles flourish.

Colors are rich and offbeat, and you could drown in a sea of prints. Houndstooth patterns go forward. Add long gloves to anything. And faux fur competes with real - a piece thrown over a shoulder or a collar as a second thought.

But another factor is part of the buzz: Some design is complex and heavily detailed. The embroidery is dazzling and fanciful. Paillette sequins and Lurex are part of the embellishment, even on day clothes. Feathers add a grand aura.

The eclectic shapes with extensive draping and bubbling could be difficult to copy. The looks are luxurious and likely to be expensive.

How do you look chic when the economy is shaky and prices are high? We have some ideas about how to start now.

Ralph Lauren’s runway looked like an English hunt party scene with red buffalo check jackets, plaid fishing vest and tams with single Yankee Doodle feathers.

And when he emerged from behind the curtain in his distressed leather jacket, he said he wanted to celebrate America, in part, because of the presidential election.

But we saw something else. Many were investment pieces, the single purchase that fashion-minded consumers with limited checkbooks choose to give their wardrobes a stylish punch.

In uncertain times they are likely to buy with more control and thought. A Lauren jacket is one suggestion. But there are many other elements.

People will probably buy smarter and with more control, says Constance White, fashion director of eBay. She says that even in high-priced luxury lines, a designer is likely to offer simple, more affordable pieces. Choose one item or look for copies. With New York behind them, many fashion pundits move on to the next lap in London and Milan later this month, and then France.

Stay tuned.

For now, we offer five elements that will give you an edge without tapping into the price stratosphere.

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BELTS

For starters, it’s time to tuck in your shirt. Designers love sashes and often a splashy belt. Cinch and gold metallic belts popped up at Betsey Johnson. Derek Lam put wide leather belts with pencil skirts and tweed corset tops. At Ports 1961, belts tended to be corset-wide. Monique Lhuillier liked jeweled belts.

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SHORT SWING JACKETS

Ralph Lauren’s plaid jackets were short, fitted to the waist and had high, wrapped shawl collars and dolman sleeves. We saw fitted riding jackets at Derek Lam. But a jacket, flyaway or fitted - sometimes with cropped sleeves, sometimes stopped short above the waist - was a favorite.

Lam also showed a short sweater with bat sleeves and high, fitted waist. The jackets were often paired with cuffed cropped trousers.

Try combing thrift stores for bat wing or dolman sleeves, which haven’t been popular for several seasons.

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LAYERED SUMMER-WEIGHT CLOTHES

Hang on to your breezy, ruffled dresses. Keep the flared skirt layered with airy fabrics. They will go from warm to cold weather. A visitor at many of the presentations last week would be hard-pressed to name the season by color or fabric.

The Cynthia Steffe staff described the loosely cropped cuffed pants as ‘‘seasonless.’’ But so are the print chiffon bow blouse and poppy print charmeuse dress.

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FLORAL PRINTS

You may already have a print dress or blouse in a silk or weightless fabric. For fall, they become a bit more abstract and complex. The dress with short puffed sleeves and belt or sash was almost obligatory for designers. The blouse is an easy toe dip in the water that is ready to wear under a jacket.

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HATS