Street Chic: Meatpacking District, Evening

What’s the best clothing to take you from day to night on a hot summer evening? For women, the answer still lies in dresses, one of few recession-resistant pieces at stores like Urban Outfitters, either in lightweight jersey like this one or in shirtdresses. Both looked great when belted. For men, linen or fine cotton shirts deflected the heat. Both sexes kept the look upscale with bags and accessories. Here are some of the best looks that passed by in the Meatpacking District at about 7pm.

A flash of red looked particularly modern. I like that she’s paired such a feminine look with glasses. Check out their killer heels.

Dressing for three: A mom in boho-chic summer layers. Her daughter wears a cute mix of flowers and plaid. The boy seems to be in miniature Reef sandals.

Fucshia dress and gorgeous gold platforms.

Black and white. Already seeing some interesting stripes in fall sweaters: Cables and ribbing knit horizontally, instead of the traditional vertical.

An update on the classic LBD, cinched this time with an animal-print belt. Animal-print accessories are one of the least expensive ways to change your look for fall 2009.

A good compromise of mixing a pretty print dress and dramatic necklace with boat shoes for touristing around during the day, then going out at night.

Navy dress with wedges and a statement-making straw bag.

Cute plaid shirtdresses like this one are everywhere. No wonder: they’re so versatile, practical enough for day but sexy enough for night.

Another shirtdress. Like the full-out monotone look accentuated with the flash of a gold necklace.

A male friend of mine was chastised recently for wearing short sleeves on a date. But it was 90 degrees out! Here’s another solution: the linen shirt. And it doesn’t matter too much if it gets wrinkled, since rumpled is in.

A good hi-low summer combo: white jeans, Gucci bag, and Tom’s shoes.

Beautifully draped slouchy jersey dress. Notice that belts are getting wider again for fall. The shoes, the next evolution of open-toe booties, are perfection, too.

I’m not sure what these three were doing together, but they all had amazing style. Look at his flowery socks and silk trousers! True chic defies easy categorization.

A good example of shorts for evening. She’s dressed them up with heels, a strapless top and a classically sporty Cartier watch.

The white tank top worn with a different color bra underneath is now an effortlessly sexy, classic look when done correctly. (Hint: don’t pair it with anything remotely sloppy.) Here she wears it with a high-waisted pencil skirt and simple chain necklace. On the left, she’s kept the summer silhouette but transitioned into darker colors for fall. On both of them: a messy bun, the easiest summer updo of all.

An artfully-draped, colorful scarf adds an interesting note to the basics. Plus, if the temperature drops at night, it will even keep you warm.