The new fall fashion season has arrived.

How do we know this? For one thing, The Sale started last Friday at  Nordstrom (www.nordstrom.com). We were among those given a preview two weeks ago. We were  escorted  into a locked dressing room, where they had laid out the best of fall to discount for special (read: big spending) shoppers.

Trina Turk (www.trinaturk.com) is high on Nordstrom’s menu. Also wide leg pants, Theory (www.theory.com) blazers, metallic shimmery everything, and “novelty” jackets.

What is a novelty jacket?  You probably have some dating back to the mid-80’s; they don’t match anything exactly, but cost too much to toss out.

Our favorite observation was the new fascination with black opaque tights, worn with many dresses. Good thing we kept them, along with the novelty jackets.

Neiman Marcus (www.neimanmarcus.com) Senior Vice President and Fashion Director Ken Downing agreed that jackets were important, with varying, interesting sleeve lengths. Match them with wide leg pants.

Downing e-mailed us saying, “The Dress continues to be an important trend and women will want to look for chemise to add to their dress wardrobe—the chemise for fall is linear and often cut close to the body for a subtle sexiness.”

N-M’s publicity gal sent the snapshot we posted.

Stash your tangerine and browns in the back of your drawer. Downing says colors for the fall include grey (pale pearl to charcoal), blues, yellows, violet, everything green, red and the surprise of hot pink.

More advice from Downing:  “Pull the Polish of Fall together with a Bootie that gives this season’s new dress code a revved up edge.”

He means those granny-equestrian inspired ankle-high shoe-boots.

If all this sounds familiar from season’s past, you may have to shop in your closet first. But then again, nothing is exactly the same as it was. Otherwise, there’d be no such thing as the new fall fashion season.