This has been a trying year for fashion. While many loveable styles surfaced - long shirts a la Jackie O., flowing Bohemian skirts and sensible shoes - far worse trends arose much to our horror. There is no destruction of evil in fashion, only transference.

Thankfully, 2006 saw the retirement of short T-shirts. Few people wear these well. Short shirts chop the body in half visually, creating the appearance of a pudgy middle. And, when the wearer lifts her arms, the stomach shows, assaulting the sight of innocent bystanders. When men wear these shirts, they look like teenaged boys. Hand the shirts down to your younger siblings before you get to college.

Healthwise, the death of bottle tans comes with the end of summer, when people realized that if you have a fresh-from-the-beach tan in January, others will know the source. Fake tans are just that - fake. They also set a high standard of bronze-ness, which encourages the use of tanning beds and beaches. In the age of skin cancer, fair skin is a much healthier trend. Scarlett O'Hara of "Gone with the Wind" was envied for her fair skin and was often covered with hats, gloves and scarves. The less sun exposure, the better skin will age. Besides, who wants orange skin? Beauty is about being natural.

Keeping on the natural note, glitter finally made its way out the door after far too many years in the mainstream. Glitter is for teenaged girls and Las Vegas showgirls. You're not at prom, so drop the sparkly look.

As always, Hollywood influences fashion, often negatively. Starlets Mischa Barton, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears all sported teacup pups. Pets are not accessories. Dogs do not enjoy shopping. Hilton even sported a kinkajou, Baby Luv, until the pet was confiscated for being illegal.

Other styles unfortunately came to life in 2006, including baby doll tops. While cute on the rack, these should be excluded to the maternity section. All we can think when we see a girl sporting this look is, "When is she due?"

Free T-shirts, while popular among college students, are not for public wear. They're great for lounging or working out, but not much else. Rarely do free shirts fit well, and they turn the wearer into a walking advertisement. Especially bad is when girls wear free shirts with designer jeans and heels. That's just trashy.

What makes us cringe the most, though, are visible bra straps. By all means, keep wearing your bras, ladies, just don't let the straps show. Strapless bras do exist.