The first week of September’s unseasonably scorching 90-degree weather in New York didn’t stop fashionistas from flaunting their favorite fall ensembles. Socialites sweating in ready-to-wear looks straight from the Fall ’13 runway shows strutted from venue to venue at New York Fashion Week.

“Normal” people wore as little clothing as possible on the city streets, licking their melting ice cream cones to keep cool, or better yet, staying cooped up inside with the air cranked up to the max. But the fashion bloggers, celebrities, stylists and the rest of the couture-obsessed at Fashion Week piled on layers and layers of necklaces to go with their leather leggings, boxy menswear blazers, and five inch Brian Atwood pumps – and they looked oh-socool doing it.

Though most attendees at the shows were dressed for the longawaited crisp autumn air, the looks on the runway showcased the best trends for Spring ’14. Models in slinky slip dresses, leather in every form possible, sheer inserts, and separates with mixed, juxtaposing textures gave the audience the fantasy getaway they so craved with the heat wave just outside the venue walls.

If you’re even remotely interested in women’s fashion, you have probably noticed an ongoing trend of what those who speak the language of fashion call “dressing for other women.” Let’s face it – there are just certain trends that men will never understand, and will never want to understand. The ever-popular “jogging pant,” (a loose-fitting trouser-type pant, usually made of silk, crepe, or sometimes even leather that tapers to a tight cuff at the bottom) is undoubtedly at the tippy top of every man’s list of hideously confusing fashion trends for women. A woman wearing these pants (or a romper, boyfriend jeans, oversized sweater … you get the idea) is said to be “dressing for other women.”

“I remember before, like in high school or like at the beginning of college, men didn’t really like what we were wearing,” Yoko Ihaza, a senior at DePaul, said. “I think whenever you go out you dress for other women. But I think the guys are becoming more fashion forward themselves, so they’re recognizing what we’re doing.”

Pretty much every known fashion blogger – most notably Leandra Medine, who goes by “The Man Repeller” – has incorporated a more menswear, often almost-androgynous feel to their everyday style. These bloggers, celebrities (Mary-Kate and Ashley, anyone?), and just regular fashion-forward women are obviously not concerned with looking sexy. They put on their strategically picked boxy menswear blazers or hop into their distressed boyfriend jeans to follow a certain trend; to attain a certain look; and to be honest, because they’re comfortable.

“Right now we’re seeing a lot of women dressing for women,” Michelle Pearson, store manager at Intermix at Armitage and Halsted, said. “You know, we see the boyfriend jeans, the jogging pants, even blazers are more boxy cuts. And you’re seeing it with sneaker wedges. Let’s be honest, guys hate sneaker wedges. They hate jogging pants. They hate boxy. But it’s not for the men. We’re dressing for women.”

There is a reason for this lesson in recent fashion history, I promise. Dressing for other women is not a new thing by any means, but from the looks of many promising recent runway shows, it may soon be a thing of the past.

Prada and Marc Jacobs’ Fall ’13 ready-to-wear shows pleasantly surprised virtually everyone in the fashion world. Prada strategically placed fitted, collar-exposing off-the-shoulder sweaters under even more fitted, gold lam’ÛΩ dresses to hint at a tasteful, understated return of sexy.

Marc Jacobs sent model after model down the runway in sophisticated tweed short shorts paired with fitted cable knit sweaters and fur stoles around their necks. Then there were the enticing mid-thigh length oversized trapeze jackets with no visible bottoms, leaving everyone dying to know what was underneath. What could be more dominatingly sexy than that?

Jacobs even sent a model down the runway wearing navy pinstripe barely-there highwaisted shorts, complete with to the elbow lace gloves holding her bare breasts. And no one, I mean no one, expected that.

Many of the Spring ’14 runway shows followed the lead of the discreet, understated sex appeal showcased so perfectly in both Prada and Jacobs’ revolutionary Fall ’13 shows.

The slip dress was back for spring, with a vengeance. Nearly every designer had a version of the slinky, silky, strappy numbers.

Jason Wu, Prabal Gurung, and Rag & Bone were three Spring ’14 shows that truly didn’t miss a beat. From Wu’s beaded slip dresses; to Wang’s slinky camisoles; to Rag & Bone’s strappy, tight leather crop tops, the new seductive sophistication was the most dominating vibe of the Spring ’14 runway shows.

But how will women, who are so used to dressing for each other, be open to the “new” sexier fashions? Jacqui Camacho, floor coordinator at Intermix, thinks women should incorporate the sexier styles into their wardrobes slowly and carefully.

“I would be open to dabbling into it, because my personal style is not necessarily overly sexy anyway,” Camacho said. “But I feel like I wouldn’t be opposed to trying to incorporate it little by little or like once or twice a week, or accordingly. I think it would be cool just to keep it fresh and to add an element of surprise, especially from someone who’s into the jogging pants and the tomboy look.”