"We're been catering toward a younger clientele, but we're trying not to alienate our traditional customers," said a Brooks sales associate.

Yet, while Brooks has tried to have a little more edge, other clothiers have noticed people looking to a little more high-class.

"People are looking into luxury fabric," said Bernard F. Casey, a sales associate at London-based French Connection, at 206 Newbury St.

"What I mean be luxury is mohair, cashmere, extra-fine Merino wool, angora...People have the money to spend. People will buy classic pieces that will work for them in public life and at work."

The trend to luxury means cotton sweaters areout, wool and cashmere are in, say fashionretailers. And as the price of these formerlybourgeois fabrics are coming down, demand for finewoolens is skyrocketing.

"They must be breeding those goats like crazyto meet demand," Robinson said.

Finer fabrics are even making its way intocasual wear, Casey explained, pointing out theirpopular unlined, loose-fitting drawstring woolpants, running for $108.

While Newbury Street is on fashion's cuttingedge, Boston's department stores have not been hitby the gray craze yet.

At Filene's on 426 Washington St. at DowntownCrossing, the store is still selling bright winterjackets by Tommy Hilfinger and Calvin Klein indroves.

"[We're] a little bit louder. We're not assophisticated [as Newbury St.]," said SalesManager Nicole Soriano. "We do a huge brightbusiness."

While the fashion styles change consistently,people in New England must consider climate.

"People are much more looking for function,"Duffy said. "A wool over-coat will keep you warm,but it won't keep you dry [from rain]."

The New England weather also forces people tobe prepared for whatever is thrown at them bylayering.

"Because of the climate of the East Coast, youwant layering...You need to have clothes that areadaptable," Casey said.

While this certainly pertains to the weather,even high-end clothes are trying to becomefunctional. Lycra, the key ingredient of spandex,is even showing up in suits so there will be alittle more give when you head for recruitinginterviews this winter.

"People want to do more with their clothes. Youcan roll around in your suit, and you can stand upwithout a wrinkle on you," Robinson said.

Robinson also explained that clothes meant tolook good are starting to include more durablefabrics like nylon. This is accomplished through aprocess called core-spinning, where fine materiallike cashmere is spun around a core of asynthesized material like nylon, yielding a fabricwith properties different from pure cashmere withthe FEEL of cashmere.

"You still have the look--You don't have thelabel, but you have the look," Casey said