By Samantha Critchell

AP Fashion Writer, New York

Mustard yellow might be just the thing to add zip to an otherwise bland fall wardrobe.

Whether it's the shade of a sweet honey mustard, tangy dijon or hot wasabi, designers and retailers are counting on consumers to crave the condiment colors this fall.

But not everything looks as good on a dress as it does a hot dog. To find out which shades of mustard are in good taste, we asked designer Michael Kors, whose fall collection has a healthy squirt of the stuff, to evaluate six grocery-store brands.

Kors says mustard yellow seamlessly transitions from summer to fall and even winter. It's that right pop of autumnal color to announce the beginning of the new season--but it's upbeat, doesn't make you miss summer and looks great with a bit of leftover suntan.

"Gold, honey, mustard--you can do these colors in lightweight fabrics, so it's a head start on fall without the bulk," he says. "I think mustard has an automatic warmth to it. A lot of the trick of modern fashion is seasonless clothes. No one wants to wear heavy clothes, even in the fall."