It's always borderline painful to pack up those summer dresses and banish them into the dusty recesses of our basements for the next half year or so. I always feel like an evil queen, exiling anything with embroidery and gauzy layers to the dungeons. Not really enjoying that image, I took it upon myself this weekend to find ways to move my pretty vintage dresses into the crisper, pumpkin-lovin' months and make them look like they were just made for fall. Excited about the idea, I teamed up with the Etsy boutique Little Miss Vintage 3 and schemed up ways to take their chambray embroidery dress and convince it to play during autumn. Here's what we came up with:
FOR THE SUMMER: For me, summer styling is all about the accessories. I'm in the Midwest where it gets humid and muggy, but I've been hearing from the bulk of you in the south and the west that you're basically walking around in an oven all day (I don't envy you!) Because of that, none of us has any patience for sleeves or vests of any kind. In this look, I decided to play off the folksy vibes from the embroidered flowers and went with a strong, wide-rimmed hat and a slouchy bucket bag slung over my shoulder. To top it all off, I slid into minimalist black sandals, their thick horizontal straps adding just the right balance for the wide hat.
FOR THE FALL: I think moving a summer dress into the chillier months is all about the colors. Pair it with an olive colored coat (or a beige trench!) for some warmth, and throw in some suede booties into the mix with thick, scrunched socks at the ankles. Suede will add some texture to the ensemble, and the socks give you a chance to layer and play with darker colors or patterns. To accent those fall colors we're trying to achieve, make sure your bag comes in one of the cozy hues of the season: oxblood, forest green, beige, or gold. That dark pop of color will help make your fall outfit look more cohesive as the colors (ex: in your coat and shoes) start coming and blending together. Lastly, accessorize. A knit scarf wrapped around the neck or a cheeky pompom beanie would be fun here, but I went with my thick rimmed readers (yes, I wear glasses!) to give me that warm, cozy look. And voila. This vintage baby just found itself another two months of air time.
What do you think? What are some other fun ways to move summer dresses into fall?
And if you're slightly swooning over my pretty chambray dress- or want to try styling vintage yourself!- make sure to pop over to Little Miss Vintage 3 today. Deidra, the owner, has tremendous luck in finding the most interesting coats (hello tapestry floral print and leopard fur capes), and has lately been really stocking up on her winter sweaters and fisherman-knits. To add a piece to your growing fall capsule, pop over to her Etsy store here. And here are a few of my favorite pieces they currently have in stock, to give you an idea what kind of vintage they carry. Pro tip: that rust colored skirt is a sweet bow print!
ONE| TWO| THREE| FOUR
LOOK ONE:DRESS: c/o Little Miss Vintage 3HAT: thriftedSHOES: GapBACKPACK: EtsyLOOK TWO:DRESS: c/o Little Miss Vintage 3COAT: thriftedBAG: MangoSHOES: Macy'sGLASSES: Warby Parker
