When back-to-school commercials start appearing on the TV (Is it me or do they start way earlier than they did 20 years ago?), I know it is time to start thinking about fall fashion. Granted, it is as humid as a steam bath outside, and I have no plans to stick my feet into socks or shoes that aren’t open-toe anytime soon, but the fall will be here soon enough. Before we hit true fall weather, and fashion, we all have to endure this tricky time in dressing called transition. Personally I love transitional fashion because I find it the most creative and interesting time to get dressed. However, I am in the minority because it is a time of year few know what to wear because it involves a lot of thinking and ingenuity. While a coat may not be necessary, that flippy summer dress isn’t either. What do you do?
Dressing successfully during transitional months involves a lot of layering, utilizing wardrobe pieces from both summer and fall to create outfits, cold weather accessories and the pairing of darker colors with summer pieces. This may sound tough, but it isn’t. To give you some pointers I am going to show you how you can transition a pair of crop pants that you wore all summer into the fall months by using this pair from J. Crew in their spinach color. You know I love green and olive pants because they are so versatile. More on this here.
Crop pants in the fall
Your fruity, bright summery crop pants may not be pieces that you’ll grab for transitional weather, but pairs that you own in neutrals or richer shades do have a much longer shelf life. Depending on where you live, it will be months before you will need to bundle up making crop pants a perfect transitional piece if you style them right for the cooler weather. Below are five outfits for inspiration to consider when styling them for the early part of fall.
Outfit #1
If you don’t own scarves, get some. They are undoubtedly the best way to add some transitional style to your summer pieces. It may not be jacket weather just yet but a scarf will not only add just enough warmth but can also easily make an outfit more autumnal.
Here, I added this lightweight terra cotta scarf with a navy Modcloth tunic and these crop pants and finished the look with a pair of knitted TOMS shoes that perfectly capture the upcoming colors of autumn. Lastly, to make this outfit even more “cool weather”, I added a cognac handbag and leather bracelet.
Outfit #2
During transitional months, layering is important. Here I styled the crop pants in a way that can be layered for cooler mornings or as the evening gets chillier. Additionally, if you have enough layers going on, you can still probably wear your sandals into the early days of fall.
In this outfit, the pants are paired with a grey T Tahari tunic t-shirt, an Anthropologie cardigan in plum, gold sandals, a soft blue Banana Republic scarf, patterened Boden handbag and gold earrings. What also makes this outfit work as a transitional look is the rich colors that feel more autumn than summer.
Outfit #3
The weather may not say it’s time for heavy, chunky knits, however, you can choose transitional ones that look more autumnal but are lightweight, like this short sleeve sweater from Mango. With the rich accents of burgundy, through the Perlina tote and scarf, plus the grey Modcloth oxfords and grey necklace, this outfit can transition you, sweat free, into the cooler weather.
Outfit #4
As summer becomes more of a distant memory, a pair of crop pants can still work if styled right. Here, I used a cozy ivory sweater from Alice + Olivia and booties from Modcloth to work with these pants in a more muted way. Booties and crop pants can be tricky styled together. When doing it, make sure that they work. Typically, a longer, slimmer crop pant will work better vs. a pair that is too cropped. You want minimal skin showing. Lastly, to add some rich accents, I finished the outfit with a teal handbag and multi-colored Bauble Bar earrings.
Outfit #5
For a dressier, layered look, crop pants can look great with a blazer and flats, perfect for the transitional weather. Here, these pants are styled with a gold Boden blazer, a powder blue Reiss sweater, leopard flats from Anthropologie, a statement bib necklace, cognac handbag and tan scarf. Even with some of the layers removed the outfit remains stylish and pulled together in look.
Shop for crop pants that you can wear in the fall
If you don’t have a pair of crop pants that you can wear into the fall, check these styles out.
