We may be well into fall per the calendar, but here in Southern California, fall just got here. As you clean the summer out of your closet, you may be asking yourself how to transition a look which was accommodating 90-degree temps just mere weeks ago. While you can certainly keep a few summer items (especially since the color palette for fall is so vibrant), your best bet is to layer in some fall-inspired garments to balance it out.
Here are a few of my favorites:
J. Crew is calling this a capri – but I’m calling it a crop. Capri pants hit mid-calf and you should never wear them. Crops, on the other hand, hit just above the ankle. Why should you never wear capri pants? Because wearing pants that hit mid-calf suggests a certain juvenile quality that I think we all want to avoid. You’re a woman, damnit! Wear some real pants.
Crops are perfect for wearing when the weather has a little bite in it, but you still want to show off some great shoes. Since they’re usually a fitted cut, they also show off your curves and balance bulk on your top half (think coats, loose-fitting shirts, etc.).
Someone in marketing wants to call this the “boyfriend” cardigan. Why? Because marketing is all about getting you to buy stuff. This is not a boyfriend cardigan, it’s a long cardigan, and it’s perfect for lengthening your shape.
Wear it with other straight garments, like a pencil skirt; or dress up a pleated organza/chiffon skirt for evening. You can belt it – though, watch out for those pockets – wear it over sequin tank tops or pair it with shorts if summer decides to make a brief encore.
How I love having a good collection of jackets!
They add instant class to any outfit because they can be paired with everything. However, pay attention to their texture. Nubby-textured and tweed jackets are more for day time or casual wearing.
A finer texture, like wool or silk, is perfect for evening. Again, they go with anything, but try to pair with cap sleeves or no sleeves so you’re not fighting your blouse or shirt each time you put it on.
When I say “jeweled,” I mean to look for an embellishment which has a “tone-on-tone” quality that adds subtle interest – like this top from Boden.
I would definitely advise against anything overly colorful or sparkly. We just want a little bit of contrast and dimension.
Specifically, knitted scarves in wool or a wool blend.
Pop quiz: what do you do when you’re leaving the house and the weather is a little chilly, but you don’t want to throw on a jacket?
Answer: put on a scarf! Wrap it around your neck or your shoulders and it’s just as much of a finishing piece as any jacket.
Knitted scarves go perfectly with jeans, a fitted t-shirt and a long cardigan. Of course, the scarf is also perfectly practical to warm your neck over a coat on a blustery day (whatever those are!).
