Hooray! Fall is here! Aren’t you jumping for joy yet? Now that it’s past September 22, you get to pull out your cozy sweaters, quilted vests, wool coats and favorite boots, right? But wait – even though the calendar says it’s officially fall, the weather may not be cooperating, depending on where you live.
I live in the San Francisco Bay Area – our early fall is a combination of cool mornings that lead into 70 degree days, so it’s not quite feeling like the season has changed yet. But you can start the transition into fall by focusing on a few key items in your wardrobe – styles that will get you through the beginning of the new season or that can even work in an Indian summer. And then these are the same styles that you can wear deep into fall, when the temperatures finally drop and it starts to really feel like autumn.
Yes, there are many pieces in your wardrobe that will get you through the transition – but in working with my clients over the years, I’ve discovered a few specific things are good for most everyone. So, check out my four favorite transition pieces (and the outfits I’ve created for clients) below, and let me know if you have any other favorites in the comments!
COLORED JEANS
Jeans are a wardrobe staple for most of my clients – so how can you make them feel fall? Focus on color! Grab a pair of jeans in a burgundy or forest green (or any other autumnal hue) and you’ll channel the new season in a style that easily fits in your wardrobe.
WEAR IT NOW
Wear your burgundy jeans as part of most any early autumn look – throw them on with a blouse and blazer for the office, or with a lightweight sweater and denim jacket for the weekend.
WEAR IT LATER
Once the temperature dips, make your colored jeans part of a layered look with your favorite jacket or vest and cute booties.
LIGHT COLORED BOOTIES
Almost all of my clients look forward to bootie season. After all, isn’t it nice to be able to wear socks again? And one of my favorite ways to start bootie season is with light colored options. They look less cumbersome than black or other dark colors, and pair easily with warmer weather styles.
WEAR IT NOW
The most fun way to wear your light booties is with a skirt or dress, because bare leg weather can be bootie weather, too. And the best thing? When you’re wearing a bootie color that’s similar in tone to your skin, it lengthens your legs, making you look longer and leaner – and who doesn’t magically want to do that?
WEAR IT LATER
Don’t put your light colored booties away when the chill arrives. They are the perfect choice to wear with lighter colored pants and jeans for the same reason that they work with bare legs – there’s less of an interruption in the tone of color, which creates that long and lean line again!
DENIM JACKET
If you know me, you know how I feel about a denim jacket as an essential wardrobe staple (click here to see the myriad of occasions where you can wear one). There’s no time that it works better than in early fall – it’s the lightweight layer that you can throw in the backseat for cool mornings or when afternoon soccer evolves to an evening event. And if you find a denim jacket that doesn’t add bulk, it also functions as a layer deep into the fall season.
WEAR IT NOW
Toss your denim jacket over a t-shirt and chinos, use it for coverage with a sleeveless blouse and pants, or on try it on top of a lightweight dress. I call it the ‘jeans’ of the jacket world – it basically goes with everything.
WEAR IT LATER
Even when it’s cooler out, your lightweight outerwear still serves a much-needed purpose in your wardrobe as a non-bulky layer. A denim jacket is perfect over a turtleneck sweater or dress, and it’s pretty ideal over heavier sweaters for when a wool coat just feels like too much.
KNIT DRESS
A mid-weight knit dress is a season-less wardrobe chameleon. Wear it with sandals in the summer, with boots in the winter, and everywhere in between.
WEAR IT NOW
A knit dress is an amazing option early in the season – just add heels or light colored booties and your favorite jacket, and you’re ready for date night or a school function.
WEAR IT LATER
Use your über-versatile knit dress as a base for layered cold weather looks – add a denim jacket, suede jacket or cape, and then grab your favorite booties and tights, and you’re ready for fall!
Do you need help making outfits for the fall transition? Click below to message me and we can create outfits from your closet.