Oh, the transition between the summer and the fall. The longer days, the return to school, and the return to real clothes. Time to take those pieces of fabric that were passing for clothing for the last three months and swap them for the heavy artillery. Time to schlep the heavy musty sweaters and boots up from the basement and put the crop tops and sandals away. But, before you fashionistas toss the last pair of hot pants into the storage room, think twice. You can put your summer clothes to better use!
Take a tip a page from the book of Brooklyn Decker who covered her Katie Emilio wrap dress with a blazer or Alexa Chung who wore opaque tights under her black shorts. Rachel Bilson topped her hot pink lightweight Isabel Marant pants with a boyfriend blazer, and while Rosie Huntington-Whitely chose to wear her Elizabeth and Hames trousers with a tee shirt, Olivia Palermo winterized the look by adding a sweater to her Daryl Ks. If you want to rock the looks of the celebs, here are a few fashion ideas you may want to try.
Maxi Dress
Ah, the ease of the maxi dress! One piece of clothing and done, the perfect marriage of comfort and fashion, gone with the shorter days and darker nights. But wait! that maxi can do double duty! Put a long shirt under or a country club style cardigan over for a fall fashion statement. For best results, keep your waistline defined to avoid getting lost in layers.
Tights
What could be easier? A pair of textured or patterned tights under you short shorts or summer skirts and with some motorcycle or cowboy boots just screams autumn fashion!
Layering
Layering is functional as well as fashionable. Layered clothing looks great and allows you to adjust your temperature. When it comes to layering,the general rule is long over lean. This will keep the bulkiness factor to a minimum. Try longer tops, tanks, or even skirts over skinny jeans and leggings. Complete the look with a jacket, pair of boots, scarf and hoop earrings for that urban chic.
The Jacket
Nothing says, “I am cool,” quite like a really awesome jacket. When choosing a fall jacket, consider a vintage military jacket with a cinched waist over skinny jeans or a classic bad girl motorcycle jacket. For a summer winter combo, try a leather jacket over a summer dress. A good blazer can class up an outfit on a cool summer night and who can deny the sophisticated allure of the trench coat? Just ask Marlene Deitrich.
The Boots
The importance of boots in the autumn cannot be overstated. Experiment with varying heights. Knee high boots can be worn with summer outfits and lend an edge to your cutoffs and slinky dresses Over the knee boots can be worn with an oversize sweater. Pair booties with a straight-laced cardigan and skirt to add a more daring dimension to your look.
Colors
If you’re still in summer mode, your wardrobe probably features a large pastel and neon color component. If you want to extend the wear on a lightly colored piece, try pairing it with the jewel tones of autumn. Try a rust colored sweater over a peach dress and add some statement jewelry and earthy beads with a light scarf.
The emphasis for this fall will be on reinvention. Be creative. Experiment with putting together unconventional looks. Don’t put away your sandals, just put them under your jeans. Add a little color and a little warmth and save a little green.
Vine Vera 