I know many fashion bloggers (and civilians alike) love dressing for fall. I can almost here the refrain now: “Layers! Boots! Pumpkin-spiced beverages!”
But as soon as that first drafty day strikes, it’s an omen that my sartorial sense will feel like it’s on the decline. As a Miamian, I’m still not quite used to these seasonal shifts. (It’s been almost seven years since I moved here, so I’m not sure when this supposed acclimation will kick in.)
I have a very hard time dressing for the season. And moreover, once I find something suitably warm (a favorite sweater or coat), I’ll wear that item to death until I never want to see it again.
By the time I get the hang of it, it’s winter — and I have to start the agonizing process all over again.
This year, I want to try something different.
First, I’m going to abandon the concept of trend dressing for the season. For example, there are several beautiful pastel coats in the latest issue of Vogue — but pale lavender goes with 1% of the rest of my wardrobe. Looks cute in the magazine, but the relevance ends there. While I may have been tempted to weave trendier concepts and colors into my wardrobe in years past, I just don’t have the mindshare or closet capacity to accommodate these free-wheeling flights of fall fanciness.
Instead, I’m focusing on the classics: the T-shirt, the trench, the floaty (or sporty) layering pieces. (I’m also going to try and resist boots for as long as I can — if only because they’re all the way in the back of my closet, and I’m dreading the fishing expedition to free them.)
Over the weekend, I gave my new fall fashion philosophy a spin. I stuck with my new fall color palette (olive green and khaki), which are precisely the colors of any new items I’ve purchased for the season. This makes shopping, matching and getting dressed at 6:30 a.m. a LOT easier. (I’ve also got a secondary palette in maroon and navy — stay tuned.)
This outfit was particularly cozy. The trench is the investment piece that keeps on giving. The olive draped jacket has the comfort of a sweatshirt with the style of an unstructured wool coat. Meanwhile, the T-shirt was a fantastic find from the lobby of the Exhale fitness boutique in Flatiron. (That last sentence might sound ridiculous, but NYC gyms have GREAT clothes — and at Exhale, everything was only $20 for the end-of-summer-sale.)
Have you solidified how your closet will survive fall? I’d love to hear your tips, too!