Transitions

To me fall is all about transitions. We’re transitioning from warmer to cooler weather and from summer to back-to-school. And if you’ve just graduated, like me, you’re transitioning from one point in your life to another. So since this is a fashion and style blog, I thought I’d make a post about transitioning your summer fashion to fall. Just because I have my fall wardrobe ready and raring to go, I know most people like to hold on to their summer styles for as long as they can, before it’s absolutely necessary to bundle up.

A good way to wear your summer brights and neons into the fall is to pair them with a darker colour, either a neutral or a paler shade of the same colour as the statement piece.

You could pair this neon pink blouse from Style Says Shop with these khaki green cargo pants from H&M. I also love this look because the trousers give the outfit an edgier, more masculine feel while the blouse makes it feel more feminine. Alternatively, pair the blouse with pale pink trousers, like these from Gap. The cords also give the outfit more of a fall feel. Throw a black blazer on top of either outfit to complete the look.

Another way to style a bright colour for the autumn would be to wear it in a shoe or accessory, like a statement necklace. The rest of the outfit can be warmer colours or neutrals. The picture below is from Liliaki’s blog, and the necklace is styled perfectly for autumn (snake skin is very in for fall 2013).

As mentioned in my previous post, fall must haves, you can wear shorts in the fall, in fabrics like tweed or leather, by layering them over thick tights. But if you want to transition some of your summer shorts in lighter fabrics into the early autumn, just pair them with a thinner nylon in a translucent shade.

You probably don’t want to do floral or lace, since it might look too contrasted with the nylons, so a black or beige in a light summer material would be perfect. Even denim looks great with this look, including short overalls, like these ones from House of Fraser.

Fall Must-Haves

Fall is one of my favourite seasons, and not just because my birthday is in the fall. I absolutely love fall fashion, and even though I’m still in summer mode when it starts arriving in stores (I’ll admit it is a little depressing), I can’t resist starting to buy some autumn pieces already.

I’ve compiled a list of what I believe are 5 must-haves for autumn. Some of the photos are recent and intended for fall 2013 trends, but these trends can be applied to any given year, as they tend to stay mostly consistent. Some years the trends do change though, or designers will put a new spin on an old style.

1. Cords

You can find corduroys in almost any colour, and I absolutely love them for the cooler months. I bought a pair of mint-coloured cords in the fall of 2012 and they were the perfect summer/fall transition piece because of the light shade mixed with the cozier fabric. They were also great for the following spring because it was still pretty cool out, and the colour was perfect for the spring/Easter pallet.

I personally love these printed ones from H&M. The base colour is black and the pattern is neutral so you could pair these with pretty much anything. Alternatively, you could choose a very simple or black top without the outfit being too plain, since the trousers are patterned.

2. Fur vest

Currently I’m favouring the mid-length darker fur vests for this fall. By darker I’m talking brown or black; off white is best for spring, when you want to lighten up your wardrobe.

This picture from We Heart It styles the vest beautifully. I love the gold accessories; I think it’s the perfect tone for fall. Don’t get me wrong, I still wear silver jewelry most of the time (even in fall), but with this black vest and beige sweater, gold is definitely the way to go.

3. Ankle boots- with or without a heel

I absolutely love a bootie with a heel, but I do understand that some people are unable to walk around all day in heels, myself included. Luckily you can find a boot with almost any size heel, and if you choose the right one, they can double as a day shoe and a night shoe.

Take these Giuseppe Zanotti black leather ankle booties. These will go perfect with any skinny trouser or dress pant for the office, as well as a mini skirt or leather pant for a night out. Also check out the purple suede ones for a more adventurous look.

4. Leather pants

Pairing these with a light-feeling blouse, fur vest, and ankle boots is the perfect go-to outfit. You don’t need to accessorize too much since the pants and vest already lend the outfit their contrasting textures. But if you do decide to add a necklace or bracelet, I’d tone it down with ones that match the blouse or shirt you’re wearing, so the accessories don’t take away too much from the outfit itself. I also love pairing these pants with a knit sweater. With this outfit, alternatively, feel free to accessorize since it’s not as layered as the vest option. I would do a shorter, chunky necklace and chunky bracelets.

Another way to wear this trend is to do to shorts in a leather/pleather and wear thick or knit stockings. I love this sort of look for cooler weather (it also looks nice with tweed or wool shorts). Pair shorts like these high-waisted shorts from Topshop with a sweater like this one from H&M. The fabrics provide the perfect contrast and the colours look great together!

5. Wide brim hat

And when I say wide brim, I mean very wide brim. I don’t know why but I just love these. When you think of a wide brim hat, your mind probably automatically goes to a straw or other beach appropriate hat. But in the right colour and material, it’s the perfect accessory for autumn. I would invest in a wool hat in a maroon, beige, or brown (like this one from Levi's), and these colours can be added to any look to top it off (pun intended).

I just want to add one more must-have that I think deserves honourable mention, since it's timeless and seasonless. Denim. Light or dark. It can be paired with absolutely anything, even more denim (although this look must be executed with extreme caution and precision). So I will end this post with a few photos of beautifully-styled denim for fall. Let me know in the comments what your fall must-haves are!

 Stockholm Streetstyle

 TheBlackCatGirl

 We Heart It

 We Heart It

 H&M