How to Stretch Your Summer Wardrobe Into Fall

The Style Glossy: Dressing Room

How to Stretch Your Summer Wardrobe Into Fall

By Karen Brailsford for The Style Glossy

The siren call of fall can bring out the urge
to shop for a brand-new wardrobe. In these budget-conscious, carbon
footprint-aware times, however, it’s more important than ever to get the
most bang for your buck. Recycling and reinventing hot-weather staples
not only stretches your dollars, it expands your wardrobe without
overfilling your closet. Even when the weather gets chilly, you can
still flaunt your favorite sundresses and sandals.

Layer It
Simply add a few
extra layers to your favorite summer pieces to create a whole new
wardrobe. This is the key to transitioning from season to season, says
Mar Yvette, a stylist based in Los Angeles. It’s as effortless as
throwing a cardigan over a silk tank. For this fall season, the fashion
bibles are touting the anorak, which makes a great topper over a flirty
dress. Of course, a tough leather jacket is classic rock ‘n’ roll sexy,
and a sharp blazer always pulls together a look.

Get
the Basics: cardigan, tank, flirty dress, anorak, leather
jacket, blazer

Texturize
It
Nothing says autumn like knits and nubby,
cozy fabrics. Yet this is not the time to bulk up as if you’re
developing a thick coat and preparing to hibernate. Instead, keep
sweaters lightweight; stick to thinly spun wools, cashmere and cotton.
The soft knit you threw on to shield yourself against the movie
theater’s blasting air conditioner can do double duty in
cooler months.

Get the
Basics: knits, cashmere sweater, wool sweater

Rethink
It
Summer pieces can take on a new lease in
fashion life if you remember that there’s no such thing as “seasonally
appropriate.” Anything goes! Today, everyone knows that banishing your
summer whites to the back of your closet is so old-school. A pair of
white jeans or a sparkling white tank works just as well in cooler
months. And while floral patterns are typically the hallmarks of spring,
you can keep your flower power going strong in the fall too. Whether
covered in bold petal prints or teensy blossoms, floral sundresses, maxi
dresses, sweet blouses and flowing skirts are all viable in autumn —
as long as you pair them with pieces that balance them out for the
season. Think sweaters, boots and jackets. And those bold, bright colors
you wore in summer won’t blind you if you temper them with more somber,
seasonal blacks, browns, grays and navy blues.

Get
the Basics: sundress, maxi dress, blouse, skirt, brights,
whites

Accessorize
It
Yvette is a fan of pairing chic leather
boots with summer skirts. Sandals and chunky wedges can literally carry
you into fall, provided you first slip on a pair of textured hosiery. If
you’re too timid to try this open-toed look, start more subtly with
your peep-toe pumps. Final step: Trade in July’s thin neck
scarf for a more substantial wrap.

Get
the Basics: boots, sandals, tights, wrap

Karen Brailsford is a Los Angeles-based writer and editor who has written about style for People magazine, In Touch Weekly and the Style Network’s website.