What to Keep, What to Stash: Fall Fashion Edition
Read on to see which summer styles you should stash until next year--and the trends and pieces you can keep wearing come fall.
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Keep: Maxi Skirt
There’s no seasonal stamp on a sweeping hemline, so why relegate your maxi skirt to a May-August rotation? Add tights for warmth and a stylish pair of boots and you can eek out more wear. The best footwear choices will provide a visual balance to the graceful swish of a maxi skirt. Try a chunky stacked heel or lug-soled flat boot. Save the stilettos for a different type of skirt.
Try: Anthropologie Printed Column Maxi Skirt, $118, www.anthropologie.com
Stash: White Sundress
The cottony white sundress is a true marker of summer style. It waits patiently in the closet all year until the perfect balmy day arrives, and once out it’s practically the only thing you want to wear. But part of what makes it so special is its limited engagement, so to the closet it must return. We’re not saying you can’t wear white after Labour Day, we’re just saying you can’t wear a white sundress after Labour Day.
Keep: Dressy Shorts
Just because the season is coming to a close doesn’t mean you have to tuck away everything that seemingly screams summer, even certain styles of shorts. If you splurged on a fancier pair (i.e. lace, eyelet or beaded) there’s a simple, and budget-friendly, way to get months of cold weather wear out of them: layer a pair of opaque tights underneath. Don’t get fancy; stick to black hosiery, add a heeled bootie and you’re done.
Try: Mango Sequin Shorts, $70, www.shopmango.com/CA
Stash: Denim Cutoffs
Sorry to say this but it’s time to kiss cottage weekends, and all they stand for, good-bye. That means any and all denim cutoffs, the most casual of shorts, will have to be stashed until the May two-four 2013. Sniff.
Keep: Bright Bangles
Jewelry is rarely seasonal, but a stack of bright bangles can certainly seem summery. Before you pop them into the jewelry box until next year, consider re-mixing your arm party. Nestle brightly coloured bangles next to ones in glossy black or silver tones to instantly re-fresh and fall-ify your baubles.
Try: Aldo Vink bracelet set, $12, www.aldoshoes.com
Stash: Flip-flops
Flip-flops can be worn into early fall if temps are still summer-like. But at some point in mid-September, bare feet start to look out of place. That’s why the Style Gods created all sorts of cute flat shoes.
Keep: Silk Jacket
A lightweight layer is an after-hours summer staple, essential when the sun goes down and a breeze rolls in. A silk jacket alone might not be enough for fall, but it’s still wearable when partnered with substantial textures and slim-fitting shapes.
First, layer something suitable underneath, such as a thin knit turtleneck. Then, add a pair of skinny pants or a pencil skirt in a heavy wool or tweed. The more contrast between the delicate silk and the cozy, curve hugging fall additions, the better.
Try: Rebecca Minkoff Becky Jacket, $380, www.shopbop.com
Stash: Tank Tops
As of September 1, it’s time to put away your collection of tank tops and start wearing shirts with sleeves on a daily basis. Let t-shirts take their place for relaxed days, and dress them up as needed. Same concept, more seasonally appropriate effect.
Keep: Coloured Jeans
If you picked up a pair of the season’s brightly coloured jeans (and I sure hope you did!), you don’t have to stash them just yet. Not only do all those rainbow-dipped hues look super chic with black, grey and navy (fall’s most popular neutrals) but fashion’s love affair with colour will still be going strong for autumn. Get ready to rock your bright jeans with a beautiful knit in gorgeous shade, like rich orange.
Try: J.Crew Ankle Stretch Toothpick Jean, $144, www.jcrew.com
Stash: Gauzy Scarf
A gauzy scarf adds style to any casual warm-weather look, but those featherweight textures can look out of place when summer months end – especially if they’re in sherbet shades. You don’t have to tie on a dark wooly cable knit number just yet, but a jersey or medium-gauge knit scarf in deeper tones will look most stylish with fall layers, like a leather jacket.
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