Happy Fall, friends! I’m so excited to finally get into some fun fall content here on the blog! And today I’m starting out with an outfit that takes its inspiration straight from the colors of the season.
After living in yoga pants and tshirts throughout the months of August and September (while studying for my qualifying exams), I was more than ready to change things up in the wardrobe department and to fully embrace my love of the fall season.
Fall is such a beautiful season. The changing colors of the leaves, the crispness in the morning air, and the mindset that there’s no better time to turn over a new leaf in your life.
For me, this new leaf has been to clean out my closets and to be more intentional with the things I surround myself with. If there were such a thing as “Fall Cleaning” (as opposed to Spring Cleaning), that is what I would be in the midst of right now. And it’s actually been quite freeing!
Ever since partaking in the 10×10 Wardrobe Challenges, I’ve been much more aware of how much clutter and fast fashion and consumerism have crept into my life. And even more so since reading Chasing Slow and realizing that I wasn’t getting the things I wanted out of life. (You can find the book HERE.)
So I pared down my closet to hold only those items for fall and winter which I love and will actually wear. Here I’ve styled a few of my old favorites in a new way that makes me so happy and excited to have fall in the air! I love how mixing and matching pieces you already own can make your entire wardrobe feel fresh and new again without the added expense of buying new things. It’s all in the perspective you take.
And while I’ve still got a long way to go in living a “slower” life and finding contentness in the things I already own, I’m definitely on the right path. It’s a journey that happens gradually over time, and so I’m learning to relish the moment and days in between and the process as a whole. Learning little tidbits and lessons along the way.
As for lessons in styling I’ve learned, I’ll let you in on a little secret I’ve taken away from the 10×10 Challenges…it’s all about the layering. Simple, I know. But I promise it works! From being forced to create 10+ unique looks from 10 items of clothing over 10 days, I quickly came to learn that you can create so many more looks simply by layering pieces in new ways. And that is precisely what I have done here with this outfit.
I typically don’t like form-fitting tops. I’m very much a “the looser the better” kind of girl. But when paired with a high-waisted skirt and layered with a longer duster, a slimmer top can provide a more polished look while still remaining comfortable…especially when it’s made of a soft, stretchy cotton material.
Here, I’ve done just that. I’ve layered a ribbed turtleneck sweater with a corduroy skirt and layered both with a long, rust-colored vest. The outfit finds balance in being both dressy and yet casual–the perfect mix of both worlds.
Plus, pairing the longer length of the vest with the shorter length of the mini skirt creates a much more age-appropriate look (at least in my opinion). Is it just me, or have you too started noticing how short skirts are these days? I’ve started buying mine in tall lengths or layering them with longer outerwear, as I did here, or wearing them with tights underneath to make them feel longer and more conservative.
And the fall colors of the outfit–deep chestnut browns and vibrant rust-toned oranges–make me so so happy! Isn’t it funny how that works? With a simple change in the color palette of your wardrobe, you can completely change how your outfits feel. It’s my number one favorite thing to do for my wardrobe at the beginning of a new season.
And despite rust orange being exceedingly similar to the burnt orange color associated with that other school in Texas, I continue to find that it’s my favorite color come fall.
For some depth in color, I layered in crisper black details, like these black booties and this black fringe purse. Overall, this mix of colors adds definition and contrast to the look while remaining very fall.
What about you? Do you like dressing in the colors of fall?
You might also like…A Yellow Dress for Fall and Another Layered Rust-Colored Look.
Photos by Noah Berg
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Get the Look…
Top: Express (similar here, here) | Skirt: J. Crew (similar) | Duster: H&M (similar here, here) | Boots: Antonio Melani (more colors here) | Purse: Fossil (similar, also love this one) | Necklace: Madewell (similar)
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