Fall is my favorite! There’s no question about it. And so when the beginning of the school year rolls around, it comes as no surprise to anyone that I am in the mood for all things fall–layering warm sweaters, wearing suede booties, and of course leaning hard into all the warm, earthy tones of the season. I blame it on living in Texas for so long, where seasonal changes are more of a mindset than a physical reality. (Except, of course for, summer. That one exists and is very REAL. Triple digit temps in Houston are hard to forget.)
Anyways, summer in Boulder, Colorado (where I live now) lasts well into October. (You might remember our comically-hot trip to the pumpkin patch last year where I tried to make it look like fall with my rain boots on, but in reality was just sweating my socks off!) Don’t get me wrong, it can still get cold before then, but it’s more of a sporadic thing than a legitimate season change.
At any rate, I thought it would be fun to share with you some outfit inspiration for this transitional time when you wish it were fall but it’s actually still really really HOT outside–what I like to call fall-inspired summer outfits. 🙂 In addition to some outfit inspiration and tips for this transitional time, I’m also sharing a new-to-me sustainable fashion brand, Doen, and talking a little bit about why I love supporting them and their mission.
My biggest tip for dressing like it’s fall in summer is to take advantage of COLOR. Pick out warm-weather pieces in your closet with warm tones like burgandy, browns, and oranges. These colors will give your outfits a fall feeling without requiring you to struggle sweat through a sweater in 90 degree temps. This could be as simple as pairing a nutmeg-brown tee with a fun-printed skirt and layering on a light weight cardigan over top (for those of us who live in AC Antarctica at work), or you could pair a light-weight cotton blouse with a great pair of jean shorts, as I have done here. The outfit I’m sharing with you today would be perfect for a picnic in the park, errands out and about, and even an impromptu casual date night and/or ice cream stop. …which tends to happen more often than not when it’s hot out ( but I’m not complaining!).
In general, I am very against wearing long sleeves when it’s super hot outside. Like, why would you do that to yourself?! Haha! But something about the light weight, super breathable cotton of this top and the adorable, vintage feel of the ruffles around the neck and sleeves begs me to change my mind. It just goes to show (much like wearing sweaters in summer), that having the right fabric changes everything.
And speaking of fabrics, let me take a quick second to talk about Doen, the female-owned and operated, California-based company that makes this blouse. Doen is a sustainable fashion brand that uses deadstock fabric thrown out by other high end fashion houses to make their beautiful pieces of clothing–mainly blouses, dresses, and sweaters. This means that they are able to create beautiful pieces for you and me to wear from fabric that would otherwise go to waste and end up in landfill. They, quite literally, use someone else’s trash and turn it into pure treasure! In addition, they are committed to decreasing the gender gap at every step along the production process (in places all over the world!). I don’t know about you, but their mission is definitely one I can get behind and love to support.
And while their pieces are a little pricier than I like to spend on my clothes, my recent commitment to buying less and investing in companies who value how the clothing is made (and who the clothing is made by) means that I can spend more money on fewer (long-lasting, sustainably-made, quality) pieces in the long run. If you are interested, you can read more about their mission here.
P.S. – Since grabbing this blouse a few months back, I already added this one to my collection too! I’m loving the deep burgandy color of the Aubergine Prairie Paisley for fall!
And for a little extra sparkle in the sunshine, I added a barely-there gold chain necklace on top of my blouse. Just because it isn’t the main event, doesn’t mean a necklace can’t add a little something special to a look!
What about you? What are you wearing during this in-between summer and fall season?
You might also like…A Sleeveless Sweater in Fall and A Business Casual Fall Look.
Photos by Noah Berg
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Get the Look…
Top: Doen (also here) | Shorts: J.Crew Factory (similar) | Necklace: J. Crew Factory | Shoes: Birkenstock (last styled here)
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