Workwear for the summer to fall transition–let’s do it! The transition period from summer to fall always feels a little weird to me. The energy shifts away from summer mode and looks towards fall projects or school ramping up. But, the weather? Still hot as heck. 😩
Whether you’re a teacher who’s getting ready for back to school or whether you’ve been in work mode all summer and need a boost to get out of a rut, we could all use some inspiration during this time! Today I’m sharing 3 business casual outfits for summer that you can wear through the summer to fall transition. Hope it helps!
Heads up, most of the items in today’s outfits are no longer in stock.* 😢 But, I linked to some similar options! Plus, these outfit formulas work with so many different prints and colors, so the idea is for you to be able to pull stuff from your own closet and make the outfit formula your own.
(*One thing about style blogging is that makes my closet a bit unique to manage. On one hand, I’m curating my closet for myself and including pieces I love that may be old or no longer available. On the other hand, I want to be able to style items that are in stock to help those of you who need to build your closets. Today happens to have a lot of items in the former category! Sorry 😬)
SIZING: I’m 5’6″ and usually S/M or 6 in clothes, 8.5 to 9 in shoes.
Outfit #1: Solid (Colored) Pants + Printed Top
First up is a pair of pants with a printed top. Bring it to life by choosing pants in a fun color instead of a pair of neutral slacks like black or grey. Don’t get me wrong, those would be cute, too. But, sometimes a sunny and summery forecast calls for a color boost! This outfit formula works with lots of other pieces, like any color pants and any printed top. Doesn’t even have to be animal print!
These are the Old Navy Pixie Ankle Pants, which I’ve talked about before. This color is nearly sold out, but the fun thing about Pixie Pants is they come in tons of colors and fun prints. See them all HERE and HERE! I wear size 6.
I paired them with an animal print top, but you can do this with any printed top. Some options in the widget below:
Shop The Outfit
Top: J.Crew Factory (exact-size S, similar)
Pants: Old Navy (exact-size 6)
Bag: Sole Society (super similar)
Shoes: Target (similar, similar)
Earrings: Nickel & Suede (exact-wearing size M)
Outfit #2: Lightweight Printed Dress (in fall colors–optional)
A dress is a great option for keeping you cool while still looking polished and put together. Go sleeveless if it’s still warm where you live, or wear short sleeves if you can’t wear sleeveless to work.
The dress I’m wearing is super duper lightweight and keeps you cool, but has fall colors. The mix of summery material but fall print is great for the summer to fall transition. (I recently styled this for a summer dressy casual event HERE. Not much of a difference from today’s outfit–isn’t it great to have versatile items that you can easily wear in different settings?) The faux wrap provides great structure that nips in at the waist to create a flattering shape.
This dress is in stock and available HERE for only $24.99!
Shop The Outfit
Dress: Target (exact-wearing size M)
Bag: Sole Society (exact, similar)
Shoes: Target (similar, similar)
Necklace: Dear Mushka (exact)
Earrings: Nickel & Suede (exact-wearing size M)
Outfit #3: Printed Skirt + Colorful Top
The last combo is a skirt and a top. I chose a lightweight skirt to combat heat and a colorful top to keep it interesting. Both of the items are old and no longer available, but this combo works with any skirt and top from your own closet! For the easiest pairing, use a printed skirt made of all neutrals plus a colored top. Or reverse it and use a top made of all neutrals plus a colored skirt!
You can always, of course, wear any colors you want during any time of the year. But if you are trying to walk that line of summer to fall transition (i.e. a bit of summer and a bit of fall) I recommend going for darker neutrals.
Shop The Outfit
Top: Loft (similar, similar)
Skirt: J.Crew Factory (similar)
Bag: Sole Society (super similar)
Shoes: Target (similar, similar)
Necklace: Dear Mushka (exact)
Earrings: Nickel & Suede (similar-wearing size M)
Now you can kill it at your job while staying cool!
Want more business casual style help? See all my posts business casual style HERE. Always find it by hovering over the top menubar’s “Outfits By Lifestyle” tab, then clicking “Business Casual Outfits.”
