Ahhh the fall transition! When the weather still feels like summer, but activities shift towards fall. School is starting, we’re getting out of relaxed summer vibes and back into regular schedules and rhythms, and many of you are preparing to go back to work.
If you are preparing to head back to work and need some business casual outfits for the fall transition, today’s post is for you! We’re talking business casual outfits for the transition to fall.
In the past, I’d just gripe about how I wanted to wear fall clothes but the weather wasn’t cooperating. (Especially where I live–warm climate!) Now, I embrace it as the fall transition and make a game plan.
Instead of sweating it out in heavy fall clothes, I incorporate items in colors that I love for fall, but choose lighter materials and sleeve lengths that are fit for warmer weather. That’s it!
Alright, let’s talk through some outfit ideas!
1. Colored Pants + Neutral Top
These pants are in a beautiful darker green that’s great for fall. This color is unfortunately sold out, but it’s also available in black and burnt orange which is BEAUTIFUL! I LOVE the burnt orange too! They are currently ON SALE for just a few more days! See them HERE. I wear size 6.
For the fall transition, I paired them with a sleeveless black top. Besides this top being sleeveless to help keep you cooler, the material is AWESOME. It’s SO lightweight, and very, very soft which feels fantastic against your skin. I’ve been talking about these a ton lately, and I’m serious–if you haven’t tried them, you gotta at least TRY. Especially while they’re ON SALE! They come in 9 colors HERE. I wear size S.
When the weather cools, you can wear these pants with a fitted pullover sweater. You can also still wear this outfit but throw a black cardigan or blazer over this sleeveless top for an extra layer.
Shop the Outfit:
Top: Nordstrom (exact–wearing size S)
Pants: Nordstrom (exact in other colors–wearing size 6, similar in color Dark Green)
Shoes: Nordstrom (exact–wearing size 9, similar)
Bag: Sole Society (similar)
Earrings: c/o Nickel & Suede (exact in similar color)
2. Printed Top + Neutral Colored Pants
This flutter sleeve button up top I talked about a while ago is a GREAT option for the fall transition. It’s very, very lightweight. It comes in 6 prints, with some made of darker colors like maroon, brown/black leopard print, blue, and a medium dark green. Heads up: Some reviews say the buttons on this shirt pop open easily. I have heard a mix from PMTers, some saying they wore it all day at work and loved it, and someone saying the buttons popped open for them. Yikes! Give the top a shot if you’re interested, but make sure to check if the buttons open on the one you receive. See all the prints HERE. I wear size M.
Shop the Outfit:
Top: Amazon (exact–wearing size M in Red Mini Daisy Print)
Pants: Target (exact–wearing size 6, similar, similar)
Shoes: Amazon (exact–wearing size 9)
Earrings: c/o Nickel & Suede (similar–wearing size M)
3. Dress
If you really need to keep cool but want to look work appropriate, opt for a dress! These are great for the transition to fall, especially if you can’t wear shorts at work.
This dress is very stretchy and COMFY to wear! It comes in this cute spotted print, a navy/white polka dot print, and a darker salmon-ish color. Available in Regular, Tall, and Petite. (The link automatically takes you to “Petite” options, so make sure you click on Regular or Tall if you’re not petite!)
For fun, I added pops of color in the earrings and shoes. These are my trusty Amazon flats that I’ve been telling you about for several years. I have them in 3 colors! They are pretty comfy for this inexpensive price point. The upper is MUCH softer than other shoes at this price. No padding in the footbed though, which is expected for inexpensive flats. Add a shoe insert if you need padding. Last note, they run a TADDDDDDD wide. If you have narrow feet, these might be too wide for you. Otherwise, they should be fine. See all the colors HERE.
My earrings are of course Nickel & Suede, which is the only brand of earrings I’ve worn for the last several years. I just LOVE them! They are statement earrings, but they’re made of leather (very high quality leather, btw) so they are SUPER lightweight. You don’t even feel like you’re wearing earrings! The exact pair I’m wearing is no longer available, but there’s a super similar pair HERE.
Shop the Outfit:
Dress: Old Navy (exact–wearing size M, similar)
Shoes: Amazon (exact–wearing size 9)
Earrings: c/o Nickel & Suede (similar–I wear size M)
3. Colored Top + Neutral Colored Pants + Pop of Print (Optional)
This is kind of the reverse of the first outfit, flip flopping where the colored item goes. And yes, this is that same top from the first outfit, just in another color. I’m telling you, I LOVE these tops!! You can dress them down with jeans for a dressy casual look too.
Shop the Outfit:
Top: Nordstrom (exact in other colors–wearing size S)
Jacket: Nordstrom (exact–I wear size S, similar)
Pants: Nordstrom (exact–wearing size 4, similar, similar)
Shoes: Nordstrom (updated version–I wear size 8.5, similar, similar)
Bag: Sole Society (similar)
Earrings: c/o Nickel & Suede (exact in similar color)
5. Printed Top + Jeans
Last up is a Relaxed Business Casual look for those who can wear jeans to work. I went with bootcut jeans because if it’s a pretty warm day and I’m wearing jeans, a lot of times I’d rather be in jeans that are less constricting than skinny jeans. Plus, this particular pair of bootcut jeans is SO COMFY! I’ve talked a lot about these for the last few years, but in case you don’t know yet–these are VERY stretchy and COMFY through out the legs, and they have elastic in the waistband! They are so, so, so comfy. The pair I’m wearing above is a bit older. The newer version is HERE which is also great! This is a FAVORITE item among the PMT community, so if you haven’t tried them yet, at least give them a shot! They come in petite and regular lengths HERE.
Other washes (light wash and black) and plus sized options for the bootcut jeans are HERE.
I sized up to size 8 for a looser fit in the thighs. Otherwise in size 6 my thighs filled out the legs, which actually made them overall shorter on me. You can see my comparison of size 6 vs 8 at the bottom of THIS blog post.
Shop the Outfit:
Top: Amazon (exact–wearing size M)
Jeans: Nordstrom (updated version–I wear size 8, similar)
Shoes: Old Navy (similar, similar, similar)
Earrings: c/o Nickel & Suede (exact in similar color–I wear size M)
I hope these outfit ideas help you transition back into to work this fall!
BTW, the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is still on for less than one more week. If you want to see all my recs and reviews, check out the PMT NSale Shopping Guide!
Need help with a wardrobe and don’t know where to start? Check out PMT Starter Kit Wardrobe Guides! They give you a simpler plan for building wardrobes from scratch, starting with just 9 pieces that become 9-15 outfits, then helping you identify which kinds of pieces to focus on next. You’ll end up with about 15 pieces that become 30+ outfits! We’ve got guides to help you put together workwear or casual wardrobes from scratch, so read all about them HERE.
