Wishing you could get out of summer style and switch to fall, but the weather hasn’t gotten the memo yet? If so, today’s post is for you!
Now of course, you can totally live in summer clothes for as long as you want to! No one says you have to stop wearing summer clothes once September and October hit. Personally, I go back and forth between my brighter, “sunnier” looking clothes and feeling that itch to switch to fall. While nothing can replace true fall style with all its layers and cozy pieces, I try to do some small things to at least feel like I’ve shifted away from summer and into something different. It might not be full-on fall clothes, but it’s different than summer. You know what I mean? Today I’ll share some of them!
SIZING: I’m 5’6″ and usually S/M or 6 in clothes and 8.5 to 9 in shoes.
#1 Wear lightweight clothes and/or short sleeves in fall colors.
Continue to wear short sleeves, sleeveless tops, shorts, skirts, dresses, and lightweight pants as needed, but wear ones in fall colors and prints. Go for the colors you’d typically wear in the fall.
For example, the top above is full of the muted colors that I love to wear in the fall, but it’s not a thick, cozy, fall top. It’s a short sleeve blouse—one that I actually have in a different print that I styled several ways, back in the spring. But this print has the more muted colors that I typically wear in the fall, so it helps me feel like I’m dressing for fall. If it’s so hot where you live that pants aren’t even an option, navy shorts would be fine with this top for a nicer casual look. Or go for a skirt to style it for work while staying cool.
(BTW, this top is available in lots of prints HERE. There’s also a sleeveless version HERE. Plus size short sleeve version HERE. I wear size M.)
Shop the Outfit:
Top: Nordstrom (exact—wearing size M)
Pants: Nordstrom (exact—wearing size 4)
Shoes: Nordstrom (exact—wearing size 9; similar—I wear size 9)
Bag: Nordstrom (exact in tan, exact in black)
Necklace: Nordstrom (exact; super similar and way more affordable)
Another example is this rust colored tee. It is made of a thin slub knit material, so it is really lightweight and doesn’t feel hot or suffocating. But, the rust color is great for fall! Unfortunately, this tee is nearly sold out now, but check if it’s in your size HERE. It’s only $16.97! I wear size S. There’s a similar one HERE in the color “Dateline.” (Not the bright orange one, haha!)
Also, these olive knit pants have a ribbed texture, but they are super lightweight. So, this whole outfit is great for a warmer day but looks like fall! Unfortunately, these pants sold out yesterday. Ughhh, so sorry! But, you get the picture in terms of dressing for fall when temps are still warmer.
Shop the Outfit:
Top: Nordstrom Rack (exact—wearing size S; similar)
Pants: Nordstrom Rack (exact—wearing size S; similar)
Shoes: Nordstrom (exact—wearing size 9; similar—I wear size 9)
Bag: Nordstrom (exact)
Necklace: Nordstrom (exact; super similar and way more affordable)
If rust and olive are not for you, you can choose whatever colors you’d typically wear in the fall. Cranberry, maroon, cream, teal, dark purple, mustard yellow, and neutrals are all great!
I rounded up some short sleeve and sleeveless tops that you can easily style in the early fall below:
#2 Shoes with Heavier Weight or Texture
To me, one of the key parts of fall style is shifting to heavier textures like suede, cozy knits, and shoes with a more substantial or weightier feel, like booties or sneakers with suede texture.
None of those things are pleasant to wear in warmer temps, but one small thing I take away and incorporate when it’s warmer is to wear shoes that have a heavier texture or some weight to how they look. Shoes like suede flats, slip-on sneakers with suede or leather texture, and sandals with thicker soles or thicker straps are all great options.
One example is the suede flats like the ones above, which are definitely not as warm as booties but can still provide a bit of a fall feel.
BTW, the tee I’m wearing above also has some texture, so it’s a nice short sleeve option for the summer-to-fall transition. In the Mini Summer to Fall Transition Capsule Wardrobe, I showed this with really lightweight pants for a warmer day. Here I’m showing it with straight leg jeans and flats.
BTW this top is just $8.69 on clearance! It’s not super high quality (obviously from its price point! 😜) but it is stretchy and comfortable. It’s a nice option if you’re looking for an extremely affordable yet versatile piece! See it HERE. I wear it in size S.
Shop the Outfit:
Top: JCPenney (exact—wearing size S)
Jeans: JCPenney (exact—wearing size 4 in Medium Halo)
Shoes: Nordstrom (exact—wearing size 9; similar—I wear size 9)
Bag: Nordstrom (exact in different color; similar)
Necklace: Nordstrom (exact; super similar and way more affordable)
Another example is footbed sandals with a thick sole and pretty prominent leather and suede texture, like the ones I’m wearing above. This type of sandal feels weightier than thinner, lighter summer sandals. Check these out HERE. They’re on sale for just $19.99 right now!
Suede or leather slip-on sneakers are also a nice option to add texture and weight. I wear those when it’s about 75 degrees or less.
If you want to stay even cooler go for a mule-style sneaker like THESE which leaves the heel open and keeps your feet cooler.
Shop the Outfit:
Top: JCPenney (exact—wearing size S)
Jacket: JCPenney (exact—wearing size S)
Jeans: JCPenney (exact—wearing size 4 in Medium Halo)
Sandals: JCPenney (exact—wearing size 9)
Bag: Nordstrom (exact in tan, exact in black)
Earrings: c/o Nickel & Suede (exact—wearing size M)
Necklace: c/o Dear Mushka (exact)
Pic from a few weeks into our move, hence the stuff in random places, including a piece of furniture serving as a temporary baby gate. 😛
Another example is the comfy pair of Crocs above. I’ve been wearing these quite a bit since we still have some days that are in the 90s! The thick straps help give it that “weightier” feel, even though these sandals are super duper light and comfortable. Yes, you can totally wear them in the summer. But, when combined with an outfit full of fall colors and with other tips in this blog post, they help the outfit have more of a fall vibe than other types of thin summer sandals would. Again, a lot of these things are small changes, but they add up to at least be a little different than my super summery clothes.
BTW, these sandals—they’re fully rubber, so the footbed is comfy and kinda squishy! Plus, they’re totally waterproof, so they’re great for the pool as well as everyday wear. Got them in both white and black!
I’m linking to them in two places to find them—one from DSW and one from Zappos. One has more sizes in stock and more colors but less convenient shipping while the other has less sizes and less colors but more convenient shipping. Find them at DSW, HERE and Zappos, HERE. I wear size 8 in these, which fits the length of my feet almost exactly. Size 9 was just slightly longer.
Shop the Outfit:
T-shirt: c/o Nordstrom (exact—wearing size S; similar—I wear size S)
Jeans: (exact—wearing size 6)
Sandals: (exact—more colors and sizes but need to sign up for their *free* VIP program for free shipping // exact—wearing size 8)
Earrings: c/o Nickel & Suede (exact—wearing size M)
Here are some shoes that could work for warmer fall weather. Of course, what works will be different depending on whether we’re talking about 90 degrees or 75 degrees, and different shoes are included for a variety of temps.
#3 Textured accessories & accessories in fall colors
This is very similar to Tip #2 about shoes but applied to accessories. When I say “accessories,” I’m not talking about chunky scarves because if it’s still pretty warm, there’s no way I’m wearing a scarf. I’m mostly just talking about switching out the colors of my earrings! 😆 And even then, I personally don’t need to do much because I typically wear pretty neutral or muted colored earrings anyway. But I do find that without the use of layers or the thicker fall materials, every little bit helps. 😊
Whatever your choice of accessories is, whether it’s earrings, cuffs and bracelets, necklaces, etc. you can use them to add fall textures and colors to help your outfits feel a little more like fall—even if you’re still in t-shirts and tanks!
Here are some great lightweight leather earrings with fall vibes from my favorite earring brand, Nickel & Suede (the brand of earrings I always wear):
#4 Lightweight dresses in fall colors and prints
I know I mentioned dresses in Tip #1, but I want to talk about them on their own. Sometimes, even if you wear tops and tanks in fall colors or prints, it still might be so warm that you need shorts (or just not pants). That’s when dresses and skirts are especially helpful. They keep you cool on warm days but don’t scream, “SUMMER!!!” quite as much as shorts do. Know what I mean? So, dresses and skirts in fall prints are fantastic go-to options when you really want to dress with fall vibes but it’s really warm.
Below are some dresses and skirts with prints or colors that are great for fall—that can keep you cool!
Shop the Outfit:
Dress: JCPenney (exact—wearing size S)
Jacket: JCPenney (exact—wearing size S)
Boots: (similar, similar)
Bag: (similar)
Earrings: c/o Nickel & Suede (exact—wearing size M)
Necklace: (similar, similar)
#5 Lightweight layers (over short sleeve tops, tanks, skirts, and dresses)
Oftentimes where I live, we’ll need a layer at some point in the day. The day will start off pretty cool but then warm up to the 80s. Or, it’ll be warm during the day but cool off rapidly come evening. So, of course, lightweight layers are helpful.
My favorites are simply my closet staples: a utility jacket and denim jacket. They go with nearly anything. I might also wear a thinner long cardigan. Any of those will provide a nice lightweight layer, especially if you’re just wearing them over short sleeve and sleeveless tops and dresses. (BTW, learn to make the MOST out of your utility jacket, denim jacket, and cardigans in the Wardrobe Staples Styler! See below for details.)
Those are 5 tips for transitioning from summer to fall style! Again, some of these tips are pretty small on their own, but together they help your outfits feel a bit more like fall, even in warm weather. Hope they help!
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