In recent years, I haven’t been much of a trend watcher when it comes to fashion; information about new trends will occasionally filter through my consciousness because I read a bunch of female-oriented websites (Racked, Refinery29 and the like) where it proceeds to languish, along with the rest of the not-insignificant amount of useless trivia I acquire on a daily basis. With that said, this year, I decided to devote a bit of planning to my fall wardrobe – or, more specifically, the key elements of my fall “stylebook”. I have enjoyed having a cohesive style over the past few months and I plan to stick with it, but I thought this was a good time to tweak it a bit for the new season.
As you guys know, I thrift almost all of my wardrobe. When I thrift, I prefer to go in with an open mind rather than limit myself to specific items; I like to think of it as being receptive to whatever the universe wants to throw my way, and I find it a good way to avoid disappointment. The result of this approach is that I thrift things without regard to the season; I’ve bought boots in June, and summer dresses in December. Sticking to a well-defined set of personal style rules helps to ensure that there’s a rhyme and reason to my purchases, and that each piece fits in with the greater whole.
All of this is to say: my approach to fall wardrobe planning was not to develop a list of key elements from scratch, or in a vacuum. Rather, I started with the contents of my closet, and identified items and silhouettes that would inspire fall outfits, all the while keeping to my overarching aesthetic themes: comfort & coziness; playing with volume and textures; architectural lines; minimal but bold accessories.
Ankle boots
Over the past year, my ankle-boot collection has exploded. I currently have 5 pairs, and just about every imaginable style. I used to wear ankle boots mostly with pants and mostly as “outdoor” shoes. This year, I am planning to try them with everything, including skirts and dresses, and make them a part of the outfit as much as possible. Ankle boots are, by and large, a more androgynous choice than, say, heeled knee-high boots. In the right pairings, ankle boots can provide an interesting juxtaposition to more (traditionally) feminine clothing such as a velvet dress. One of the combos I am very eager to explore is ankle boots + cropped pants. I have grown very attached to my culottes and tapered trousers, and I hope they will look marvelous paired with boots – style AND function for the win.
Leather skirt
One of the best things about fall is the opportunity it offers to play with different materials and textures; you can layer all the things but still “show your work”, so to speak, without having to hide it all underneath a huge parka. As you guys know, I love my knits; I also love pairing them with things like velvet, silk, and leather for a bit of contrast. I recently thrifted a (faux) leather skirt which should add an interesting twist to my outfits. I am still figuring out how to make it work, but I think a chunky sweater and/or wool blazer will be a good start. Speaking of which …
Wool blazers
Tweed for fall? Groundbreaking. In my defence, I have quite a collection of wool blazers, and I have to figure out how to make them look something other than preppy. I am going to start by throwing them over each and every outfit I wore this past summer and seeing what works. I am also on the hunt for some lightweight (knit) vests to layer under my blazers for that Prince/Adventurer crossover.
Knit Cape
Ok, so this is one thing I DON’T currently have in my closet, and am sorely missing. I mean, how cool does this look:
I have seriously considered trying to knit my own version of this, but quickly gave up; it would take me until next summer to finish and, quite frankly, I ain’t got time for that. So I am on the thrift hunt for something similar; it may be a long shot, but I am up for the challenge.
Cropped Sweaters
Playing with lengths and proportions has been a big part of my recent style exploration, and I want to keep that going into fall. While I continue to love voluminous knits, I am also looking to try cropped ones. I think they could add an interesting twist on some of my go-to silhouettes; for example, I have been rediscovering the long-over-skinny silhouette, and I would like to take it one step further with short-over-long-over-skinny. I also think crop tops would look smashing paired with the higher waist trousers that are quickly becoming wardrobe favourites. I currently have one kinda-cropped sweater in my closet, so I will be looking to expand my collection in the coming months.
Paperbag Waist Trousers
These are actually having a “moment” right now, so I have been tempted to cheat and simply look for them in retail stores; as they have not been a super popular style in the last 3-4 years, I’ve come across precious few at the thrift stores. I am hoping that changes soon. My current COS pair is a huge favourite, so if anyone has recc’s for similar styles across other brands, I would love to hear about it. It always helps to know what to watch out for, after all.
And that’s my list for Fall 2018. I would love to hear what’s on yours.
Why don’t you try fashioning a cape out of a wool blanket?
Cut a hole in the 1/4 – 3/4 spot (or so) so 1/4 is draping down the front and the rest down the back, and finish with fur or faux fur, and then curve the hem.
I see lots of gorgeous collars on thrift store coats you could use.
Never thought of that, but I would be game to try. I would have to figure out where to get a good quality wool blanket 🧐 (sadly, not something I’ve seen at my local thrift stores but I will keep an eye out).
Navy and red are big on my list for fall. So much so that even though I would like to replace my burgundy sweater, I can’t get excited about the ones I see as I’m distracted by all the red! Ankle boots definitely a must. And cardigans seem to be back in the game too – long cozy ones – but not too voluminous or they just overwhelm. I like plaid but haven’t seen too much of it around yet. I always jump the gun and buy early at the end of August and then can’t wear my fall stuff until later and by that time newer stuff is in the store. Although this year we seemed to have skipped fall altogether – I am glad I stocked up on cardigans!
I make lists of current trends and then pull pieces out of my closet that track them in color, pattern or shape. The new purchases are cropped relaxed sweaters and loafers, I think they will freshen up the silhouette.