Thursday 30 August 2012

Closet Transitions: Moving from Summer to Fall in 2012

It is now the end of August and most of us, even if we are not returning to school or even work for that matter, have a "back to school" mentality. After all, we have spent a significant amount of time in our lives going back to school.

This is the time when wardrobes need to serve in a transitional way as we transform our preferred summer casual choices into fall wear-ables for work or school.

Here are several items and colours that we can salvage from the summer wardrobe or bring in from our existing winter wardrobes for a fall transition:

1 The sleeveless or short-sleeved tunic dress: Choose a darker contrasting or matching colour in a lightweight long sleeved turtle neck or crew neck top and wear it under a tunic dress. Add tights and shoes to match the tights. Not only are you colour blocking but also transitioning into fall through the simple process of layering.

2 Linen pants: Depending on the autumn warmth, you do not have to pack away the white ones for awhile; but keep any beige, khaki or dark linen pants to wear with a heavier top, light wool 3/4 sleeve length sweater or sweater set. Here is where those lined linen pants serve you well. Depending on the colour, linen can be worn well into the fall. Wear a light-weight wool blazer with the linen pants or light-weight wool pants or a skirt with a linen blazer. Linen jacket and bottoms - pants or skirts - are just too summery so mix and match your linen with light wool.

3 Knee-Length Shorts: Even on cooler days in September, you can still wear your dark coloured knee-length shorts, just as you would a skirt. Depending where you live and on the weather, you may even continue into October with the dark coloured knee-length shorts. 

4 Sleeveless Tops and Short Sleeved T-shirts: Really these are a year round basic that can be covered with a light-wool cardigan or blazer.

5 A Lightweight Dark Coloured Cardigan: I bought a black Armor Lux v-neck cardigan last fall when I was in Romans, France at the Marque Avenue Mall. It has served me very well especially in the spring and fall when the cool mornings or evenings demand a little more warmth than the nice days that allow you to get one more wear out of your summer things.

6 The Pencil Skirt: Pull out the dark coloured pencil skirt and team it with a light t-shirt or sleeveless summer top with a cardigan in the same tone as the skirt. This is a perfect look for anyone who is vertically challenged. 

7 Spring 2012 Colours: As with most colour trends, if you chose a few orange pieces for spring and summer 2012, orange will show up again in the fall. The same goes for any trendy colour introduced in the spring, which you preferred.

8 Shades of Blue: A Lacoste advertisement in the fashion magazine CitizenK, summer edition (purchased in France in August, 2012), featured two fall outfits in a range of blues from royal blue to navy and grey and a page in French Marie Claire, September, 2012, illustrated a Lacoste cotton jersey dress, colour blocked in three shades of blue.  As well, a Miu Miu suit in a dusty navy colour is also featured on a page in the same Marie Claire issue. Find those colours in your closet and mix them with the lighter beiges and taupes of summer and you will ease the transition into blues and greys for winter. In the fall and winter of 2011, Armani focused on shades of blue, in 2012 vestiges of those shades will be lurking around for the winter of 2013. 

9 The Wedge Strappy Sandal: If you bought yourself a pair of wedge heels for the spring and summer, you can take the strappy sandal style well into the fall because of the chunkier wedge.


10 Ballerina and Other Traditional Flats: Stow away the flip flops and opt for flats.







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