Learning how to transition from summer to fall outfits is essential. When we feel that first chill in the air that makes our fall sensors tingle, it’s tempting to jump into full-on sweater weather mode. If you live in a colder place – that might be possible for you! However, if you live in the South as I do, sweater weather is still a long way away from that first hint of fall.
That’s why layering and slowly transition from summer to fall outfits with a few key changes was something I absolutely had to learn to do well. In this post, I’m sharing four outfits that I will be wearing this fall that are just a fall-ified version of some of my everyday summer looks in addition to my five tips for transitioning your own outfits.
The Summer to Fall Transition is Hard
Cold mornings and sweltering afternoons equal a lot of confusion. Especially in the South, that first month of “fall” is not a true fall. This post from Butter sums up the reality of fall in the South perfectly. Fall is a little weird down here, but luckily we do get some cooler weather and that beautiful fall foliage.
Having this in mind, I always have to be very intentional with how I dress for September and most of October before it truly becomes consistently chilly. It’s very difficult to avoid being cold or hot for half of the day so planning is necessary! If you’re in a similar boat, I’ve included five tips for how to transition your summer outfits to fall and four of my own outfits that I’ll definitely be wearing this fall. Use the sliders below to view the “before” and “after,” or “summer” and “fall,” of each outfit!
5 Tips for Transitioning Summer to Fall Outfits
1. Build your summer to fall outfit around one piece.
Depending on how quickly it gets cold where you are, you may not be able to make a very close replica of your summer outfit.
What I’ve found is easier to do is to center your outfit around that one summer piece that you want to keep wearing.
Trying to emulate similar coloring in the fall version of your summer outfit can make it seem more similar, even when the end result is quite different than what you started with.
In this case, I wanted to continue wearing this white tank top that I have practically lived in this summer.
I swapped out my black and white printed shorts for some straight-leg black jeans and replaced my pink, peach, and purple-toned slides for pink suede sock booties.
To warm up the outfit a little more, I threw on this olive green button-up and left it unbuttoned.
2. Layer, layer layer.
Whatever kind of outfit you choose to put together, layers are essential for surviving early fall. All of these looks feature layers that are super easy to remove – without ruining the outfit.
Layers are what make fall and winter fun seasons to dress for, despite the dropping temperatures. Get creative with your layers (think texture, color, pattern) for eye-catching looks that will keep you comfortable whether it’s 45 degrees or 75.
3. Keep your feet warm!
If you’re like me and get cold very easily, one of the easiest ways to stay warm while in an outfit that still shows some skin is to keep your feet warm. Most of our body heat escapes through the top and bottom of our body so good, warm shoes will help keep the heat in!
Knee-high boots not only look great with a skirt, but they also help cover some of that exposed skin without taking the fun out of the outfit. This pink corduroy skirt is one I’ve had for years and never get tired of wearing. In the summer, a tank top and sandals are all I need. For fall, I’m definitely going to need close-toed shoes, a sweater (like this cream-colored, puff-sleeve one that I tucked in), or a long cardigan to make it warmer.
4. You don’t have to go dark for fall.
For fall, we often tend to gravitate towards deep, dark shades – all those burgundy, forest greens, and mustard yellows. I love these colors and trust me, I wear them plenty in the fall. However, this doesn’t mean that some of our brighter, lighter, and more summer-colored pieces can’t make an appearance in the fall.
My pink skirt that I paired with a cream-colored pullover (instead of the black version that I also own) is a great example of this. On the right, even though it’s paired with a leather jacket and black pointy-toed boots, this sundress still feels very light and summery. This was one of my favorite dresses this summer and I just wasn’t quite ready to put it away yet! I think it’s a fun challenge to try to toughen up some of your summery pieces instead of creating an entirely new wardrobe for fall.
5. Match colors from your summer to fall outfit.
If you’re struggling to find a way to transition your favorite summer outfit to a chic, fall look, focus on emulating the coloring.
You don’t have to try to find exact matches or create a drastic change. Attempting to find matches in the general color of the different sections of your outfit (top, bottoms, shoes, etc.) can make an outfit that works just as well, but feels different. The summer version of this look was a bit beachy, with lots of blue and neutral tones. Beachy doesn’t really fit with fall vibes. However, I used a very similar color palette and created a much preppier outfit.
The shirt I picked for the fall version was more structured and had a crisper blue color with much finer stripes that look less nautical.
For the bottoms, the switch from shorts to full-length denim was easy. I picked a pair without any rips to “clean up” the look a little.
Lastly, my warm-toned brown sandals got traded in for my cooler-toned pair of beige Nike Air Force 1’s. The sweater vest felt like a natural addition because of the close match with the shoe color, the need for additional warmth, and the preppier vibe that was already developing with this new look.
Fall is one of my absolute favorite seasons primarily because of the endless options for amazing outfits. It’s such a beautiful time of year that gets both the freshness of cooler, crisper air, without the chill and grey weather that winter brings. Our outfits should reflect the duality of this season!
If you loved this post – you might like these too:
Date Night in Atlanta: Jazz Night at the High Museum
Comments are closed.