NWFY is underway, LA nights are in the 70s (rather than the 80s), and every grocery store is displaying magazines with massive "fall baking" spreads. This can only mean one thing — Fall fashion is here, and we all have to find some way to make our summer pieces work for this colder season. I recently purchased a pair of cropped released hem wide leg jeans from Madewell (my go-to shop for everything, especially denim). Though just a new addition to my wardrobe, this piece is easily one of my favorites. It combines two HUGE trends from this summer — released hem jeans AND culottes. I'm all about efficiency and multitasking.
As incredible as these jeans are, one of the first thoughts that popped into my mind when I bought them was: "How on Earth am I going to wear these for Fall??"
Very few people, especially college students, have the financial capability to purchase entirely new wardrobes each season. Most of us have to be resourceful and think about how we can translate what we think of as season-specific trends into outfits that work for seemingly opposite seasons. When someone says "Fall fashion," is the first thing that comes to mind a pair of cropped jeans? Probably not. Fall and Winter denim tends to be of a darker wash, and longer in length. This doesn't mean that we can't utilize styling tricks to make that cropped pair work, though!
Before we get into the specifics of how I styled this look, let's cover some general guidelines for making Spring/Summer pieces work for Fall/Winter!
- summer dresses — layers and boots. Tuck a turtleneck underneath a strappy floral dress, or throw on a wool blazer. Add your favorite pair of boots!
- silky slip camis — throw it over a long-sleeve knit dress or oversized sweater. Add a moto jacket and some mules.
- lacy bralettes — underwear as outerwear. Wear that bralette over a ribbed knit tee, with slick cigarette pants and a duster coat.
- cutoff shorts — add leg coverage with some thigh-high boots. Wear a huge chunky knit cardigan over a vintage tee.
This list obviously doesn't cover everything, but hopefully it gives you an idea of how to style other warm-weather pieces. The key points are to add layers, and to accessorize. Obviously the look pictured here doesn't scream "Fall," but that's because it's still 85º during the day and I wasn't too stoked on the idea of lugging a wool coat around. To take these released hem babies from Summer to Fall, I switched out my usual casual tee for a slightly dressier deep v-neck top, and changed out of my beat-up Stan Smiths in favor of forest green suede heels.
A slightly dressier top suggests a more formal look, compared to what we might get from a t-shirt and jeans outfit. And suede is always great for fall, especially when in a darker color. These dark green pointed toe heels are one of my favorite pairs — they're extremely comfortable, the perfect shade of green, and not too tall. With these jeans, there are so many beautiful details around the ankle (or rather, the hem, which falls at the calf). We wouldn't want to muddle that beautiful coloring or delicate fraying by wearing a clunky boot.
While I wait for temperatures to drop enough to the point where it will be bearable to wear some of my new coats and sweaters, I'll stick to looks that are somewhere between Summer and Fall. This denim favorite will stay at the forefront of my wardrobe, because no one should have to pack away their favorite pieces every time a new season rolls around!
Top - similar here | Jeans - Madewell | Shoes - similar here | Sunnies - Celine
