you guys, fall is here. well, almost. let me rephrase: fall clothes are here. i may or may not have already splurged on a vince sweater coat at nordstrom rack (cozy central). like all basic white girls, fall is my favorite season, hands down. i just love dressing for autumn. give me a pair of leggings and sweater with a big floral scarf over a sundress any day. i am the happiest of campers when i can layer up the wazoo, and then throw a leather jacket over my shoulders. sunglasses, oxblood nails, berry-tinted lips. done and DONE, my friends. i love fall dressing so much that i’m pretty sure i’m way cuter in the fall. yes, you can quote me on that. or judge me on it (the latter would be more appropriate).
since it’s almost autumn, i’ve been pinning fall outfit inspiration like crazy, as any single girl with a cat is wont to do. the above looks offer 5 trends i’m thinking we (you and me) have to try for fall. some of them are already in, some are ALWAYS IN (hi, faux fur, love you), and some are new, to me, at least. most likely none are new to the more fashionable denizens of this fine city, but let’s be real: not all of us can look like we stepped out of a sartorialist shot.
so, let’s do this, shall we? here are 5 trends you’ve got to try for fall.
1) faux fur. repeat after me: faux fur is your friend. not real fur, because that’s creepy and not fair to the animals who need it way more than you do. faux fur, however, is the shit. it’s cozy. it keeps you warm. it comes in gorgeous colors. it’s CHIC, you guys. i swear, add some faux fur and you automatically look more sophisticated. at least, that’s what i tell myself every time i wear my faux fur snood. if you need inspiration for how to wear it, see images 3 and 4, where olivia palermo and some pretty blonde girl are layering faux fur (or, maybe real fur, those assholes) over their respective shirts/jackets. i love the look of a fur vest over a leather jacket, and there’s something about the juxtaposition of faux fur and a sheer silk shirt that looks effortlessly cool.
2) skirts with sweaters. when done right, a maxi with a sweater can be flattering, warm, and (dare i use the word again?) effortless. it’s the easy way out. but check out the ladies above. laurel pantin (that adorable blonde in the bottom right in the shot above) rocks it out with double the texture, double the fun. she’s got a funky knee-length skirt (hard to pull off no matter what your body type) with a chunky knit, and she’s ROCKING it. the all white color scheme ain’t too shabby either. then there’s the lady to the left, who is a dead ringer for kate hudson (in real life, she’s a style blogger). that sheer black tea-length skirt with the light v-neck sweater? i die for this look. if i were tall blonde and thin, i would wear this every single day.
3) big floral scarves. i’ll admit it: i’m kind of a scarf addict. i love them. i own way too many of them. and now i want to own more, particularly, one with big bright florals all over it. joanna hillman is a serious style icon (the hair. the red lips. the impossibly long legs.), and that shot, with the camel jacket, is no exception. i’d also pair that scarf with a striped long-sleeve tee (alexander wang makes my faves), a light sweater, a leather jacket…the list goes on and on. a floral scarf is basically a neutral, in my book.
4) tons of texture. let’s go back to laurel, shall we? there is so much texture going on in that outfit. the skirt. the knitted sweater. the leather belt. this is a tough look to pull off, but the style lesson is still there: don’t be afraid to mix and match. wear your lace with a fisherman’s sweater. pair sequins with faux fur (within reason, of course, there’s a reason that less is more). my general strategy is to put it all on, then take at least one thing off. this generally means i don’t leave the house looking like i got dressed in the dark (note, i said generally).
5) pattern play. the first image in the bunch above is a shot of j.crew’s fall/winter ’14 presentation. that means it was shot last february, when we were still wading through slush and thinking winter would never, ever end. i pinned in ages ago, but i can’t wait to glean some style inspiration from it now. floral pants with a plaid scarf? don’t mind if i do. pattern mixing has been “in” for a few seasons now, but i’ve been doing it since i was a kid. i mean, i was the girl that showed up to a sleepaway camp wearing floral printed jorts and a tie dyed tee when everyone else was in juicy sweatsuits. case in point: don’t be afraid to mix it up. in my book, weirder is better.
and there you have it. style notes from a basic bitch who loves black leggings more than life itself.
sweet studio 