Thriftily Turning Summer Into Fall

By Emily Smith

Model Leah Jackson is sporting a little summer, a dash of winter, and a sprinkling of the seasons in-between. Showing us that variation in the clothes we wear is just as interesting and necessary as it is in providing us the spice of life. I encourage you to use these ideas as a guideline in creating your very own fabulous fall fashions.

Photos: Emily Smith

As fall creeps upon us, most people couldn’t be more pleased to rid themselves of the constant coat of sweat they have been wearing all summer long. Wispy layers of sheer fabric, barely-there tops and bottoms, and shoes built for keeping a layer between tender feet and the hot sidewalk, all played their part in providing us a little free “air conditioning” on the hottest of summer days.

I, myself, am a firm believer in the “less is more” mentality that the long, hot days of summer bring. As much as I love fashion and all of its facets, I am also a hardcore stickler for comfort. A sweaty Emily is not a happy Emily! Therefore, most of my June, July and August were spent in uniforms consisting primarily of denim cut-offs and tank tops, or easy-to-throw-on dresses. Honestly, I could probably fit my entire summer wardrobe in a weekend bag and with some clever use of accessories never wear the same outfit twice.

With my thrifty mentality guiding me, I have found a way to take the majority of my summer staples well into fall with a little mixing and matching. And since refurbishing your wardrobe every single year simply is not an option for most of us, creativity has become our most valuable tool in the world of fashion. So, with that in mind, let’s grab our tool belts and hammer out some inventive ideas for autumn.

You may be under the impression that all of the lightweight, tissue thin dresses you purchased earlier this year have seen their day in the sun and are just one more wear away from the cardboard box you plan to store them in. Let me be the first to say, this is simply not true.

Fall accessories such as boots, tights, hats, jackets and scarves lend themselves to construct an entirely new outfit. You would be surprised at how versatile seasonal items become when you layer them underneath outerwear (jackets and cardigans) or underwear (socks and tights). Expanding your wardrobe just became as simple as throwing on a thin scarf, tall boots and a beret over your favorite summer staple. Trust me, much of the prized pieces in my endless clothing collection have done their fair share of multi-tasking for their dear owner.

The idea of multi-tasking holds true for other items in your summer closet, too. Paper-thin, sleeveless tops, lightweight pants and even the fabulous pair of white jeans you only dare wear when daylight is longest, can all be stretched into the brisk, cool evenings of October (my favorite month) and on into the new year.

Break free of the notion that all clothing must be compartmentalized into one of the four seasons. Your favorite spring dress (that you probably paid entirely too much for) can prove its worth all year long when a little ingenuity is applied.

That being said, start by using what you already own. Dig deep into the recesses of your unorganized closet and pull out that black leather jacket you haven’t worn in two years and throw it over something summery. You can then begin to build from there. It may take a couple of hits and misses to finally knockout some original, impressive fall outfits, but the more you experiment, the more variations you are sure to invent.