7 Ideas to Convert Summer Clothes to Fall ...

By Melinda

7 Ideas to Convert Summer Clothes to Fall ...

When I worked in retail (many, many moons ago), my back-to-school sales lesson to my staff was to always remember: TBLA. Which translated to: Top, Bottom, Layer, and Accessory. And layering is sincerely my closet’s best direction, no matter the season.

If you shopped in my store, you left with a complete outfit. Every time. More than just a clever way to boost sales, I kid you not that I STILL use that motto when dressing myself – especially for fall. Creating new outfits is essentially limitless. Here are 7 tried-and-true tips for converting your summer 

1 Tights

You can wear shorts and even shorter skirts in fall! This weather is obviously not conducive to bare legs (and seriously, most of us skip a couple days of shaving more regularly in cold weather, am I right?). So pairing a cozy pair of tights with these bottoms not only brings a little warmth to your lower half, they add a depth of color or texture to lightweight summer fabrics.

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2 Outerwear

Jackets and blazers and cardigans – oh my! All of the above create a more stylized fall look to anything in your closet. Tank top? Throw on a cardigan! Sundress? Wear to work professionally with the addition of a well-cut blazer. I even wear a few of my lighter jackets as wardrobe outerwear essentials with certain outfits (including my fave: a corduroy number – Squee!).

3 Boots with Short Hemlines

Boots are the universal accessory item for fall. You can still enjoy a bit of naked leg with a dress or skirt or even tuck in pant legs (including cropped pants, which is my perfect way to convert summer pants into fall). A pair of chunky boots can easily dress up or down any outfit based on its style, heel height and material.

4 Ankle Sock with Peep Toes

I abhor when open-toe shoe season ends. Thankfully, catalogs and stylists are embracing the multiple-season use of our footwear, adding a short, nylon ankle sock with peep toes in summer-to-fall outfits. I think this look works best when contrasting shoe to sock color, paired with an adorable printed dress.

5 Add a Scarf

It’s strange, but when the weather starts dipping, my neck is the first body part to feel the effects. I love scarves for this very reason. Made in a variety of fabrics, sizes and colors – with tassels, hand knits and even patterns – a scarf can be tied or wrapped in numerous ways for new and exciting outfit creations. I have a stack of them. And the street corner Pashmina lady LOVES when she sees me walking down the street (seriously, 3 for $20 – SOLD!).

6 Accessorize

Indian summer is not a myth! In fact, just last week, our city experienced 80-degree temps. Dressing up summery clothes with handbags in heavier materials – like leather and suede – or a slouchy, knit hat is incredibly effortless and will instantly adapt a slightly warmer-weather wardrobe for the fall season currently in session. Now, nobody is saying that a purse will keep you warm when it is 50 degrees, so utilize my additional options in this list for when the temperatures begin to seriously drop.

7 When All else Fails, Add a Pair of Skinny Jeans

When summer ends, and I rearrange my closet to reflect the certain season, I am almost aghast at the short hemline of some of my dresses. (I’m sorry, but when it’s 90+, I cannot handle the heat OR a lot of coverage). But with some of these clothing pieces can be utilized as tunic tops and paired with your favorite pair of skinny jeans. I find this wardrobe option also works well for those certain transparent fabrics that REQUIRED the use of a slip on a sunny day.

You would think that with how much I complain about the heat, I would embrace the cooler temps. While I certainly enjoy layering fashion, it’s as though my internal heater shuts off completely in September, and then I’m a total freeze baby! How do you convert your summer wardrobe – or seamlessly transition it – to fall?

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