I love jacket season. When it’s crisp enough to need an extra layer, but warm enough to leave it unbuttoned. And even better when said jacket blends in perfectly with the fall foliage. I mean how good is the color of this quilted jacket?! And those leaves?! This is a little town in Pennsylvania that we drive through on our way to the lake house and almost every year we make a little pit stop to walk through the quiet streets. It feels like the set of the Gilmore Girls’ town of Stars Hollow to me.
When it comes to Fall jackets, I tend to air on the side of casual. Especially this year when I’m really not ‘dressing up’ very much. I love quilted styles, like the one I’m wearing here, for fall outdoor activities like apple picking or long walks – and they’re great if you happen to get caught in a little bit of rain. And my other favorite are the cozy, sherpa types – that you can throw on to run to the grocery store or snuggle up on the couch for a movie night. I’ve got my eye on this one that comes in several colors and is super affordable.
Luckily, there seems to be no shortage of good options out there this year and almost all of the styles I picked below are on sale right now!
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month – a cause very near to my heart after watching my late Grandmother and Aunt battle the disease – and I’m honored to be partnering with Talbots this month on their ‘Art of the Scarf’ campaign, to showcase styling ideas for their capsule collection of 3 unique silk scarves designed by 3 brilliant female artists – @jessillustrator, @karenmabon, @alimacdoodle.
In the spirit of women helping women, 10% of net proceeds from each scarf sold between now and October 31 will go to the Susan G. Komen Breast Care Helpline, which provides education, support and resources in local communities. And to take it even further – I’ll be donating 10% of my own personal proceeds from this partnership to the same cause.
You can see the full styling video over on my Instagram – and details of each look below. Aside from the scarves – which are beautiful and support such a great cause – I just noticed that lots of these cute Fall pieces I styled them with are also on sale right now!
LAIDBACK LUXE:
Fold the square scarf in half diagonally (into a big triangle) – tie the ends behind your neck and then drape the center into loose folds. The look is casual enough for a weekend outing but still a little bit sophisticated looking. I paired with jeans, stripes and this ‘pumpkin spice’ hued jacket that’s my absolute favorite right now.
PRETTY + POLISHED:
Again, fold the square scarf in half diagonally (into a big triangle) and then roll the scarf into a long skinny snake like shape from there. Tie in a bow around the hand of a bag and voila! I love the way the pink and burgundy hues play off this plaid blazer. I’m not back in the office yet but I’d wear these pieces on a zoom call or out on a lunch date where I wanted to feel put together.
CLASSIC + COOL:
Same start – fold the square scarf in half diagonally (into a big triangle) and then starting at the widest side, fold down in two inch strips until you have a long rectangle. Tie in a knot around your neck and leave the ends long. This one feels very French to me!
This time of year is my absolute favorite to dress for. Warm enough for bare legs but cool enough for boots. Textures like corduroy, tweed and cashmere plus colors like burgundy, cognac and navy. I always go back to a lot of the same staples in the fall: throw-on-and-go blazers, pretty, dark floral dresses, well-fitting jeans, cute flats and great boots. Mix and repeat.
Some of these items have been in my wardrobe for years now – and in that case I’ve done my best to find a similar substitute – and some are brand new favorites that I featured in my recent Fall Wardrobe Edit.
Below – 6 of the outfits that I wore out and about this past week.
A DAY AT MY DESK:
I’m usually swamped on Monday’s and reach for an outfit that doesn’t require a lot of thought but makes me feel put together and ready to tackle my to-do list. This pink corduroy blazer is one of my favorite fall pieces and I love these sweet little plaid shoes as a fun pop of print. Also – I was testing out a few pairs of Warby Parker glasses frames this week and while I didn’t end up going with this pair, they made a cute pairing with the hint of pink!
Blazer is from last year but the brand has an almost replica again this year. Shoes are also from last year by Kate Spade but I really love the color combo of the alternative option I found too.
ERRANDS AROUND TOWN:
I love a ‘borrowed from the professor’ type look for fall – corduroys, slightly oversized button down shirt, tasseled loafers. Paired with this very luxe looking little bag and a silk scarf for good measure.
ZOOM MEETING WITH A FREELANCE CLIENT:
I love a fall floral dress and while I didn’t necessarily need a bag and shoes for a Zoom call, I like to put on a full real outfit each day even though I’m working from home to help myself feel motivated and put together.
Dress is Old Navy and Bag is Dagne Dover – both from 3 or 4 years ago. Linked similar here. Shoes are new and I’m so impressed with the look and quality for the price.
BOOK CLUB HAPPY HOUR:
It feels so rare to have real “plans” to be out lately, doesn’t it? Aside from my virtual book club I also host a small group in person here in New York and it is always so fun to grab a drink at an outdoor restaurant together and talk books! This past month we read Boys of Alabama (if you like coming of age stories, literary fiction, southern gothic writing styles and are open to a little bit of witchiness – than this book is for you!). Admittedly, I ended up switching to a proper coat and boots before I left the apartment because it was a little bit chilly to sit outside and I’m glad I did! But before that – I really loved this classic outfit.
Blazer and shoes are both a few years old, so I linked similar below. These jeans are my current favorite pair – super flattering and don’t stretch out. Size down though, I’m wearing a 2 here.
LUNCH BREAK IN THE PARK:
I’m determined to start taking real “lunch breaks” again (why is this so hard when you work at home?) and head over to a small local park and read for a few minutes while the weather is still so nice. Hold me to this please.
Exact sweatshirt is sold out in this color but still available in a pretty burgundy. Otherwise linked a similar option. Boots are old – similar here.
Last Saturday night *almost* felt normal. We went out to one of our favorite East Village restaurants on a street that was buzzing with people, sat outside while a little band played live music nearby and enjoyed this perfect early fall weather. I dressed up in what felt very much like a pre-pandemic date night outfit. Just added a mask!
This dress runs a little bit short/small – I got a medium and am only 5’4″ and definitely wouldn’t want it to be shorter on me. I think it will be great with tights and flats too though. This jacket is 5 years old but the brand still makes an almost exact version linked below.
It’s here!! My ultimate Fall wardrobe edit – with 25 pieces and 25 ways to wear them! There are a lot of exclamation points here because I’m truly excited to share but equally excited to be done with this project because it’s taken me quite a bit of time (watch the IGTV video with all 25 outfits come to life to appreciate the full effect). Regardless – I’m happy to have it out in the world and hope that it inspires you to pick up a great new staple for the season ahead or think of new ways to wear the items already in your closet. The world is a wild place these days but getting up each item and putting on a real outfit sparks joy for me, so I’m going to keep doing it. I’ll be wearing these outfits this fall everywhere from work Zoom calls to weekends adventures to an al fresco date night or two. Happy Fall friends!
The other week, I switched my closet from summer to fall and felt so excited to pull out some of my older favorites to re-wear again. While I always love adding new pieces to my wardrobe, it’s important for me to appreciate what I already have and not fall into the trap of needed all new things each season. Then last week I noticed a post from Meghan of Wit & Whimsy (a blog I always love reading) sharing what she was buying for Fall plus the pieces already in her closet that she was excited to break out again. I loved the idea so much that I knew I wanted to do a similar post. Below – the pieces that I’ll be re-wearing from season’s past (and how you can get the look) along with what I’ve bought for Fall so far.
WHAT I’VE BOUGHT FOR FALL:
The striped sweater shown above that is truly just perfect. It has a boxy, slightly cropped fit (I sized down to a XS) and a great weight to it. I like it with a pair of high waisted jeans and loafers.
I actually bought this chocolate croc bucket bag way back in summer because I’d been looking for a classic brown bag for ages and this one went on sale. It’s back to full price, but honestly for the quality and timelessness – I think it’s worth it.
I’ve been thinking about buying this cardigan for TWO YEARS now. And I finally bit the bullet. It’s so luxe in person and because you can wear it frontwards or backwards I really think the styling options will be endless. Thinking of doing an IGTV styling video showing 5 ways to wear it?
Oppositely, this crewneck sweatshirt (I’m calling the color “pumpkin spice”) was an impulse buy, but it’s already proving to be a fall staple. And it’s on sale for less than $30.
WHAT I’LL BE WEARING FROM MY CLOSET:
This suede jacket was another higher price point item that I saved up for 4-5 years ago and based on how many times I’ve worn it – the cost per wear is pennies now. It looks effortless thrown on with everything from jeans and a tee to a pretty dress. This year’s version is still a close match.
These cropped wide leg jeans were a new addition last Fall and I love the way they’re slightly more polished than my regular denim. As an added bonus they serve to nicely show off a cute pair of shoes. This pair from the same brand looks like a very close match.
A lightweight rain jacket and rain boots always come in handy. I love how this bright yellow one has a sort of classic fisherman feel. And you can’t go wrong with Hunter Boots.
I reach for this classic leather saddle bag all the time in the fall. It’s big enough to hold all of your essentials plus a book (which for me is actually essential) but doesn’t look bulky. This one is an almost identical match.
A classic plaid blazer is an absolute staple in my fall wardrobe. I got this maybe 2 years ago and I still wear it on average once a week this time of year. This and this are both similar options.
This floral midi dress is 2-3 years old at this point but I always find myself excited to wear it again. This could be dressed up with heels or layered with a sweater and boots for the weekend. This option looks to be a very similar version.
This pink corduroy blazer was an unexpected standout of my fall wardrobe last year. It’s definitely going to be a repeat offender in Zoom calls again this year. The brand is offering a really similar version this season here.
