22 Tricks How to Transition Your Summer Pieces into Fall

Interested in summer-to-fall outfit ideas? Then continue reading. This post provides a list of easy-to follow stylist tricks how to transition summer pieces into fall in a stylish way.

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Outfit details of first photo: Salvatore Ferragamo pumps, Vince leather joggers, gemstone necklace, Hermes collier de chien bangle, Donney and Brooke bag, hoodie shirt c/o Coolibar

Why to Hang on to Summer Clothes in the Transition Season

We are  all attached to your summer clothes. Since our childhood, we associate summer with leisure, pleasure, freedom and fun. Summers were the time of no duties, no homework, just living into the day. Because summer clothes ask for light fabric, they are much less expensive than winter clothes. Therefore, shopping for summer clothes didn’t rib a big whole into our allowance. Having to buy a winter coat was the worst. Its cost meant small wiggle room for the other Must-haves and no Lust items for the back-to-school shopping list.

Of course, a new winter coat wasn’t the It of the season, because such a statement coat was out of our budget to begin with! Not to mention an awesome coat wardrobe!

Stylist tip: Look at your clothes and ask yourself how you can wear them in more than one season.

Easy Summer-to-Fall Transitional Tricks to Try

Print out the complete list of tricks complied in the following sections, and hang it into your closet for some cute fall outfit ideas right at your finger tips. Download the tutorial now and sign up for my email list for more tips.

Best Tips to Transition Summer Separates to Fall

1. On warm autumn days, transition a summer outfit with shoes, bag, and accessories in fall colors.
2. When you live in the mid-latitudes, try adding a leather skirt, top, jacket or vest because these pieces are associated with the cold season. Furthermore, their material is great to keep the chilly fall winds off. More on styling leather in midlife.
3. Add a plaid shirt in a casual outfit.
4. Wear a floral summer top with a tweed skirt. More on looking great in tweed.
5. Try a plaid skirt with a T-shirt. More on creating great fall looks with a plaid skirt.
6. Swap your short sleeve shirts with long sleeve shirts.
7. Wear a maxi skirt.
8. What is underneath the clothes matters. Wear a slip, underskirt, pantyhose, tights, halftee to increase insulation.
9. Add an athleisure, denim, utility or baseball jacket as a layer for thermal comfort. More on styling utility jackets.
10. Use layering to create stylish looks and increase insulation for the best cold wet weather outfits.

Create a Transitional Look with Athleisure Jacket

Try a Mini-Dress over Pants

Wear a Vest

Don a Leather Motorcycle Jacket with Summer Separates

Example Wearing Long Sleeve Shirt

Stylist tip: Always buy clothes you can wear in more than one season when on a budget!

Layer with a Halftee or Light Trench Coat

How to Wear Your Summer Dress in Fall

1. Wear a summer dress with cardigan. You can wrap the ends over each other or vary the look with a belt (wide belt for long torso, thin belt for short torso). More on best accessorizing with belts.
2. Try wearing a denim jacket, black tights, open toe booties or fall sandals with a floral summer dress.
3. Dark cardigan worn open over floral summer dress with matching tights, fall sandals.
4. Summer dress with denim shirt and blazer.
5. Blouse over your dress.
6. Wear a sweater over a summer dress, add a jacket and tights.
7. Wear a summer mini-dress as tunic with leggings or skinnies and pumps. More dress-over-pants outfit ideas.
8. Knot a shirt over a summer dress for some extra insulation on the first cool days of fall
9. Wear a vest or a long grandpa-style cardigan over your summer dress with tights and fall sandals.
10. Summer dress with a leather jacket, tights, tan or black wood sandals. More on how to transition a summer dress for fall.

Add Insulation with a Blouse

Wear Your Summer Dress with Tights, Cardigan, and Fall Sandals

Use Dark or Fall Colors to Acknowledge the Season

Shoes, bags and accessories in dark colors like black, brown, burgundy, olive, navy as well as the typical autumn colors like orange, amber, yellow, red, tan add the transitional vibe. Recall olive is the new black.

Combinations to try:

• Pink with brown
• Pink with camouflage
• Black and white
• Brown and black

Change the Vibe of a Summer Outfit to Fall by Swapping the Shoes

The type of footwear is a great mean to style an item for a different season. Sandals with chunky heels and/or wood soles, dress shoes with chunky or sturdy heels as well as booties and open-toe booties create a fall vibe when worn with tights.

Summary of the Best Tricks How to Transition Your Summer Pieces into Fall

This post featured ideas how to use pieces from summer to create outfits for the transitional season. Its easy-to-recreate examples can elongate the time during which you can wear inexpensive summer pieces. To create summer-to-fall transitional looks shop your closet for

• Maxi skirts (you can even wear cropped leggings underneath)
• 3/4 sleeve t-shirts or shirts
• Jackets that permit layering and cover you up in the cool morning and evening hours
• Closed sandals to keep your feet warm or wood sandals for insulation from the ground. Note that in early fall, the ground already cools down substantially over night.

Don’t miss out on How to Dress for Success in Midlife. Buy the book now.

Further Readings on Autumn Trends, Fashion, and Style

Learn how summer-to-fall transitional looks differ with climate region.

You may also enjoy reading  or how to create a working fall wardrobe.

When you bought already the first clothes read how to wear your great fall wardrobe already now.

Photos: G. Kramm

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