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Transitional Dressing

September 12, 2016
AutumnOOTD

September can be a difficult month to dress for. It’s normally still warm enough to keep wearing your summer clothes, although there is definitely a chill in the air. But the nights are drawing in and the leaves are starting to change which gets everyone excited for autumn and autumn clothes (and we all know autumn clothes are the best).

I don’t plan on switching to my autumn capsule wardrobe until the end of September when the weather really starts to cool down. So I plan on making the most of my spring/summer capsule wardrobe until then. This can make dressing for awkward transitional weather (when it’s freezing first thing and at night but hot during the day) a little tricky. I will still be using my fluid capsule wardrobe approach which means I allow myself to pull a couple of pieces out of my winter wardrobe if they’re needed. So I can relax if we do get a sudden cold snap as I can just grab a cosy knit.

TransitionalDressing

As excited as I am for autumn and planning my autumn capsule wardrobe, I know that I need to make the most of the late summer warmth as it will be a long time before we feel it again. I’m doing this by styling my summer dresses with a couple of more autumnal pieces. I’ve been wearing this sleeveless blazer a lot lately, it instantly makes an outfit look more autumnal without adding too much warmth. I think it looks great thrown over dresses like I’ve done here but also really smartens up jeans and a t-shirt. It also works appropriate making it a great addition to any wardrobe. I’ve also been switching out my summer sandals for ankle boots which I think makes any outfit look more autumnal again without adding too much warmth.

SleevelessBlazer
FloralDressCloseUp

Dressing for this time of year isn’t always easy, get it wrong and you’ll end up a sweaty mess or be shivering all day long. There definitely is an art to transitional dressing. I do think everyone can manage it though if they follow some basic methods.

 

Layer, Layer, Layer

Your mother was right! One of the easiest ways to cope with transitional weather is to dress in light layers, which can be easily removed if it warms up. Here I’ve layered a sleeveless blazer over a floral dress to give it a more autumnal feel (and a little extra warmth). As the weather gets cooler I can swap out the sleeveless blazer for a leather jacket or chunky knit cardigan and throw on a pair of tights to keep your legs warm.

Introduce Deeper Colours

Try adding a few deeper, more autumnal colours into your outfits while the weather is still warm. This will give you that autumnal feel without you turning into a sweaty mess as soon as you step outside. A deep burgundy on the nails is such as easy way to add a deeper colour to your outfit or add an autumn coloured bag. You could throw a deep coloured scarf on with your outfit (although maybe not a knit scarf yet), this could also be used to keep you warm if it gets chilly. Try wearing a patterned dress with a dark base colour like I’ve done here. The floral pattern stops it from looking too wintery but the black background enables me to add tights and boots without it looking odd.

Add Ankle Boots

Just switch out your summer sandals for a pair of ankle boots during tricky transitional weather. I love this time of year when I can dig out my ankle boots again. I think you can wear your ankle boots with pretty much any outfit, they look great with skirts and dresses as well as jeans. Try a lighter pair to wear with your summer dresses and go darker as the weather cools teaming them with tights.
Sleeveless26Floral
Shop My Outfit
 
Dress – Warehouse* (exact)
Sleeveless Blazer – Dorothy Perkins (similar)
Boots – Ash (exact) try these for a more budget friendly option
FloralDressforAutumn
artoftransitionaldressing

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5 responses to “Transitional Dressing”

  1. Marie Therese Batt says:
    September 12, 2016 at 2:27 pm

    I love that dress! And these tips are great for this transitional time of year. I also do a loose capsule wardrobe and it's super convenient at this time – a little bit of summer, a little bit of fall and maybe some winter, if need be 🙂

    Reply
  2. Rosa Fairfield says:
    September 12, 2016 at 4:51 pm

    This outfit is so beautiful, I'm loving floral patterns right now.

    http://ohduckydarling.com

    Reply
  3. Isobel Thomas says:
    October 6, 2016 at 7:59 pm

    This look is lovely!

    Isobel

    Reply

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