Building a Timeless Fall Wardrobe
Fall is quickly approaching, and with every new season comes the perfect opportunity to refresh our wardrobe.
In my opinion, the transition from summer to fall marks one of the most significant wardrobe shifts of the year…As opposed to the transition from fall to winter or spring to summer, with the prior season already introducing the temperatures to come, the beginning of fall signifies the onset of our year’s cooler and frigid months—and with that, we slowly begin to say goodbye, for now, to our clothes “belonging” in the warmer weather.
My style drastically shifted throughout my college years, especially over the past year and a half, so now that I’m moving into a new phase of life, I’m beginning to lay the foundation for a cooler weather wardrobe that will stick with me and my ~hopefully established~ style preferences beyond the near future. However, I’m definitely no stranger to a wardrobe revamp…
With the official start of fall just a little less than a week away, I figured that this would be the perfect time to share my hard-learned tips for building a fall wardrobe that can stand the test of time.
Begin with a closet clean out.
I’m someone that loves to shop for new clothing (some may argue too much), but hates getting rid of the old. Yes, I’m one of those people that has, somewhat of, an emotional attachment to pieces in their wardrobe…SO I hesitate A LOT when it, inevitably, comes time for me to get rid of the old in order to make way for the new. It can definitely be hard to say goodbye to items of clothing that have significant memories associated with them, but it’s absolutely necessary when you’re looking to advance your style.
…So, this is the first step in building your dream wardrobe: cleaning out your closet…it’s easier said than done, but once you find your starting point, and ~painfully~ pick out your first few dated pieces, you’ll quickly find yourself removing items from their hangers with ease and excitement. My advice would be to start with what no longer fits you, since these are probably the easiest pieces to identify—it’s completely normal to outgrow things that you once loved to wear, but why take up space with something that no longer serves its purpose? From there, I would tackle the items that have “seen better days”. With countless uses and over the course of time, some pieces will, evidently, no longer look their best…and if you’re not loving the way it looks on the hanger, you probably will not be thrilled with the way that it now looks on you.
Lastly, and probably the most difficult part of this step, identify your newly established style aesthetic, and attempt to visualize outfits, within that style aesthetic, using items already in your closet. Think like this, if you’re consistently passing up a particular item when visualizing outfits you would love to see yourself wearing, it’s probably the right time to let it go…
Remember: you need to get rid of the old to make room for the better.
Go heavy on the basics, but leave some space for eye-catching elements.
Here comes the fun part! The closet clean out may have been time-consuming and extremely difficult, but you now have room in your closet—and we all know how much room cooler weather clothing can take up—to begin building that timeless fall wardrobe.
I’ve become notorious in my family for buying pieces with a limited life cycle…more often than I would care to admit, I’ve made clothing purchases without considering how often, or for how long, I could actually see myself wearing whatever the item is.
Well, I’m a changed person now, ~for the most part~, when it comes to wardrobe additions, and I carefully consider all aspects of each clothing purchase before actually making it. What I’ve found, especially as it pertains to the fall season, is that it’s best to populate your wardrobe with, what you would consider to be, basics. For me, that includes items with neutral or lighter tones, with very little, if any, distinct designs, patterns, and/or cuts. I think it’s safe to say that pieces without TOO many details are likely to stay in your wardrobe longer than ones with any “in-your-face” features…With that, basic does not translate into boring—the basic nature of these pieces simply makes it possible to style them within a variety of different looks.
Despite my newly-discovered emphasis on the basics, I also love pops of color, and yes, I do give into seasonal trends from time to time (as you already know from my last blog post). Fashion is meant to be fun, and adding unique and bold pieces to your wardrobe is definitely a lot of fun…just do your best to make sure that these pieces aren’t one-hit wonders within your personal style before purchasing. Considering the “longevity” of a piece before it makes its way into your closet will ultimately allow you to build a timeless wardrobe, for fall, as well as the other three seasons.
Think you’re up for the challenge of building a timeless wardrobe, or at least beginning to? It’s a daunting task, I know, but fall is right around the corner, and I know you’ll be thanking yourself in a few weeks when you have clothes that you’re actually excited to wear in the new season…and not only in this current year, but also in the years to come.
