As the weather gets cooler and summer transitions into fall, we often pack away our summer clothing without a second thought. However, many of our favorite summer pieces can be worn well into the fall, and sometimes even into the winter months. With proper layering techniques, your go-to summer dresses and tops can be reinvented time and time again, extending their lifetime in your closet and giving you more outfit ideas without having to purchase more items. Keep reading to learn how our stylist Leah has transitioned pieces from our summer collection into warm and cozy fall looks.
How to Layer Dresses for Fall
Layering a summer dress to make it work for fall may seem intimidating, but it can be done in a few simple ways. Here, we have Leah in our Gathered Neck Dress. With the Josie Belt and some boots, she is ready to rock this dress during late summer and early fall when layers are not needed.
As we get into the cooler days and chilly nights of September and October, she can easily transition this piece by layering it with the Natalie Skirt. This gives her two layers on the bottom, keeping her warm, and still looks super chic and put together. You’d never guess that this top is a dress! Leah also swapped out her boots for a chunky shoe, and added tights for extra warmth on those windy fall days. Tall boots that go to the knee can also be worn for the same effect.
When the days begin to get too cold for short sleeves, layering on the upper half is needed. Here, Leah added a thin turtleneck underneath the dress, while still keeping it tucked into the skirt. This looks super chic on its own, and could even be layered underneath a trench or wool coat as we get into November and December.
How to Layer Short Sleeve Tops
Dresses aren’t the only pieces that can transition from summer to fall. A lot of your short sleeve tops can as well! Here we have Leah looking amazing in one of our favorite sets from our summer collection: the Triangle Shirt and Gathered Short in Army Green.
While wearing these shorts in the fall and winter may be a little too ambitious, we can certainly make this top work in new ways! The obvious solution here would be to layer a long sleeve top or turtleneck underneath the button down. However, we have another layering idea for fall that may surprise you: backwards!
Here we have Leah wearing the same Triangle Shirt, but making it look like a completely different shirt. Layering the top by wearing it backwards gives it a mock neck effect with the collar, and it looks great paired with the Cropped Jacket and Dolly Jean in Railroad Thin stripes. Super simple, super easy, yet chic and fashion forward. Going into the winter months, this can be done by layering a long sleeve underneath and pairing with a heavier coat on top, such as a leather jacket or a heavy wool blazer. The possibilities are truly endless!
Hopefully this has inspired you to take another look at your summer wardrobe before stashing it away. What pieces could you make last a little longer this season?