Transitioning Your Summer Closet Into Fall
with Alison Deyette as seen on NBC Today, August 26, 2006
With fall nearly here, we all face the annual dilemma of what to keep, store and donate from our summer wardrobe. The great news is, many of your favorite warm-weather pieces can be worn well into the fall and even all year round with just some savvy styling tricks.
First, let’s go through a few pieces that should only be worn in the warmer months. So as the weather cools, you’ll have to store these away for next summer:
Shorts and skirts in summer-weight fabrics or bright summer colors
Cotton capris
Ethnic tunics
Straw bags
Espadrilles and cork wedges
Flip flops and beaded sandals
Summer jewelry like turquoise necklaces and wooden bangles
Anything that you would even consider wearing to the beach!
Anything linen or gauzy
Next, let’s discuss a few items that are not worth saving at all and should be given away, donated or thrown out after summer:
Anything super-bohemian (before women get mad, we’re not saying all boho-chic is over, just the most literal forms of the trend)
Long strands of colorful chunky beads
Anything that looks overly worn – dirty flip flops, white t-shirts that have yellowed, anything stained or ripped
Finally, here are some items women will be pleased to know they can still wear through the fall:
Oversized handbags
Shorts and cropped pants that are not in summer fabrics or colors
Vests
Sheer feminine tops (perfect for layering under jackets)
Ballet flats
Peep toe pumps
Gold link jewelry, gold bangles
Denim minis
We showed some creative ways to style some of these pieces for fall – and the best news is, we did it on a budget!:
LOOK 1: SHORTS, COTTON RIBBED TANK
Summer Look:
Shorts: TJ MAXX $15.99
Tank Top: FASHION BUG $ 8.99
Add these pieces to create a Fall Look:
Button down shirt: FASHION BUG $19.99
Tweed Blazer: TJ MAXX $39.99
Textured Tights: DKNY $15 (available at Nordstrom nationwide)
Peep Toe Pumps: VIA SPIGA $189 (available at Nordstrom, Via Spiga stores and viaspiga.com)
Shorts were one of the hottest trends this summer and continue as a big trend for fall worn with tights to keep legs warm
Our look shows that even super-short shorts can work for fall when paired with textured tights and heels. (Of course, you can use whatever length short you are most comfortable with if these are too short for you.)
We also took a basic ribbed tank – an essential piece for every summer wardrobe – and layered it over a fitted button down shirt, giving it the look of a vest. Darker colors work best for this look.
Finally, we paired the whole look with a fitted tweed jacket to pull it all together. Don’t worry about mixing textures and tweeds – as long as they are in the same color family, it works.
LOOK 2: KNIT VEST, PEEP TOE PUMPS, LONG SLEEVE SHEER BLOUSE
Summer Look:
Long knit vest: MARSHALLS $19.99
Add these pieces for Fall Look:
Skirt: L3 TRAVEL SUIT from BAGIR, available at THE LIMITED, skirt, $70 and jacket, $180
Long sleeve sheer blouse: MARSHALLS $19.99
Patent leather belt: MARSHALLS $15
Peep Toe Pumps: NATURALIZER $ 79 (available at shoes.com, Naturalizer stores)
Knit vests have emerged as a hot trend this summer. Our model is wearing hers over a basic cotton tank paired with white jeans.
This is a great piece to wear in the Fall layered over button down shirts, feminine blouses or under jackets.
We paired it with a wool pencil skirt and a chic patent belt cinched around the waist.
Her peep-toe pumps are another item that can be worn long after summer ends, either with bare legs or tights.
A matching suit jacket gives her another way to wear the look
LOOK 3: DRESS, WIDE BELT, BALLET FLATS
Summer Look:
Flutter sleeve printed dress: MAX STUDIO $148
Ballet flats: FRANCO SARTO $89 (available at Nordstrom, Macy's, shoes.com and francosarto.com)
Add these pieces for Fall Look:
Turtleneck: KOHL’S
Long knit cardigan: KOHL’S $44 *
Wide belt: MARSHALLS $15
Leggings: HANES $9 (available at select Dillard's)
Dresses were a must-have this summer and continue into fall
To make hers fall-worthy, we layered a slim turtleneck underneath the dress and paired a long knit cardigan over it.
Fashion forward gals might already be wearing leggings and they’re the perfect layering piece to wear with dresses in the fall.
Ballet flats are another item to wear now and as the weather cools.
For the final touch, we added a wide belt – something women might already have in their closets from the summer and if not, it’s a definite must-add for fall.
* Kohl’s has recently launched transformationnation.com, an interactive resource for fashionistas nationwide. Users can log on for fashion tips, interact with a virtual wardrobe planner, learn about the latest fashion trends, and enter to win a trip to Paris and a $10,000 shopping spree.
