While back to school season brings many changes with it, one of the best is the changing fashion. Fall brings sweaters, boots and patterns galore. However, it’s often still too warm when school first begins to wear your staple fall items. The good news is that fall fashion is versatile enough that there are plenty of ways to incorporate fall styles into your outfits without sweating through a sweater. If you’re in the fall spirit even through the weather isn’t, then this is for you.
Fall Fashion No. 1: Skirts
Plaid skirts have long been an iconic staple of fall, and thankfully, they can easily be brought into an outfit while it’s still warm outside. While corduroy is a classic fall skirt material, it can easily be swapped out for a more lightweight option that won’t make you sweat when walking to class. One easy way to do this is with my fashion go-to: patterns. Nothing says fall quite like plaid or houndstooth, and thankfully, both patterns seem here to stay this season. I’ll be talking more about patterns later, so keep them in the back of your mind for now. Pair a patterned skirt with a solid-colored top and gold jewelry pieces and an easy fall-esque outfit is made.
Fall Fashion No. 2: Overalls
Nothing says the Midwest in fall quite like overalls, so of course they had to be mentioned. With a growing variety of colors and patterns, overalls have transcended the farmer stereotypes of the past and have become statement pieces in their own right. However, all that denim isn’t fun to wear in the sun while trekking across campus, but the versatility of overalls is something that is easy to work with. In the warmer beginning of fall and back to school season, I would suggest overall shorts, which still give off the aesthetic of fall without being so heavy. I recently purchased an overall dress, which might just be my favorite thrifting find of all time, and isn’t bad to wear in the heat. Even if you don’t think you’re someone who would like overalls, try a pair on and you might surprise yourself. I know I did.
Fall Fashion No. 3: Sweaters
Sweaters are arguably the most long-awaited part of fall fashion, but nobody wants to be sweating through one in the middle of class. Luckily, if you just can’t wait for sweater season any longer, there are some ways to work them into an outfit now. Pairing an oversized long sleeved shirt or sweater with shorts has become a growing trend and one that I wholeheartedly support. If that’s still too warm of an outfit, then I would recommend rolling up the sleeves, which I do on a pretty regular basis. That way, your fall look is still aesthetically pleasing and you aren’t dying of heat.
Fall Fashion No. 4: Patterns
I said I would be coming back to patterns, and here we are. Patterns are one of my favorite parts about fall. The wide variety even within one pattern is astounding. Take plaid for example. The variables within one plaid pattern include the colors and number of colors included and the size and frequency of stripes. That alone means that you could have an entire room of people wearing plaid and each one could have an entirely different look. Houndstooth is another personal favorite pattern of mine that gives an outfit an instant vintage edge. With countless patterns to choose from, the sky’s the limit when introducing one or more into your fall wardrobe.
Remember that you don’t have to buy anything to get ready for fall. If money is tight, and we’re in college, so I’m assuming it is, there is nothing wrong with working with what you already own. It’s still fun putting together new outfits with existing pieces and can make them feel brand new. So, no matter your budget or the weather outside, get out there and show off your unique fall style.