WARM AUTUMN: DRESSING FOR FALL WHEN YOU LIVE IN A HOT CLIMATE

Living in the Northeast, I’m familiar with experiencing all four seasons as they’re traditionally portrayed. In the fall, I enjoy the vibrant colors and crisp, cool days, along with the delight of wearing sweaters and layering up for warmth. This is the case, at least when the weather remains consistent. What we deal with here is fluctuation. For example, this past Friday, it was 80 degrees and the next day the high was 60. This yo-yo effect has been going on for weeks with this week’s forecast being pretty much the same. This is why we layer in the northeast. Autumn weather is like a box of chocolates, we never know what we’re going to get.

That said, I will take the unpredictability and changeability of our weather over how warm it remains throughout autumn in the sunbelt. We may have a few oddball warm days, but that’s nothing compared to days on end of summer-like temperatures when all you want to do is throw on a damn sweater and kick back with something warm and pumpkin spice flavored. Seriously, if I could blow some cool weather down all of your way I would, not just so you could get some relief, but so you could enjoy the season how it should be— in a cozy, comfy, and layered state. But, alas, that is a level of control nobody has. So after I saw a popular discussion thread in my Facebook Group about warm autumn weather I decided to do what I could and give some styling ideas for the workplace for those who are still running their air conditioners and swimming in their pools.

WARM AUTUMN: DRESSING FOR FALL WHEN YOU LIVE IN A HOT CLIMATE

The first thing to bear in mind is that the fashion industry rarely considers that the entire country doesn’t experience fall weather the same and assumes that everyone needs a closet full of heavy wool and chunky cashmere sweaters. So my options in terms of selections were somewhat limited in terms of finding examples but I did my best. That said, my hope is that if some of these options aren’t available in your size, you will have something similar in your closet you can source. This is not to say all is not lost. Compared to years ago, fashion has become more year-round in its thinking than it used to be and you can find more these days than you could that would work for warm autumn weather, so despite fall fashion skewing more for colder climates, I was pleasantly surprised to find all that I did. Below, I have put together five autumnal-looking outfits for work that can be worn in hot climates this time of year.

OUTFIT #1

I learned this trick after working with clients in warm climates. Because it’s too hot to layer, people can’t rely on them. It’s the one fundamental difference I noted between warm climates vs. temperate changeable ones. This is why so many people in these warmer climates tend to go for more patterns and prints or novelty pieces over solids and basics in cooler more changeable climates. Without the ability to layer or to use layers as accents, people who don’t have that option need to make a statement with less. If you have a dress and only a dress, to look finished, because a layer or even a scarf is a hard no, you better believe that dress needs to do enough on its own.

In addition to the print of this dress from Toccin doing all the heavy lifting, I chose a pattern in a more subdued, muted autumnal print that reads more like fall vs. the height of summer, and as a result, the dress is cool enough to wear yet fits with the time of year. I styled it simply with a pair of heeled sandals from comfort brand, Gentle Souls, and finished the look with stylish drop earrings from Sézane. For a layer in-office, a cropped cardigan could easily be added.

OUTFIT #2

I used a print again in this look to show how prints can do the heavy lifting to create an autumnal look without needing too many layers or too much bulk, why I liked this particular pair of pants from Boden is that the color has a richness that captures fall while still having some brightness that captures what is beautiful about living in warm weather during the autumn and winter. One of my favorite fish-out-of-water stories is about a time I traveled in February to see a client in Florida and thought I was dressing colorfully for my flight by wearing a pair of olive pants, a lavender turtleneck sweater, and a chartreuse pashmina scarf, yet when I landed in the sunshine state, by comparison, I still looked like I was going to a funeral.

With this pair of drapey viscose printed pants, I added this cotton button-up shirt from Frank & Eillen, a pair of Gola sneakers with rich green details, and an orangey-red pendant necklace.

OUTFIT #3

For a less business-casual work look I created a balance that captures fall colors in a way that works for warmer climates. Not only is this BOSS blazer in a rich tan, it is in a wearable linen, viscose blend. I chose a deep brown machine-washable top with short sleeves so the jacket can be removed and I styled this look with ivory pants from Vince in a linen/rayon blend. While linen is known to wrinkle, the viscose and rayon in the jacket and pants will add more drape and decrease the wrinkle factor. To finish the look, I added these blue flats from Veronica Beard, and a pearl link pendant from st. Moran.

OUTFIT #4

I am using another print to evoke a little autumn into this more summery outfit. This exploded skirt from Marimekko puts a modern twist on a floral. I styled it with a simple ivory tank from Everlane and a short-sleeved cardigan from Rag & Bone. I finished the look with cognac flats from M.Gemi and a wooden necklace from Ben-Amun.

OUTFIT #5

A few weeks ago, my husband, Frank, and I took a trip to Beacon NY because even though fall is pretty in NYC, it’s even prettier when you travel into New York State. Beacon is a lovely little hamlet in the mid-Hudson valley but it’s the train trip that makes it worth the 90-minute ride. The scenery is amazing and the changing leaves reminded me that not all autumnal shades are orange, brown, and yellow. There were shades of burgundy and pink, along with an assortment of other vibrant shades. I also considered that not everyone looks good in what we know to be autumn colors. This outfit captures rich, vibrant colors that work for those who look better in cooler shades.

I styled this rich top from Paige with a pair of ocean-colored culottes from M.M. Lafleur. I finished the look with burgundy flats from Margaux and a silver interlocking loop necklace from Ettika.

A WARM AUTUMN DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN’T DRESS FOR THE SEASON

Dressing for autumn in warm climates may not look exactly the same as in the northern part of the country but it doesn’t mean it’s impossible. With these tips by working with colors, prints, and patterns and not abandoning warm weather-friendly fabrics, you can have the best of both worlds. Now go and enjoy a nice pumpkin spice latte…iced, preferably.