A Month of Transitional Autumn Outfits
Thinking back on the last month, I remember exhaustion and slowly infringing cold, balanced out by lots of cozy moments with family and friends. Two weekends at my in-laws, the first fondue of the season, cold rain, an onslaught of doctors appointments (happily followed by breakfasts out with my mom), slowly-read books, and lots of evenings spent watching spooky shows. I also remember my now-heavily-worn William Morris skirt.
October and November are fantastic months, but they’ve become an incredibly frustrating time of year when it comes to fashion. Cooler temperatures are coming later and later every year now, and when they finally do come, they do so suddenly. Chilly mornings, warm afternoons, freezing nights. Consequently, the last month of dressing has been one of transition, full of tights and long-but-thin, pleated midi skirts, peacoats, oversized sweaters, and a back-and-forth between loafers and rubber Chelsea boots with the first big rains of the season.
I said in our Early Autumn Fashion piece that I wasn’t ready for cold weather, and I guess I got what I wanted with our longest autumn in memory. Here are some of my most-visited looks of the month.
I spent a lot of time wearing my William Morris skirt from the H&M Collection we were all over in early October. I wasn’t sure whether I wanted it when it came out, but it’s turned out to be, by far, my favorite piece from the collection. It’s comfortable, flattering, and neither too thick nor too thin. I wore it without tights for much of early October and then started layering it with increasingly-heavy tights. Add cardigans, sweaters, and scarves, and I had a very happy autumn with it.
The William Morris skirt isn’t the only one from the collection that’s been on heavy rotation though. With tight weather arriving, I’ve been getting a lot of use out of the above dress, which is also a favorite for Lauren this month. The “Love is Enough” t-shirt has also been much appreciated by my new attitude towards life, especially paired with my favorite velvet skirt of the season (which I’m looking forward to wearing more as the temperatures drop the next ten degrees this week) and the satin bow that’s been in my hair almost every single day.
Pleated midi skirts have been the star of the show this month though. I picked one up at random from Zara two days before the William Morris collection came out, and that one has been on just as heavy rotation. My mom’s been upset with some of the intentionally-mismatched combinations I made with the skirts, but eh, I feel like we’re all beyond never pairing black with navy. I’ve been learning to do things imperfectly these days, when it comes to myself, and I feel like intentional mismatched pieces worn with confidence are a good way to embrace the attitude.
Other pieces on heavy rotation have been my two favorite oversized scarves, one (the red one above) is from one of my mom’s trips to Turkey and the navy plaid was a birthday gift from my husband last year (this seems to be the 2018 version). I will forever love the oversized scarf trend because I feel so much cosier in them and I love being able to disappear into a signature #hermitfunnel.
Raquel and I got into our love of dark florals in September, and I’ve definitely kept embracing the trend, here re-styling an spring skirt from earlier in the year (and honestly, I think I like it more as an autumn floral than a spring one).
Absolutely nothing has brought me more joy than velvet this month, though. I was so excited when it came back last year, and I’ve been adding pieces as I’ve come across them this year as well. It’s such a wonderful, plush texture that adds to the every day, making every moment feel a bit more special. I’m trying to mix it in to my looks as frequently as possible, and I’m looking forward to doing the same as the weather gets colder, all the way through March. I got the above jacket earlier this week, and it’s already made me so happy, giving me strength to get back to working on my thesis by making me feel even more like an Edith Wharton novel. The power of dress is real, and I am grateful for it every day.
I’m excited to see where the next drop in temperature takes me, as I’ve finally gotten out my 100 denier tights and my wool miniskirts. Plaid made its yearly re-entry into rotation yesterday, and I’m currently on the lookout for a glossy new coat and kitten heel boots.
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