You're just around the corner from the time of year when a single day's temperature changes mean you need a cardigan in the morning and a spaghetti strap by noon. Enter (as the fashion industry calls it) “pre-fall,” the moment just before debuting your heavy coats and leather suiting. This in-between season requires dexterity — creating fall outfit ideas from summer trends that you can style in new and different ways. You can think of pre-fall as the perfect excuse to not stash away your sundresses and open-toes just yet.
As the conversation of sustainability in the fashion industry continues to drive change both in how new brands emerge and how long-standing brands operate, one result is the season-less approach — taken by brands such as Wardrobe.NYC and Reona — centered around creating pieces that easily transition year round. But with a few tips and tricks on layering and pairing unexpected pieces together, you can turn just about any summer item into a season-transcending piece — your ticket to a wardrobe that you can get your money's worth of wearing out of.
Not only can you combine token summer items like tank tops with cardigans and dresses with tights for a fall-appropriate ensemble, but with the season’s fresh take on knitwear on the rise, the lines between summer and fall are blurring in the best way, leaving a fall-fabric alternative for everything from bodycon dresses to crop tops, with brands such as Source Unknown, Khaite, Jacquemus, and Bottega Veneta cosigning the trend in recent collections.
If after months in loungewear you’re not ready to give up your summer wardrobe just yet, you’re not alone. Ahead, here’s an easy route to pre-fall connoisseurship with six tips to take your favorite summer pieces and cuts into August and beyond.
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How To Wear Summer Styles In The Fall: Tube & Scarf Tops
Instagram’s favorite summer DIY styling trick, wearing your scarf as a top may have caught on last summer, but the buzz is just as strong in 2020. There’s a new way to breathe life into the often overlooked closet item by styling it on top of a long-sleeved blouse (complete this with an oversized collar and you’ll have nailed two fall 2020 trends in one). Similarly you can pair a tube top or bustier over a button-down top for a flattering, cinched waist, flared hips look.
How To Wear Summer Styles In The Fall: Summer Dresses
A fall shoe and sock is all your favorite summer dress needs to stay in rotation throughout the fall. Anything from chunky oxfords to combat boots not only provides the ultimate California-cool touch, but also effortlessly gives this traditionally feminine item a fresh, edgy appeal. For full-on grunge, you could opt for a waist-length leather jacket, but for a more relaxed, cozy look, an oversized cardigan will do the trick just as well.
How To Wear Summer Styles In The Fall: Swimsuit Tops
Beach vibes in the fall, anyone? While wearing your swimsuit as a top works just as well during the summer, in the fall, one-pieces typically reign over bikinis due to coverage. Many brands such as Jade Swim create their one-pieces with this exact opportunity for versatility in mind. For warmth, any of your go-to cover-ups, be it a jean jacket or a chunky cardigan, will complete the look with ease.
How To Wear Summer Styles In The Fall: Crop Tops
Crop top lovers around the world can vouch for the endless number of ways to bring this summer staple into fall. While throwing on a quick jacket is a common approach to summer/fall hybrid dressing — there's also the officially unofficial actual fall crop top. If you dare to bare a little midriff as the weather cools (sometimes, it’s a sacrifice worth making), knitted crop tops, which can be found in both heavy and lightweight variations are the fashion-forward update to the classic sweater you didn’t know you needed.
How To Wear Summer Styles In The Fall: Sandal Heels
Some things are too good to only bring out for a season — sandal mules and platform heels are one of them. For a spunky pop to a dress, skirt, or even shorts, a pair of mesh socks and your favorite toe-baring heels are the perfect duo.
How To Wear Summer Styles In The Fall: Bike Shorts
By now, bike shorts are such an embedded part of your 2020 wardrobe that fall simply isn’t happening without them. For a cozy, casual look, you can take these versatile bottoms back to their sporty roots by pairing yours with an oversized hoodie or jacket. And for a more street style approach that’s still prepared for cooler temperatures, consider marrying your shorts with a leather button-down and booties.
