How to Wear Your Summer Dress into the Fall

Thursday, October 14, 2021

I love it when it still feels like summer well into the fall. LOVE. IT. Gimme all the warmth and sunshine for as long as possible. I'm happy to say we've had our fair share of it here in Pittsburgh this year. I kind of wish it would last until January. But, and here's a huge admission on my part, I still like fall clothes. It's a weird time when you're still incorporating lighter summery things from your closet and shuffling in newer warm things you're longing to wear, but the morning are often cool, the afternoons, blistering hot, and the evenings cool again. It's best to dress in layers for the many heat levels of fall and here's how I styled one romantic vintage floral wrap dress I picked up from @Thriftwares on Instagram for those levels. 


Look #1: Hot Fall 

Meryl Franzos floral dress
photo: Joshua Franzos

Hot Fall acts like summer in many ways. It's hot out. You're still sweaty. But it's past the autumnal equinox and the casual slip-on footwears of summer don't seem appropriate anymore, and it's just too hot for boots still. Maybe it's just me, but I find there's a certain gravitas to fall, probably because of years of starting school in September. Hot fall is the perfect time to wear those open-toe high heel sandals with your summer dress and feel like a grown up woman for a hot second.
 
photo: Joshua Franzos

Hot Fall is a good time to trade out your summer time straw bags for something leather, letting that be the only thing that hints at the cooler weather that is sure to come. It's also a fun time to think about accessorizing with jewelry again. With plunging necklines, I usually like to forgo necklaces and instead wear earrings that bring the gaze back up to my face. It's about balance. 
 
photo: Joshua Franzos

photo: Joshua Franzos


Look #2: Fall Fall

photo: Joshua Franzos

 Good news fall fans. Fall Fall is the 50-63 degree moment you've been waiting for. You can start bringing out the boots and other fall finery you've been dying to wear. You'll still find my summer dresses on rotation, only with frilly lace blouses layered underneath and tall boots. 
 
photo: Joshua Franzos
Fall Fall has even more gravitas than Hot Fall, and though my boots and bag are classic examples of brown (embossed) crocodile leather, I opted for modern and untraditional sunglasses and jewelry with pops of neon to keep the look fun and from venturing too deep into "school marm territory."
 
photo: Joshua Franzos

Look #3: Cool Fall

photo: Joshua Franzos
 
Cool Fall. It may be in the high 30's and 40's but it's still warm enough to be stylish and wear that summer dress if you keep adding on the layers. For this look, I added a tie-neck blouse and a pleated midi skirt that peaks out from underneath the dress like a black petticoat. Add a hat, tights, and a slightly over-sized blazer for additional warmth. I'm also wearing OTK boots in a low kitten heel because it's starting to get slippery out and I can't teeter totter around on high heels on potentially slippery surfaces. That's how you break a hip.
 
photo: Joshua Franzos

photo: Joshua Franzos
It's difficult to see, but I accessorized this with a large, shiny vinyl clutch. I also layered a fun charm necklace I assembled on top of everything to keep this Tombstone-esque look, light-hearted. I'm your huckleberry.

photo: Joshua Franzos

photo: Joshua Franzos

 This is the first time I've done a "three ways to wear" on the blog. The older I get, the more I want the items in my wardrobe to be more than one trick ponies. I much rather they were jacks-of-most-trades. The more ways I to style things, and wear them, the better. Let me know if you'd like to see more "three ways to wear" posts. If so, I may be happy to oblige you, m'am.

photo: Joshua Franzos

 

Your Bosom Friend in Pittsburgh, 


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