No Frills Guide to Fall Fashion

Having been out of school for quite some time, I still get the urge every fall to go Back to School shopping. Each year I crave anything tweed, leather, corduroy, you name it. And if hearing Butt Hole Surfers in Urban Outfitters is any indication of what era fashion is headed toward, I guess that means I’ll be stocking up on flannel as well. While most of us are a little short on cash to update our whole wardrobe there are easy ways to make your summer stuff work for fall. Provided you didn’t jump on the neon bandwagon.

Step 1: Layering

I know it doesn’t sound very ground breaking, but apparently according to the big bad world of fashion, you can pretty much layer stuff under everything. The very idea of socks with sandals give me shudders and flashbacks to kids on the quad that looked like this:

Rather than this:

Courtesy of Refinery 29

Something tells me this look is a helluva lot easier for the ladies to pull off then men. Also key: stick with heels and crazy socks for an intentional contrast look rather then just looking lazy.

Another summer staple you can wear all year or at least til December, is shorts. From denim cutoffs to cropped wool, you can throw on some fun tights and voila “fall shorts”. Again sorry dudes, I think this is a ‘don’t try at home’ sort of thing.

Step 2: Clean Out Your Closet

I’ve moved around a lot which has forced me to go through my clothes more often then most. This is a really easy way to restart your wardrobe and there are a ton of places where you can sell and trade clothes. Another good way to generate cash and clear out your closet is to hold a stoop sale. Even if you don’t have a stoop you can team up with some friends and share a space to sell your wares. For those of you who only have a few items that are a little higher quality than last year’s H&M castoffs, I would recommend Ebay. Take some stylish shots of you modeling your old clothes and you’d be surprised by the results.

Step 3: Scope the Sales

Since it’s Labor Day and all, and retailers are desperate right now, there are going to be sales all over the place. Even not on traditional sales holidays, you can usually find deals at both in brick and mortar stores and online. Many say, that given the current economic climate, Americans are addicted to sales, since they seem to be going on all the time. I say take advantage now but be weary of buying things just because of the slashed prices. Be sure to check out local websites that keep a rotating list of ongoing sales like Racked and Thrillist.

Step 4: Accessorize

I know this is something you see splashed on the front of style magazines every year but there’s some truth to it. I was truly inspired by a woman that started a blog called, The Uniform Project. She literally wears the same dress (well 7 identical versions of it) every day for a year and makes it look fresh and new everyday just by using various accessories. I don’t think Waldo could have pulled that shit off quite as well.

Courtesy of The Uniform Project