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When fall arrives in the stores I get excited. I want ALL THE BOOTS! ALL THE SWEATERS! ALL THE LEATHER JACKETS! But I wait. Fall doesn’t hit immediately in DC, it’s not unusual to be sweating in your Halloween costume and going coatless to your aunt’s house for Thanksgiving. However we do get cold spells from early September into December and some years it gets colder far faster than others (by the looks of the holly bushes in my neighborhood, this is going to be a very chilly winter).
So I’ve waited through the Labor Day sales, the back to school sales, and now that it’s October I feel I can properly assess what I currently have to wear, what holes in my wardrobe I need to fill, and what current trends I still love even after the launch of that gosh darn Pumpkin Spice Latte. And so below, is what I am craving for fall 2014:
Lace Overlay Skirt
This is one of those items that’s hot this fall but can easily be worn for years to come. Fall 2014 I want to pair such a skirt with plaid flannels and band tees, but it can be worn with a lovely cashmere or merino sweater and pumps for work or a networking event, or get glammed up with a silk blouse or velvet jacket and heels for a holiday party. I would like one in black that doesn’t have any current trend details like exposed zippers or a metallic finish, though I’ve got my eye on this navy one from Vince Camuto and considering I’m seriously enjoying navy with black it may be my choice this season.
Fisherman Sweater
This season they seem to just be called cable knit sweaters, but to me they are fisherman or Hemingway sweaters and I want to own one again. In high school I found one from Banana Republic at TJ Maxx and wore it to death. I even wore it through college until one time I couldn’t find it. Considering how terrible I was to clothing (can’t believe my old roommate Jenn still speaks to me after the time I splattered hot wax all over a top she let me borrow for an Adams Morgan bar crawl), losing a sweater was par for the course. Years later, I found the sweater hidden in my sister’s file cabinet, stained with Jungle Juice (tsk tsk little sister!). A bit of Clorox 2 and I wore that sweater again until it literally fell apart.
Okay, TL;DR point is I want another one. I just ordered this one and this one from Lands’ End because I want a true classic fit and style that will transcend this year’s trend. I’ll be wearing it with jeans, but I also can imagine it with a flippy black skirt and tights, paired with a denim skirt like I showed in this post, and I’d love with some skinny cords and boots.
Ripped Black Jeans
We all know by now that I regularly let my inner Lita Ford out to play in the closet, and Lita is loving the return of distressed denim. However I know this is a trend I won’t wear often and may not wear after this year, so instead of spending boo coo bucks on ripped black jeans, I’m going to self-distress last year’s Old Navy Rockstar Skinny Jeans that have already gotten faded and beat up with wear. I’ll be wearing with sweater coats and booties for weekends.
Engineer Boots
I had a pair of engineer boots in the late ‘90s and loved them but they were cheap fake leather and eventually fell apart. With my wide calves, I can’t just go to any store and snag a pair so I’ve been searching on and off for almost a decade. This year the style of boot is more popular than ever, meaning more opportunities to find a pair that fits. I’ve been considering the Naturalizer Baldala, the DUO Morton, and the Frye Veronica Shortie; I’ll keep you posted if any work out and would love to hear if you have any other suggestions!
Pleated Leather Skirt
Glad to see this trend happening this year because I already own the skirt! I splurged on a pleated black leather skirt from Halogen a couple years ago and have already worn it twice this fall (you can see it one time here). Halogen has a similar skirt this year in regular and petite; if you do order know leather stretches so if it’s a tad snug when you buy, wear it around the house for a bit because it will grow (even though it’s lined) to fit your figure. How cute would this skirt look with a fisherman sweater?
Chunky Gold Watch
I have a chunky silver watch that Fossil sent me and while it’s very pretty, I never wear it. My silver cuff is my go-to when wearing silver, and it’s too big to be paired with a watch. However, all my gold bracelets are small. I have the Citizen Ciena and it’s a beautiful classic watch, but lately I’ve desired something more chunky. I like the Slim Runway from Michael Kors because the tortoiseshell keeps it from being too much gold, it’s a bit unusual, and very different looking from my Citizen.
Buffalo Plaid Shirt
In 6th grade, my friends and I all had different colored Buffalo plaid flannels; I remember we all had bandanas the same color as our shirts and tied them around one knee and felt terribly cool as we sauntered around the playground. While I won’t be wearing a bandana around my knee any time soon, I wouldn’t mind sauntering around this fall in Buffalo plaid. I already have this shirt from Gap and have worn it over a tee or tank with jeans and shorts and tucked in with my leather pleated skirt. I love the juxtaposition of plaid flannel with something more elegant like lace or leather, and the boldness of Buffalo plaid. Don’t be shocked if before the season is through I’ve purchased another flannel in a different color (such as this one from J. Crew).
Wool Fedora
This summer I wore my J. Crew Factory Panama hat quite frequently and I see a black wool fedora to be the fall and winter equivalent. I like wearing hats in winter and know this will get much use for the walk to work as well as weekends when I just don’t feel like doing my hair. I love the colored wool fedoras (the burgundy ones are gorgeous), but black is more me and more likely to be worn more than one year. Considering this one from Catarzi and lusting for this one from rag & bone.
Fringe Bag
Lita’s here and she needs a new bag for her next metal concert. I’ve always loved leather fringe, but feel it can look very costumey. You can’t imagine (or maybe you can since you read this blog) how many times I have ALMOST bought a black fringy hobo bag. One of the things I like best about my Isabella Fiore bag is the fringy tassels hanging off the side. But this season I’ve seen a lot of small fringe bags, clutches and small crossbodies that won’t overpower me with Lita-ness, but let a little bit of her shine. I’ve been looking at this one from Rebecca Minkoff and this one from Steve Madden.
Wrap Coat
The bathrobe-inspired coats this year are totally making me drool. I've always loved this style of coat and am thrilled they are back in vogue. While I'm usually a black or color gal, the idea of one of these coats in a neutral like cream, tan, or gray makes me swoon. This is the kind of coat that works with jeans, work attire, and can glam up with a dress for a night at the theater or a holiday party. I'm really loving this wrap coat from Lauren Ralph Lauren in cream, and this cashmere wrap coat from Trina Turk is drool-worthy (I love the light gray). And while not really the same style, this wrap coat/cape hybrid from Ann Taylor is really calling to me…
So now that the fall and winter trends are out and about, which ones are you considering for your wardrobe?
This post is the reason I just ordered this take on a cream, cable-knit sweater from Madewell: https://www.madewell.com/madewell_category/SWEATERS/pullovers/PRDOVR~B1907/B1907.jsp?color_name=antique-cream
My only other splurges this fall: a long black tube skirt, classic Doc Marten brogues and chunky-soled MJs from Urban Outiftters. I was old enough for grunge the first time around, so I only feel comfortable slyly alluding to its more distinctive traits now.
Oooh that sweater is lovely!
I still don’t have the boots I ordered that I gave links to previously, but I thought I’d mention tonight is the last night of the Bloomingdale’s friends and family – code friends – and ebates has 9% cashback for Bloomingdale’s, and they might have free shipping… So if you do want to try the Frye Veronica’s now might be a good time. 🙂
thanks for this!
I have a knee-length green tweed wrap coat that i picked up last autumn at Spitalfields Market in London. I do really love it … BUT just be wary of how easy it is to wear undone. Albeit mine is cut slightly lower at the neckline than the one in your example pic, I found last winter that there were only a few days that were the right temperature to wear it; too hot and I started to overheat as it isn’t easy to undo without looking slovenly, but too cold and the neckline can get draughty even with a scarf (I also found I had to be careful of what I wore underneath as the neckline would show – although possibly not a problem with a more neutral colour… I just love green!). This winter I’m crushing on this! (http://uk.burberry.com/double-wool-twill-coat-p39541781)
Good point about wrap coats, I had one a decade or so ago and once it was December I had to keep it just for car to building wears. That Burberry coat is gorgeous!
I just ordered those Naturalizer boots! However, I thought I had a wide calf but I measured them and turns out I can fit the regular calf (which was good because they were sold out of my size in the wides). But I’ll let you know how they work out otherwise!
If I clicked through from this post, that gives you some $, yes?
It does, thank you <3 And do let me know how they work out!
You pushed me over the edge…have had the wrap coat on my wish list for about a month and upon your recommendation, finally pulled the trigger. Thanks!!
Hope you love it!
The Naturalizer boots are amazing, comfortable and have an extra little zipper at the top that give you a little more room in the calf. I wore these for 5 days straight in Ireland; sightseeing, bike riding and dancing. I even rocked them when pregnant because of their style and extreme comfort.
Awesome, thanks for the recommendation!
Autumn clothes are the best and I love your picks! But for fisherman’s/cable sweaters, this cartoon here sums up my experience. http://beatonna.tumblr.com/image/98822154390
I tried on the Rag and Bone hat at Nordstrom and it is perfection. I just couldn’t justify the price. Still lusting though-if it goes on sale I may pull the trigger.
Who is this Lita Ford person? (Googles). Ah, I see! It’s still too warm in England to be thinking about much change from my summer wardrobe. I’ve moved from crop pants to full length and I just wore my first pair of tights of the season the other day, I’m I’m sitting her at 10pm in just a T Shirt so it’s still fairly summery.
Kiss Me Deadly was my JAM back in the day, I loved Lita Ford, she could really rock, but wasn’t afraid to look all glammed out pretty. And same here, I’m at home with a bad back in a long sleeved tee shirt and a pair of denim shorts 🙂
She can still rock!!
I have an 100% wool fisherman’s sweater in a forest green. It is thick, heavy – it must weigh 5 lbs, and super warm. It’s beautiful but is too warm for any weather other than 45MPH cold wind or snow. I would like a cotton one in the same style. I’ll take a look at Lands End’s offerings. LL Bean has an 100% cotton sweater.
http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/75019?productId=1234164&attrValue_0=Beige&mr:trackingCode=8B1D9896-B0F0-E211-A497-90E2BA285E75&mr:referralID=NA&mr:device=c&mr:adType=pla&mkwid=3MKFMy8V_dc&pcrid=57704159240&qs=3091363_google
However, the description says that it is somewhat form fitting so a larger size would be a good idea.
Also, for us taller, larger women, there are options in men’s sweaters that will work. I have several men’s sweaters because I couldn’t find the styles I wanted in the women’s line and I could get the over-sized look that I wanted.
I just found the Aran Sweater Market.
http://www.aransweatermarket.com/index.php?route=common/home
The “Fisherman’s Sweater” is really a take off on Irish Fisherman’s Sweater. I’m Irish-American and since I am usually forced to buy imported clothing, I’d rather go to the source on this one and buy from Ireland.
Chris
I have a fisherman’s sweater that Karl got me in Ireland when his aircraft carrier visited and it’s amazing. Thick, heavy, a grayish taupish color. A bit snug now, but I do pull it out when I shovel the walk because there’s nothing that can compare to its warmth!
I just bought these at Famous Footwear with my birthday month coupon. I’m six months pregnant and starting to get big enough heels aren’t comfortable after four hours.
I currently don’t own any non-athletic flats, and have NEVER owned any leopard, so this is a double departure for me.
http://www.zappos.com/dr-scholls-really-brown-black-leopard?ef_id=UcL@owAABMDLsiYO:20141002182745:s
YES! I love those shoes, I featured them in a recent post about shoes for ankle pants. SO CUTE!
I feel like I’ve been looking for the perfect fisherman sweater for years. Thanks for the Land’s End suggestions! I can’t wait to wear one with my pleated black leather skirt (bought on clearance last Christmas – best purchase ever).
We’ll be twins! 🙂
I’ve never ordered from Land’s End. How does their sizing run?
Generous, I am often a Medium (and am usually a Large or 12/14), but in these I ordered Large to be a bit more slouchy/roomy
Thanks! I’m always a small – but I think I’ll go for the Tall option in the 3/4 sleeve. I’m 5’7″ and I like my sweaters slouchy too :).
I bought Frye engineers last year and oh god I love them so much. They’re just a tad shorter than the Veronica’s though, which I think makes them a tad more edgy and biker-ish, neither of which I really am. I feel kind of bad-ass in them though and they are by far the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn, like a real pleasure to have on my feet. I’m glad I sprung for them and hope to have them for years/decades to come. Plaid shirts and chunky sweaters are totally on my list this year too!
Love it!
I want that wrap coat! Love love love!
I’ve already put a pair of lined wool pants into my closet. I was cold last winter and am not going to be cold this winter too.
The leather skirt looks like something that might be good to wear on cold days. Is it too middle-aged to look for one that’s closer to the knee?
Is it pleated across the back? How does it look after you’ve sat on it all day? It’s not like you can press it to get rid of creases.
I bought a similar black fedora at Nordstrom last weekend, for much less. Both Nordstrom and The Rack have decent selections of hats in a variety of price ranges. My experience last winter tells me that now is the time to buy a wool hat. Once it gets colder only the expensive ones will be left.
Yes, it’s pleated around, but I think with the drop waist it doesn’t get wonky. I like the ones closer to the knee, it’s an unexpected material for a traditional skirt, and extremely versatile. And you’re so right with the hats, I think I just need to go into a store this weekend and pick one before there’s nothing decent left!
There’s a longer leather skirt by Halogen on the Nordstrom website-it also gets great reviews: http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/halogen-pleat-leather-skirt-regular-petite/3672618?recs_type=related&recs_productId=&recs_categoryId=0&recs_productOrder=2&recs_placementId=PP_4&recs_source=Rich_Relevance_Recs_R3&recs_strategy=PurchaseCP
I am looking for boots like that – not sure if the style I’m after is more engineer or biker. I had engineer boots from Target from many years ago and wore them well past the point of total ruin. But here are a few options I found – I haven’t tried any yet but they are in the mail!
I had never heard of this brand before, but they are made in America. I seem to have gotten the last pair on 6 p.m. in this color for $89.99: http://www.walkover.com/Walkover-Sophie-in-Tan-and-Sage-color
6pm is worth a look in your size. I wear a six and the only Frye Veronica Shortie’s they had were cracked white leather. Instead I got these, I figure I will love or hate them.
http://www.6pm.com/frye-heath-skull-outside-zip-black-calf-shine-vintage
You should check Saks Off Fifth, too – they have 40% off with the code Friends – not sure how long that lasts. I got these in white and black. Who knows what will fit or what I’ll like.
http://www.saksoff5th.com/studded-leather-ankle-boots%2Foff-white/0490324462163.html?start=23&cgid=Shoes-Handbags-Shoes-Boots#start=1&location=3918&slotLoads=2
I’m after a plaid flannel shirt, too!
Thank you, great links!
Love the lace overlay skirt! And the engineer boots, I need those too : >
Me too, me too! I would like to have a fisherman sweater, boots, and a plaid flannel shirt in maybe some pinks or greens.
I have that exact watch in your collage, but I’m trying to get rid of it. Would you like to buy it from me? I only wore it twice, so it’s in perfect condition, but I have a weird psychological thing about not wanting to wear things I wore when I was pregnant. Anyway, I happened to buy this in January right before I found out I was pregnant, so it just reminds me of nausea frankly.
Considering my last post about getting rid of bad energy I completely understand! I just may, can you email me (alison at wardrobeoxygen.com) and we can discuss 🙂
Did you get my email? I wasn’t sure because I attached four big photos of the watch, so I just wanted to check. Thanks.
I did, thank you! Sorry, was out of town this weekend so slammed at work before and after, will get back to you this week! 🙂
Oh OK cool. No problem!
perfect styles! I can see them all being interchangeably worn together!
XO Sahra
Que Sera Sahra