The Before and After Fall

Now that September is here, fall is right around the corner. Rollout of all the pretty fall collections definitely makes me feel like donning plaid in this 80-degree pre-fall weather and sipping a pumpkin spice latte. It’s precisely this struggle between summer-like temperatures and the desire to dive into fall fashion during this transition that makes coordinating a season- and weather-appropriate outfit so hard.

The key is to choose clothes that are suitable for hot and cool weather and of a design that looks good in both late summer and early fall. An impossible challenge? Not quite, and I will use one of my favorite fall items this year to demonstrate how you can work it both ways.

My item of choice: The LIZ LISA dress-up doll one-piece! The short-sleeved design of this dress makes it easy to wear in warmer weather and layer up when the temperature starts dropping. What truly sets it apart is the subtle, decidedly autumnal accent of the velour ribbons on the tips of the collar. It was a difficult choice to make between the white, pink, and burgundy colors it comes it, but I ultimately went with the white because its color combination was the most flexible. The main white color of the dress is perfect for summer and sets off the darker, dusty pink pattern nicely.

Did you know all the dolls on the dress are wearing past LIZ LISA designs? It’s such a cute touch!

B.F. (Before Fall)

Adding white accessories immediately cranks up the summer feel of this LIZ LISA dress to the point where you won’t even remember that it’s from the fall collection. To also amp up the girly factor, I paired the dress with a lot of ribbons—those in my many-ribbon boater hat, big ribbon wedge sandals, and ribbon handle basket bag. This cute hairstyle I learned from Ray magazine accentuates the sweetness even further and keeps me cool when I’m having fun outdoors.

The button-up front and peter pan collar are found in midi dresses from LIZ LISA this year but not so much on this length. They certainly add a bit of sophistication and complexity to the design of a shorter dress, which also makes this dress easy to dress and down for different occasions. The outfit I came up with is perfect for an outdoor date.

A.F. (After Fall)

As much as I love the nice weather of summer, I have missed my cool-weather accessories like socks and berets. To turn this cute dress into an autumn outfit, just swap the summer accessories for fall ones, which in this case are accessories that bring out the dusty pink aspect of the dress. The base color of this year’s beret matches well with that of the quilted handbag and triple-striped pumps from last year’s fall collection. If you want to mix up the colors a little, you can add a burgundy cardigan or replace one of the accessories with a brown one.

I have the dusty pink beret from last year, but this year’s version is so cute and goes so well with this dress that I couldn’t resist getting another one of the same base color. This year’s, however, showcases two velour ribbons of an even deeper and more vivid color. Left to my own devices, I will probably just end up getting all pink accessories. Since a few new colors have been emphasized more in the fall collection, I am branching out a little and will showcase these untraditional fall colors in future blog posts.

I hope my outfits gave you some inspiration on how to create some transitional outfits of your own!