Fall Wardrobe Refresh
Playing with accessories
Fall is my favourite season. Not just because the weather turns crisp and clear and I can go hiking again (too hot in the summer!), but I love the sense of renewal it brings. The start of the school year means new experiences, and the opportunity to re-define one’s presentation to the world via wardrobe changes.
This year I’m focusing on comfort, which means basics like jeans and sweaters, but with a chic accessory to show you’ve made an effort.
For instance, I found a pleated denim skirt at Aritzia that is fun for a change from trousers, and looks great with my new dark brown leather jacket. With a white t-shirt and a colourful bandanna tied onto a brown leather belt I felt quite presentable at a recent lunch with my sister and her family.
Comfy denim skirt with a soft as butter leather jacket
Branching out from my usual neutral clothing palette, I tried on a bright red cashmere cardigan at Aritzia (go Canadian fashion retailers!) That had to come home with me, along with deeply cuffed blue jeans. By the way the black belt is an oldie from Roots, also a home grown brand.
A punch of colour to liven up a standard jeans and sweater combo
I’m also embracing the wide leg jeans trend and have put away my skinnies - who knows they may come back in a few years! In addition to the Rag and Bone pull-on, trompe l’oeil pair you may have seen on my Insta feed, I also puchased a dark grey version from Paige, model Sasha. These are perfect with a black cashmere cardigan, white tee again and a pearl necklace layered with a chunky silver chain to bring it a bit more into the 21st century.
Dark wide leg jeans - basic right?
And speaking of knitwear, I currently have two projects on my needles. The first is a bulky, oversized pullover knit in seed stitch. This is taking me forever to complete, sigh. One more sleeve to go. I’m also making a button-front vest in grey cashmere, so soft and so much more enjoyable to knit.
Other than new waterproof hikiing boots (!) I haven’t indulged in any new footwear. Although I did think loafers and wool socks would look great with the new skirt, or with jeans. And last spring I bought dark brown leather high boots (on sale - yay) which I’m sure I’ll wear as soon as the weather gets chilly.
Simple yet classic bracelet
Being a bit of a jewelry freak, there’s one other new accessory I’m loving. I re-discovered my mother’s Burmese jade bracelet in my drawer and knew that if I layered it with something modern it would a) look great and b) remind me of my mom every time I looked down at it on my wrist. So a very kind gentleman at Tiffany’s showed me a few options and the simple beaded bracelet with a toggle clasp we settled on is now bringing my vintage piece thoroughly up to date!
Wishing you all a happy and fashionable fall season!
