Fall Fashion Gets a Facelift

Ladies and gentlemen, please take your idea of fall fashion… and throw it out the window! This fall, it’s all about atypical design and styling elements. Each element of your wardrobe has likely received a slight change, according to the fashion trend gods (a.k.a. fashion designers). While there are still some basic fall items that will endure through any seasonal trend, there is a definite stylistic shift taking place in the world of fashion. So, free-up some hanger space and defrost the credit card you put in the freezer. It’s time to go shopping!

Pants
I don’t like to talk about my flare (read: Office Space reference), but I’ll go ahead and do it anyway! Flare jeans are all the rage this year. The key to wearing a flared jean or pant without looking like a lazy college student is to amp up the height of your shoes. Whether you don heels, wedges or platforms, don’t you dare let that hem line drag on the ground. While flared jeans are great for the daytime wardrobe, we run into a problem when it comes to wearing them for a night on the town.  Loree Massouh, co-owner of Hem Jeans, says that wearing a dark, clean wash helps dress up the flare jean. She also said that colored denim is on the must-have list for fall, so pick up a pair in every color!

Purses

Gone are the days of the slouchy shoulder bags. We’ve now entered the era of the structured bag. Big or small, satchel or cross-body, you need to invest in a purse with edges. If you’re looking for a sassy take on the structured bag, Currie Bucher from Touch of Sass suggests looking for accents like fur trim, Lucite handles or jeweled closures. Just because it’s structured doesn’t mean it has to be plain!

Shoes

Platforms and boots and heels, oh my! Shoe styles are abounding this season. Let’s start with the Chelsea boot, also called the Beatle boot. It’s a very retro, 60’s in New York, British Invasion type of boot. It’s also super versatile! Massouh from Hem suggests pairing them with skinny or cuffed straight-legged pants, while Leslie Gandy from Dress Shop says to wear them during the day with a short hemline dress. Clearly, the Chelsea boot is going to be your closest companion this season. As far as more feminine shoes are concerned, Gandy suggests a statement heel. Whether they are feather adorned, sky-high or boldly colored, you can’t go wrong. Fall 2011 is go big or go home.

Layering

We all know that “fall” is very loosely defined here in Central Texas. It could be 50 degrees on Halloween and 80 degrees on Thanksgiving. Gandy of Dress Shop says the best way to combat our fickle fall season is to start with a base piece like a light, airy dresses and then layer it up! This could come in the form of a flirty and feminine cardigan, an edgy blazer or even a pair of patterned tights. If you want a more casual outfit and perhaps want to sport the denim-on-denim trend, Massouh of Hem suggests broken-in, lighter wash jeans with a white tank under a dark denim shirt. But be sure to keep the denim shirt unbuttoned so you avoid the Canadian tuxedo look!

Posted by Ashley Goode

Ashley Goode has published 7 posts.

She has a little wit, a little more sass and a huge passion for everything Austin. Ashley Goode was born and raised in the Austin area, and she lives for the rolling hills and sparkling lakes of Central Texas. She hurried back home after getting her bachelor’s degree in public relations from Texas Tech University in Lubbock and soon started working at a local boutique PR firm. Ashley recently began contributing to Launch787 where she combines her zeal for writing with her over-the-top love for Austin.