Five Tips to Dress for Fall When It Doesn't Feel Like Fall

I always feel like I’m absolutely the luckiest person to live in Cleveland. I seriously ask how anyone can’t think this place is anything BUT awesome! One of the best parts of living in northeast Ohio is the seasons. I absolutely love experiencing all four seasons and am always ready for the next season to turn when it should. I’ve been ready for Fall for about a month now. You would think that since we are now in October, the fall temps would be here, but that isn’t the case. We had a few days that glimpsed into fall, but it didn’t last long. We reached 85 degrees yesterday, and today is as humid as a heavy rain in the middle of July. It isn’t great weather, and I’m anxious to break out my new fall wardrobe pieces. I feel the pain of my warm weather blogger sisters—how do you realistically do fall (I’m not talking blogger photos) on a daily basis when it fees like the middle of summer in October?! Although Clevelanders do not encounter this often, I’m sharing the wisdom I’ve gathered on how to dress appropriately for the weather but still stay true to the season.

1). WEAR JEWEL AND FALL TONES IN UNEXPECTED WAYS

I absolutely love how the outfit in the photo above came together. I was able to integrate a few new pieces (my pants and bag) with older seasonal favorites (e.g., mustard short sleeve sweater and leopard heels) to create a fall appropriate outfit that fit the warm and humid weather. The color wheel is your friend during these times—use it (blog post coming soon!).

2. INTEGRATE LEOPARD

Another thing I did with this outfit was add a pop of leopard. I think the leopard is what brought this outfit to another level and made it feel more “fall.” Leopard is a neutral, but the warm tones in this print can anchor an outfit, bring it to the next level, and lay a foundation for fall tones while you can still stay cool!

3. WEAR NEUTRALS AND “ALL SEASON OUTFIT” COMBOS

Neutrals are always seasonally appropriate and an easy way to stay ready for fall while staying cool. I wore a cool skirt with a sheer, 3/4 sleeve portofino blouse from Express for this monochromatic grey outfit for a humid day in the CLE.

4. INTEGRATE FALL TRENDS WHEN POSSIBLE

As you can see from the main photo, I wanted to stay on trend by integrating my new pants and bag. These are brand new items for the season, and often, I would keep them packed away for cooler weather. Instead of pairing these pants with a fitted long sleeve sweater, I decided to break them out with some warmer weather wear, and loved the result.

5. DON’T FORGET YOUR BIGGEST WEAPON—THE ITEMS YOU ALREADY OWN

Because I tend to gravitate toward timeless, classic pieces, I am very easily able to go in my closet and pick out classic, foundational pieces. As a result, sometimes I find that the best combos I put together are those that challenge my creativity! Use Google Image search and Pinterest for outfit inspiration, as well as Instagram, as ways to stretch your creativity in using summer or seasonal staples in a new way.

Below, I’m sharing some of my favorite outfit combos that take these tips into consideration!