” Autumn seemed to arrive suddenly that year. The morning of the first September was crisp and golden as an apple. “
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THE FABRIC
Everything is fair game ! Cotton, silk, leather, wool, cashmere, … Layer over summer clothes or wear knitwear. The transitional weather is not so severe in California making it less demanding.
MOOD BOARD
Navy and black, oversized scarf and oxfords, monochrome
hats, loafers, oversized knits
The leather jacket and the t-shirt
The idea is to wear layers that are easy to take off once indoors. Layering can make me look like a penguin but the right lengths and proportions help. This blog post on the rule of thirds is brilliant in understanding a few proportions. Having the jackets, pants and sweaters be of the right length and shape helps. If not, embrace the oversized boyfriend jacket proportion and be done. The only rule is to stay warm and active without looking sweat-pant-suit-ish. While I put away most of my dresses, I am looking into making them work as the weather gets colder.
THE COLOR PALETTE
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It doesn’t change much by season. I try to play it safe with the one color rule. Have a black/gray base with one colorful item in blue, army green or red. Or wear navy with a gray scarf. I dont have the desire to mix too many colors. When I read articles on ‘How to mix print on print’/’learn to pair these two bright colors together’, I think “why should I even try such things? ” I do like a tiny pop of color – as a belt, as a scarf, as a lining of a jacket, as a hat, red shoes, …
CAPSULE WARDROBE ?
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My fall closet is centered around leather jackets, denim and masculine shoes. My denim goes unappreciated during the summer months and it’s time for them to take the center stage. A gray cashmere sweater, gray denim and black loafers is my formula. I want to be heavily influenced by the mythical Parisian woman this season. Keep it very simple but wear high quality clothing in gorgeous fabrics.
THE LEATHER JACKETS
These two are the most treasured items in my closet. I used to mock my girl friends when they would use the terms ‘sweater weather’, ‘pumpkin latte month’, ‘floral print season’, etc. I don’t think I would mind using the term ‘leather jacket weather’. The black jacket is lightweight lambskin making it a transitional piece. The burgundy one is heavy duty with some sort of furry lining. These two can tackle Californian fall weather like pros.
THE SHOES
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I call these my investment shoes. Unlike ballet flats, these shoes are the real deal. They are tough. They can take the beating. They are made for walking. They are durable. And they ain’t cheap. I read about how heels make women feel empowered and confident. I feel the same in masculine shoes. I go dancing to the clubs in polished oxfords and red lipstick.
THE ACCESSORIES
No jewelry for now. I am bundled up in scarves. The only skin that is exposed is the ankle and wrist. And it will do.
THE SCARVES
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I give myself a free pass on collecting scarves. I wear a lot of gray and a colorful scarf cheers my outfit a little. I have, over the years, bought scarves in the ‘pantone color of the year’ – oxblood, purple, ombre pink. I try to wear one everyday during fall, winter and spring. As the clothing slips into monochrome, it really helps with my not getting depressed with my closet. I am Indian after all and I need some amount of color in my day to day dressing.
THE BAG
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My trusty seven year old brown Campomaggi satchel. This is the oldest item in my closet and you got to yank it from me to make me stop wearing it. My first ‘investment’. I did not know that you have to condition the leather for the first few years and it wrinkled in a few places. I tire of it from time to time. Hiding it for a season and bringing it back – makes me fall in love with it again. I can see myself wearing it for another decade.
MOCK THE TRENDS
Season-independant inspiration : The Gentlewoman & Asian Street Fashion
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Sorry again. Fashion is fun but can’t help mock the trends when they are shoved in my face. I survived the summer without buying straw bags, offshoulder tops, mules, block heels, flower printed bomber jackets, cap toed flats, weird tiny fur animal bag charms, high waisted mom jeans, … and whatever else was trending. When it’s everywhere, it dilutes the pleasure somehow. I did warm up to the color – dusty pink. I haven’t warmed up to the opulence of Gucci. Alessandro Michele says- “We are animals. We should not have rules”. He makes me smile. Velvet, corduroy, loud prints, a mishmash of textures, animal claw hardware … The 90s are back with a vengeance ? Zara looks like Gucci these days. It used to look like Celine. When I see articles on “how to include this season’s trends’ in my feed, I smirk and say: ‘I don’t have to. Thank you very much’.
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When I first came to America, I used to argue that “seasonal colors are stupid”, “no one needs a seasonal wardrobe”, “I am not a tree”, … How times have changed ! Or it’s that the size of my closet grew and I can afford to segment everything by weight of fabrics. The light is different, so are the sunsets. Some colors do look better. The flora and fauna is different. We eat differently during fall. More soups and stews. More porridges, less smoothies. More wine, less beer. It all makes sense. I give in.
Do you have your fall wardrobe sorted ?
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Kind of!
Your bag brings back the memories: from my first real pay check long ago, I’ve bought a bag very similar to yours,darker shade of brown than yours and the leather it was made of, we’ve called crumpled leather-made to look older (I also had a safari leather jacket with the skirt ,in olive crumpled leather a year or two later)
Last week the autumn came really sudenly- btw.I love J.K.Rowling,did you read the play: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child?.
My summers are white jeans or linen trousers and navy silk trousers,with some unexpected splash of colour dresses (like Desigual)
Autumn are straight leg jeans (navy and grey),black corduroy or brown velvet,grey,navy or black tailored trousers-I like it simple.. Leather jackets are black and light chestnut (coats are black and camel)-so I’m playing around this color pallete (planning the simple road back from black to navy). I love white tops,from t-shirt and silk or cotton shirts to turtlenecks or to pearls (it is not only Coco,but I love something white-ish close to my face). My trench and dark khaki parka are some wild cards.
Cashmere sweaters,cashmere dresses
I wear scarfs all the time,all the materials (except fur) ,all colors
Brogues,ankle boots and boots-winters could be cold here!
So,actually,this is my cold weather wardrobe-it’s about layering but the base is the same. I drive a lot,so it is much simple to make combination than when you walk,commute or ride the bike
And just to add: some theatre/concert/special occasion outfits.
No plans for future purchase at all-only if I accidentaly find a perfect navy coat-I don’t need it at all,but still…
Dottoressa
Me too- I am forever looking for the perfect cashmere coat for winter and the perfect straw bag for summer.
About the straw bag, I used to own one back in India. Leather was rare during my childhood and everyone had cloth pouches/canvas totes/straw bags. It would chafe on the clothes, would bounce on the body when in motion and it was never comfortable. I wonder if they make smoother ones now.
I have this on my wish list to use for carrying vegetables from the farmers market:
https://food52.com/shop/products/3068-french-market-basket-with-double-handles
But cant get myself to get over the phobia of straw ruining my clothes.
Dottoressa,
Thank you for sharing.
Incidentally, I just inherited a cashmere dress from my aunt ( no longer fits her ). It would be my first and I am excited for it to appear in my mail.
A navy coat with antique gold buttons is on my list too. However, everyone wears a hoodie out here all the time that I hesitate when I like coats. My gray one has a year left in it and I am already dreaming of its replacement. Not very nice of me.
Havent read the new JK Rowling’s books yet. I stopped after Harry Potter. Out grew the whole non fiction genre in general. Currently reading a book called ‘The Food Lab’. Its 500 pages long and I may take ages to finish it.
Autumn has come to Massachusetts. I’ve already worn my leather jacket twice at night, whereas in the Bay Area, it is usually too warm to wear until winter. The key to my autumn dressing is another flannel shirt, a mid-heavyweight jacket, and sturdier jeans. Autumn is when I put my boat shoes away and start wearing boots (and socks).
I’ve slowly been realizing that Celine minimalism is on its way out and the gaudy, the jewel-toned, and the opulent is sneaking back in. In some way, I like that trends point towards more color, but the fashion cycle is giving me whiplash.
Flannel pajamas are on my list for winter. I know its coming and I will be miserably cold on the mountain.
Nights are cold. And we have been trying to stay outdoors for as long as possible before the winter pushes us away. Still asking for outdoor seating at restaurants. Its cold on the bike and I am going to start wearing riding gloves soon. My tolerance for cold is lower than the folks around me. That much, is very evident from how everyone else is dressed.
Even Celine gave up on its minimalism towards the end. Bold prints, bright colors and ruffles have been making it, on the runway. I guess you cant sell fashion if you do the same thing all the time. The strangest comeback is mom jeans. I never thought we would see them again everywhere. I am watching Levis stock prices carefully.
I’m still building my fall wardrobe. It is in serious need of refreshing; all that’s left from last year (that is still wearable) is one pair of jeans and a handful of long-sleeved t-shirts from Uniqlo. So far, my favorite purchase has been a black turtleneck sweater. On my wishlist: more jeans, some corduroy or velvet pants, big cozy sweaters, more layering tees, a parka, and one or two scarves.
As for trends, I’ve been wearing the minimalist look for decades and I have no plans to change! 🙂
From my experience, warm weather wardrobe building is an expensive exercise compared to summer clothes. The woven fabrics aint cheap. I have been buying a sweater and a jacket every year. It finally gave me a few options.Good luck on yours.
Me too. I like the idea of adding a ‘splash of bad taste’. But a colorful scarf is the end of my comfort zone. Cant do prints and shiny hardware. Not my style. I am strangely excited because there will be less for me to shop and less temptation.
I’ve been losing weight, with another ten pounds to go. It’s been interesting to put clothes that are too big in the donate/clothing swap pile.
I’ve been pulling out pieces that now fit again, my dark green AG cords, a tweed dress. Still not so cold here in Northern California though.
Altering my color palette is a big part of acknowledging seasonal change for me. I have put away most of my white, pink, and florals for the year.
Fall is so short here that I go straight for jewel tones and black and grey, and then, come January, into pale colors again.
When I am done losing weight, I would like to get some new white jeans and a pair of pale grey jeans. We’ll see what still fits at that point. Certainly some new bras will be in order.
In the meantime, I have been having fun thrifting. I just found a great pair of black ferragamo oxfords which are adding a new flavor to my outfits. I’d been wanting some for a while, so the fortuitous find was wonderful.
I envy you your leather jackets. I look hulking when I try them on.
I put on a few pounds and its pushed me into a new territory. Should I keep everything that has become tighter or should I actively work on loosing the weight – is on my mind. Its making me second guess every purchase.
Californian fall is rather nice. Chilly in a good way. I am trying to enjoy it and wear all the things I couldn’t wear when I lived in a hot desert.
Black oxfords sound wonderful. My husband has a pair from Ferragamo and he loves them. Great craftsmanship.
The leather jackets took YEARS to find. So many that I tried made me look like I stole it from a men’s shop and didnt have the time to find the right one.
“mock the trends when they are shoved in my face. I survived the summer without buying straw bags, offshoulder tops, mules, block heels, flower printed bomber jackets, cap toed flats, weird tiny fur animal bag charms, high waisted mom jeans, … ” 😄That’s so funny and so true – even though I love straw bags and block heels. I am buying some velvet block heels for autumn, but keeping to classics. We are busy renovating our flat so it’s more about decluttering and some classic additions.
Oh my God! That part really made me chuckle too! Archana, looks like we are on the same wave length on this one. I just wrote a post about the trends I can’t stand, and half of this list is on there.
You were so right, Zara looks like Gucci this year. Flower bomber jackets and everything. You must know by know that I actually love floral prints and embroidery. But I can still tell when something is over done. Some of those Gucci bags with floral prints look like they came out of a 6th grader’s patch work project. Maybe they are well done. But, they still look ugly.
What scares me is the longevity of the trend. Initially, minimalist clothing was written off as a trend and it lasted 8 years. Valentino rockstuds have been popular for 8 years and counting. If the gucci-ness lasts 8 years, I wonder if I will loose out on all the image inspiration that I get from magazines and bloggers. I shop second hand and already have a full closet. I am not worried about shopping per-say. But the change is hard to digest.
I actually tired on a pair of block heels this summer. The added height with no discomfort was incredible. Just that I dont need anymore shoes. The Chanel gray sling backs with the black cap toe looks really good.
We went and checked out a house down the street that is up for sale. They had a carpet and the idea of re-do-ing the floor boards scared us away. Good luck on the renovation. Hope its not too hard on the cats.
Those chanel slingbacks are growing on me too! But, I have too many shoes already.
I love everything you post, and reading the comments is extra icing.
Your burgundy leathers are especially beautiful. Your leather jackets look like they are aging well. Zara has become such a downer to me. Online has become far too trendy—70s in the worst way possible. The rare times I’m in the store I haven’t had any luck either with their fits. All reasons why I still have a zara gift card going on 3 years later! I think I may have to succumb to bag or scarf just to get rid of it—even though I desire neither.
I’m continuing to purge my wardrobe. In the last year or so, I removed 4 coats (black sateen, leopard, black trench coat, and denim coat), also going to remove a multicolor Missoni/Target one. I bought my winter coat in January, kicking myself for not buying it in December when I needed it. There are my Brooks Bros cardigans I would like to replace (too boring and more importantly their tight sleeves trigger my eczema) but the Uniqlo ones I’ve been eying are sold out. I have some shirts languishing in my wardrobe that I plan to chop off the sleeves so they will see the light of day. And adding more Rick Owens to the wardrobe never hurts.
Thank you. Careful with the praise. It will get into my head and I will soon start strutting down the streets posing selfies.
Perhaps you can do a giveaway on the blog and offer the gift card. I am always shoving my unwanted gifts on my friends. I once was given f21 card and I asked my friend to take it back. Looking back, it was quite rude of me.
I have zara items – black leather jacket and some other things that I am happy to own. But want to stay away. Its a catch 22. That store always muddles my opinions.
The burgundy jacket – is vintage ( or thats what the ebay seller said. ) Its aged better than the zara one. The photographs lie ( i make them ). But I am quite happy with my closet situation. so wont complain.
No more purging for me. Made a resolve to only let go when things wear out or I can no longer fit in them. I miss the high purging gave me. Its quite addictive.
p.s : I am working on a post on Rick Owens. Quotes, interviews, fav garments from the shows, etc. I need to go look at his clothes sometime. Pictures dont do justice.
RO is a brand I discovered through online. I had a vague fashion awareness of it, but seeing it on res pulcarae, the divinitus (i remember wayyyy back before the rick owens days), brought me over to the dark side. I rarely if ever look at the runway. Rick Owens produces the same pieces over and over with some changes to the fabric, lengths, etc.. And then once I started wearing it, that was it.
From one of the interviews, I discovered that when Vogue wanted to sponsor his first runway show, he wanted to refuse. On the grounds of him making the same pieces every season. But took it up because he saw it as an opportunity that shouldn’t be wasted. Now, they put on the show to exercise their creativity and vision. I like how they design the set and the music they choose. Sets the mood. And gives me a little more insight into the man. The couple designed furniture for one of their shows. And then a certain kind of lights for another show. The little details are exciting too ! If I ever need to replace my black boots, its going to be his motto boots. They are perfection. And I have a vision of myself wearing his jackets when I am a decade older. A girl can dream right ?
Have you seen his interviews ? He is calm and peaceful in a contagious way. And his love for his partner shows. They are a wonderful couple.
yes I like RO’s laid back vibe to him. he doesn’t have the pretentious-ness that can make the clothes seem intimidating. You have to see the pictures of them at The White House!! of all places, and michelle looks exactly liike michelle. and i love that!
I love the RO aesthetic. the stores are just…. the Miami one has that primal and luxury edge to Rick. I walked all over trying to find it with the map on my phone. Until I ended up on a side street and then I happened to be see through one of the windows and I recognized the clothes and aesthetic instantly. No sign outside of the shop, one just must “know.” And that’s how it is with their clothes, once you wear it you just know.
My favorite designers (or creators in general) or ones that create their own world. Hedi Slimane did this at Dior Homme, which I loved–despise “Saint Laurent” and Tom Ford did this at YSL. Christopher Nolan, Alfred Hitchcock, even Lana Del Ray but I digress.
He used to find recycled fabric from LA vintage stores to make his clothes. He says he still tries to find such fabrics. Thats something. The more I learn about the couple, the deeper I fall in love into the rabbit hole.
Notes to self : Need to get to a RO store.
I dont seem to hate Heidi’s Saint Laurent as much as I am supposed to. Yes, he tries to dress underage boys as opposed to women. Yes, he Zara-fied and Courtney Loved it. But …..
P.S : You and me have so much to talk about.
Zara’s copycat behavior is so off-putting. But I have to admit, I did buy a raincoat there in August to survive to typical Dutch fall weather. Regarding my fall wardrobe, I am missing a few transitional pieces. So I bought a thinner sweater two weeks ago in.. can you guess which color, haha. Dusty pink!
I like your wardrobe and I would wear everyone you own. Your shoes are all classics, you can’t go wrong with those. I was writing a similar post on my fall wardrobe. Should be up somewhere in the upcoming week 🙂
Me too. I have a leather jacket and a rain coat from Zara that I want to age with me. I can never make up my mind about it. But been staying away for the last two years. I made my husband get hooked on to Everlane for his needs, instead of Zara.
And thank you. I work in a very casual dressed down environment. I will really stand out in anything ‘fashion-y’ and stay away. Same reason I havent acted on dusty pink. I had a wish list and vetoed everything. A scarf is easier to pull off. Its tiny and can be worn discreetly.
Will look forward to reading your closet stories.
I’ve always admired characters (I say characters because my thinking has been molded more by books than real life) who could stick to one aesthetic, style, type of clothing forever, so it becomes part of who they are—creating a signature look, basically. I strived for that for the longest time. Then I started to realize that there are weight fluctuations, boredom, and just changes in one’s preferred aesthetic throughout the years, so it’s hard (and maybe unadvisable) to remain uncompromising and strict with your style, even when you reject trends. My thinking for trends is to adopts those that I think can stay with me even when nobody else is wearing them anymore. So they can’t be too outrageous and they have to appeal to me at a deep level.
I never just buy something to try it on, or “for fun,” which, I don’t know, makes me think that maybe I’m taking this too seriously. I also don’t buy any clothes online or retail—just thrift and consignment stores in my area, which reduces my options considerably. I still buy too much. I also like to play with clothes that I don’t wear anymore and transform them (I sew a little) by changing shapes or dyeing/bleaching. This can be satisfying sometimes, byt it’s not the best of practices, since the failures are so bad that I can’t even donate the items anymore.
I also wanted to ask about the source for your mood board images, if you don’t mind. Maybe you can credit them, since I would like to follow some to the source and possibly others would too (plus, it is really the ethical thing to do, right?).
Thank you for holding me accountable. I need to credit the sources. Updated the post.
Looking back at this year purchases ( 8 so far ), I seem to do 2/3rd consigned and 1/3rd new.
Trends can be nice too. For example, dusty pink – its a nice color. Its hard to find in general. But its everywhere now. Same with oxblood. It was so hard to find a red that I loved. And one season, it was everywhere. I could pick up a sweater and a scarf in the color. Some, just bounce off me and are quite laughable. Off shoulder tops for example. And mules. They are not at all my style. But I am always aware of what happens to me after I see too many images. I warm up to the idea. For example, I never got the beauty of the quilted chanel bag. After seeing it for years, I dont think its ugly anymore. I saw it in a store and it even looked beautiful. Same with skinny jeans. I wouldnt give up my bootleg cut for years. And today, I cant imagine not wearing any other cut. I do follow the trends but I need to be careful to not let them all influence me so much.
During my childhood, my mother would always repurpose worn out clothing. Save the embroidery and use it as a patch on a new dress. Or make quilts. Or bedding from her old sarees. Etc. I need to revive that skill. Was thinking of dying my old dresses indigo. Some of my blue ones are showing wear and fading. Please do keep sharing your ideas. I can use the inspiration.
I don’t follow fashion trends. It isn’t really my area of interest. I buy what I like and make it work as best as I can. That being said, I have done some basic prep for Fall.
Pulled out all cardigans and sweaters, aired them out.
Packed away cropped pants, white pants, light summer tops.
Wondering if I should pack away the skirts. In any case, I cannot wear them currently. May wear them with tights and boots (found a vegan pair I love) in Winter.
I don’t have too many clothes. All I do during the cool/cold months is layer my regular clothes with cardigans and sweaters, and appropriate footwear/socks.
I am not sure if I am immune to them but I do like mocking them. Its a guilty pleasure. Also makes sure I dont one day change my mind and crave new clothes. Its a trap for myself more than anything.
Curious : Do you wear Indian clothes in your everyday life ?
I have a tough time finding kurtas, salwar sets, etc. of my choice nowadays. The quality of Indian clothing, especially at places like Fabindia and Shoppers Stop has deteriorated so much… it is bloody dismal. Of course, there are many cool online stores where you can find great Indian clothes. But I haven’t purchased anything online. Not confident about finding the right fit, etc.
No, I don’t wear Indian clothes in my everyday life. I do have a bunch of sarees and salwar sets that I wear during Indian events, etc.
Does this fall guide include your work clothes? If so, you are so fortunate to be able to wear jeans and shirts (and leather jackets)!! I have one pair of jeans that I wear on the weekends or non-teaching days on campus but I tend to wear mix and match pieces (black dress/ red and black print shirt/red and black print pencil skirt/black pencil skirt/black pants/variety of scarves in red or black/turtlenecks or tanks for layering) to lecture in or attend academic talks. I have about 20 pieces in my wardrobe including my pajamas. I replace the black pieces if they wear out or pill from hard use (even the most expensive brands wear out on me in about 1.5 years of constant wear).
Yup – it is. I work in a very casual environment. Everyone wears tshirts and hoodies. I have a gray sweater that I wear indoors because they keep it quite cold to keep the servers running. And leather jackets when I leave the lab. The silicon valley does not follow sartorial rules which is quite liberating. During my teaching days ( ended August ), I used to wear buttonups and black jeans. But realized that the rest of the professors ( mostly male ) wear tshirts, show tattoos, wear man buns, etc. No body cares out here. So I let it go too. Dont know if its a good thing.
Nadya, your edited wardrobe sounds like the dream. I often think of your comments when I read articles on sustainability.
That is so lucky! I wish I could wear jeans everyday. I am glad you have a laid back vibe in Silicon Valley. The east coast and Boston tends to be a bit more buttoned up.
Love your colors, the textures, so warm and inviting. Fall is my favorite for clothing- the coats, the scarves, the boots. There’s so much more room for creativity than summer when you can’t wear more than one layer of fabric to prevent being a sweaty mess.
aww! I feel honoured and so happy that my little illustration had a positive effect on you! Thanks so much for sharing it, Archana.
Thank you for letting me use it. You have a little Heidi in you. I have lost my inner Heidi and live vicariously through your work.
Archana, this is such a well-written post! Would you mind me using a couple of lines of this article as a quote on my blog? I want to recommend your blog to my readers. It is always refreshing to read a genuine vision on fashion and shopping.
My pleasure. And thank you.