How an “Autumn” dresses in summer

How an "autumn" dresses for summer

Happy Tuesday, all!  Today, let’s discuss how an “Autumn” dresses for summer.

I have actually had a couple of friends locally tell me….”What a bummer that you are an autumn and can’t wear those colors now!”

I just looked at them miffed and said, “Why wouldn’t I want to wear my colors now?”

In fact, this year there are so many autumn colors in summer collections…and that makes it even easier!

This was a good time for me to discover I am a vibrant autumn. 

How an "autumn" dresses for summer

I decided at the beginning of this change, that I wanted to look my best every day…and I mean…every day.

I do not look my best in pastels…or pink…or stark white…or black & white…so why would I continue to wear them?

For me, it is about confidence and joy…not about fashion rules.  Confidence and joy are empowering.

I was looking over a recent wedding video the other day.  The majority of the women at the summer wedding wore pastels.

Yet, suddenly out of the crowd walked a stunning Autumn women in a gorgeous orange dress and she was glowing!

As far as I am concerned…she owned the room with her bold confidence!

How an "autumn" dresses for summer

If I were a Spring or Summer Palette, I would still find ways to wear those colors in the Winter.

Right now, I am wearing lighter versions of my autumn colors, and I am still wearing my white pants occasionally.  I also wear animal prints as you see here. 

As soon as I get my next round of dye, I will be wearing softer cream colored tops.  There are ways to soften my palette for the warmer months of summer. 

But it will not be with pastels or colors not in the palette!!  I am committed to this change and I love how it is going.

Out of all the retailers I support and enjoy, the one which I kept the most clothing for in the recent purge, was Chico’s….and that is where the leopard tunic is from today.

For any other autumns out there, here are some autumn selections in the summer collection:

How an "autumn" dresses for summer

Of course I love all of the summer color surrounding me right now…the crepe myrtles in San Antonio have been incredible this year.

But, I am happy to enjoy the colors on the trees and flowers…I no longer need to try to wear them! 

Annie taught me when we wear colors not in our palette, we run the risk of our clothing entering the room before us…our style should be all about us and the clothes are one component of great style. 

Also, when we are not in our colors we may look tired, sickly or older….it was looking this way that I noticed about me over the lasts year.

At the moment my nails are done in a clean French manicure and my toes are coral.  But a couple of weeks ago, my nails were terra cotta…and I loved it! 

We just need to change our thinking a little bit about fashion rules and guidelines and make sure we are doing what is best for us!

Here’s to Autumn in the Summer!  I love it and will show you more examples of this soon.

Thanks for being here…and I will see you tomorrow for the mid-week Would You Wear It?  Now, how do you feel about wearing colors that are not considered seasonal colors for that same time?

KEEP SMILING, EVERYONE!

By Pamela Lutrell

39 Comments

  1. I had my colors done back in the 80s by a Color Me Beautiful consultant and have stuck to those colors over the years for the most part. I am definitely a Winter, and those colors are still my best, even after I’ve transitioned to my natural bright white hair. Occasionally I’ve strayed from my Winter palette and have always regretted it!

    Winter colors are tough to find during the summer, and I find that I can lean on white and navy. I’m always on the hunt to find lightweight tops in bright pink or cobalt, though!

    I love your attitude of sticking to your new palette and wearing only those colors that serve you best. You’ll be glad you did!

  2. I went to Chico’s yesterday and tried things on. The salespeople got interested, but they did think I could wear black. As a blue autumn, I can, but not the harsh black. When I held navy to my face, they saw the difference. They had lots of tees in solid, vibrant colors and it was a good place to try some near the face, as it was almost immediately apparent what washed me out. It was -very- enlightening to just try on colors without regard to silhouette and fit. When I went, I wore a chocolate brown tee, white jeans, brown Birkenstocks and a necklace and ring of large, amber-colored nuggets. I felt great and like “me.” I can’t even dream of replacing my whole wardrobe (much in a winter palette, but not pastel), so I have decided to concentrate on my upper half and be mindful when I add new additions.

  3. I am determined to stick with it and love how much better I am feeling wearing the right colors. Thanks for sharing how you have stuck with yours as well. I hope we can encourage others.

  4. I have felt more like me since I began this new color journey than I have in a long time. Your Chico’s visit sounds like it was fun!

  5. Good for you for standing up for your best colours. Of course you should not have to defend what you are wearing at any time. I wear my colours all year and don’t feel strange at all. I have a friend who wore a gorgeous satin long gown in her burnished copper as a mother of the bride dress and was stunning. She did clear it with the bride and I can tell you she stood out in the best way possible. The fabric choices will tell whether your items are for summer and this year is a good one to stock up in your best. There are times when there is nothing in the stores, so I check out the Goodwill and use accessories as well and wait for the next phase in my colours. Yay for thrift as they are not specific and allow for all seasons at once. Can’t wait to see how the pebble works on the white tops.

  6. Thanks Diane…the copper MOB dress sounds amazing. I will report back when I do the PEBBLE.

  7. Thank you, Dawn! So do I…it has put a shot of energy into my wardrobe!

  8. I love your idea of dyeing your existing clothes to fit into your ‘updated’ palette – way to update your colours without having to buy a whole new wardrobe!

    I was ‘diagnosed’ as a Deep Autumn myself, which means I can’t just ‘lighten up’ my colour choices in the summertime (my outfits still need contrast to work). My solution has been to also dye my white items cream, but to use those items as supporting acts instead of the ‘main’ pieces in my outfits (like a cream pair of trousers with a dark chocolate brown top, or a cream tank top with an orange cardigan).

    Fabric dye isn’t easy to find option in my country (especially not at the individual DIY consumer level) so I’ve achieved this by instead washing my white clothes with yellow ones that still bleed a lot of colour. Not the most orthodox method lol but it worked, so long as I follow the usual hand dye instructions (like stirring regularly to ensure even coverage). Just wanted to share in case others are also struggling with sourcing official fabric dye.

  9. Thank you for sharing. When my kids when younger, we would occasionally dye white tee shirts in actual tea or coffee. That worked but wasn’t the prettiest color of tan!!

  10. Like a lot of us I did the Color Me Beautiful in the 80’s and was labeled an autumn. I didn’t really like “my” colors and I slowly got away from it. Now with your new journey, I’m going back to autumn colors.
    I wore colors that didn’t suit me and I always looked tired. Aha moment! Bright pinks are not my friend. I’m eagerly reading your blog, and buying the clothes you suggest. Thank you!

  11. I also looked tired and older…it is amazing the difference getting the colors right will make. So glad to have another autumn walking with me, Carolyn.

  12. I love the stories of you finding your right colors. Even though I am not an autumn, I can appreciate the joy you are receiving by getting the right shade. I think I am a summer but there are some colors in the winter palette that look good on me. I have found over the years that if I bought certain colors I ended up donating those clothes. I can not wear tan or beige as it washes me out. It took me awhile to figure this out. I do have one current beige top but I wear a colorful scarf next to my face and it works. Keep sharing your story. I find it fascinating.

  13. Funny that you talk about Chico’s meeting your needs for your autumn coloring because I’ve been aware of just the opposite for my winter coloring. I love their oranges, mustards, brown-toned animal prints this season, but they are not my winter colors. I know they have plenty for my winter colors, and I’ve bought many over the years, but I’ve found I tend to wear a white column with a colored third piece as my formula outfit. My often-used black column just does not feel right in 95 degree weather. And I’m always on the lookout for an animal print without a brown background as your lovely tunic is. BTW your crape myrtle tree is so beautiful, full and blooming. Naturally, I also like the color since I wear it too!

  14. This is an excellent series! I’m s Summer, and you are giving me great ideas for my colors.

  15. Thank you for the encouragement, Cheryl!! I am so glad this is inspiring those of you in the other seasons!

  16. Hi Pamela,
    I have found so many autumn colors this summer! It is a great time for you to transition. Although I am a dark and deep Autumn, I have some softer and some mid tone colors in my palette since I am high contrast. I have found that I can wear some of the softer colors in dress form (oatmeal, moss, light olive), but I contrast it with the deeper in accessories. So I wear my oatmeal linen dress with deep terracotta sandals, jewelry, and handbag ( which I painted from spring blues). Such fun this journey is!

  17. I have to compliment you on your hair. The color and style are so becoming. I am enjoying your journey to finding the true you. It has been inspiring to me and made me pay more attention to my colors.

  18. You need to know that when I saw your very first picture in your autumn colors I commented to myself, “wow!” Great job to everyone involved in your transformation.

  19. Each day I am absolutely thrilled you are sharing this journey. You are stunning again today, in jeans and a tee. 🤯 Not a stalker just an avid “fan girl”. I have been following you for a couple years at least. And of all the fun and informative things you have shared this transformation is the most exciting.

  20. You should definitely wear the colors that become you all year long. It would be a shame if you put away those golds & browns, etc. because the calendar says it’s summer. I wear red all year even though there are those who say to put it away after Christmas.

  21. Yes! Wear your red Becky….besides that I love a little Christmas all year long!!

  22. I am a winter and look best in bright saturated colors. The past few seasons have featured mostly warm tones and it has been hard to find things that work. This summer I have found several tops in bright pink, cobalt blue, and cool turquoise so I snap them up when I can. I have a pear shape, and am not supposed to wear light colors on the bottom. I did find a pair of khaki, bootcut pants on sale, but I can’t bring myself to wear white (and I haven’t found white bootcut jeans in a tall inseam). The bright, saturated colors seem to work best with darker bottoms, too.

  23. I agree that we/I want to look beautiful everyday! I definitely subscribe to that. I put on full make-up 98% of the time and take pleasure in picking out my outfits and accessories each day. I tell my husband, I’m going to “play” in my closet!…even during the pandemic when we weren’t going anywhere.
    I’ve been on a journey of getting rid of what I don’t feel right in; whether I got something “cheap” or something I thought I needed, then hated etc. I’ve been working color into this project too, because that really has so much to do with it, so I’m really enjoying following you through your quest!
    If you’ve ever read or listened to Marie Condo, the organizing guru, she says that you have an emotional reaction when you hold something in your hands. It applies to clothing too. I’ve tried this, to help me get rid of some clothes that just weren’t “me.” It works. Many times I’ve gotten rid of things because they were the wrong color. It’s so much fun! We’ll have a fine tuned wardrobe, where everyday we are wearing something we love! And why shouldn’t we? Glad you are having fun with it!

  24. Hi Kate, Chico’s has several lovely bright pink bottoms…you might check them out!

  25. I am Nancy…it is actually so nice to have most of my closet gone! Very liberating. Thanks for sharing!

  26. I wear my autumn colours no matter what season it is. It matters much more to me what looks good on me than what the weather is doing😊 In my experience it’s not always easy to find autumn colours in summer or winter so when I do I try to find something I want. The last couple years the warm, vibrant colours have been easier to find.

  27. I guess since I just embraced my autumn colors I feel like they are everywhere!! Thanks for sharing Lynn!

  28. Do you know what percentage of women are in the different color seasons? I have noticed that some stores seem to favor one color over another and wonder if that is because the buyers tend to pick their own seasonal likes. I love the autumn colors but they wash me out. They are perfect for you and you look radiant.

  29. Hi Jill, I do not know the percentages and can see if Annie know but what is in the stores are color trends determined by many factors season to season. I am posting this on Thursday but if you go to search Pantone fashion colors for Autumn/winter 2021 you will see the colors that brands will feature beginning later in July. Then there are new ones for Spring & Summer.. these colors are usually featured in fashion and home decor and change each season.

  30. I am so enjoying your color journey! I just recently had my colors re-done & I am still a summer, but now classified as a Dark Summer and I now know my “wow” colors – I had mine done by a House of Color consultant. It’s great how I feel when I know I am in one of my best colors & I can see it in you – that you’re feeling the same way!

Comments are closed.