Why fall wardrobe assessments are best done now

Why fall wardrobe assessments are best done now

Happy Tuesday!  Though it is July, let’s discuss why fall wardrobe assessments are best done now.

Many of us are perfectly fine to discuss Christmas in July and even watch movies and plan our holidays, but balk at the mention of our fall wardrobes.

Like it or not, some mannequins are beginning to change over to fall looks.

The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale always has us thinking ahead, so now is actually the best time to assess your fall wardrobe.

FALL WARDROBE ASSESSMENT #1

Why fall wardrobe assessments are best done now

Now is a great time, to look over your fall (and even winter) clothing and assess its overall value to your wardrobe.

Your lifestyle may have changed in the last year, or, like me your colors!  This fall will be very different from my past professional-office life. My style personality has changed and my needs have changed. 

I always look over my fall and winter wardrobe in July to remember what I have…so I won’t purchase something similar again.

Online stylist, Annie Castano, has a great motto….Buy Less, Choose Well.  I have it written in my planner at the top and embracing it as a new goal.

It is always good to look over your fall (and even winter) pieces in the summer when you can give those garments the time to really determine if they need to stick around. 

It is also a great time to clean or dry clean what you are keeping.   Then everything is ready-for-wear and stored properly when cool breezes blow.

 

FALL WARDROBE ASSESSMENT #2

Fall wardrobe assessment are best done now

Another reason fall wardrobe decisions are best made now has everything to do with COLOR!

I have already shared with you the PANTONE COLORS FOR FALL 2021.  These are the trend colors that you will see dominating the showrooms of retailers.

If your best colors include these colors, that is exciting for you and shopping will be easier.  However, if your best colors do not include the trend colors, you may want to look closer at the summer clearance sales and see if you find what you are looking for there.

The trend colors I will want to see close up are Mykonos Blue, Adobe, Fire Whirl, Root Beet, Soybean and Olive Branch.  I hope the Mykonos Blue is as attractive as the Kingfisher Blue that is in my approved autumn palette.

The trend yellow and green are not in my palette…so I will keep an eye out for the ones that are before fall. 

Remember,  a successful wardrobe is what looks best on us and breeds confidence…it is not about what’s on trend.  We will shine in our best colors and should wear them every day!

FALL WARDROBE ASSESSMENT #3

Fall wardrobe assessments are best done now

My first assessment of my fall wardrobe revealed black sweaters, black tops, black jackets and two black coats….yes, I was dedicated to my first (wrong) analysis as a WINTER.

But, I have new dedication to Annie’s determination that I am a vibrant autumn.  So, on my list I placed under need….a cold weather coat. 

Except for our February BIG FREEZE in Texas (where I think I wore everything I own inside the house!), we did not see that many cold days.  I did not realize at the time it was a La Nina season.

However, just a few days ago, I read an article in USA TODAY:  La Nina climate pattern should return this fall and last through winter.  Here is what to expect.

I remember vividly one La Nina season, because we did not wear our coats at all and we discussed it as a family.

If I see the perfect coat, in the perfect color and at the perfect price, I will probably take advantage of it, but for now I am removing COAT from my list.

During our warmer fall and winters, we layer often and wear mostly jackets and cardigans.

This third decision is meant to encourage you to check out articles like this or the old Farmer’s Almanac and see if there are any changes you need to know about for the coming cool weather seasons.

It is always good to plan for what might lie ahead…La Nina means warm for us, but means COLDER for many of you in the northern part of the country.

There are so many pretty coats and raincoats already on store sites…..

FALL WARDROBE ASSESSMENT #4

Fall Wardrobe Assessment

A big part of my recent fall wardrobe assessment was looking at my accessories for the coming season.

I rediscovered these sparkly gold flats by SOFFT that I purchased a few years back at Marshall’s.  They are fun and comfy and will be very in-style this year.

In fact a new pair of gold flats was placed on my list…I want a more vibrant metallic gold…it definitely goes with my colors and style personality….and there will be more on the market this year.

Make sure your particularly assess your shoes and scarves.  New accessories are an affordable way to breathe life into your wardrobe and not spend your total clothing budget.

Also on my list this year…a comfortable brown bootie.  Yes, to replace the black ones I wore often.

ONE MORE POINT TO ASSESS

Fall wardrobe assessment

Just from personal experience… and if you do not have this issue…I am officially jealous.

I am one of those sizes (The universal size 16) that seem to sell out the fastest when new collections are introduced.  If you see something you are drawn to, it may be worth ordering it and then do a return if it is not what you expected.

Sometimes when I wait, I miss out.  There are many times that is perfectly fine, but other times I get really sad I did not order.   (Of course, it has to meet all of my shopping criteria!)

Now, that I know for sure my colors, I hope to grab the perfect pieces when I see them….I don’t know if the early bird gets the worm…but may get the gorgeous jacket!

Your homework, ladies, is to assess your fall wardrobe needs now…in July…and be ready for the coming season.  

Look at colors, lifestyle, needs and replacements for “tired” garments.  Also, assess your accessories.  I am big on “lists” so write it down! 

You will be so glad you did it now and did wait until September. 

KEEP SMILING!!

By Pamela Lutrell

23 Comments

  1. These are such good tips, and something I need to spend some time on. Today will be the day. With a move coming up soonish (finally), I am going to have a much bigger closet and the temptation is to keep everything. But your tips here remind me why that’s not necessarily the best idea. Paring down now is also less to move! I love doing this sort of activity and enjoy making lists! Today will be the day! Definitely need to consider shoes.

  2. A great reminder to look at the tucked away items and see if they are still relevant. It is raining here today, so maybe that is where I will be, trying on and making decisions. We always need a really warm winter coat, so the thought that you may not need one at all sounds strange to my northern ears. Imagine that, a chance to wear jackets that normally get such a short season. I must get out and check out the new colours to see what is workable for me. A new pair of fall shoes or short boots is on the list here as well. Have fun checking out your new vibrant colours.

  3. A rainy day is a perfect day to do assessments, Diane! Have fun with it and make sure to look for your best colors!

  4. Great points, Pamela, and timely since I am detoxing my closet. Even after having my colors done 2 years ago, I have made a few style mistakes. I am a natural classic with a tiny bit of drama or artistic vibe at times. At the moment I am trying to replace classic cardigans (which I don’t seem to reach for) with more natural styles.
    Please don’t toss all those black shoes! As I have mentioned before, Angelus leather paint is a game changer. I just repainted a pair of dark brown sandals bronze to go with a new JJill open weave v neck sweater. I ended up with a fab outfit.
    I think your philosophy of grab it when you see it is right on.

  5. Thanks Deborah! I didn’t even think of doing the shoes! I appreciate you calling attention to that!

  6. Usually we need jackets for summer evenings, but not this year. Maybe our fall will be long enough to wear them?

    I finally found a fall duffel coat in a vibrant “spring” color — no easy task — at the summer online sales. I remember years ago that you said this is a great time to shop for winter footwear, too, and so I did. New boots, new coat, good to go. Winter in July!

  7. Jacket and layers as winter outerwear sounds like a foreign country to those of us in northern Ohio! I think your advice on accessories is particularly on point. I just got a pair of brown booties and have a hiking pair on order to try, because like your “universal 16,” my size 8-8.5 footwear is -always- gone first. I have a second foot surgery in 2 weeks (the one that put me in a cast for 8 weeks in January was too conservative and didn’t fix it), so I have been looking over fall shoes. I will need to get a try on before the season is upon us, and I’m off my cast, but everything is sold out. Scarves, jewelry and a third layer in warmer colors I hope will get me through without replacing too many items all at once. I do want some solid colored scarves (I have many, but all are in prints), and have had difficulty locating what I want. They are at the top of my list.

  8. I have been wishing for something like that Leprechaun green! The Mykonos blue looks to me like a color that might flatter many of us, across “color seasons”.

    Just wondering… do you think our best colors can change over time? I’ve considered myself a winter for many years, but am wearing much less black now in my sixties. Indigo or navy just seems a little softer and more approachable.

  9. I need to ask Annie this question, Bee. But I think you can never go wrong with a softer navy. I knew I needed to change when I could see wearing black was aging my appearance! I will ask Annie though!

  10. So sorry about the surgery, Linda! What a bummer! I will keep my eye out for the solid color scarves!

  11. Pam, thank you for sharing your journey. The insights and lessons are so helpful. 😊.
    Although, I am having a very difficult time deciding my colors and style.
    Every consultant done has given me different information.
    The only consistent info is I am not in the winter category. 🥴
    But I like all colors!😉. I have let my hair go gray which is still holding to the warmth my strawberry blonde younger self had. Blue eyes, tan easy, skin peachy.
    Any help/insight in a direction?
    I so want to simplify in this season of life!🤪

  12. As I believe myself to be a Clear Spring, I relate to some of the other ladies who find fall shopping a little challenging. I would love to find a pretty pale aqua or sea glass sort of color in a fall/winter coat. Like you, I can make it through most years by layering since our southern Oregon climate is fairly forgiving. Boots are a must, though, both for fashion (western huntswoman!) and just slogging through the wet and muck. I’m also interested in purchasing some solid or heathered scarves this season.

  13. I will keep my eyes open for these colors, Connie! I love to shop for friends!

  14. Robin, which of the color palettes excites you and brightens your complexion? Once I saw the autumn colors on me and the difference they gave to brightening my face, I knew Annie was right!

  15. I am in need of some slacks as I have undergrown some of mine. I need gray & would love to find a pair of black pinstripe. I don’t want jeans, as I have plenty of those. I want what used to called dress slacks, & those are hard to find in this very casual world in which we live. I am also in need of a pair of brown or dark blue loafers, & perhaps a pair of black block heeled pumps.

  16. One positive thing about my HUGE lockdown closet purge (just completed — the last box went to the thrift store yesterday) is that I didn’t just get rid of piles & piles of clothes, I also FOUND things I’d forgotten about. At the end of it all, I’ve got more than enough to wear & neither need nor want a single, solitary thing this fall! I don’t follow trends & after some diligent consideration am confident with my colour choices & have affirmed that my very casual style does indeed fit both our laid-back retired lifestyle AND the resort ambiance of where we live, so it’s like: yeah! Done!

    Seriously, I feel like doing a little jig! As much as I really enjoy joining you & your friends on your shopping excursions, Pam, & flipping through the slideshows & playing dress-up for the Would You Wear It posts, I detest shopping IRL, & knowing I don’t have to set foot in a single store in search of some elusive garment to be well-turned out this fall & winter makes me very happy. [Note: this may NOT include the occasional pair of jeans I find at a thrift store or a leather jacket or boots I spot on-line & fall victim to! LOL!]

  17. Please do a post Pam on fall jewelry that ia affordable. I love looking for different beaded bracelets and natural stone variations that can bring an outfit together. Or leather and silver necklaces! Thank you.

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