When the season starts to change from summer to fall, your closet can feel a little caught in the middle. It might be 80 degrees in the afternoon, but those first crisp mornings are already making you crave a warm layer. Your closet is somewhere between sundresses and sweaters, sandals and boots—and you're not quite ready to commit to either season.
The good news? You don't have to! Transitioning your closet from summer to fall is all about getting more mileage out of the pieces you already love. Instead of packing away your skirts and shorts the second September rolls around, pair them with lightweight layers, seasonal shoes, and a few autumn-inspired accessories.
And Ree Drummond is all about those versatile pieces. Her fall clothing collection at QVC includes tops, sweaters, jeans, and jackets that are designed to mix and match as temperatures change. As Ree puts it, “After a long, hot summer, I'm eager to be able to start wearing my new fall collection.” So, before you give your closet a full seasonal overhaul, try these easy tricks for making your summer favorites work for fall, too!
Keep Wearing Your Favorite Dresses
Don't pack away those breezy summer dresses just yet! They're some of the easiest pieces to transition into fall. A midi or maxi dress can take you from a warm September afternoon to a chilly evening with the simple addition of a cardigan, denim jacket, or lightweight sweater. Floral prints, in particular, can work beautifully well into fall. You can also make a summer dress feel instantly more autumnal by swapping sandals for ankle boots or adding a belt and a layering piece.
Layer, Layer, Layer
If there's one thing that makes transitional dressing easier, it's layers. A lightweight cardigan, denim jacket, chore coat, or button-down shirt can make a summer outfit feel fall-ready without adding too much warmth. The trick is to choose pieces you can easily take off once the afternoon heats up. Throw a cardigan over a tank top, wear a jacket with your favorite T-shirt, or layer a button-down over a sundress. That way, you're prepared for whatever the weather decides to do that day.
Swap Shorts for Jeans
You don't have to give up your favorite summer tops just because fall is coming! Instead, give them a new look by pairing them with jeans. A pretty blouse that you wore with shorts in July can look completely different with skinny jeans or bootcut jeans and ankle boots. The same goes for lightweight sweaters and T-shirts, too. It's one of the easiest ways to make your wardrobe feel more autumnal without buying an entirely new closet.
Bring on the Fall Colors
You don't need to go full pumpkin spice on September 1, but introducing a few richer colors can make your outfits feel more seasonal. Think rust, burgundy, olive green, chocolate brown, navy, and warm cream. Start small with a blouse, cardigan, handbag, or pair of shoes. Even a floral dress or colorful embroidered summer top can feel more fall-appropriate when styled with deeper, earthier tones or paired with the right layers.
Change Your Shoes
One of the quickest ways to make an outfit feel like fall? Change your shoes. You can keep wearing dresses, skirts, and lightweight pants while transitioning from sandals to loafers, ballet flats, clogs, or ankle boots. A pair of cowboy boots can also give a breezy summer dress a little more autumn flair—just ask the Drummond ladies!
Don't Forget Accessories
Accessories can do a surprising amount of seasonal heavy lifting. Try adding a warm-toned handbag to your favorite dress or swapping your summer jewelry for pieces in gold or deeper tones. You can also experiment with hats—especially wide-brimmed styles that work just as well for a sunny September afternoon as they do for a crisp October day.
See? Fall fashion doesn't have to mean a complete closet clean out. Keep those summer favorites within reach, layer up when you need to, and let the weather guide you. Your wardrobe can evolve right along with the forecast!
Macie Reynolds is the assistant editor of E-Commerce and SEO for The Pioneer Woman.
