It is the last Wednesday of August. For me, that basically means that summer is over.
But of course it is not.
It was 27 degrees Celsius here yesterday. I have checked the environment Canada app on my iPad, and it looks like it is actually going to be quite lovely for the foreseeable future.
That is always a bit of a conundrum to me.
The problem is two-fold:
1) The Media has told me it is fall
I have seen the fall offerings. Some, if they work, will even find their way into my closet. I feel ready to strut about in fall clothes. This is a back-to-school thing, when your mother would buy you a new outfit for the first day of school and you were anxious to show it off right away.
It seems to me that this year, the media is in even more of a frenzy, although I cheerfully acknowledge that this may be because I have more time to stumble upon these things.
It used to seem to me that the fashion insiders would tell us "THE 5 THINGS YOU NEED THIS FALL!", so imagine my surprise when Refinery 29 tells me that there are in fact 30 "wardrobe essentials" I need to be fashionable this fall!
I am a curious creature by nature and of course I had to click and see and then share with you all:
1) a graphic pullover (oh that seems so JCrew and F21 Spring 2013 to me...)
2) the boxy jacket - hmm - I looked at the picture and it is a peacoat. I love how you can call the same thing something different and talk people into buying it..
3) The modern combat boot
4) The granddaddy sweater (see #2) I am all boyfriended out...
5) The Smockdress - not going to happen. When I dress like a 5 year old I look remarkably like Little Edie Beale...
6) The patterned pencil skirt - huh? this is new?
7) The quirky sneaker...
8) The nubby sweater - trust me, this is only essential if you are not an E cup and short...
9) The Annie Hall trouser - gee that's new...
10) The menswear watch - ditto
11) The not-so-classic loafer - ditto
12) The embellished belt
13) The showpiece coat
14) The Ladylike full skirt
15) The colourful sock
16) The silk scarf
17) The evil eye bracelet
18) the tuxedo-style blazer
19) The expertly ripped jean
20) The leather sweatpant - NEVER going to happen...
21) The oversize clutch
22) The trumpet skirt
23) the semi-sheer button down
24) The colored bag
25) The knee high boot
26) The peasant dress
27) The cropped black trouser
28) The menswear jacket
29) The brimmed hat
30) The far out cat eye sunglass
Is it just me, or is this the lamest list? Of course many of us have many of these items in our closet anyway, but this is the silliest thing I have seen in a long time...I have never really been on the Refinery 29 site and now I know why...
The great thing about this list is that it is making me want to avoid fall like the plague....
and my second problem related to transitioning to fall fashion:
2) is it just me or does it seem or feel odd to wear summer clothing in September?
I know this is not the case for my friends in the south, who face this issue constantly. But it always feels a little odd to have summer sandals or a summer dress on in September. I am sure this is related to the impact of the media as noted in point #1. It is also a by-product of warmer autumns - when I was a kid it would get cool quite early in September and we never had to face wearing our summer clothes well into the fall.
I doubt I will dig out any of my fall things any time soon. Of course this may give me an opportunity to finally wear my linen button-downs...
How about you? Are you thinking of the transition into the fall? How do you do it - any tricks you want to share?
And most importantly: are any of you buying leather sweatpants?????
Have a great day and stay safe out there!
But of course it is not.
It was 27 degrees Celsius here yesterday. I have checked the environment Canada app on my iPad, and it looks like it is actually going to be quite lovely for the foreseeable future.
That is always a bit of a conundrum to me.
The problem is two-fold:
1) The Media has told me it is fall
I have seen the fall offerings. Some, if they work, will even find their way into my closet. I feel ready to strut about in fall clothes. This is a back-to-school thing, when your mother would buy you a new outfit for the first day of school and you were anxious to show it off right away.
It seems to me that this year, the media is in even more of a frenzy, although I cheerfully acknowledge that this may be because I have more time to stumble upon these things.
It used to seem to me that the fashion insiders would tell us "THE 5 THINGS YOU NEED THIS FALL!", so imagine my surprise when Refinery 29 tells me that there are in fact 30 "wardrobe essentials" I need to be fashionable this fall!
I am a curious creature by nature and of course I had to click and see and then share with you all:
1) a graphic pullover (oh that seems so JCrew and F21 Spring 2013 to me...)
2) the boxy jacket - hmm - I looked at the picture and it is a peacoat. I love how you can call the same thing something different and talk people into buying it..
3) The modern combat boot
4) The granddaddy sweater (see #2) I am all boyfriended out...
5) The Smockdress - not going to happen. When I dress like a 5 year old I look remarkably like Little Edie Beale...
6) The patterned pencil skirt - huh? this is new?
7) The quirky sneaker...
8) The nubby sweater - trust me, this is only essential if you are not an E cup and short...
9) The Annie Hall trouser - gee that's new...
10) The menswear watch - ditto
11) The not-so-classic loafer - ditto
12) The embellished belt
13) The showpiece coat
14) The Ladylike full skirt
15) The colourful sock
16) The silk scarf
17) The evil eye bracelet
19) The expertly ripped jean
20) The leather sweatpant - NEVER going to happen...
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| Source |
22) The trumpet skirt
23) the semi-sheer button down
24) The colored bag
25) The knee high boot
26) The peasant dress
27) The cropped black trouser
28) The menswear jacket
29) The brimmed hat
30) The far out cat eye sunglass
Is it just me, or is this the lamest list? Of course many of us have many of these items in our closet anyway, but this is the silliest thing I have seen in a long time...I have never really been on the Refinery 29 site and now I know why...
The great thing about this list is that it is making me want to avoid fall like the plague....
and my second problem related to transitioning to fall fashion:
2) is it just me or does it seem or feel odd to wear summer clothing in September?
I know this is not the case for my friends in the south, who face this issue constantly. But it always feels a little odd to have summer sandals or a summer dress on in September. I am sure this is related to the impact of the media as noted in point #1. It is also a by-product of warmer autumns - when I was a kid it would get cool quite early in September and we never had to face wearing our summer clothes well into the fall.
I doubt I will dig out any of my fall things any time soon. Of course this may give me an opportunity to finally wear my linen button-downs...
How about you? Are you thinking of the transition into the fall? How do you do it - any tricks you want to share?
And most importantly: are any of you buying leather sweatpants?????
Have a great day and stay safe out there!
That list is utterly daft..... Those leather sweats are just So Wrong!
ReplyDeleteIt's almost Spring here, and the weather is warming up. It's supped to be 27 degrees on Friday, although the nights are still chilly.
I'm not quite ready for Spring clothes yet, although am adding a few Springish items to my winter duds.
Have you succumbed to the Anthro Tulle skirt yet??
Any sign of the shoes?
I could see you working the leather joggers as only skinny girls could get away with it!
Deletehaha! but with my short legs I think I might look too squat!!
DeleteFred kindly scoped it or me and it won't work, so I think I will order the mod cloth version. No shoes or skirt yet! Dang, as soon as they come I will do reviews and let you know if they ate keepers!
ReplyDeleteAnd I think that list is nuts. I can't imagine who is home crossing it off the list - got it, got it, need it,..
Good morning. I did see some sweater sweatpants on Talbots web site and they looked awesome (sorry Sulky if you are reading). Although i may wear the same type of clothing in September, my color palette changes to more neutral/fall colors. The coral linen pants will be put up but the grey ones will be worn. Jeans also return.
ReplyDeleteHI BB - that is a great idea - moving to the more neutral palette of your summer clothes - I am so stealing that idea! I bought the sweater sweatpants from J Crew last winter and loved them. Not sure I could do leather though!
DeleteOh my gosh Wendy I was just thinking about this yesterday. Normally at the end of August I would put all of my summer clothes away (you know, in my upstairs closet) and I would haul down my fall things, sweating the whole while because it is still 30 degrees outside. I was going through my storage closet yesterday and sweating just looking at wool stuff.
ReplyDeleteAnyway the conclusion I've come to is that we need to treat September as though it were still summer. How about Canadian Thanksgiving as the transition to fall? It means some white and navy through September which feels wrong in our minds but will feel right temperature-wise.
What a ridic list. Leather sweatpants! Evil eye bracelet!
Dani - I think you are right - I think early October will now be my switch date - white linen skirt in September - yes! I will pretend I am in Tennessee with BB!
DeleteHello Wendy! I have been enjoying reading along lately but have mostly been reading on my phone and so have not been commenting.
ReplyDeleteThat is a ridiculous list. Those websites are just full of junk list slideshows that generate obscene numbers of page views for them.
I love Dani's idea of Thanksgiving as the changeover time.
It has been raining here the last two days. I hope that does not mean that the sun will hide its face for months again this year. I've realized that I do shop for an imaginary life: one in which it doesn't rain nearly every day. Sigh.
Abby - I hear you on the imaginary life without rain... it didn't exist here this summer, I can tell you!
DeleteThe evil eye bracelet has only been going on for thousands of years but no - it's for this fall! Too funny...Refinery needs to up its game - so amateurish - its like some middle school paper came up with that list...
ReplyDeleteCSW - I thought the same thing! I wondered who came up with this crazy list!
DeleteHi Wendy, here is an article on personal style that I just read, I think you might enjoy it: http://www.wmagazine.com/fashion/2011/04/carol_edgarian_personal_style?currentPage=1
ReplyDeleteThanks Abby - it looks awesome! That is my lunch time reading!
DeleteI think if you have developed your own style, these lists become irrelevant. This list is a path to fashion victim hood. We are not to be fooled!
ReplyDeleteNot thinking about fall AT ALL. No children to get back to school for the first time in over 20 years, so I'm going to keep picking tomatoes,messing about in boats and wearing white jeans. Lots of events this week and it's going to be white jeans at every one.
oh I love my white jeans!! I agree - adding items that you like and want versus what someone tells you you "need" is the way to go!
DeleteMy beef with the current Jcrew catalog is that it is looking too much like a Refinery 29/Shopbop website. You know I turn into an eccentric old lady in the fall and I can't wait to unpack my grandma chic duds. The turning point for fall for me is the US Open and NY Fashion Week which would be about next week.
ReplyDeleteMarie - I so love the idea of your grandma chic duds! The fashion world is getting too interchangeable and frankly, I think the fashion houses have not helped with this with their ubiquitous second lines..
DeleteIt's the perfect list for teenagers and those in their early 20's not for us grown ups!
ReplyDeleteI agree - mine would include 1) support hose 2) a new full support bra 3) something to suck in my belly 4) something that doesn't itch...
DeleteHardly an inspiring list for the fashion blogs!
Fashion blogs are overrated.
DeleteHuh, those leather sweatpants are something! At least the list gives a lower priced option for all the "essentials".
ReplyDeleteIf they would help me lose the 15 pounds maybe I would jump on them! :-)
DeleteWow, that is a terrible list, I agree Wendy. Yikes. The leather sweatpants killed me. Definitely a must have. *snort* It's hard in September, b/c you're ready for the fall colors and warm items, but it's not even close, temp-wise. I pretty much just put away all my summery colors/prints (anchors, etc)/styles, leaving out the summer stuff that reads fall, navy, crimson, wine, greens, ivory. I bring out a few cashmere basics for the chilly days. Ballet flats are all out (I can't bear them during the summer). But it's not until October that I can really go for the fall stuff.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think my Kikis are all going to see a lot of action this fall. I really do love those.
DeleteIt is the ying and the yang of fall - we are conditioned to want the fall colours and new clothing but we don't want to let summer go either...
Terrible list. As for wearing fall clothing I am the perpetual last rose of summer. I avoid fall clothing until the last moment, because once I pull out the cold weather clotting, they are all I can wear for many months, due to the weather. We probably have a much warmer fall than you do, but we have long winters, too.
ReplyDeleteKnityarns - you are so right. By February I am so sick of the winter stuff that I could bin it all! The funny thing here is that summer is really only for three months - fall can last two weeks or two months and the same with spring. It often feels like we go from winter to summer and back again, though I know that is a terrible exaggeration, on par with saying colourful socks are a fall essential!
DeleteYou are right Wendy. Half of these items we have in our wardrobe already. The other half are things I would never, ever wear. Leather sweatpants are definitely in the never, ever list. Same with that hideous evil eye bracelet. I smell a shill.
ReplyDeleteIn September I gravitate toward darker colors, definitely no pastels that look summery until it is really winter and you're obviously going for that "winter white" type of theme. I like linen sweaters because they have a good texture but are still cool. I can still wear my dark polo dresses and shirtdresses are great as well, I just roll the sleeves up.
Hey xoxo - that's what I am planning to do with my navy polo. September is a great month for the lightweight cashmere cardigans as well I think. Thanks for the great advice!
DeleteI was eye rolling and smirking over that list until I came to the MUST HAVE Evil Eye Bracelet! Here I plain broke out in laughter. I think I'll put on my peasant dress, knee high boots, rimmed hat and evil eye bracelet, sit crossed legged and play a Joni Mitchell! Who makes up this stuff? But thanks for the laugh!
ReplyDeleteYour Joni Mitchell image is killing me!!! I was wondering what companies they are bed with to hawk some of this crazy stuff!
DeleteAgree with everybody about 'the list', totally useless. The leather sweatpants, no thanks, in fact any sweatpants outside of gym and I still think any leather pants. Not thinking about fall yet, probably only at the end of September. I love summer and want to squeeze out every last bit of it, lol.
ReplyDeleteAJC - I think I am not a leather pants person. It's too much even for my excesses...
DeleteThere you have it, #14 is why you have to get that tulle skirt. What?!!! re: #20.
ReplyDeleteSummer JUST started for us. Last Sunday it was 90F and we'll have likely at least another month close to or in the 90s. We're always out of sorts with everyone else wearing/looking at tweeds and rich autumn colors and we're still sweaty, strike that, trying to glow.
I love the "glow"...
DeleteI think there is universal condemnation for #20!
For me transition to fall doesn't happen for another month or two and it always means layers. Cashmere replaces cotton and coats gradually replace cardigans. The biggest challenge is the time when sandals cannot fully transition to boots and booties because it isn't quite cold enough for boots.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely YES to leather sweat pants...I have them on order in 3 colors to wear with my high heels....hahahahahahahahah
However, if I had the legs and the budget, leather leggings would be in my closet.
Julie - I hear you on the footwear challenge - for me it is definitely the same - when you need to start wearing socks or tights...
DeleteLeather leggings are bad ass if you have a certain lifestyle!
Ok not gonna lie - that evil eye bracelet is really gorgeous. But September/October/sometimes into November is when we really get our summer, so I we don't get fall until about Thanksgiving. Not that we ever really get seasons here, but alas.
ReplyDeleteLaura - that is too funny as I went and got that pic. A lot of them scared the bejesus out of me!
DeleteI have never even heard of an evil eye bracelet, I am hopeless! lol Also, what is a far out cat eye sunglass as opposed to a regular cat eye sunglass? (can sunglass even be singular?) I'm having eye issues today...
ReplyDeleteWell me either, Cate, we can go hang our heads in the corner together ,.
DeleteIt will probably another two month before i have to transition into fall here,but i dont mind.
ReplyDeleteAfter all those cold/rainy falls and winters in germany i enjoy the warmth very much.
As for the dressing for fall,i might go for darker colors with my tees and dresses.
The evil eye jewelry was everywhere in Italy,but i am not a bog fan of it.
I love to wear skinny sweatpants with heels,but i have not seen any leather sweatpants yet.
I have been thinking of you a lot and hoping you are getting settled in... You are the perfect JC muse Ina - you look fantastic in everything!
DeleteFor me the list should be retitled: What not to buy in 2013. The items are either too wacky to consider or already well represented in my closet.
ReplyDeleteFWIW the Refinery 29 researcher couldn't even get her examples right. Rag & Bone's Malin is a skinny trouser NOT casual sweatpants. I actually own a pair of Malin trousers in plain wool - they are slim cut with a 29in inseam.
Wasn't one of the Kardashian's recently photographed wearing leather sweatpants? Perhaps that was her inspiration.
Oh dear - kardashians in leather sweatpants! So different than our lovely Ina in hers!
DeleteI'm staying in summer clothes until there's a frost on the grass - hate the cooler weather, we've had a good summer here in the UK for a change.
ReplyDeleteAnd leather sweatpants? that's 2 words which should never be in the same sentence!
Hi Jay! You are inspiring me to hang tough!
DeleteThat list is dumb and dumber. I will be wearing fall clothes until November here in CA so it's hard to get worked up about it. A quick walk through JCrew today showed nothing inspiring and Nordstrom was deplorable.
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