Tips to Transition from Summer to Fall Fashion

At the end of every summer, I like to transition into fall outfits.  With it still being in the 90s in the South, it’s hard to pull out the sweaters and jeans in this heat.  So, over the years, I have come up with a way to enjoy fall fashion in the Southern heat.  This allows me to enjoy the fall clothes and not sweat it out like crazy.  However, don’t assume that I’m still pulling out the sweaters- I’ve come up with tips and tricks on how to enjoy the fall feels in the Southern Heat.

I knew that since I struggled so much with figuring out my groove in the Southern Fall, that others like me may also be struggling.  So, I thought to myself, why not put together a blog post about this?  I’ve also done this post in the past so check out the previous years’ posts: 2020 Fall Transition, 2019 Fall Transition & 2018 Fall Transition post.  Without further ado, check out my tips to transition from summer to fall fashion.

Add a Light Scarf

For a Southern Fall, it can either be 80 degrees or 90+ degrees.  The range is so drastic but either way, it’s still hot and not sweater weather ready.  So, in this case, I like to add elements of fall accessories to feel like I’m still apart of the Fall feels.  In this case, I opt to wear a light scarf with my summer dress or shorts.  It may sound odd to wear a scarf in the heat but if you opt to wear a lighter summer scarf, it helps with being a part of the Fall Fashion without sweating like crazy.

If you look at my picture below, I wore light scarves for the spring and those can also carry over to the Southern fall months.  Also, if you style them properly, you can wear complimenting colors, so it still looks like a summer to fall outfit.  This is such a fun way to transition to fall outfits for me because I can use the scarf as a cardigan when if feel colder at night.  It works as both an accessory and a way to keep you warm as well.

Opt for Open- Toe Booties

When most people think of transition to fall, they think of switching their sandals for booties.  But booties can still feel a bit warm on the feet in the Southern Fall.  You still want to feel that breeze and lightness on your feet in the 80–90-degree Southern Fall months.  So, the best way to do this is so go for Open-Toe booties.  This allows the effect of wearing a bootie, but your feet are not fully covered.  This way, your feet feel a breeze in the heat and this also you to enjoy a nice fall bootie.

I’m a huge fan of fall booties.  So, when I first moved to the South from NY, I was disappointed that I couldn’t wear my booties in the beginning of September.  For me, it was still too hot to wear booties in the 80–90-degree weather.  So, when I discovered that I could wear open-toe booties, it was the best of both worlds for me.  This allowed me to enjoy my fall shoes in the scorching heat of the South during those fall months.

Pair a Cardigan

With any hot to cold transitional weather, the rule of thumb is just to add layers.  However, if the temperatures are still high, you can’t add layers without getting a heat stroke.  In this case, pairing a cardigan with any of those summer dresses is a great way to add a layer yet not feel too hot.  If you add a sweater to that summer outfit, it may feel a bit too warm for you.  However, if you add a cardigan, then it feels a little less warm because the cardigan only covers half of the top half as well as you can also take it off when you please. 

I really enjoy adding cardigans to my summer outfits.  In fact, I still carry a cardigan with me during the summer because the AC in the restaurants, etc, is a bit too cold for me.  I like the freedom of taking the cardigan on/off and your outfit still looks good with or without it.  I know a lot of my friends in the South, enjoy the freedom of a cardigan as well.

Switch to Flats

Switching out your shoes is the easiest way to transition from one weather to another.  However, it’s difficult to switch out your shoes when the weather remains the same while the time of year has changed.  I’ve already mentioned opting for open-toe booties above, so I wanted to mention another shoe change that can still help you transition to fall fashion.  Thus, switching your summer sandals to flat is another great way to transition to fall fashion.  This allows the outfit to stay the same but the shoes to change without adding too much warmth to the outfit.

I really enjoy switching my summer sandals to fall flats.  I love a good flat – in fact, its’ the only type of shoe I wear to work.  Flats are so fun to wear in the summer to fall period, because they are closed-toe shoes but feel light on the feel.  There are also many kinds of flats like pointed flats, open-toe flats, suede flats, etc.  You can play around with a lot of different textures and types of flats when transition this type of shoe from the hot months to the colder months. 

Wear Darker Colors

Saving the best for last, wearing darker colors.  Now, by wearing darker colors, I don’t mean to pull out those fall sweaters and hoodies.  By suggesting wearing darker colors, I mean wearing a fall-colored dress or a fall-colored shirt to ease with the transition to fall fashion.  When you wear fall colors, in lighter summer fabrics, it helps with the feeling of fall even if its extremely hot outside.

I discovered this trick in the beginning of my time in the South.  This also allowed me to enjoy fall dresses without having to layer with tights and boots/booties.  I loved wearing a darker colored dress with flats and still enjoying the fall fashion in the Southern heat.

And there you have it- my tips on how to transition from summer to fall fashion!  I hope you enjoyed the tips that I have provided.  What is your favorite summer to fall transition tip?  Let me know in the comments below!

Much Love,