Styling a Linen Waistcoat for Summer Casual Outings

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, let me say it again: I love the Fall season. I just love it! It opens so much fashion possibility, whether it be playing with textures, getting creative with layering, or having fun with deep, earthy color-blocking. Fall signature colors are rich and when mixed and matched right, can create such a striking allure that not only blends in with the changing landscape, but also makes a bold statement outfit-wise. A color pairing that I've repeated over the years and can't get enough of is red and dark brown chocolate. Friends, I have a serious dark brown chocolate problem! I can't resist adding that hue to my wardrobe, whether it be shoes, scarves, bags, pants, coats, dresses, and the list goes on. It's a beautiful, timeless shade, and for us dark girls, it's the perfect nude tone. Pair it with red, and you have a stunning combo that works for the office or for all your off-duty adventures. Here are some outfits that will inspire you to play with this color pairing this Fall:

Brown Pants and Blazer With A Red Bag

Tonal styling will always be a winner! For this outfit, I paired dark brown faux leather pants with a belted camel brown blazer for a tonal monochrome base. For a pop of color, I added a sculptural red leather handbag. This outfit makes the perfect Fall workwear ensemble and can work with different pops of color if you want to try others such as green or royal blue.

Red Mini Skirt with A Brown Sweater

Fall is also knitwear season and an easy trick to stay cozy during this time of the year is to go for a knit-on-knit outfit. Case in point: this red knit skirt and brown knit sweater. The mini skirt and longline sweater balance the outfit proportions beautifully and the brown tights and brown boots let the red skirt steal the color pop show. 

Brown Pleated Skirt With A Graphic Sweatshirt

A styling move that I love and that you should embrace too is juxtaposing classic workwear staples such as a midi pleated skirt with classic casual pieces such as a graphic sweatshirt. This combination creates alluring tension, adding an edge to your look. I went for a brown pleated skirt with a red graphic sweatshirt (the French swear word was the sell for me!) and elevated the look with a leopard silk scarf. Attending fashion week? Definitely try this outfit!

Brown Pants and a Sweater With a Red Crossbody Bag

What's Fall for if not for mixing textures? For a simple yet stand-out look, I went for faux leather pants in chocolate brown paired with a matching longline ribbed sweater (actually a mini dress but more of a top for us tall girls). For a pop of red, I wore red shoes and a red crossbody bag.

Brown Pencil Skirt With A Red Sweater

Another outfit, another opportunity to play with textures! For a simple office look, try pairing a faux suede column skirt with a cropped cotton sweater. To keep the focus on the sweater's texture and volume, go for chocolate brown accessories such as a braided wide leather belt, strappy sandals, and oversized hobo bag.

Shop this brown skirt and red sweater outfit

So there you have it: some Fall outfit inspo featuring brown and red. Which look will you try? And what are some of your favorite color pairings for Fall? Chime in in the comments!

It's that time of the year when it's still very much Summer but when we start longing for the crisp Fall air, the changing landscape colors, and the fashion adventure. Fall is the best season when it comes to fashion in my opinion. Contrarily to Summer when you have to spare the amount of clothing you wear and are limited with fabric choices, Fall offers total style freedom. No need to haul around a big coat, yet we can play with all kinds of materials and layers without feeling like we'll succomb to a heat stroke. Going from Summer to Fall is a great time to get back into trench jackets, update your color palette, and introduce texture to your outfits. Here are 5 easy tips to nail the Summer to Fall fashion transition:

Add a Classic Fall Color

We all recognize Fall's classic hues. They are mainly marigold yellow, burgundy red, burnt orange, olive green and brown. Adding any of these colors to your outfits instantly gives them a Fall mood.

One option is to pair blue jeans with a jacket in one of the Fall colors I mentioned above. To keep it transitional, I opted for off-white shoes.

Another way to straddle Summer and Fall in style is to again go for blue jeans, but this time with a blouse and accessories in berry tones such as this blouse and this oxblood leather handbag.

Wear Brown Boots

It doesn't matter what you wear, if you throw on some brown leather boots, you're sure to create a Fall vibe. For this elevated casual outfit, I went for a brown pleated skirt (this one is under $50!) with a denim jacket and brown leather boots. The generous amount of brown, boots included, keeps this look in tune with the season.

Throw on a Trench or Leather Jacket

Just as the sky is blue, everyone needs a good trench coat and leather jacket. These are classic Fall staples and offer a lot of styling versatility. You can wear them more formally or casually, with just about anything in your wardrobe. For this office outfit, I paired wide-leg linen pants that I wore during the summer with a wide leather belt and a leather jacket. This is an easy way to keep your Summer favorites in rotation while making your way into Fall.

I followed the same formula here, pairing Summer's staple white jeans with a long khaki trench coat. Mixing Summer and Fall pieces is sure to deliver the perfect transitional outfit.

Have Fun Layering

Layering puts so much fun into dressing! It's really the part of it that lets you create unique outfits and stand out. When it comes to layering, there are really no hard and fast rules. It's all about being adventurous and going for what strikes your fancy. Here, I paired black-brown jeans with a longline printed top that I layered with a knit vest. Keeping to sleeveless layers keeps the outfit breathable in the transitional weather.

Play with Texture

If not during the Fall, when else will you get away with mixing textured knits, silk, leather, and suede all in one look? Fall's definitely the time to just reach for all your favorite materials and creatively assemble them into a look. Case in point: this outfit featuring a silk midi skirt, a cable-knit sweater, a leather moto jacket and suede knee-high boots. To keep everything flowing, try and keep the pieces in the same color family.