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I know you've read it before, but the first step toward updating your Fall look is culling! Go through your closet, make outfits of what you've got - lay things out on your bed, or the floor. Repair hems, check for stains, check for fit. Then, ask yourself: when was the last time you wore each item? Is the item in question comfortable? Professional? Does it require too much special attention, i.e. a slip and a cami and control top pantyhose? Is that more work than you want to devote to that outfit? You know the deal: if any of the questions above make you squirm, THE CLOTHING ITEM IN QUESTION is now a charitable donation.
So, you've cleaned out your closet (don't worry, I know that the process I've described above can take two days, or two weeks and that your bedroom looked like a clothing bomb exploded in it) and you've had a good look at your outfits. I know - it's still early August and all the stores are showing Fall clothes and we are all very tempted. And I also know that none of us have a lot of disposable income with which to run right out and purchase whatever the internet tells us is THE Fall fashion piece (which, I suspect is: GREY BOOTS). But, what if, just WHAT IF we had $100. (And I'm totally fantasizing here as I certainly do NOT have $100 and, now, I don't know why I'm not fantasizing about having $1000 - so I'm hoping you'll appreciate my attempt to keep this post somewhat realistic.) Yeah, let's assume you scoffed $100 from the grocery money by pocketing ten bucks a week and putting it a jar, and you've been doing this since last winter! What should you do with that $100? How can you make your $100 work to make your Fall look seem newer? How far can you stretch $100? It all depends....
My goal is to show you what $100 will buy you and how you can use those pieces to make the stuff you own seem new!
Our first stop: Old Navy.
Obviously, with items at ON priced below $50, we can do some real work here -
The first thing I'm suggesting is a pair of these adorable brown boots. Wear them with everything and, if you want to look very NYC/2009, wear them with straight leg jeans that you roll up to just above the ankle. They are old-school biker cute with a finer line and I'd wear them right into the ground. At $39.50 they aren't leather, but they're still cutecutecute.
Wear them with this skirt!
Bare-legged in fall, with high socks if you are younger than me, with black tights in the winter, this is the kind of skirt that you can wear twice a week. Add heels and it's a little dressy (add a belt and make sure the fit is narrow for a dressy look) wear the boots and it's funky. $29.50!
We're not through our $100 yet!
This little jacket is the perfect finish. It's $39.50, it's a fabulous color and it works beautifully with the skirt and the boots! This neutral jacket works over a sleeveless dress, to bring it into Fall gracefully, dresses up a pair of jeans, is a nice foil for a pair of dressy trousers and is just plain nifty looking. DONE.
Maybe you aren't an Old Navy kind of gal - perhaps you are a little more polished and drool over the J Crew catalog? Not to worry, I can tailor my opinions...
At J Crew, with $100 (our fantasy money will not go as far), these are my suggestions:
Go for the White Shirt. This one is $69.50, which is a large chunk of our fantasy windfall but, believe me, this blouse practically "pays for itself." With the sleeves rolled and the neck open it's casual (notice I am ignoring the Formal Shorts) and chic looking. With the sleeves down, tucked into dressy pants or a skirt, it's office wear. Tie a silk scarf around your neck or throw on a long necklace to further dress it up, but don't do too much with it as those pleats are often enough detail. Leave it open and wear a white tee under it with jeans and you've got another look entirely.
