Your Guide to Creating Sustainable Fall Outfits Using Clothes You Already Own

Oct 18, 2023Fashion0 comments

How to Create Sustainable Fall Outfits With The Clothes You Have

Once again, Fall is here, the season of crunchy leaves, chilly winds, and cloudy skies. It has then come the time for countless of us to bring out the cozier, heavier clothes to enjoy the colder, rainier weather that in many parts of the world characterizes this transitional season.

Whether or not you are a fan of Fall, there is no denying that the change of season inspires people to explore their personal style, spruce up their wardrobe, and have fun creating new, fresh outfits.

If you feel like freshening up your style for the new season, but you can’t or don’t feel like buying new clothes and accessories, then you are in luck because we have created a handy guide just for that.

So keep reading to get some sustainable (and budget-friendly) Fall inspo, and find out how to create new Fall outfits using the clothes you already have!

First things first: do a closet inventory

A step included in any good plan is identifying the resources you have at hand. So when it’s time to create new Fall outfits, knowing what you are working with is a solid first step and an easy one at that, as it’s easy to review them when you take them out of storage.

This activity doubles as an occasion to see if there are any pieces you no longer feel like keeping with you and if some other neglected ones still make you happy and deserve a second chance.

Once you figure out how many and what pieces you have, you are ready to start planning (and have fun with) your outfits.

Don’t put your summer clothes in a box just yet

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need new clothes to make new outfits, as you can make so many different outfits just by reusing the clothes you already own. That’s right; you already have everything you need for your new Fall outfits!

A perhaps unexpected ingredient of these Fall outfits can be your favorite summer pieces. Even though they may make you think of iced drinks and white sandy beaches rather than hot beverages and falling leaves, summer clothes can be great building blocks for the outfits you’ll sport during this transitional season.

The weather this time of the year can be highly fickle in many locations, and as we all know, it’s much easier in changing weather to add layers that to take them off when it’s needed, especially on the go. After all, that’s why Fall is considered the perfect time of the year to experiment with layering.

To have a go at layering some of your transitional and summer pieces, you can try wearing your summer dresses as tops under your jeans, trousers, or long skirts. You can also pair them with turtlenecks to wear underneath or even t-shirts if the weather in your area stays on the warmer side. If instead, Fall gives you an early taste of the colder season, you can pair tights with these outfits to keep warm.

Adding tights or socks to your outfits can also make distressed denim, summer skirts, and shorts season-appropriate. Similarly, wearing taller boots can help you integrate summer clothes into your Fall outfits.

Use the magic of outerwear

As the weather gets colder, it’s time to have some fun with outerwear: the main character of transitional and chillier weather outfits. For some, having to wear outerwear is a bummer; it can hide the rest of the fit and get a bit boring the longer you have to wear it.

In Fall, though, thanks to the milder temperatures, wearing outerwear can add a bit of spice to your outfit rather than solely helping you stay warm.

So if you own a well-fitting light jacket, trench coat, or blazer that you can layer on top of everything (even your PJs), you can use it to give your more lightweight, breezier looks some structure, some extra warmth, and some more Fall-Esque vibes.

To keep it fresh and non-boring, try tying a belt (or two) around your waist, add some pins or patches, and experimenting with different ways of wearing it depending on the rest of your outfit and mood: buttoned up, un-buttoned, or even just laid over the shoulder.

No worries if you don’t have a transitional coat you love, you can wear a cardigan on top of your Fall outfits for the same purposes. Bonus points if on the cozier, chunkier side.

It’s time to experiment with textures

Textures may not seem like a defining element of clothes when compared to color and cut, but they can make all the difference. Think of how visually beautiful decorations like glitter or lace and fabrics like crushed velvet or linen can be!

That’s why including them can make even the simplest outfit feel special and bring freshness into your style. To incorporate them when creating a new Fall look, consider the outfit as a whole rather than its parts. Does the outfit have an overall texture or multiple ones? Or does it look plain?

Fall is the perfect time to play with them and mix them up, as you probably don’t have to prioritize staying cool in balmy weather or staying warm while it’s frosty outside. So you can more easily incorporate textures in one or more of the layers composing your outfit.

For example, you can wear a pleated skirt or corduroy trousers with a plain t-shirt, blouse or turtleneck or pair a ruffled blouse with your favorite pair of jeans.

Play with and mix up warm colors

Mustard, rust, terracotta, moss green: nothing says Fall like warm colors! Adding warm tones to your outfits can be a way to feel in tune with the season while creating your new Fall fits.

If you don’t own many warm-colored pieces, try adding just one warm-tone piece per outfit, whether through clothes, accessories, or even shoes. If, instead, you already are a warm tones aficionado, try going for a warm colors head-to-toe look to go all out for channeling the Fall vibes.

Bonus tip! If you are used to mainly wearing neutrals and want to play with warm colors more this season but don’t know how to style them, here is a simple trick: you can try pairing pieces that have the same color intensity level. It will make the outfit stand out more, look more cohesive, and eliminate some decision fatigue.

Create a Fall everyday uniform

Building an everyday fashion uniform that suits your lifestyle and taste can be a real game-changer. It can make your life easier, your morning routine shorter, and sometimes some comfort and familiarity are just what one needs to soothe the soul.

If you live in an area where you experience four different seasons, you might need to create four different ones. This necessity is your chance to not only select the Fall pieces that feel more “you” but also to give a second chance to a neglected piece you still love.

Find a classic, Fall-weather staple you love and wear it with everything.

A versatile, Fall-appropriate staple you love that goes well with anything is the perfect starting point to create new seasonal outfits. It may be a chunky sweater, a warm-colored skirt, or a pair of rain-proof boots: anything that works for you and makes you think of Fall!

You can make it fun and turn it into an activity. Take some time to get creative and plan out your outfits around that one piece you picked. You can make a list, a Pinterest board, or even draw the fits if that’s what strikes your fancy.

It’s an excellent opportunity to experiment and get out of your comfort zone, so don’t be afraid to mix patterns, colors, and styles.

Add spice to an outfit using some simple accessories

One of the best things about accessories is their power to transform any fit completely: adding a scarf or necklace can change the aesthetic and feel of an outfit in one go. Not only that, but they can make even the plainest one feel newer and fresher.

Compared to the warm season, in Fall, you have even more choice of accessories as more cool-weather appropriate accessories like scarves, knitted hats, and gloves are back on the table thanks to the colder temperatures.

So seize your chance to have even more fun with accessories and layer a scarf over any outfit for an extra pop of color (the ways to wear one are endless), wear a double belt over your favorite Fall dress, and sport your most out-there bag.

Thanks to the changes in weather and routines that characterize it, Fall is a time of renewal and new beginnings for many people. Even though many of us have been taught to associate newness with only shiny, brand-new things, we can still find novelty and joy in the things we already own with a bit of time and creativity. After all, nothing is as beautiful as the things we cherish.

About the Author:

Roberta Fabbrocino is a journalist specialized in climate change and sustainability-related topics. Her articles have been published in several international eco-publications. Roberta also works as a content writer for sustainable companies.

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