13 Ways to Transition Your Summer Favorites into Fall

By Andrea Cheng
Sep 18, 2014 @ 10:13 am

We all tend to have two sets of clothes that we rotate on a biannual basis: summer wear and winter wear. But we're here to introduce 13 ways to fuse the two together. Don't let the dip in temps deter you from sporting your summertime faves (at least until the chill factor reaches Polar Vortex–level).

Let's take one of your go-to tops, to start. It probably boasts a pretty pastel hue and an equally pretty detailing, like the scalloped Topshop tee ($25; topshop.com) above. It, like many others, is generally a warm-weather option. We took inspiration from designer Karen Walker who layered a short-sleeve suede top over a black turtleneck knit. Apply the same concept and layer a sweater underneath to extend the typical one-season life span of your summery top.

So hold off on storing your floral-appliquéd crop tops, breezy culottes, and your blush pink dress for now, and start maximizing on wear count with our runway-inspired ways.

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Your Summery Top

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Pastel hue? Check. Pretty detailing? Check. This scalloped Topshop tee ($25; topshop.com) is, like many others, considered only a warm weather option. We're here to change all that. Onwards!
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Your Summery Top

ImaxTree, Courtesy
Designer Karen Walker layered a suede top over a turtleneck. The layering trick applies to non-suede pieces, too. Extend the life of your summery top with this knit (French Connection, $88; frenchconnection).

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Your Culottes

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As one of summer's most popular styles, wide crop trousers have proven they're more than a one-season wonder. Trade in your go-to skinnies with this breezy pair by Zara ($20; zara.com).
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Your Culottes

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Make your cropped trousers work for fall (while still showing off your killer heels) with a cozy sweater, as seen at Helmut Lang. Our pick? This wool and cashmere-blend topper by Michael Kors ($195; net-a-porter.com).

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Your Floral Dress

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No other article of clothing embodies summer dressing quite like the prettily printed dress. We love this garden party-ready frock by Madewell ($155; madewell.com).

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Your Floral Dress

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Take a style cue from the Tory Burch runway and layer a blouse underneath. Try doubling up on prints (our pick: Mother of Pearl, $625; net-a-porter.com) or go for a crisp white Oxford instead.
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Your Sheer Blouse

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Got a see-through blouse you can't bear to pack away just yet? Us, too. This lightweight plaid top is one of our favorites (Equipment, $153; equipmentfr.com).

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Your Sheer Blouse

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When the temperature drops, heed Vera Wang's advice and layer your sheer top up with a sweater vest. We piled on the same print with a checked A.L.C. knit ($298; intermixonline.com).

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Your Tailored Shorts

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Long tailored shorts tend to be summer staples, especially in the workplace (more liberal workplaces, that is), but they can easily transition to fall. We're fans of these Mossimo bermudas ($20; target.com).
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Your Tailored Shorts

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J. Crew found the perfection solution to fickle in-between weather-pairing shorts with a playful sweater. This mixed-print Equipment knit is at the top of our wish list ($308; otteny.com).

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Your Pretty Pink Dress

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Blush pink was the color of spring and summer, as on this Reiss dress ($340; reiss.com). But there is no need to put this sweet shade away during cooler seasons.

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Your Pretty Pink Dress

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Designer Josep Font of Delpozo teamed a blush leather jumpsuit with chocolate brown knit. Steal the concept with a similar neutral pairing; we chose this gray turtleneck from J. Crew ($200; net-a-porter.com).
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Your Boxy Tee

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Thanks to its structured silhouette, the boxy top is up there as one of the most flattering pieces around. Top off your look with our pick-this one by J. Crew ($138; jcrew.com), with leather pockets for a touch of edge.

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Your Boxy Tee

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Let the BCBG Max Azria runway serve as inspiration, and take the relaxed top from summer to fall by layering it with a crisp button-down (Uniqlo, $20; uniqlo.com).

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Your Sequined Mini

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Attention-grabbing sparkles are the way to go for a night out. Akin to a little black dress, the sequined mini is a wardrobe staple. We love the playful sequins and beads on this Mango skirt ($56; mango.com).
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Your Sequined Mini

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For fall, give your look a grungy edge with a slouchy open-stitch sweater (layer it over a basic long-sleeve to prevent skin exposure), as seen at Isabel Marant. Select a new neutral, like olive green-our pick is by Topshop ($76; topshop.com).

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Your Slip Dress

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Underneath every see-through dress is a hardworking slip. But the slip dress is more than just a quick fix to summer's sheer problem. The right one can be worn on its own, thanks to its figure-flattery cut and skin-skimming comfort (Whistles, $110; whistles.com).

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Your Slip Dress

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Designer Miuccia Prada unexpectedly married a brocade dress with a Nordic knit on the Miu Miu fall runway. Go with a more neutral (but still whimsical) pairing, like this Band of Outsiders sweater ($475; lagarconne.com).
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Your Crop Top

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It comes as no surprise that the belly-baring top has made its way into our inner circle of summer go-tos, like this floral embroidered Tibi crop ($285; tibi.com).

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Your Crop Top

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That sliver of black underneath the Tanya Taylor floral top is actually the skirt's waistband, but it gave us the idea to layer a sleeveless knit. Our pick-this figure-hugging Theory sweater ($215; theory.com).

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Your Suspender Dress

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It may not be as prevalent as say, crop tops, but the suspender dress is beloved for its uniqueness and versatility. We're obsessed with this crisp white Wren dress with adjustable straps ($180; bonadrag.com).
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Your Suspender Dress

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On the 3.1 Phillip Lim runway for fall, the designer paired a suspender dress with a sweatshirt. We kept the pairing feminine with a floral print (Timo Weiland, $275; beckleyboutique.com).

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Your Printed Caftan

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Like bikinis and one-pieces, the cover-up plays a major sartorial role in the summer. What's more, the right one (Calypso St. Barth, $495; calypsostbarth.com) can take your look from day to night. And in this case, into fall.

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Your Printed Caftan

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Models on the Burberry Prorsum runway shouldered ponchos over diaphanous dresses. Treat it like a blanket and bundle up in one (Missoni, $780; mytheresa.com) when cool weather strikes, or simply drape it over a shoulder for added texture.
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Your Summer Whites

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During the summer, little black dresses are swapped out for little white ones. The same goes for culottes (Warehouse, $98; warehouse.andotherbrands.com).

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Your Summer Whites

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Fall whites might not have the same ring, but they work in the same sense. Take Yigal Azrouel's lead and balance the wide-leg flares with a fitted black leather bomber (Scotch amp Soda, $405; scotch-soda.com).
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