Fall Style from a Sustainable Perspective
It’s fall! And even though it’s still a little toasty in California, I’m so excited for all of my fall outfits. Today I’m going to be sharing my fall style inspirations, what colors inspire my fall wardrobe, and my best tips for fall thrifting!
Buffy Summers
A queen of the TV fashion world. Throughout the show’s 7 season run, Buffy rarely disappointed. Her style was at times experimental, and in the different seasons of her life, her style changed to reflect who she was, or who she hoped to be. (I would love to do a blog post detailing my opinions on the fashions of BTVS in the future.) But this means that we got so many cool looks! I love the variety. Leather, cool statement jackets, plaid, midi and mini skirts, a cute mom jean moment. All of these have many features in Buffy’s wardrobe. Part of what I love is that she always looked very comfortable, which felt realistic. If you think some of her looks were a bit too stylish to be killing vampires, you clearly haven’t seen me in a grocery store.
Sabrina Spellman
While bright red was absolutely Sabrina’s color (and I think it looks amazing on her) my favorite looks from her usually involved shades of green, yellow, or rust. Also, she’s my modern messenger bag queen! I will never stop loving messenger bags. She always rocked the sweater department, and I love all of the fun and unique collars that were featured across her wardrobe. I liked that she often wore a mini skirt and tights or a nice cigarette pant. Her iconic red wool coat is a dream and I can’t wait to find a mid length wool coat with that same chic girly simplicity. Plaid mini skirts, fun sweaters, wool, muted fall colors, and stripes. These elements appear often in Sabrina’s wardrobe, and I feel they’re perfect for fall.
Nancy Drew
I honestly feel like the wardrobe department was getting paid thousands of dollars per episode by “The Big Plaid Coat Initiative” because there’s just no dang way a regular person would own this many big plaid coats. I still love it though. While I love some aspects of Nancy’s style, she doesn’t have the same level of authenticity in terms of wardrobe that I feel Sabrina and Buffy have. I think a lot of her looks are cute, but they’re pretty repetitive. So many striped t-shirts, so many big coats, so many neckerchiefs. Not as much room for personality and style. The reason Nancy is my 3rd favorite fall style icon? Stripes, neckerchiefs, and coats. Yes, the three things I said there was too much of. Even if it was overdone, it was always well executed. These pieces were often paired with nice sweaters and a good pair of jeans. The result? A lot of cute looks to draw inspiration from!
My Fall Color Palette
I think dressing like a pumpkin is the ideal fall look. I often find myself pairing shades of rust and orange with greens, which might be kind of basic, but sometimes you cant beat the classics. I also feel like purple is just so perfect for fall. Like amaranth! And it looks so good with orange. Creams and tans paired with shades of dark red always look good. Maybe muted pink isn’t the most classic fall color, but I feel like it’s so chic and cute. Especially paired with shades of cream, brown, or dark red. These color combos are great in fall but can also be a great option for winter and the transitional time between!
My Thrift Tips
Now it’s time for my fall thrifting advice. This first one is super basic and I’m sure you’ve heard it a lot, but you should always check every section! Clothing shouldn’t have a gender, and I’m not going to let outdated societal norms keep me from an amazing vintage sweater.
Second, just because something is labeled as your size, doesn’t mean it will work for fall. Cardigans, jackets, coats, etc. are usually worn over other clothes. So, if there’s a cute piece that you like, consider how you would realistically style it, and if you would need to wear a long sleeve/sweater under it, grab one and try them on together! I can’t tell you the number of times a cute jacket has been uncomfortable in the shoulders once I got a sweater on underneath it. Same goes for boots! If you would wear the boots with thick socks in cold weather, try them on with thick socks.
And third, some thrift stores put out inventory based on the month/season, not the actual weather. So, even if it’s hot outside, and there are no cool days on the forecast, just buy the cute cool weather clothes! Thrift for the wardrobe you want later, not what you need right now. If I hadn’t thrifted sweaters and coats in 100° weather, my fall wardrobe would be so puny!
I’m not going to tell you what specific clothes or styles to wear. That will never be my thing. My only goal is inspiring unique style and encouraging others to thrift and sustainably shop for as much as they can. Do I think mid wash denim is the superior fall look? Absolutely. But I’m not here to tell you what’s better. Maybe you hate mid wash denim. I really don’t care. I just want everyone to develop a personal style that makes them happy and doesn’t involve slave labor and horrible environmental impacts.