5 Fall Fashion Footnotes from the Style Scholar

Even the most style-secure succumb to some trends each season, and there’s nothing wrong with that — so long as you make those trends your own. Here are my five favorite trends for fall, with a few pointers on how to incorporate these themes into your own established — and I’m sure, very smart — wardrobe.

1. My Humps

The woolen camel coat is a cold weather standby that will always convey a toasty, efficient sort of elegance, but there’s no reason to stop there. A crisp camel A-line skirt, a camel-colored structured blazer, or a pair of tawny, wear-anywhere trousers will provide you with nearly endless dressing options, and if you stick to classic, conservative shapes with your camel buys, you’ll likely be wearing these pieces for several falls to come.

Tip: Camel looks extra-fresh paired with jewel tones, especially a juicy garnet.

2. Shag-a-delic

It’s an understatement to say that fur can be tricky to wear in Seattle, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Fur is sexy and warm, it lends itself to all sorts of unique silhouettes, and it can be found in faux versions as well as at your favorite vintage and thrift stores. While I would never purchase a new fur, I do have a cherished collection of used furs, and I personally can’t think of a better way to venerate an animal woefully mistreated in the past than to keep using its fur to keep warm, and to keep thanking — and thinking of — the animal...

Tip: If you’re worried about looking like a yeti, try a fur trimmed anorak, some shearling-lined boots, or even a slip of fur on a dainty glove.

3. Snow Right

Snowy white reflects what little light we have during our Pacific Northwest autumns, and it also looks fresh, clean and a bit more youthful than the standard somber fall palette. Try white for a short boot (especially with black tights), for a long wool coat, or even for a pair of Levi’s topped off with a thick pea coat and knee-high boots.

4. Creature Comforts

The key with animal prints and skins is to be sparing and subtle; think Sophia Loren, not Peg Bundy. As skin and pelt prints easily cross the line from classy to crass, what you pair them with is essential. Cream makes it soft; black makes it tough; color makes it whimsical; and red makes it...well, just frighteningly sexy. For the bold, a dress; for the meek, a sleek bag, scarf, shoe, or even, a naughty bit of lingerie.

Tip: Size matters — the smaller the print, the more wearable the piece.

5. Hunter’s Delight

Women's Mackinaw Wool Jacket / Filson.com

With fantastic homegrown shops like Pendleton and Filson in Seattle, the nostalgic outdoorsy trend should be pretty easy to adopt. Though hearty in spirit, this look is all about feminization and glamorization of classic functional pieces and themes. Think buffalo plaid short-shorts worn over thick, nubby tights, or a curvy shirt-dress rendered in a weighty hunter’s twill. Either way, this look is a welcome shift and easy option for the Teva and Northface-dependent among us (you know who you are...you are 85% of the city). 

Tip: A cool hiking (or hiking-inspired) boot can give almost any look a woodsy edge; top them off with thick wool socks, skinny jeans and any kind of Army-green coat, and you’ve nailed the look.

(Left) Zest High Heel Work Boots / Dollhouse.com

This blog has been updated since its original publication.