Fashion Fridays: Fall Fashion, Greens & Grays

So last week’s Fashion Fridays highlighted mixing colors and patterns as a go-to look for this fall season.  Today, we’re going to talk about two of the trendy colors of the season which fortunately for me are both (1) timeless colors regardless of their popularity, and (2) my absolute two favorite colors to wear.  It’s always rough when the trendy fall colors are orange and magenta, and I just look like regular old me in my blacks and grays.  But this season, so much of the beautiful stuff you’re seeing in shop windows, runways and offices comes in green or gray.

With green, it can be just a splash or all over, and it can also be a range of colors depending on your skin tone and preferences; from army to kelly and from hunter to teal, there are a lot of beautiful options out there.  In past posts, I have had a number of you ask where things come from; if I pull it from the runway or a fashion magazine, I may not know, but if I pull it from a store, I will reference how to find it in case something strikes your fancy.

My primary tip whenever you are looking at new trends for a season is PICK ONE THING.  You don’t need to, nor can you afford to, reinvent your wardrobe constantly.  I find something that hints of something trendy – a color or a cut – but that primarily will be wearable for years to come even when, say, aubergine isn’t THE color of the year.

Also, always remember that just because it’s “in fashion” doesn’t mean it’s “fashionable.”  I don’t care if acid wash ripped jeans become all the rage, I am NOT going to be wearing them.  Take into account your body shape, your skin color, your place of employment and your lifestyle.  Once you’ve factored that it, you can find a way to update your wardrobe with a couple of simple pieces.

For example, I love bright green.  I actually look nice in bright green.  If I was a size 2, I would wear this dress:

If I lived in Michigan, I would totally buy this coat: 

As it is, I’m currently a size 12, work in a relatively formal office, and live in Houston, so here are some better options (for work first and then for casual Friday):

 

(Yes I know this last number is a little kooky, but I just love the color combo and mix of patterns/fabrics – don’t forget my favorite look from last week was the same combo.)

And this is just clothes.  Think of all you can do with green when it comes to accessories – necklaces, earrings, handbags, scarves and even nail color can give you the splash of green to brighten your fall look.

Gray is sometimes easier to incorporate than green for us career women because we already have a fair amount of it (if you don’t have both charcoal work pants and a lighter gray pant for work, they are must haves).  The nice thing is that gray and green pair well together (see the handbag and trousers above), so you can incorporate multiple up-to-date colors in your wardrobe.  Watch the cut of items though.  That can date an outfit the most.  I had several jackets tailored to remove a few inches from the bottom so that they sat at hip level instead of below as the cut was otherwise timeless.

Here’s simple gray for work – I love all the structure that is featured this season:

(First two Ann Taylor, last one Talbot’s. Don’t you love the pairing of textures as well as gray and teal in that first one?)

And here’s fun gray for outwear or more casual:

 

(First one and last two from Nordstrom’s, second from Talbot’s, and next two from Ann Taylor Loft.)

These are more playful, though still more structured that loose fitting clothes from other seasons.  So make sure you take that into account when ordering sizes – clothes are fitting closer to form.  Note also, the Loft sweater features gray and olive, a color combo you don’t see a lot but that is really lovely for fall.  And always look for ways to incorporate fun into a wardrobe:

(First two Piper Lime, second two Francesca’s, middle two Pinterest, clutch Loft, and final four from Old Navy/Gap/Banana site.)