How to Transition Your Closet - Effortless Style Nashville

We have been talking a lot about the arrival of early fall on the blog in recent weeks…. We are starting to feel *some* cooler temperatures here in Nashville, though it can still be hot and humid for sure. Honestly, the days yo-yo back and forth in that regard, so it is important to be intentional on how we are transitioning our closets! We are sharing some of our best tips below on how to transition your closet for early fall.

How to Transition Your Closet…Starting with Summer Pieces

Start by putting away any pieces that are super “summery” in terms of color way or pattern. Look at each piece and think about whether the color way and/or pattern in the piece sends too much of a beachy vibe. If so, set it aside for your next beach trip or for next summer. That said, certain summer pieces are indeed perfect for these early fall days, especially your favorite skirt, dress, or jumpsuit. To enjoy these pieces well into fall, layer on a tee, thin turtleneck, white or chambray button down, or a jean jacket for a fresh fall take.

Don’t be afraid to replace that favorite pair of sandals you enjoyed all summer with a suede slide or a fall toned bootie! Side note along those lines: don’t wait until October to pull out your ankle boots and other fall shoes. Go ahead and do that now…. Begin pairing those fall shoes with some of your darker and neutral summer pieces to start achieving more of the “fall season” look. Now is also a good time to put away super summery sandals. Keep sandals in your closet that are neutral in tone or in the brown or black family, and put away brightly colored sandals or those that leave most of the foot exposed. Wedges in natural fibers can be enjoyed through September!

Emily is transitioning one of her favorite maxi dresses from this summer by adding a denim jacket and wedges in a pretty chestnut color way. Adding these two pieces instantly transforms this brightly colored dress into a beautiful fall look!

Katey bought this dress last spring for her son’s First Communion at church and enjoyed it at many poolside BBQs this summer. She is now transitioning this flirty and feminine dress by adding a denim jacket and a fabulous pair of suede slides.

Denim Jacket | Midi Dress | Similar Slides | Similar Slides

Now is of course the time when we begin to think about pulling out our black and dark wash denim. That said, your lighter wash denim is still perfect for early fall as well. Instead of grabbing that summery tank top, choose a short sleeve top in a more fall toned color. We love how Emily has paired her favorite pair of light wash jeans with this pretty black blouse and open toed black heels for an on point look for September!

Off the Shoulder Top | Light Wash Denim | Similar Slides | Similar Hat

We of course spent a lot of time this summer talking about hats and how to style them…. It is still very much appropriate in September to enjoy your favorite hats! The key is to skip your favorite floppy straw beach hat. Instead focus on more structured hat styles, such as fedoras and panama hats. Pair your hat with a seasonally appropriate fall look, like Katie’s here. Katie layered a denim jacket (do y’all sense a pattern here LOL) over a favorite summer midi dress, added some animal print sandals, and topped off the look with her favorite fedora.

How to Transition Your Closet…Shorts, Skirts & More

In terms of your basics for the bottom, sort through your shorts, skirts, and lightweight summer pants to see what can be paired with fall hues for September. We do recommend that by October, shorts are put away (with the exception of you Floridians out there). When looking at your shorts, consider putting white or brightly colored/patterned shorts away until next year. And focus on keeping your denim cutoffs, and shorts in the black, olive, gold/mustard, and brown color families, in your closet. Skirts are so fun for this time of year! They keep you relatively cool and are so cute with sneakers or booties. Jenny is pairing one of her favorite summer skirts with a long sleeve top and sneakers on these warm September days. Love this look for this time of year!

Another fun early fall look here on Emily! A black denim mini skirt with a simple tee shirt, fun black jacket, and sneakers for a cool and casual September look. When the temps rise, she can take off the jacket to stay cool but look the early fall part!

Bomber Jacket | Basic Tee | Denim Mini Skirt | Sneakers

Joggers – we have ALL been wearing them around the clock since March. Don’t give up on your lightweight joggers quite yet. Talk about a perfect way to look seasonally appropriate yet stay cool and comfortable! Katey found these fabulous olive joggers at Aerie (you can still snag them here), and they are perfect for these long September days. She paired them with one of her favorite tops from this summer in pale pink and amped up the fall factor with animal print sandals. SO fun!

Menswear Inspired Fall Looks

Look to menswear for inspiration as you transition into the fall season. Pull back out your blazers and pencil skirts and pair them with your summer tanks and lightweight knits. Think outside the box by pairing your favorite blazer with…. shorts! Yes, you heard us right. How fabulous is Katie in this blazer and cutoffs look? The addition of the tortoise shell sandals is just spot on for September. If you don’t own some tortoise shell sandals, consider getting some for this transition period!

Carrying White Denim Into Fall

Elevate summer colors with monochromatic dressing. Instead of pairing your off white jeans or cream wide leg pants with a brightly colored top, pull a lightweight off white sweater, or a cream tank and jacket combination. A built in bonus with monochromatic dressing??? A head-to-toe one color look elongates and lengthens the silhouette. Yes, please! There are so many other ways to style your white denim for fall! Want more tips? Check out our recent blog post on that very topic here. Jenny has styled a fabulous early fall look for her white denim here. We love the graphic tee in green paired with the white jeans and neutral colored slides for a warm September day!