How to Dress for Fall if You Live Somewhere Warm -

I may not be a fashion blogger but I cannot take one more southern influencer posting photos of themselves in chunky sweaters and jeans tucked into knee-boots when it’s 95 degrees so I decided to write an article about how to dress for fall if you live somewhere warm.

Switch to autumnal colors

You don’t need to don chunky sweaters to have a fall look. The first way I change my wardrobe for fall is by changing up the color palate. I wear a lot of bright jewel tones and bright colors like pink and aqua in the spring and summer but I switch to burgundy, burnt orange, black, brown, grey, marigold, and plum in the fall. If I love a summer skirt, dress, or top, I’ll often order the same summery dress in a more fall/winter color to have on hand. It’s amazing what a difference that makes!

Here I am wearing a burnt orange mini skirt, booties, and black t-shirt. The perfect fall outfit on a hot day!

Here I am wearing a literal crop top with a lightweight black midi skirt, booties, and a very breezy burnt orange cardigan (and then again with a black cardigan, which makes it look like a totally different outfit!):

Here I am in a white mini skirt, maroon tank top, flats, and beige cardigan on a warm day in San Francisco:

Lightweight pants, a tank top, and a breezy wrap in November:

And finally, a plum summer-weight dress with booties and a wrap:

Invest in lightweight cardigans & wraps that look cozy

I am about to out one of my biggest fall hacks here. I have worn my favorite lightweight beige cardigan in so many fall pictures. It’s quite drapey and snuggly looking but in actuality, it’s only elbow length and hangs pretty far off of my body so it isn’t warm at all. I’m always on the lookout for cardigans like this! I love elbow-length shrugs for the same reason: they add a cozy layer without actually being too warm.

Staying cool in a strapless burgundy maxi dress, flats, and my favorite breezy cardigan:

Look how I even strategically pushed it off my shoulders when on a particular warm afternoon:

Here I am on a warm day at my pumpkin picnic wearing a breezy burnt orange maxi skirt, drapey (NOT clingy black cardigan), white tank top, and flats:

Here I am wearing a strapless summer dress with boots and one of my favorite wraps (doing my signature butterfly pose!):

Booties are your friend

Okay, yes, we all love a riding boot. Thanks to the fashion blogger queen @hotpinkandglitter I am now the proud owner of wide calf knee-high boots that actually fit for the first time in my life and I cannot wait to wear them. Unfortunately I live in Texas so I’ll likely be waiting until late November for it to be cold enough to wear them. (Maaaaybe late October with a dress. We’ll see.) Booties are your friend. Knee-boots are just too hot! Booties paired with a midi skirt give you the same fabulous fall silhouette without actually being warm.

Open-toe booties and rolled-up jeans are also a great option if you want to wear jeans but don’t want to get too warm:

Wear flannels as cardigans

Want to wear a comfy flannel look before it’s chilly enough to really wear flannel? My trick is to wear flannel shirts as cardigans over a tank top. Since the shirt is open, it’s not nearly as warm as if the whole shirt was against your skirt. I love pairing this look with a black mini- or knee-length skirt and boots.

Accessorize with breezy scarves

I have two large boxes full of super lightweight scarves (and about two actual winter scarves) in my closet. A lightweight scarf looped loosely at the chest (rather than gathered at the neck) is a cute way to look ready for fall without being too warm. Scarves immediately give a cozy vibe but there are so many breezy, see-through designs that won’t warm you up. Pro tip: I also love using scarves as incredibly lightweight wraps! I will straight up wear a summer dress with a breezy scarf casually draped over my shoulders and somehow look ready for fall. The best part? You get the best butterfly silhouette for photos!

As you can see, I’m still using the scarf/midi/booties/tank top trick well into the holiday season:

Here I am at the Dallas Arboretum in a dress I literally wore in the dead of summer (at my Pirates of the Caribbean dinner party) paired with booties and a scarf:

Try a jumpsuit!

I’m a huge fan of jumpsuits. I’m not a big pants fans but jumpsuits are basically the dresses of pants. I love a simple black jumpsuit with flats or a pop of fall color with a t-shirt under spaghetti strap jumpsuit!