Anyone who has been around me lately has heard me gush about Pre-fall. For those who may not know what Pre-fall is, it’s a collection released by designers in between the fall and spring shows, a subcategory of high fashion. In basic retail, it’s the pieces that you see in late July that consist of items like light long sleeve shirts, cardigans, new denim trends and so on. Some people refer to this as back to school shopping. Here in Virginia the weather is so tricky that in my eyes there are about two prime weeks for pre-fall. Days where there is a fall breeze that with still that warm summer air, so maybe low 70’s or upper mid 60’s is just about perfect. The time of year when you can wear a cardigan as a jacket and not freeze your ass off or when you can sport boots and jeans and not melt into a puddle from the summer humidity. It’s simply a magical time of year but when this weather strikes you must be ready, armed with the latest and most fashionable pre-fall items!
This summer while shopping and gearing up for one of my favorite fashion seasons, I realized that I wouldn’t be going back to school to wear all my new things. It was one of my first realizations that I had graduated. Not going to lie, had a minor meltdown in the dressing room. There are two types of people when you graduate; the people who can’t wait to get out of this hell hole and move on to making money. Then there are the ones, like myself, who don’t like change and aren’t ready to be a grown up and leave behind so many memories and friends. Whether you are ready for it or not, you have to move on because change is a part of life that you have to embrace. And while I won’t get to showcase my favorite pre-fall outfits in a class room, the streets of Richmond will see and whether they notice or not I will feel amazing!
Here is a great example of an ideal pre-fall outfit. Props to MEL my mannequin for being my model for this style session. Anyway, this dress! A lined sheer, simple long sleeved deep purple dress. Layer with a long cream colored detailed cardigan, that is slightly longer then the dress. This look is great for transition not only from summer to fall but also casual to a night out. Add a long gold necklace to give it a more elegant look. Or for a more casual look throw a brown leather cross body messenger bag on and head off to seize the day! I literally love simple pieces because they go with so many things! This dress literally could be paired with so many other pieces to give it a totally different look.
The key to pre-fall and making your money go a long way, don’t pick pieces that can literally only be worn in those two weeks, if you get a dress make sure it would look good with tights underneath or a coat over top. Being less financially stable then I’d like to be, getting the most for my money is beyond important. Not only that but buying pieces that make you feel good, confidence completes every outfit. I am more confident. Now as I begin to move on from my college days I am more inspired than ever to work harder, spend smarter and rock the best pre-fall trends that I can.
-ML
The Dirty Blonde Stylist 