Fall Trends

Oct 3, 2019 | Outfits

As you guys probably know, I’m usually a little late to the party when it comes to embracing trends. Growing up in a predominately white neighborhood and being the only black girl in my grade I really wasn’t trying to do anything to make myself stand out anymore than I already did. And having a more functional approach to style I’ve just never been one to rush out and buy the latest without some serious consideration first. It’s the analytical, zealous over thinker in me. Now don’t get me wrong, your girl does her share of impulse buying from time to time, but when it comes to trends I’m extremely skeptical about how long I’ll be feeling them, especially as I work towards being a more conscious consumer. However I admit that every season there are some trends that catch my eye. I find the trends I gravitate towards are ones that I can feel in my soul that I will want to wear long after they’re no longer considered in style. But there are also times when I just want to try something completely different. So I decided to share with you my favorite fall trends for this year, why I’m digging them and how I plan to rock them this season.

1. Oversized Blazers

Oversized blazers have actually been in my wardrobe since 2015. I remember the Nordstrom at Somerset had just opened their Topshop section and I immediately headed over to check out their selection. I tried on this herringbone boyfriend blazer and to be honest I wasn’t entirely sold at the time but the sales woman said, “If you don’t absolutely love it, don’t buy it.” And weirdly it was in that moment I knew I loved it. What I like most about this trends is that it works for my pear shaped, with a belt I can instantly accentuate my waist while masking my wider hips. A few ways I love rocking the oversized blazer trend are: over a mini skirt, with some jeans, and belted over a dress or pants. I won’t lie, oversized pieces can be tricky but go with your gut, if you feel it looks sloppy then it probably does. Personally I find that buying a blazer a size up usually does the trick.

2. Leather

I think we can all agree that leather is pretty much a fall staple, but it’s arriving this season in a very unexpected way. Instead of the classics like a jacket or skirt, people are reaching for leather shirts, pants and coats. And the really bold are wearing leather head to toe creating a very matrix-y vibe, but personally I’m finding that look surprisingly chic. For me leather’s such a fun texture to have to give your outfit a bit of an edgier vibe. If you’re hesitant about the dominatrix look stick to the classics like a jacket or skirt, if you’re wanting to really give leathers a trend an easy ways is with a leather shirt or pants. I’ve been reaching for my leather culottes a lot more and simply pairing them with a t-shirt and sneakers. I haven’t quite committed to trying to full on leather look but there are a few pieces that have got me taking it into serious consideration.

3. Suiting

Suits are another one of those things that never really go out of style, it’s usually the tailoring that goes in and out of season. If you know me then you’ll know that suiting is lowkey my jam. Check out my YouTube video to see part of my suit collection. I think it’s thanks to Samantha Jones, that woman was the queen of pantsuits. Not only do I love a good matching set but I even like mismatched separates as well. The great thing about suits these days is they come in so many varieties compared to previous years so no matter your style you’ll probably be able to find one that suits your aesthetic. I have a good mix of both professional and playful suits that I love to dress up and dress down, there really is no wrong way to embrace this trend.

4. Anything Animal Print, Especially Snake Print

Personally I think animal print, when done right, is always in style. Right now it’s really on trend, but what’s really having a moment this season is snake print. I can’t tell you how many knee high snake print boots I’ve seen on my IG feed the past week alone! For me animal print is all about taking a walk on the wild side and paying homage to your inner spirit animal. If the idea of actually wearing snake print is too much, try reaching for a chic accessory like a purse or shoes to add a punch to an otherwise minimal outfit. Accessories are my favorite way to try out a trend with out feeling overly committed.

6. Belts

I have such a love hate with this trend. On the one had I love it because with thinner belts and oversized pieces it’s ultra flattering but on the other I love the wider belt look but can’t seem to find many that work with my figure. The curse of having a shorter torso. The great thing about this trend is everyone has a belt that they can easily tie in a way that works as a waist belt. It’s also an easy way to either add more texture or even patterns to a look. Recently I’ve found myself belting my blazers and jumpsuits, I have yet to belt a dress but that’s because most of the dresses I own aren’t the right style to wear with a belt.

7. Tonal Dressing, Shades of Brown

When I fall in love with a color I really obsess and earlier in the spring I fell hard for camels and tans. And usually when I wear a color, I rock it head to toe. That’s why this trend was just a natural fit with my style. My obsession continued into late in the summer and evolved into monochrome brown outfits, check out my IGTV lookbook here, and the obsession clearly isn’t stopping any time soon. The great thing about tonal dressing is it’s up to you what color to choose. When it comes to wearing one color head to toe the key to keeping it from falling flat is to add interest with either different shades of color or different textures. For me I like to play with both, I usually wear lighter colors on top and darker colors on bottom then add texture with my accessories.

8. Knits on Knits

The only thing better than a cozy sweater is a full on knit outfit. I actually rocked the knit on knit trend when it first hit the scene back in 2016 with a matching grey knit top and skirt. This time around I’m less focused on matching sets and having a little fun experimenting with mixing knits of a similar color. What I like about this trend is that if you do rush out to buy a matching set, then it’s a lot like suiting where you have more options to mix the top and bottom as separates giving you much more variety. While this trend feels a little casual I’m trying to find ways to make it look more professional to wear to my 9-5. My big struggle is that all my knits are covered in pet fur and if you have pets you know how difficult fur is to get off so it’s real easy for you to look like a crazy cat lady who just rolled out of bed in her pajamas.

9. Heritage Prints: Plaid

Similar to leather heritage prints, i.e. plaid and houndstooth, are pretty much a fall staple which is why it’s weird that they are making a comeback because I kinda feel like they never really left. Either way it’s definitely a trend I’m digging. For how I’m wearing plaid check out my post on timeless plaid outfits.

I’m curious to know, what trends are you looking forward to wearing this fall?