Breathing in the crisp fall air, I observe the vibrant trees around me. Each day is a mystery in that the leaves change color and animals change their behavior. It is the time of year when we usually retreat indoors and drink hot apple cider together. Fall is my favorite season for one big reason: fall fashion. I look forward to planning my fall outfits.
At the present, like many of the other students at the College of William and Mary, I have been working with limited clothing supplies and a budget to express my individuality through fashion. In this article, I will provide tips on how to get creative with fall fashion with what you have and spending as little to no money. It does not matter how many clothing items you own. It matters how creative you can get with them to produce great outfits. Creativity has no limits.
First things first, make yourself aware of all the different marketplaces, especially for college students, that are within your budget. The first one you should know of is “william and mary ppl selling their clothing.” This is a Facebook group in which students at the College post clothes to sell and buy from others within reasonable price ranges. Next, Goodwill, a nonprofit, has nice clothing items as well and your money will go towards community job training programs. Finally, there are many other stores in Williamsburg and online that offer great clothing choices for reasonable prices, such as TJ Maxx. Make sure to take advantage of any college student discounts.
“It does not matter how many clothing items you own. It matters how creative you can get with them to produce great outfits. Creativity has no limits.”
Here are my tips for fall fashion:
- Solid and neutral colored clothing items are easy to incorporate into many outfits. Though they do not have to make up most of your closet, having a few of them can make it easier for you to plan your outfits since they are like “fit for all.” Patterned clothing tends to clash with each other and often it can get frustrating trying to find matching items. If you can rock patterns, I really admire you. In general, neutral colors are black, white and gold. My advice to you is if you are shopping, try to look for solid colors, at the very least, because they tend to go with almost any outfit. For example, you could wear a black top with any pair of jeans or skirts when you cannot find other matching tops.
- Leggings keep you warm and cozy. Wear them beneath your pants so that you can keep your legs warm while also being fashionable. You can choose to have just black leggings, or you can even go for colored or patterned leggings. My favorite pair of leggings are burgundy. If you like to wear leggings on their own, there are options for fleece-lined leggings as well.
- As the temperature drops, it is necessary to wear appropriate outerwear to keep ourselves warm. Though we only wear them when outside and take them off inside, outerwear can enhance our outfit. Since it’s taken off indoors, you do not have to worry about buying a matching one. Feel free to get a crazy pattern one or a just a plain brown one! Whatever goes with your aesthetic. I personally love black and dark blue coats.
- Adding accessories can help give that little elevation your outfit might need. Scarves are one of the first accessories I believe are a must. Get creative and go for bright or patterned scarves.
- Rainboots are a must due to rainy Williamsburg weather. I do not like the feeling of my socks or pants getting wet, and I am sure many of us might agree. Therefore, make sure you have a good pair of rainboots. Since you will not be wearing them except when it rains, go crazy with the pattern style.
- Personally, I like to keep it minimal as possible. I find something in being minimalistic so intriguing. My everyday go to jewelry is a pair of small golden hoop earrings. However, I have seen others rock bold and statement jewelry.
- If you are like me, then you might not have time in the morning to do a full face of makeup. Honestly, it can get so tiring and time consuming to wear so much makeup. Therefore, I have chosen to pick out my must makeup item: lipstick. It is so easy and fast to put on, and it gives my outfit that extra pop of color. My recommendation for you is to find your makeup must item. It could be eyeliner or mascara, and just stick to that on your regular days. You would not have to put in so much effort doing your makeup. And since its fall, you could try to find fall color palettes. In my opinion, red lipstick goes with any outfit.
- Hair accessories are so cute. Whether you like to keep your hair down or up, there is always room to accessorize. There are so many cute headbands and hair ties out there. I personally love to have hair pins in my hair. They keep the hair out of my face while at the same time allowing me to keep my hair down.
With that, I wish you the best of luck in your fall fashion journeys. Remember just as all leaves are different colors in the fall, there are also different forms of expression as well. At the end of the day, how you feel, not look, is what matters.
Email Mehar Nasir at mfnasir@email.wm.edu.