The Lazy Girl’s Guide To A Fall Wardrobe

We girls love fall. And who can blame us? It’s the season where we go for walks with a hot beverage, overdecorate as much as possible, and wear our favorite scarf one too many times. Fall is comfy, cozy, and sometimes even lazy. But is laziness really the message we want to send to the world?

By definition, laziness is “the quality of being unwilling to work or use energy.” The evolved woman is anything but lazy. However, all of us have responsibilities that take precedence over the clothes we put on our bodies. But considering the benefits behind dressing for success, we can’t ignore the role that style plays in our lives. 

That’s why we put together the lazy girl’s guide to a fall wardrobe, a guide that allows you to dispense as little time, money, and energy as possible while still achieving the look you want. Oh, and did we mention that you’ll look anything but lazy? 

Choose a Color Palette 

This is one of the best pieces of advice we can give on how to look effortlessly stylish. Sticking to a color palette applies to every season, and means you can own fewer pieces that all go together. It makes it easier to mix and match all of your items and allows you to create all the monochromatic outfits of your dreams. But with all the beautiful colors out there, this is easier said than done!

Consider your skin tone carefully, and choose a warm color palette or a cool color palette accordingly. Whether you choose warm or cool tones as the base for your wardrobe, embrace the darker and richer shades of your chosen tone, such as burgundy, burnt orange, and chocolate brown for warm tones, or plum, emerald green, and navy blue for cool tones. You might even consider an all-neutral color palette. This will set your wardrobe apart from the other seasons. 

If this seems a little boring to you, add pieces with a fall-friendly pattern like plaid, stripes, or even dark florals. 

As for the colors that don’t make it into your wardrobe? Just because they’re not on your body doesn’t mean you can’t bask in their beauty in art, in nature, or in your home décor. We love the fall season, but rest assured, winter, spring, and summer will be here in no time. You can always choose a new color palette for a new season, so you don’t have to miss out on any of your favorites. 

Stock Up on Staples

Now that you’ve chosen a color palette, it’s time to stock up on staples. Staples are classic pieces that work for all seasons. If you feel as though you have so many clothes but nothing to wear, it’s time to go back to the basics. 

Your staples can include jeans, skirts, sweaters, and bodysuits. Choose comfy and lazy options like oversized sweaters and pants with an elastic waistband. Since you’re sticking to a color palette, ideally all the separates will match each other. Even if you only have two of each staple item, that’s 16 different outfits!

Materials

Fall is the time to enjoy your favorite comfortable and warm materials like wool, fleece, and cashmere.

For your basics like your shirts and bodysuits, breathable and long-lasting materials like cotton and Tencel are your best friends. Two other materials you might consider are silk and linen. They’re perfect for all seasons, as they keep you cool when it’s hot and they keep you warm when it’s cold. 

Layers Are Your Best Friend

We’re all about flattering our feminine curves. However, when the temperature drops, it’s time to embrace the oversized look. No need to shy away from a little extra material. You don’t always have to emphasize your waist to hip ratio, especially on those chillier days. 

One of the great things about fall is all the extra material we need to keep warm makes it so much easier to style our outfits. A light jacket, a blanket scarf, or a great pair of gloves act as built-in accessories, adding interest to your look without too much effort. 

One Good Jacket

During fall, you only need one perfect jacket. Your best bet is to choose a jacket in a neutral color that can be layered over any of your staple pieces. Depending on the climate of where you live, this will look different for everyone. If you live somewhere warm, this might be a blazer or a corduroy jacket. If your fall is a little bit more like a winter, you might need a coat, like a long trench coat or even a wool coat. 

A good jacket can be expensive. If you aren’t looking to break the bank, try shopping second-hand. You’d be amazed at the quality items you can find at a thrift store, and it leaves some money in the bank to get your piece tailored to fit you. 

Upgrade Your Look with the Right Boots

Shoes are the most important accessories. They can make or break an outfit. Unlike a cheap sweater that could pill, stretch, or shrink, a good pair of boots is an investment. If you have any kind of money to spend, a good pair of boots that will compliment your fall clothes is the place to spend it. 

This staple pair should be in brown or black. Depending on your height and what kind of bottoms you prefer, it might be an ankle boot or a knee-high boot. Explore different classic styles like the Chelsea boot, lace-up boot, or riding boot. You want this boot to be practical and durable, and to compliment your fall wardrobe. To never run out of options, consider getting one of each color in different heights. 

Even though this is the lazy girl’s guide to a fall wardrobe, we need to add a boot with a heel. A small heel is one of the easiest ways to level up an otherwise lazy outfit. That makes (possibly) three pairs now, but a girl can never have too many shoes, right?!

Embrace the One Piece

Would this even be an Evie article if we didn’t mention dresses? When you think about it, dresses are actually kind of lazy. They’re an outfit all on their own, they’re comfier than pants, and they make you look put together without much effort. When you think of dresses, your favorite feminine floral sundress likely comes to mind, but you can also style a dress for the colder months.  

All of the tips above, like embracing layers, owning one good coat, and having a few classic pairs of boots, will help you transition your dresses from summer to fall. If you’re really committed, you might even invest in a few dresses strictly for the colder seasons, such as a sweater dress. If you do so, choose fall-friendly materials like silk or knit and fall-friendly colors like navy, red, taupe, camel, and black. And don’t forget a good pair of tights (or two for when they inevitably rip) to keep you warm!

Complete Your Wardrobe with Accessories

Accessories are the most overlooked area of a complete outfit. You might look like a million bucks in your clothes, but if you don’t add the right accessories, it might appear as though your outfit is unpolished or unfinished. 

The most obvious fall accessories are scarves, hats, and gloves. A silk scarf can elevate any look. Try a beret for Parisian fall fashion. Black leather or faux-leather gloves will make you feel like a fall princess.

Closing Thoughts

A lazy fall wardrobe doesn’t have to be all hoodies and sweatpants. Nail down your basics, colors, materials, shoes and accessories, and you’ll have your effortlessly stylish fall wardrobe.

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