Thinking About Fall - What's Trending for 2021

I like to share with you some of the new trends for each season after I’ve done a little online research. I typically go to websites like Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue and WhoWhatWear to see what the fashion world deems important for us to know. Believe me, I am not a huge trend follower, but I do like to see what’s going on out there. Many trends continue from one season to the next, and we often find trends come and go, then come back again. I have gotten into the habit of telling people, don’t throw things away that no longer seem trendy, because they will come back around. As long as you enjoy a trend and can still fit into it, there is no reason to give it up, just because the fashion gurus say it is no longer trending.

Image by suju-foto from Pixabay

Today’s post will cover a few of the trends I could easily get on board with. Some of these trends I already have in my closet and a few I might write on my thrift shopping list to look for the next time I go to a second hand store. I am including a variety of shopping links for you to look over. These are affiliate links and are brought to you at no additional cost. If you click on a link I get a few cents. I appreciate all your clicks.

Sweater Vests

These core layering pieces have been slowly making a comeback with a bit of a surge last winter spring. They are now on the radar for fall. I am glad. I like a classic sweater vest and think they can add so much to an outfit. Besides just adding a layer of warmth around your middle, they add texture and interest to any outfit from casual jeans and sneakers, to a shapely pencil skirt and heels.

Chunky Knits

Going along with the trend towards knit vests, there is the trend towards chunky, oversized knits. This would include pants, skirts, dresses and the like, but I know many of my followers would not be caught dead in a sweater dress or pants, so I am just including links for pullovers and cardigans. Some of the runway trends lean toward knits on steroids, which is definitely not me, so I will not be sharing those.

Fair Isle Sweaters

Another knit trend that is coming in popular this fall is the “Snow Bunny” trend or Fair Isle sweaters. This recognizable knit was popularized by the royal family in England in the 1920’s when Edward VIII wore his in public. Originally hand made on the island of Fair Isle, a somewhat isolated community north of Scotland, the original knit patterns donned wool hats and sweaters on fisherman, to keep them warm. See the article, History of the Fair Isle Sweater, for more information. While true Fair Isle sweaters are wool or at least partially wool, I’ve included some links for a few that are less itchy for those of us who can’t handle the wool.

Sequins and Sparkles

A girl can never have enough bling in my opinion, so when I saw sequins and sparkles on the trend radar, I thought how fun that can be. Whether you add it in big doses like a skirt, dress or top, or you add just a touch with a small clutch or the pocket on a tee, bling is a great way to jazz up an otherwise casual look.

Leopard Print and Faux Fur Coats

Leopard print is still trending and while the focus is on coats, don’t get rid of those leopard booties, sweaters and bags. I am on the prowl for a fuzzy faux fur coat this year, so I am going to put that on my Christmas list. I just found a leopard print, longer sweater while thrifting, so I will probably ask for my faux fur in a solid color.

The last two trends I want to look at I am going to include shopping links for accessories. I think these two trends are already in many of our closets, so I thought it would be fun to see what there is in the way of bags, shoes and other outfit add ons.

Quilted and Padded Textures

Most of us have a jacket, a longer coat, or at least a vest that has that puffer like quality. I have a number of vests, and a thrifted black coat that I use regularly in the winter. The quilted texture is a fun add on, especially in late fall and winter, when the temperatures plummet.

Highly Saturated Colors

I think most of us who are on the color wagon have multiple things in our wardrobes that fit into this category. Colors like fuchsia, violet, emerald green, royal blue, and bold orange come to mind when we think of saturated colors. Many people do not like deep, bright colors like these, but if you add just a pop here or there in the form of a pair of shoes, a scarf or some beads, you don’t have to feel overwhelmed by them.

I hope you enjoyed this look at some of this fall’s trends and that you will take a few minutes to stop and shop. Maybe there was something in today’s post, that you thought, “That is just what I was look for to fill that hole in my wardrobe.” Let me know which of these trends you already have in your closet and which one you are going to invest in.

Until next time, have a great day!

20 Days of Christmas - Fairisle Sweater

Nothing says winter better than a Fair Isle Sweater. Fair Isle is one of the Shetland islands and it is from this area that the familiar pattern of knitting, using multiple colors came into play in the fashion world. The patterns became popular in 1921 when the Prince of Wales wore Fair Isle sweaters in public. You can see examples of true Fair Isle pieces by visiting this website, Mati Ventrillon. Her story is interesting and the pieces she creates unique and beautiful. It is is worth taking time to peruse her site. If you have the resources and are able to wear wool, one of these sweaters would be a once in a life time investment.

Obviously, my sweater was made on a machine at a factory and is strictly man made materials, but finding this Chap’s brand sweater at Kohl’s on the clearance rack last year was a win for me. I cannot wear wool, as it makes me itch and the price for one of Mati’s beautiful hand made pieces tops off at about $250. Since I don’t live on a chilly island north of Scotland, I think I’ll stick with my cheap fake. Ha, ha.

I was a bit at a loss this morning with taking pictures. My weekend was so busy and then I didn’t feel the greatest yesterday, so I didn’t get my pictures taken after work as I had planned. Frankly, I forgot. My brain has turned to its usual SAD slush! Ugg. Weeks of clouds takes it’s toll and while we had one sunny day on Sunday, one day is not enough to bring me completely out of the seasonal funk.

Anyway, it was so overcast this morning, I knew it was going to take more time than I had to get my camera to a setting that would take a decent picture outside, so I opted for my phone. Lots of these turned out fuzzy, so I apologize for the not so great photos.

Here is a close up of the pretty red, white and blue pattern. While typically that color combination is patriotic, on this sweater it seems more festive and Christmas ready rather than Fourth of July. I love the dark navy with the lighter more silvery blue and the red almost borders on pink.

This fun silver fringe necklace is one of my favorites and I like the way it pulls out the silvery threads in the sweater pattern. The other reason I like this necklace is if you get nervous or bored it is fun to fiddle with the fringe! Ha, ha.

Since I wanted to keep the outfit casual I chose to pair it with my silver sneakers which are a new addition to my shoe pile. I found these at a local department store on clearance. Today was the first time I wore them for a long period of time. They weren’t too uncomfortable, although by the time I was done shopping with my daughter at the mall, I was starting to feel a few spots that were rubbing. Oh well, I am sure they will still get plenty of use at my part time job and other occasions where I don’t have to do a ton of walking.

I think this works for a very casual Christmas outfit and the sweater could easily be dressed up with a cute pencil skirt or even a pleated skirt with heels. You could also go for gold, instead of silver for your accessories to change it up a bit.

One last picture just for laughs and of course this one turned out perfect! Ha, ha. Isn’t that the way of things?

I was looking out the window and saw a huge flat bed truck with a full load of wooden palettes doing a U-turn in the middle of our street. It was one of those, “All righty then,” moments. Ha, ha.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Do you own a Fair Isle sweater? Is this the type of sweater you would wear? I’ve included a few shopping links for a few that are more budget friendly. Remember, these are affiliate links. If you click on a link I get a few pennies. All opinions are my own. I appreciate your support, but even more than clicks, I appreciate your comments. I love to hear how I have inspired you or how you have taken a fashion trend or idea and made it your own. That is so inspiring to me.

Have a great evening.

Holiday Outfit - Casual - Jeans

Welcome to my series on holiday style. I hope that these next few weeks will take you from Thanksgiving through the New Year in creative and inspirational ways. I grew up in a family that rarely dressed up, except for church on Sundays. Holidays were typically ultra casual, in fact sometimes on Christmas we stayed in our pjs or most comfortable sweats all day long. When I got married and we had children our holidays were always spent traveling so that we could spend time with our extended families. Living out of a suitcase for a week was always a challenge, not because I couldn't fit everything in, but because I had to plan ahead! What was I going to wear on each and every day of our time away? And how was I going to look presentable, but still be warm and comfortable?

Now that I am a fashion blogger, I want to dress in a more festive way, but still stay true to my comfortable, relaxed roots. For this series I decided to take a look at three different approaches to holiday dressing, (No! I do not mean stuffing.) The first two weeks will look at a casual approach, the second two weeks a dressy casual approach and the last two weeks will be devoted to a dressy approach. I will follow that with a post on a New Years eve look. So let's begin.

Certainly all of you own a pair of jeans. Some of you may even own a pair of cropped jeans, and/or a pair of distressed jeans. Jeans are a part of my style routine. I wear them all the time, for work, play, dressing up or down and everything in between. Maybe you are not a jeans kind of girl. but whether you are or aren't you can create a casual style using the following simple guidelines.

1. Pick a pair of jeans or casual pants that you enjoy wearing. For this outfit I chose my Vera Wang cropped distressed jeans. Here is a cute pair from Lord & Taylor. You could just as easily choose a pair of mom jeans or a pair of skinnies and just roll up the bottoms for a similar, fun look. 

2. Pick a fun sweater. It doesn't have to be a holiday sweater. I think it is fun to wear something with a holiday motif after Thanksgiving, but until then, any warm cozy sweater will do and over sized is even better. Here is one from Old Navy, Nautica and Target. 

I found this fair isle sweater on the clearance rack at Kohls. It is amazing the treasures you can find on the clearance rack for just about any season. This is Chaps brand, which is on the higher end of what I like to spend, so finding it on clearance with a good coupon was a win. I tucked it away knowing I would be able to use it this winter. 

If you are not familiar with fair isle, it is a knitting technique that uses multiple colors to create patterns. This sweater also has some silver threads knitted in, so it gives the fair isle pattern some subtle bling. My fave and perfect for a holiday gathering.

As you can see I had a tank top underneath, but it works because the pinky red of the tank matches the pinky red in the sweater. I am always cold in the winter, unless I am moving around, so I like to have an extra layer or two, but more on that Thursday in my Layering Love series. Ha!

3. Add a few statement jewelry pieces. Jewelry can be such a wonderful outfit booster. A fun piece of jewelry can take an outfit from dowdy to divine.

This pendant was another Kohl's clearance find. The bracelet I found on my first visit to Chico's. The two matched perfectly to one another and to the light blue in this sweater. Plus the silver trim goes well with the silver threads in the sweater. 

This brings me to another style question that seems to often come up...to match or not to match? This really is a matter of personal taste. I personally love to have at least a little bit of matching going on in an outfit. I feel that it makes the outfit look polished and gives it a classic, pulled together feel, BUT that is just my personal taste. There are many fashion bloggers who take pride in not being matchy and do a fabulous job at it! Do what is best for you. After all that is what this blogging thing is all about, helping you find your own style!

4. Grab a great bag. Since red is big this fall, I couldn't resist pulling out this Arizona Jeans brand Buffalo plaid tote. A Penney's clearance purchase last year, I got this as a possible Christmas gift, but decided to keep it for myself. Ha, ha. Here is an adorable one from dressbarn. 

A tote bag is a great way to transport things, especially if you are going to visit family at the holidays. Whether you are going just for dinner, for the day or for an extended weekend, a large roomy tote will give your room for all your essentials, a few little gifts and that book you are planning to read in the car while someone else drives. Oh, and don't forget that water bottle! The holidays can be a hard time to keep hydrated because there are so many goodies and fun drinks occupying our hands 

5. Don't forget the shoes. Just because you are going casual doesn't mean you have to wear sneakers, although a cute pair of hi-top Converse would be perfect with this outfit. I chose my wedge heel ankle boots from Impo. Here is a very similar pair from Macy's. 

I love these gray suede boots. They are super comfy, but also stylish. I wear these over and over during the cold weather. 

This is a look that I will most likely be wearing over the next few weeks as the holidays begin. It would be a great casual look for a holiday gathering, movie night or a day out Christmas shopping. I hope the tips I gave you will help you come up with your own casual holiday outfit. 

I would love to hear about what outfits you came up with. Leave me a note about them in the comments section, or leave me a picture on my Facebook page. I'd love to see your looks.

Photo credit Rebecca Trumbull. 

Below are a few shopping options. This post contains affiliate links. If you click on a link, I get a few cents. If you buy an item through a link I get a small commission. All opinions are my own.