The Occasional Woman: Autumn Fashion

Dear Readers, welcome to another Season of Fashion–this time, it is Fall, also known as Autumn. Not my favorite season, as it pretty well signals the end of Summer here in the mysterious East Coast, and the presumed end of beach trips! Waaaah! . . . but, it does have an upside—Fall Clothing. It’s a more cuddly time, and there are some new trends I have been hearing about. Some are great–and a few are really terrible . . . so, here we go!

One of the biggest trends is the age-old Button Down Shirt. I know, it can be very stodgy, and seem pretty lame—but there is no reason it has to be! To start with, a lot depends on the fabric. How about a silk button down shirt? Talk about fabulous! Silk is a wonderful, natural fiber; it breathes and flows beautifully over your body and the feel—it makes one feel like royalty. I have had them in purple, turquoise, white, black and shocking pink. Yeah, I outgrew some, thanks COVID, but I still have a few and will get more. A nifty silk button-down can go with anything, from jeans to a leather skirt, silk just works.

This fashion staple goes great with another trend—plaid! Who doesn’t love a snazzy little pleated fall kilty skirt? And dress that up with high black boots and the silk shirt-ultra-nifty and very hip. Or black heels and stockings, gotta love it. Or consider a short or mid-hip plaid coat or jacket, worn over jeans or a skirt, or a quite fitted, lightweight sweater. Always look for the designs on the plaid to match up at the seams—otherwise, one can look messy and “off”. Plaid boots are also big, but probably look best on a smaller person.

Here’s a good silhouette—trousers. I don’t mean boxy, thick dude pants, but fitted yet drapey and tailored trousers. A nice soft fabric like a rayon, or pants-weight silk, will give you a lovely flowing silhouette; and pair that with a fetching corset-top and cardigan—you look great, and classy. Another thing-those wacky Hollywood types are wearing trousers with a jeweled bra-top, maybe with your new silk shirt open over the shiny little top! I would recommend trying this out at a friendly club, as opposed to some wing-ding at a fancy country club or business dinner. The right pumps will complete the look, as always.

Apparently, matching sets are to be all the rage this pumpkin time. A skirt and top or sweater of exactly the same color is now a thing. Or wear the same color everything, including shoes. Another plus with this is that catalog shopping makes this trend easy to acquire—most online sites and catalogs already match pieces by color, so give that a try.

I am glad to report that bright colors are a Big Deal this fall. I do love big punches of color, also smaller bursts of wild tones can certainly liven up your look. Like a hot pink or orange top, or scarf, worn with those neutral-tone trousers will help chase away the blues. Or try a black skirt and hose with a bright, sunny yellow or azure top—big fun!

Now, here are two trends with which to be careful—one is fringe. I think a little goes a long way; I have a red suede fringed jacket I got for $27.00 in Toronto years ago—I will wear it for eternity, but not everywhere. It’s for fun-loving special events, where I already know most of the attendees and they will be drinking.

The other one is something I just saw online—it is pieces of clothing with big cut-out parts. Pants that are very tight, with a series of big symmetrical holes in them, dresses with the entire sides cut out, shirts with no backs, you get the idea. Not the “distressed” torn jeans look, but planned areas where you are basically just showing a whole lot of skin. Let’s try to be somewhat realistic about what skin we’re exposing here—how does your skin really look? Maybe start with some smaller cut-outs, not dinner plate sized.

My last, favorite part of Fall is—cashmere! Is it expensive? Almost always. Is it worth it? You bet! It feels like wearing happy kittens, and carries off lovely bright colors. If treated well, and stored in a decent bag, it will last darn near forever, and can sometimes be found in hoity-toity Junior League-type thrift shops. Treat yourself—you will thank me.

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Tags: crossdressing, fashion, featured, style, Transgender

Category: crossdressing, Transgender Fashion